Open AccessImplementing Service Learning: From Nutrition Education into Community Action
Author(s) -
Lana Zinger,
Alicia Sinclair
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of college teaching and learning/journal of college teaching and learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2157-894X
pISSN - 1544-0389
DOI - 10.19030/tlc.v5i12.1210
Subject(s) - service learning , voucher , psychology , service (business) , action (physics) , critical thinking , medical education , nutrition education , pedagogy , medicine , computer science , marketing , business , gerontology , physics , quantum mechanics , world wide web
Service learning integrates academic learning and relevant community service with classroom instruction, focusing on critical, reflective thinking and personal civic responsibility. Through a grant, community college students were provided with grocery store vouchers to purchase unfamiliar, healthy foods. Students were taken on an educational “tour” of a local supermarket and were shown how to grocery shop according to dietary guidelines. Students then engaged in service learning by going out into their communities where they acted as nutrition educators and taught community members skills they initially learned. As a result of this project, students reported success in applying the knowledge and skills learned from one setting to another. By engaging in service learning, students also reported improved nutrition knowledge and overall confidence with the subject matter.