Long a benchmark of Augsburg's community engagement, course-based service learning continues to evolve and augment Augsburg's curriculum. Service-Learning at Augsburg is an educational approach where students learn from and about the community and society in which they live by participating in service experiences that are integrated into Augsburg courses.
A little over 20 courses per semester have service learning embedded in the syllabus, linking students to opportunities with local organizations that enhance their understanding of the subject-matter while engaging them in the practice of partnership and community building in the city. Recent Course offerings include:
History 120: America to 1815 Professor Michael Lansing
Professor Lansing led students through an exploration of the intersection between agriculture, food, and land rights in our nation's early development and how those relationships are playing out today in both rural and urban contexts. Students visited Martin and Attina Diffley's Gardens of Eagan to learn about an organic farm that was threatened by a proposed oil pipeline project. In the process, they gleaned 13 bushels of broccoli and personally delivered them to community organizations in our neighborhood.
Mary Laurel True, CSWL Associate Director and the Service-Learning Coordinator, can help you craft a community partnership for your class that will be mutually beneficial and academically rigorous. Please refer to our Faculty Curriculum Partnership Guide for more information on the mechanics of Course Based Service Learning at Augsburg.
Many Augsburg students engage in service learning or community engagement as soon as they step on campus through their first year Augsburg Seminar courses, as it is one way to fulfill the Engaging Minneapolis component of the AugCore graduation requirements. The AugSem classes kick off on the first day of the fall semester with Augsburg's City Service Day Project, a unique way to introduce new students to the city while reinforcing our mission to "Educate for Service."