Service-Learning is the formal integration of community service into student instruction. Service-learning connects students with the community in partnerships that provide effective and far-reaching assistance to those in need.
In 2008, the MU Office of Service-Learning established a relationship with the Trulaske College of Business through which students are paired with non-profit organizations, giving them a chance to learn while serving their community. This provides students a look at another side of business, a side they may not have previously considered.
Earlier this semester, MU Community Engagement Project (MUCEP) students took the time to reflect on the lives of those living in poverty by putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.
The MU Office of Service-Learning has been serving Missouri since 1995 and each year, the amount of service grows. In the past 10 years, more than 1,706,400 hours have been served by MU students, generating an economic impact of more than $37,115,000 to the state of Missouri.
On my first day of service at Kids in The Kitchen, I had a conversation with the mother of one of the children attending the program. This conversation enlightened me to the realities of people living in different life situations than me and caused me to reflect on how social systems can often times fail to accommodate the needs of those who differ from the general public.