The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse - Essay Example

Furco and Billig (2002) gave out a simple example of service learning whereby groups of students undertake projects to collect trash within the neighboring town center, and afterward, they prepare a report documenting on the sources of the trash and the measures that can be implemented to control this problem.Virginia Commonwealth University-Service LearningThrough the division of Community Engagement, the Virginia Commonwealth University has set-up a well-elaborate service-learning program that is dynamic and attracts over three thousand students on an annual basis.

The University has integrated service-learning into its learning curriculum to an extent that each course offered is integrated with a service-learning unit. The service-learning programs simply undertake various projects in order to improve the well-being in various communities as well as positively affect the lives of the community members.Purpose, mission, and goalsThe main purpose of Virginia Commonwealth University is to develop mindful and engaged citizens who contribute to making the world more just and human.

The mission of the program is to deepen the students’ understanding of civic responsibility and enhance their capacity to act as locally responsive and globally aware citizens. Area of operationThe Virginia Commonwealth University service-learning programs are implemented within local communities in the country and in far wide regions in other countries.Participants involved with the project and the customers of the projectsThose who are involved in the service-learning projects are students at the university as well as some members of the teaching staff.

The customers of the projects undertaken by the student of the university are local communities in the U.S as well as other parts of the world. Benefits to the society from the projectsThe Virginia Commonwealth University-service learning program is diversified in different areas such as health, education, environmental conservation, promotion of peace and well-being of the society, and community sensitization programs, among others. Therefore, the local community where the university students will select to conduct their service-learning will benefit depending on the project they will undertake, for example, the community could benefit from a cleaner environment, construction of a recreation site, or education on social issues.

Importance of businesses to be socially responsibleCrane et al. (2013) stated that besides benefitting from the local community, businesses need to show concern for the surrounding environment and even the people who live in the surrounding environment in order to gain a good reputation within the society and in a way continue to market itself. Secondly, it is important for businesses to be socially responsible since it is a strategy of protecting and preserving it is the market or their source of earnings.

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