UMass Amherst
OCSL Banner

COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING

Contact us What is CSL? Organizational info Events Profiles Resources Support OCSL Frequently asked questions

Service Learning v. Service

To volunteer (or "do service") is to serve in an unpaid role that helps or supports others.

To engage in service-learning is to combine volunteer service with structured learning.

Both service and service-learning can be effective in addressing community needs and creating opportunities for shared learning.  Service activities are neither less important nor less meaningful than service-learning; rather, they are two activities with different structures and objectives. 
According to the National Commission on Service Learning, service-learning is different from service in that service-learning is "a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities."

OCSL is a program of Commonwealth College