Community Partner Experiences in a Service-Learning Development Program

In response to continued calls for research centering community perspectives in service-learning and community engagement, this mixed-methods article examines the experiences of community fellows who were a part of a university service-learning development program. The purpose of the program was to train faculty and community partners in service-learning pedagogy and implementation practices. We analyzed self-reported data from 25 community partners over eight cohorts of the program. In the article, we find that community fellows grew their knowledge of service-learning terms and practices. At the same time, they identified logistic and equity challenges in service-learning implementation and partnerships. Amid these experiences, community fellows highlighted the formation of a shared community among all fellows as the strongest outcome of the program. The shared community afforded them space to build meaningful relationships, collectively plan, and problem-solve together as they practiced servicelearning.