CHAPTER 8: Benefits to Students of Service-Learning Through a Food Security Partnership Model

As universities strive to become engaged campuses, the need exists to expand our understanding of how different institutional approaches to service-learning affect students’ learning outcomes. Prior to 2005, it is estimated that only six universities in Canada engaged their students in community service through academic courses (Charbonneau, 2009). Then, in 2005-2006, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation instigated a Canada-wide commitment to service-learning as a pedagogical tool through its 5-year funding of 10 universities and a national office (Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning (CACSL), 2010). In contrast, in the United States, an extensive and deeply rooted history of CSL thrives, and many have suggested that it is embedded in the fabric of American society (Kraft, 1996; Parker-Gwin, 1996). This relatively late arrival of service-learning in Canadian universities affords an opportunity to study student learning outcomes in unique institutional settings. The research presented here adds to the existing knowledge base by positing student outcomes within the context of a themed universitywide approach to service-learning and a unique partnership model of community engagement. This theme approach and the community partnership model are first described, followed by a presentation of research methods, findings, and a discussion of student outcomes.