Bucs Abroad: International Service-Learning at a State College

Introduction Of Multidisciplinary, International Service-Learning

As a state college, part of FSW’s mission is to “serve as a leader for intellectual, economic, and cultural awareness in the community,” as well as expand access to a world-class education in our community. Service learning, also called community-engaged learning, is a high-impact experiential learning practice that reflects engagement with real-world issues and promotes humanistic values of inclusion and ethical community participation. Community-engaged learning, is a high-impact, integrative practice that leads to positive outcomes such as higher grade point averages, increased retention rates, and increased critical thinking abilities (Kuh, 2008). Community-engaged learning has been found to have a particularly meaningful impact on students of color (Mungo, 2017). Considering FSW’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) and a “First Gen Forward” institution, integrating community-engaged learning into the curriculum is a natural fit.

This chapter will discuss FSW’s integration of international service-learning within two study abroad trips. The first trip took place in Italy and the second took place in Costa Rica. This case study is unique because not only will it feature international service-learning, it will also feature multidisciplinary approaches.