CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

NSTP 1023 (National Service Training Program 2)

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY ENGAGAMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

Topics: a. CICM Advocacies
b. USL-CECA Framework
c. The Basics of Community
d. Community Engagement and Development in Higher Education
e. Service Learning Programs in Higher Education

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify the different advocacies of the CICM;

2. Review the vision, mission and objectives of the USL-CECA;
3. Examine the basics and principles of community engagement and development;
4. Explain the importance of service-learning in higher education;
5. Choose and implement a project that would promote consciousness involving local
issues, concerns and responsible citizenship as future professionals

LEARNING CONTENT

MOTIVATION:

1. What problems have you seen, heard, read about, or experienced that sparked your interest
or concerned you?

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2. What issue do you care about most?
3. My personal passion or asset is _______________________________
4. What would you like to see change?

Process:
In this part, the answers from the students are important as these will be considered during the
discussion of the topic. Answers may vary, however this will lead to identify the most prevalent
issues in the community

The CICM-Philippines and its Missionary Priorities

The Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) or Congregation of the Immaculate

Heart of Mary was established in 1862 by Rev Fr. Theophile Verbist in Scheut, Anderlecht, a
suburb of Brussels, Belgium. It is an international religious missionary congregation, dedicated
to the Incarnate Word under the name and patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The CICM charism is ad-gentes (to the nations), ad-extra (towards the outside). At the
core of the CICM missionary character is a CHRIST-CENTERED SPIRITUALITY for the
mission; a missionary activity integrated into the whole pastoral work of the Church; the
evangelization of cultures through quality education; a proactive stance in support for people’s
natural and cultural heritage; and, solidarity with the poor through the establishment of an
inclusive society.

CICM-Philippines Missionary Priorities

During the July 2015 Provincial Assembly, all those present unanimously CONFIRMED
TEN (10) commitments or areas of concern as priority commitments. From these ten priority
commitments, the different LOCAL MISSIONARY PROJECTS will eventually be formulated.
These ten priority commitments are the following (CICM Philippines, 2015):

a. Indigenous People
To promote the dignity of indigenous people and inculturate the Gospel, in terms of an
integral involvement of the indigenous people themselves in the CICM work of solidarity
with the poor.

b. Parishes
To give a prophetic witnessing and dynamic presence among the poor, by forming an
animated CICM parish through active participation in liturgy and social action, organized
in basic ecclesial communities.

c. Educational Apostolate
To develop CICM schools as important institutions of higher learning in the service of the
local Church and of society, in the light of Christian vision and CICM mission.

d. Campus Ministry
To promote the potentials of people especially the youth through Christian formation and
other pastoral programs in the CICM way.

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 e. Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
To promote social justice in the world and respect for the environment.

f. Special and Sectorial Ministries – The Abandoned

To care for the marginalized members of society, in terms of CICM-inspired social
justice.

g. Interreligious Dialogue
To promote respect and collaboration with persons of other faiths in the spirit of open
and peaceful dialogue.

h. Initial Formation
To form and train young CICM candidates in the spirit of mission ad extra, inspired by
Théophile Verbist and Companions.

i. Ongoing Formation
To deepen our spiritual life and update our missionary attitudes, in order to reach the
harmony of four essential dimensions: human, spiritual, intellectual and missionary.

j. Vocation Animation
To recruit and welcome candidates, and also to present to all the faithful the charism,
spirituality and missionary vision of CICM, thus allowing possible candidates to discern
the call of the Lord.

The USL-Center for Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies

The University of Saint Louis foresees itself as a CICM Catholic educational institution
that offers quality relevant education that aims for the holistic development of the human
person. As an institution of higher learning, the university aligns itself with its three (3) basic
components of Outreach, Service-learning and Extension. Believing that community
involvement is a basic and pervasive aspect of university education, the University through the
Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies initiates and implements Outreach, Service
Learning and Extension activities that allow students, faculty, and personnel to apply new
knowledge they generate to address specific social development problems. However, unlike
state universities and colleges (SUCs) which are mandated specifically to align their programs
in support of national, regional, or local development plans (RA 7722 or Higher Education Act of
1994, Sec. 2, Par. 2), the university assumes a more liberal thrust for its extension programs. As
a CICM educational institution, it pursues it programs within the broader frame of the CICM
missionary focus on the transformation of the world and the coming of the reign of God (CICM
Constitutions Commentary, 1999).

