Service Learning

Learning through engaging in active service to the community where the service provider is the learner and the service recipient is the teacher. This POWERFUL PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCITY & CONSULTATION between service provider and recipient is the cornerstone of Service Learning (SL). The projects may take place in Singapore or overseas. They have themes that range from environmental, public health, education or information technology. Ithaca’s SL programmes have tangible, achievable, practical service outcomes that benefit the partner community. They also have achieve deep and powerful learning outcomes to the service providers – the participants. SL is an excellent platform to explore and understand complex inter-connected social issues related to wealth distribution, power relations and governance in societies.

The SL process takes the students through :

• Diagnostics and the Needs/Assets Analysis

• Exploring the the relevant theories and issues

• Design, Development and Implementation of Service

• Continual and Contextual reflection to come to a deeper grasp of the theories and issues facing the community

• Action-centered conclusion to `anchor’ the learning and ensure its relevance in other spheres in the students’ lives

Ithaca has established a wide network of partners in Singapore (Community, Grassroots, Volunteer Welfare and other Civic Organisations) and overseas (Government and Non-Government Organisations in South-East Asia, Bhutan, China and India) that are keen to engage in SL programmes.

Ithaca’s SL programmes range from 3 – 24 weeks and offers and wide range of projects for youth, families and corporate organizations. Ithaca also offers SL Facilitator Training programmes.