Chapter 8: “Spreading Our Wings” Toward Collaborative Service-Learning: A South African Case Study

Since the change to a democratic society and government in South Africa, lecturers and students in higher education have collaborated with community partners to establish sustainable initiatives to enhance students’ social responsibility and benefit communities. This chapter shares insights on a collaborative service-learning project where different arts-based literacies, including art, reading, poetry, human movement and writing were used to enhance reading and writing, culminating in an annual interactive Community Engagement Day on the campus of a higher education institution. The day was organized by a team of staff and students and attended by 50 learners and three teachers from three schools in the area. The chapter describes different stations and activities which included topics such as safety, human movement programs, reading and writing activities and writing of poems. The art lecturer and her team helped each learner to paint a “feather,” culminating in the theme of the day, which was to “spread your wings.” The learners and students completed evaluation forms after their experiences, followed by interviews with lecturers. Data show the value of the day for all participants, emphasizing collaboration across faculties. It shows that true, integrated effective community engagement is built on reciprocal partnerships and collaborative service-learning projects.