The holistic development of peoples and communities as the University envisions

suggests that it commits itself to the educational, spiritual, socio- cultural, economic, and
political, health, and environmental development needs of its partner communities and the
nation as a whole. However, as there are also other institutions working in each of these areas,
the university may collaborate with them or endeavors to focus on specific needs that are least
attended to most importantly those that are in line with CICM mission priorities and insofar as its
capacities can reasonably permit.

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 As a higher education institution, the university brings to bear in its Outreach, Service-
learning and Extension programs its expertise in instruction and research. These programs,
however, are not a one-way traffic. They are implemented as a result of researches conducted
and concepts taught in the classroom. As the university extends its expertise with the partner
communities, feedbacks are generated from the stakeholders. These feedbacks will eventually
be used to assess and improve the programs. Hence, the university contributes to the
development of the partner communities and at the same time the values and valuable learning
through university's exposure to partner communities play a vital role in the significant
development of the Louisian Community.

VISION-MISSION

Vision
The University’s Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies (CECA) Office
envisions developing socially aware, sensitive and responsive members of the Louisian
Community through active involvement in community extension, service learning, and
outreach activities towards community development.

Mission
As the over-all coordinating body of the various community engagement activities that
are initiated by the different sectors of the Louisian Community, the CECA Office shall:

1. Participate in constructive and relevant social activities for the promotion of CICM
advocacies;
2. Sustain holistic development of communities which are humane, self-reliant,
sustainable and dynamic;
3. Encourage volunteerism among the sectors of the Louisian Community for the
noble and worthwhile community engagement activities thereby cultivating the same
spirit in the client – partner communities.

Goals and Objectives

Guided by the CICM thrust on Missio et Excellentia and anchored on the
CICM advocacies, the Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies Office seeks to:

1. Integrate in-depth community Outreach, Service-learning and Extension activities

in the curricular programs of the school;
2. Conduct research-based community development programs for the marginalized
sectors of the society;
3. Intensify linkages and networking with educational institutions, government and
non-government agencies, international partners, alumni, and private individuals; and
4. Instill to the Louisian’s and the community the value of eagerness to help at all
times.

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 One of the major thrusts of CICM is to respond to the needs of the community and
society for transformation and development. As Louisian missionaries, it is an integral and
essential part of our life to be actively involved in finding solutions to the problems of our society
such as poverty, oppression, discrimination, graft and corruption, criminality, environmental
destruction, and many other societal problems (Living A Christian Moral Life, 2018, 2nd Edition).

Anchored in this particular thrust, the University of Saint Louis as a higher learning
institution brings to bear in its community engagement programs its expertise in instruction and
research. The Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies Office was created to spearhead
extension activities and advocacies of the University. It envisions developing socially aware,
sensitive and responsive members of the Louisian Community towards community development
and social transformation.

Therefore, the Office of the Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies directs its
activities with nine (9) advocacies. Each advocacy is assigned to a certain school/department of
the University and is tasked to strengthen and develop important and responsive programs per
advocacy.

For School of Accountancy, Business and Hospitality (SABH), the advocacy assigned to
them is Poverty Alleviation. For Senior High School (SHS), the advocacy assigned to them is

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Youth Empowerment and Responsible Citizenship. For School of Engineering, Architecture and
Information Technology Education (SEAITE), the advocacy assigned to them is Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management. For School of Education, Arts, and Sciences (SEAS), the
advocacy assigned to them is Indigenous Peoples and Interreligious Dialogue. For School of
Health and Allied Sciences (SHAS), the advocacy assigned to them is Nutrition and Health
Development. For Junior High School (JHS), the advocacy assigned to them is Integrity of
Creation. For Elementary Department, the advocacy assigned to them is Peace and Life
Education. For School of Graduate Studies (SGS), the advocacy assigned to them is Justice
and Human Rights. And for Non-Teaching Personnel (NTP), the advocacy assigned to them is
Adult Education and Gender and Development.

The Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies Office aligns its programs to the
themes of the Catholic Social Teachings of the Church. The theme on life and dignity of the
human person is aligned with the Peace and Life Promotion which is called to protect human life
and respect for life at all stages. The theme on Call to Family, Community, and Participation is
aligned is aligned with Nutrition and Health Development, Justice and Human Rights, Poverty
Alleviation and Adult Education and Gender Development which acknowledges our social
nature, allows for more participation, calls for collaboration among people, and supports family.
The theme on the Rights and Responsibilities that flows from the dignity of human life is aligned
with Justice and Human Rights, Nutrition and Health Development, Adult Education and Gender
and Development which sees satisfaction on the rights of people, makes human life equally
treated, considers the fundamental right of every people to life, freedom, and the necessities of
life, and aims to promote a decent life in terms of education, employment, and health care. The
theme on Option for the Poor is aligned with Poverty Alleviation, Indigenous Peoples, and
Nutrition and Health Development which is the basic moral test of a society, rejects the idea of
class struggle, and supports the economic and basic needs of the community through livelihood
programs. The themes on the Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers are aligned with
Justice and Human Rights and Poverty Alleviation which emphasizes the dignity in work, the
presence of God in human labor, the participation of humanity in creation and help realize God’s
plan on Earth. In the Laborem Exercens of Saint John Paul II, On Human work, he claimed that
work is a good thing, it does not only transform nature but achieves fulfillment as human being-
to become more a human being. The theme on solidarity is aligned with Indigenous Peoples
and Interreligious Dialogue, and Peace and Life Education which settles indifferences and
recognizes oneness in humanity despite diversity of races, ethnicity, religion, gender, economic
and political status. The theme on Care for God’s Creation is aligned with Integrity of Creation
which empowers stewardship rather than ownership, and states the moral obligation regarding
the environment.

CECA advocacies align its programs and activities to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. University of Saint Louis, through CECA advocacies, gives its support to the (17)
seventeen Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) by providing possible programs that aim
for peaceful and prosperous human world necessary at present and towards the future.
Through this aim, each advocacy per department encourages their members to instill their
missionary character as Louisians to be part of solving global issues and concerns regarding

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the planet, people and society. As one Louisian community, we can truly achieve a possible
sustainable outcome.

The University of Saint Louis as a higher educational institution brings to bear in its
extension programs its expertise in instruction and research. The University through the
Community Engagement and CICM Advocacies envisions developing socially aware, sensitive
and responsive members of the Louisian Community through active involvement in community
engagement activities towards community development.

Basics of Community Engagement and Development

Concepts of a Community

The term community is derived from the old French word communite which means the
same, and which in turn, is derived from the Latin word communitas which means common,
public, shared by all or many. While we think of it as a people in a certain geographic location,
the word can also refer to any group sharing something in common. It also covers differences
and shared interests that transcend boundaries of a place and unite people together
(Bhattacharya, 2011).

Ross and Lappin (1967) refers to a community as an aggregation of families and

individuals, settled in a compact and contiguous geographical area, with significant elements of
common life, as shown by manners, customs, traditions, and mode of speech. Further, Minkler
and Wallerstein (1997) define community by describing the social and political networks that link
individuals, community organizations, and leaders.

Types of Communities:

a. Formal Communities- engage in joint activities and discussion, help each other, and
share information with each other; they care about their standing with each other.

Examples: Ecovillages, Co-housing communities, Co-ops communities, and

Religious communities

b. Informal Communities- consists of a set of personal relations, social networks, common

interest and emotional sources of motivation.

Examples: Academic communities, Recreation communities and Retirement

communities

c. Urban Communities- large in terms of land area & population, advanced in science &
technology, with favorable physical environment and & diverse cultures, and the people
are engaged in various occupations.

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 Characteristics of urban communities:

a. Advancement in science and technology, many business establishments,

recreational centers, educational and religious institutions, people are
crowded, social heterogeneity, class extremes and greater pollution;

b. Many crimes are committed, Family ties tend to be weak, Limited space,
Greater impersonality among neighbors, Higher standard of living, Shortage
of employment, Informal settlers are rampant;

c. A lot of hazards and dangers, Greater number of separation of spouses and

live- in arrangements, Major occupations are industrial, administrative and
professional, Divisions of labor and occupational specialization are very
much common

d. Rural Communities- usually produce their own food for subsistence

Characteristics of rural communities:

a. Greater personal interaction, Deep, long-term relationships , Generally,

peace and order exists, Mutual give and take affairs, Emphasis of shared
values, Vernacular is usually spoken, Wider area;
b. Influence of blood relationships in decision making, Homogenous type of
culture, Belief in supernatural and superstitious beliefs, Relationship is more
personal and informal, Less pollution, Few establishments and institutions,
Few goods and services

e. Global Communities- it is the international aggregate of nation-states. Global

communities or what we refer to as the “World Community” they have common point of
view towards issues of human rights, global warming and climate change, peace and
order, socio-economic conditions as well as disputed issues such as territorial conflict.

