Brock University is launching a new resource centre to help faculty and students discover learning opportunities outside the lecture hall.

The Service-Learning Resource Centre, which celebrates its grand opening Tuesday, helps connect students with local events and organizations to provide them with chances to engage with the community and connect their experiences to what they learn in the classroom.

Opportunities available to students include volunteering with local festivals, social justice events and service organizations. Students have also been involved in community greening projects at local schools and extra-curricular alternative reading week programs in which they can travel and volunteer internationally.

The centre will also support faculty in their efforts to build courses that incorporate community engagement and experiential learning.

“Brock has a strong commitment to Niagara and our community partners. The Service-Learning Resource Centre is already connecting community partners with different departments on campus,” said Sandy Howe, service-learning co-ordinator. “It’s our hope that exciting partnerships continue forming and current ones are strengthened as a result of having a central location on campus for these connections to happen.”

The grand opening drop-in event happens Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Service-Learning Resource Centre, located in Learning Commons room 226. Opening speeches start at 1:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Howe at showe@brocku.ca if you plan to attend.