We hope you are staying well during this uncertain time.
The Center for Service Learning will remain open to offer virtual support to students, faculty, staff, and community partners. Information issued by KU about campus coronavirus preparedness, updates, and links to important resources are now available on
coronavirus.ku.edu
.
During this period, the strength of our communities remains in our compassion to continue to serve others, particularly those who may be most vulnerable. Although our modalities and approaches may adapt in the current context, the opportunity to rally around each other and our communities, even in a virtual environment, is paramount. Although we recognize that it is necessary to practice social distancing, we can buffer against social isolation based on how we continue to engage, respond, and support each other through different and unique approaches offered virtually through indirect services.
The Center for Service Learning will be reaching out to faculty, staff, students and community partners to offer support, including brokering indirect service opportunities that are beneficial to the community. We encourage those who are working with service-learning courses to also communicate with course instructors and partners directly, to determine the best way for projects to continue moving forward virtually. We're encouraging our student organizations who participate in service to proactively communicate with their community partners and consider creative responses to provide remote service and support.
Students, faculty, staff, and community partners should engage in remote or virtual activities to minimize the risk and spread of COVID-19. Although the modality of community engagement and service activities may be adapted, there are still many opportunities to partner in providing indirect services and support with faculty, staff, and students and in our communities. The Center for Service Learning (CSL) is gathering and offering guidance for how to continue to support community-engaged learning, service-learning, or volunteer experiences as we continue to serve our communities.
The Center for Service Learning has developed an
online hub to disseminate and share information related to advancing community engagement in the period we are all responding to COVID-19. Please continuously review updated information on this site including FAQs, resources, and a portal to submit questions that we can assist in gathering responses.
The following is a list of suggestions of virtual service-learning activities gathered by community engagement practitioners around the country, but we'd love to hear more from you about your immediate and longer-term needs. To share and submit your organization's needs and/or project ideas, click
here and we'll do our best to work to support those needs!
- conducting background research or gathering best practices or other information requested by the partner(s)
- taping, recording, or streaming performances or workshops to benefit community partner(s)
- creating digital and other social media content, print program materials, or other methods for information-sharing
- undertaking assessment, evaluation, or feedback via phone or web-based services
- offering (or compiling, researching, or brainstorming) strategies that provide indirect support from volunteers as a result of coronavirus
- conducting virtual or phone-based educational supports for youth and adults
We look forward to continuing to support our campus and community partners as we navigate and respond to the ever-changing needs of our communities and those we serve. Thank you in advance for your continued patience as we all work together to figure out how to adapt to quickly changing situations. What remains of utmost importance is to ensure the individual and collective health of our communities.
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." - Coretta Scott King
Onward,
The Center for Service Learning Team
Jomella Watson-Thompson, Director
Emily Eddins Rountree, Associate Director
Kate Kemper, Assistant Director
