Chapter 1: An Assessment Framework for Embedding Significant and Sustainable Activity-Based, Course-Based, and Program-Based Service-Learning

Service-learning is a powerful support for academic success in undergraduate preprofessional programs as well as for communities, but it is challenging to plan and implement, and the paths to success are not always clearly marked. Newer faculty in particular should be encouraged, but also aided, to find and follow an approach that will allow well-integrated, useful, and sustainable projects in their courses. In this chapter, two faculty—one in public health and one in education—discuss complex, multi-component projects undertaken individually in major-specific classes and as a cross-disciplinary teaching team. We share context and rationale, successes, challenges, lessons learned, and teaching tools to bridge gaps for faculty and communities wishing to move from project idea to learning and capacity-building reality. Finally, an assessment framework is proposed which facilitates the significant and sustainable embedment of service-learning.