The students and instructors of the Foundations in Service Learning course at Brock are celebrating their inaugural Community Learning Showcase April 2, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Pond Inlet.

Students will present what they have learned in the Foundations in Service Learning course about the community, society and themselves, as well as their ideas for future service learning and community engagement.

The course is a model of teaching and learning that combines academic study, community-based learning and civic participation.

“Each student in this first-year, two-semester elective has participated in 11 different out-classroom events and activities that have formed the basis for academic reflection,” said Mary-Beth Raddon, associate professor of Sociology, who taught the multidisciplinary course.

Since September, students have performed volunteer work, attended cultural festivals and arts events, visited unfamiliar religious congregations, explored the Bruce Trail and participated in a multitude of educational and civic events in the community.

They have come to know the cultural landscape of the city, grappled with local debates, and simply learned how to get around the city and region.

In combination with their studies, these first-hand experiences have made students more committed and prepared than ever to contribute to the larger community that is their chosen home while attending university.

Rebecca Bunz, a concurrent education student, took the course this year.

“Many of us can say we have learned more about the world from these volunteer experiences than we have sitting in lectures. I believe that the structure of this class may be the future of education,” she said.

To attend Saturday’s event, RSVP to Kristen Smith, Student Life and Community Experience, at kristen.smith@brocku.ca; 905-688-5550 x3845.

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