f. Sectoral Communities- this include the voluntary sector or non-profit sector. The
Voluntary, non-profit and non-governmental sectors, also called third sector (in contrast
to public and private sector), NGOs: Non-governmental organizations

g. Social Space Communities- based on social spaces:

a. A social space is a physical or virtual space:

b. Physical: social center, gathering place, town squares, parks, pubs,
shopping malls;
c. Virtual: online social media, websites.
d. Characteristics of social spaces- People gather at information grounds for a
primary purpose other than information sharing, Attended by different social
types, Social interaction is a primary activity, Information occurs in many
directions, Information is used in alternative ways, many sub-contexts exist;
together they form grand context.

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Jones (1979) provides a summary of the elements that make up a community:

a. Physical Aspects – the physical presence of the community such as its topography, size,
location, and climate
b. Infrastructure – road, transportation, landline or mobile connection, internet availability
c. Institutions – different establishments that influence and are utilized by the members of
the community (e.g. church, schools, hospitals, etc.)
d. Demographics – age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, educational background, number
of people in the household, marital status, income
e. Source of Living – industries that exist in the community; thus, serve as the basis of
sustenance of the people therein
f. Patterns of Settlement – depends on which types the community belongs in: (a) urban
community or that in which space is used to build infrastructures rather than for
vegetation; (b) rural community or those areas used for agriculture and domestication of
animals; (c) suburban community or those mix-used or residential spaces located at the
borders of the city or within a few distance from the city; and (d) rurban community or
housing settlements where most marginalized people live
g. History – defined in two ways: (a) long term, which speaks about community traditions,
practices, traits; (b) recent history provides us with valuable information or conflicts and
factions, as well as past and current relationships among key people and groups
h. Leadership and Management – consists of those who are elected or appointed and
those who are recognized and trusted for their proven integrity, courage, and/or concern
for others and the good of the community
i. Culture – refers to the spoken and unspoken rules and traditions being implemented in
the community; this could also pertain to the attitudes and values displayed by the
people.
j. Organizations – refers to the array of groups and organizations in which the people in
the community find themselves a part of.

Community Engagement in Higher Education

Community engagement veers away from the one-way transfer of knowledge, expertise,
and service towards the collaboration between or among institutions of higher education and
their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial
exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity (Driscoll,
2009)

Four Elements of Community Engagement:

a. Collaboration means that HEIs and communities are expected to work together in
order to achieve or do something on what they have agreed upon.
b. Mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources means that HEIs are not
the only entities that transmit knowledge and resources for the benefit of

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 communities, but communities also transmit their local knowledge and resources for
the benefit of HEIs.
c. Partnership is the collaboration between HEIs and communities require a formal
agreement solidifying their commitment to work together on equal footing with each
other.
d. Reciprocity refers to the recognition, respect, and valuing of the knowledge,
perspective, and resources that each partner contributes to the collaboration.

Three Basic Components:

1. Service-Learning Program. This is a teaching-learning strategy that integrates

meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to boost learners’ learning
experience, teach active citizenship, and empower individuals and communities. This is
a credit community development program integrated in the course syllabi that permits
students build character and become active participants and they work with others in
their school and community to create service projects in areas related to their course /
field of specialization.

2. Outreach Program. Activities falling under these are theoretically unconsidered as

extension programs, as they generally involve one-time and immediate need assistance
to victims of disasters, calamities and other insistent needs in the community.
Nonetheless, the University considers it as its civic duty to mobilize its stakeholders to
respond to such emergency cases when they arise. Towards this, it shall implement
well-coordinated and systematic initiatives that are well within the means of the
University and its stakeholders. Outreach initiatives come in broad form:

2.1. Regular Outreach. This type of outreach falls outside disaster preparedness,
response, rehabilitation and mitigation services. Instead, it caters to other
pressing needs of the community. This type shall be organized only if the
specialization of the school/department/student organization does not in any
way relate to disaster risk reduction and emergency management.

