Skip to Main Content

Visiting Students Research Guide: Service Learning Guide

What is Service Learning?

       

A way to teach and learn that challenges students to add their talents to knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom to investigate and meet real community needs – locally and globally.

Service-learning connects school-based curriculum with the inherent caring and concern young people have for their world – whether on their school campus, at a local food bank, or in a distant rain forest. The results are memorable, lifelong lessons for students and foster a stronger society for us all.

The 5 Steps of Service Learning

Investigate:

Select an Issue that is important to you. Identify and learn about community needs and problems that are connected to the issue. Brainstorm and select a way to address the need and make an impact

Prepare and Plan:

Gather a planning team. Create a project goals and a method to track progress. Write a project plan with tasks and timelines. Once you create a strategy for change, put your plan into action.

Act:

Implement your project plan. Document your activity. Measure, track and record project outcomes.

Reflect:

Reflect on how you connect with what you are learning and doing. After you become aware of how the project impacted you and how you impacted the community, share your project experience.

Demonstrate/Celebrate:

Share outcomes and highlights and teach others how to replicate your project. Celebrate your success and thank all supporters. Make plans to continue or expand your project.

Identify the issue: Overview of Global Refugee Crisis

Who are Refugees?

Refugees are......

People who have suffered human rights abuses and been forced to flee their homes.

People who have crossed into another country to seek safety from persecution.

People who if they return home would face possible death, torture or violence.

People who would return home as soon as they could, but cannot because they fear for their lives.

Normal people - men, women and children forced to take desperate measures to save their lives

Source: Amnesty International (Australia)  www.amnesty.org.au

Refugee Key Terms 

FAQ Refugees and resettlement

Researching the Global Refugee Crisis

Refugee Resettlement In Wisconsin Leveled Off In 2019 | WisContext

Data from the State Department's WRAPSnet database shows that 27,500 refugees refugees resettled in the U.S. in calendar 2019, compared to 96,874 in 2016; a State Department spokesperson confirmed that the agency regards these numbers as up-to-date and accurate. For its part, Wisconsin welcomed 480 refugees in 2019 — the lowest number since 2008, and a dramatic decrease from 1,877 arrivals in 2016, and greater by percentage than the national drop.

The Resettlement Story for Afghan Refugees in Wisconsin Is Just Beginning

Use the ACT-UP and the Media Bias Chart to review news on the Refugee Crisis

 

  1.  ACT- UP News Evaluation tool.
  1. Media Bias Chart Below:

Cite Sources Using Page as a Support Tool:

 https://guides.library.uwm.edu/visiting/cite  

Investigate Challenges Facing Refugees

Find one article using one of the listed resources, identifying a challenge facing refugees within our communities.

Useful sample keywords: 

Refugees AND Afghanistan; Afghanistan AND child marriage;

After your initial search, review the Global Refugee Needs Handout and identify additional specific needs within these categories.

For example, tutoring can be a way to assist with a need within the Education Category

Identify Actionable Next Steps

How can you best assist with the needs identified? 

Use the examples listed below to discover student service learning projects that have met the needs of their community members.

Refugee Tutor/Mentor Program