Service learning at the University of Cincinnati helps nonprofits deal with some of the most complex issues of modern urban society: hunger, homelessness, addiction, poverty, obesity, illiteracy…the list goes on.
What if you could convene a group of University of Cincinnati students and teachers, many of them experts in their fields, to take a fresh approach to these issues?
As an urban, public university, UC is positioned to address these issues and help students develop a sense of social responsibility in the process.
Through Service Learning, your organization can connect with diverse student talent who can support your organization and together, we can make a difference in our world.
- Connect with students across multiple majors through a semester-long, faculty-led course.
- Propose your organization’s real-world problem for student teams to work on collaboratively. For example, students could conduct market research, design a website, write a series of articles or blog posts, create videos, analyze data/present findings, or tackle more complex issues.
- Industry partners participate approx. 1-3 hours per week (or more as desired)
- Students work approximately 25 hours per week on each project (375-425 hours total over 15-17 weeks)
- Non-profits and small businesses may also qualify for wage assistance to hire UC students as interns or co-ops.
Project Examples
A few examples of Service Learning projects UC students have worked on.
Digital Transformation: Advancing Communities
- To help adult learners prepare for careers in technology, students worked on researching, designing, and implementing practical solutions.
- Students developed new digital skills and explored leadership, teamwork, collaboration, social justice and social change.
Saturday Hoops
- Saturday Hoops in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood lets kids be kids: Every Saturday morning, kids come to play basketball, make arts and crafts, do yoga, and enjoy similar activities in the company of adult volunteers who serve as role models.
- Students worked on a public relations and marketing campaign to bring more attention and volunteers to Saturday Hoops.
Rise Together
- In spring 2018, the Service Learning Colaboratory paired FC Cincinnati soccer players and staff with University of Cincinnati students and faculty, along with students and teachers from Carson Elementary in Lower Price Hill to address issues related to bullying and youth engagement.
- Through the Pay It Forward Student Philanthropy Grant, the course received funding to support the relaunching near the school of a “futsol” court, a space where communities can explore how to “Rise Together.”
Digital Storytelling
- This concept originated in relationships with the Mayerson Foundation’s High School Service Learning Program and two local high schools – Riverview East and Madeira. In the class, UC students and faculty worked with high school students and faculty to create digital storytelling projects that highlighted each high school’s service learning efforts.
- In the class, UC students and faculty worked with high school students and faculty to create digital storytelling projects that highlighted each high school’s service learning efforts.
Ready to Connect?
Let’s see what we can do together. We are now accepting requests for future Service Learning projects.
The following list created by the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse gives a sense of the many ways that students can apply instruction and practice needed skills through serving while learning, and learning while serving.
- Tutor other students and adults
- Conduct art/music/dance lessons for youth
- Give presentations on violence and drug prevention
- Help in a homeless shelter
- Create life reviews for Hospice patients
- Compile a town history
- Build a website
- Launch a social media campaign
- Remove invasive plants and restoring ecosystems in preserve areas for public use
- Write a guide on available community services and translate it into Spanish and other languages of new residents
- Gather information and create brochures or videos for non-profit or government agencies
- Plan and host public forums on topics of interest in the community
- Conduct public information campaigns on topics of interest or local needs
Questions? Fill out the contact form below and a member of the Partnership Development Team will contact you.