3. Extension Program. Higher education institutions are mandated to render extension

service hand in hand with instruction, research and production. This is in recognition of
the vital role colleges and universities play in the development of communities,
especially the underserved and the depressed. It is envisioned that the people of the
community, the main focus of the University’s extension services program, can be
uplifted from helplessness to self – reliance, from ignorance to increased awareness,
from indifference to positive involvement, and from aimlessness to commitment.

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 Principles of Community Engagement:

Community engagement is fundamentally anchored on the principles of Community

Development and Community Organizing. The International Association for Community
Development (IACD) (2016) defines Community Development as a practice-based profession
and an academic discipline that promotes participative democracy, sustainable development,
rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice, through the organization, education
and empowerment of people within their communities, whether these be of locality, identity or
interest, in urban and rural settings. As shown in the figure below, the principles of Community
Development are divided into four levels (Abenir, 2011):

1. Core Level: this includes the principles of empowerment, participation, and collective
action.
• Empowerment: enabling communities to increase control over their lives.
• Participation: involvement of people in a community in projects to solve their
own problems.
• Collective Action: involving the community to voluntarily engage in a common
action to pursue a shared interest.
2. Meso Level: this includes the principles of local governance, gender awareness, and
sustainability.

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 • Local Governance: public management of community affairs by the
people belonging in the concerned locality through taking part in decision
making that would ultimately respond more proactively to their concerns.
• Gender Awareness: enabling the community to understand the traditional
gender roles of men and women and how this has affected women’s
needs in comparison to the needs of men.
• Sustainability: communities are empowered to promote sustainable living,
that is, the practice of reducing demand for natural resources by making
sure that people replace what they use to the best of their ability.
3. Macro Level: this includes the principles of state and society synergy, gender
responsiveness, and disaster risk resilience.
• State and Society Synergy: communities and state agencies need each
other – strong government bureaucracies are beneficial to communities,
while organized communities with high levels of social capital is an
advantage for government bureaucracies.
• Gender Responsiveness: enhancing the abilities of women and men in
the community to contribute to and benefit from development by ending
violence and discrimination to women and girls.
• Disaster Risk Resilience: sustained ability of communities to withstand,
adapt to, and recover from hazards, shocks, or stresses without
compromising long-term prospects for development.
4. Transcendental Level: this includes the principle of spirituality.
• Spirituality: refers to enhancing the qualities that inspire people in the
community to do what is right and good – for themselves and for others –
by drawing on the resources of their religious faith and on an ideal of
being fully human.

Service Learning Program in Higher Education

Definitions:

- Service Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful

community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach
civic responsibility and strengthen communities (Billig & Eyler, 2003).

- a form of experiential education where learning occurs through a cycle of action and
reflection as students. . . seek to achieve real objectives for the community and deeper
understanding and skills for themselves. In the process, students link personal and
social development with academic and cognitive development. . . experience enhances
understanding; understanding leads to more effective action (Giles Jr., 1999) .

Types of Service Learning (Pattaguan, 2021):

a. Direct Service Learning: person-to-person, face-to-face service projects in which

the students’ service directly impacts individuals who receive the service from the
students.
Examples:

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 1. Tutoring other students and adults
2. Conducting art/music/dance lessons for youth
3. Giving presentations on violence and drugn prevention, COVID 19 updates
4. Helping in a homeless shelter, jail, barangay halls
5. Creating life reviews for patients.
b. Indirect Service Learning: working on broad issues, environments projects or
community development-projects that have clear benefit to the community or
environment, but not necessarily to individually identified people with whom students
are working:
Examples:
1. Compiling a town history
2. Restoring historic structures or building low-income housing
3. Removing invasive plants and restoring ecosystems in preserve areas for
public use.
c. Research-based Service Learning: gathering and presenting information on areas
of interest and need-projects that find, gather and report information that is needed.
Examples:
1. Writing a guide on available community services and translating it into
Spanish and other languages of new residents.
2. Conducting longitudinal studies of local bodies of water; water testing for local
residents;
3. Gathering information and creating brochures or videos for non-profit or
government agencies
4. Mapping state lands and monitoring flora and fauna
d. Advocacy Service Learning: educating others about topics of interest-projects that
aims to create awareness and action on some issue that impacts the community.
Examples:
1. Planning and putting on public forums on topics of interest in the community
2. Conducting public information campaigns on topics of interest or local needs
3. Working with elected officials to draft legislation to improve communities

Why should students be engaged in service learning?

