Service Learning in the Community College: Drive to Employment

Abstract

As community college leaders strive for institutional efficacy, programs are needed to promote student success through the alignment of curricular objectives and community needs. To meet this objective, service learning (SL) is becoming increasingly popular in the community college. A new SL program called Drive to Employment (DTE) was developed as a means of preparing students for employment by serving unemployed and underemployed community clients. As a result, the curriculum was better connected to workplace competencies, students were prepared for employment, and the capacity of community-based partner organizations was expanded. An overview of DTE will familiarize stakeholders with SL, lessons learned, and the potential impact of similar programs on student, institutional, and community outcomes.