Service learning, when connected to a learning objective, designed, carried out,

and reflected upon meets a few really awesome goals.

1. Students get practice in applying and experiencing concepts to a real-life

situations through a creative process
2. A Community need is met or effort is made towards a service or solution that
makes life better bin some way
3. Service develops character
4. Practice helps students gain natural curiosity to know and do more,
5. It strengthens relationships within a community.

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Benefits of Service Learning to Students

a. Learning Outcomes
-Positive impact on students’ academic learning
-Improves students’ ability to apply what they have learned in “the real world”
- Positive impact on academic outcomes such as demonstrated complexity of
understanding, problem analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, and cognitive
development
- Improved ability to understand complexity and ambiguity

b. Personal Outcomes
- Greater sense of personal efficacy, personal identity, spiritual growth, and moral
development
- Greater interpersonal development, particularly the ability to work well with others, and
build leadership and communication skills

c. Social Outcomes
- Reduced stereotypes and greater inter-cultural understanding
- Improved social responsibility and citizenship skills
- Greater involvement in community service after graduation

d. Career Development
- Connections with professionals and community members for learning and career
opportunities
- Greater academic learning, leadership skills, and personal efficacy can lead to greater
opportunity

e. Relationship with the Institution

- Stronger relationships with faculty
- Greater satisfaction with college
- Improved graduation rates

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 NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM

CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE

NSTP 1023 – National Service Training Program 2

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

THE USL VISION-MISSION AND VALUES

VISION
USL is a global learning community recognized for science and technology across all
disciplines, strong research, and responsive community engagement grounded on the CICM
mission and identity for a distinctive student experience.

MISSION
USL sustains a Catholic academic community that nurtures persons for community, church
and society anchored on CICM’s Missio et Excellentia.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND CORE VALUES

The University of Saint Louis upholds the philosophy that education is for building of self and
persons for the Church and the Society. Wisdom builds. To these ends, the following are
University of Saint Louis’s core values integral in the formation of every member of the
Louisian community.

a. Christian Living. We are witnesses to the Gospel values as taught and lived by
Christ thus making God’s love known and experienced by all.
b. Excellence. We seek and maintain uncompromising standard of quality in teaching,
learning, service, and stewardship of school resources.
c. Professional Responsibility. We are committed to efficiently and responsibly apply
the learned principles, values and skills in the chosen field of discipline, taking
initiative and command responsibility in one’s professional advancement.
d. Social Awareness and Involvement. We engage ourselves with society by listening
to the prevailing issues and concerns in the society, thereby initiating and
participating in constructive and relevant social activities for the promotion of justice,
peace and integrity of creation and for people’s wellness and development consistent
with the CICM charism.
e. Innovation, Creativity and Agility. We keep ourselves relevant and responsive to
the changing needs of our stakeholders by being flexible, solution oriented, and
having cutting-edge decisions and practices.

GRADING SYSTEM
Criteria in Grading Finals
Advocacy 50%
Learning Task 25%
Final Exam 25%
TOTAL 100%

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Remember:

Expect to do a lot of reading and writing. Varied assessments or activities will be given. At the
outset, I am strictly warning you against plagiarism especially for essay type activities. Plagscan
is used to verify authenticity of your work. Any plagiarized material will be automatically given
zero. (this includes copy paste from internet and from your classmates)

Academic Intellectual Property Rights: Materials posted over NEO-LMS are the properties of
USL and the Facilitators. Students are not allowed to share it to any third-party individuals not
part of the class without any permission from the owners.

I hope you find this flexible approach helpful. Continue to learn amidst this pandemic. Stay safe
while learning.

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 CORRESPONDENCE LEARNING MODULE
NSTP 1023 (National Service Training Program 2)

MODULE 2: COMMUNITY SERVICE AND SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM

Topics: a. Community Service
b. Strategies in Working with communities
c. Service Learning

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Know what community service is and its importance;

2. Choose the best strategy to be implemented while working with the
community/locality;
3. Identify the challenges in working with the communities;
4. Identify the characteristics ad ways of doing service learning

LEARNING CONTENT

What is Community Service?

Community service is any kind of work done either by a person or a group of people with
the objective to benefit others. Typically, this kind of work is done on a volunteer basis, which
means there is no monetary outcome. You are basically volunteering your time and effort to
help. There are many different ways to help your community, focusing on a various area —
children, animals, senior citizens, people with disabilities and the environment are a few
examples. Usually, such work is organized by a local group, like a school or non-profit.
However, you may start your own community service group and take on projects of your choice.

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The Need for Participation in Community Service

There are number of reasons as to why one should engage in activities that positively
benefit the community. Most students are required to put in a few hours of community service
organized by their school or college as a graduation requirement. In some countries, community
service is court mandated — you have to complete a certain number of hours ordered by a
judge.

There are other reasons to participate in community service other than being required, or
forced, to do so. Indeed, volunteering does have numerous personal benefits too. Here are
some of the reasons, apart from benefiting the community, why one should consider engaging in
community service:

1. Helps you develop a richer perspective of the world

2. Develop an increased sense of social responsibility
3. Often results in psychological and emotional growth
4. Improves lifelong communication, interpersonal and critical thinking skills
5. Helps students find their passion and interests that could potentially lead career choices
they may have failed to consider otherwise
6. Can help strengthen college applications and resume
7. Can be a great way to meet new people and make friends
8. Provides you with an opportunity to gain work experience
9. Allows you to quickly step up to leadership positions within organizations
10. Provides an opportunity to apply academic learning to real life events

The opportunity to see, first-hand, how your work can benefit someone is very important.
Moreover, expanding our worldview by looking beyond what most us of frequently taken for
granted leaves a lasting mark on an individual. Finally, interacting with people who have vastly
different backgrounds teaches us patience and empathy as you develop a global perspective.

Physical activity programs for community development

The following elements have been identified as important aspects of programs that aim to build
stronger communities:
1. Connecting the social, cultural, environmental and economics spheres in the community.
2. Improving the quality of life of community populations and gaining mutual benefit among
community members.
3. Creating opportunities and encouraging community members to participate in community
activities, from employment to social events to civic duties.
4. Empowering communities, helping them to take advantage of opportunities and to take
shared responsibility for their wellbeing.
5. Recognizing the diversity of interests within a community and how that may affect
capacity building.
6. Engaging people from the community, government, and private sectors to work together
to address community issues, solve problems in their community and achieve common
goals.

Tips for working together and increasing productivity

1. Set goals and monitor your performance. Make sure you define realistic goals and
decide how you will measure the outcome and your success.

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 2. Create effective plans for reaching those goals. Now that you know what to
accomplish, you need to identify the steps you need to take to achieve the goal, dedicate
tasks according to skills, and manage time wisely.
3. Communicate clearly. Every team member should keep others updated on their
progress. Clear and straightforward communication leads to more productivity.
4. Solve problems together. The team needs to work together to solve unexpected
problems. Addressing conflict before it becomes a more significant problem is also
important.
5. Be open. Teams need to be honest with each other. There is a willingness to listen to
others and to work through stressful situations constructively.
6. Respect individuality. Remember that each group is composed of different skills and
personalities. Understanding what each person can bring to the table is critical to
success.

How to Positively Benefit Your Community as a Student

One very effective way for you to benefit and improve your community greatly is through
community service. In the process, community service will also help you acquire skills and
knowledge, and gain essential experience that you can include on your resume. Although the
sole purpose of benefiting your community positively shouldn’t be an updated resume. Engaging
in community service as a student helps you become an active part of your community, which
will certainly serve to make a positive impact. Some of the skills you are likely to gain through
social work include:

1. Leadership

What is leadership, anyway? Can you see yourself more of a leader or as a follower?

The following are definitions of the three well known personalities on leadership.

Warren Bennis: "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

Bill Gates: "As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower
others."

John Maxwell: "Leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less."

Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the efforts of others, towards
the achievement of a goal (Kruse, 2013)

2. Problem-solving

Are you a problem solver or the problem itself?

It is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems. A problem
solver focuses on the possible solutions and strategies on how to handle such, that eventually
leads to personal growth and maturation.

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 3. Collaboration with others

Collaboration means to work with another person or group in order to achieve or do

something. It means application of what was conceived in the mind during the planning stage
and performing the expected outputs.

4. Time management

Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time
between specific activities. Good time management enables you to work smarter – not harder –
so that you get more done in less time, even when time is tight and pressures are high. Failing
to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

Below is a good reminder on how to manage your time wisely.

5. Communication

Communication is the act of giving, receiving, and sharing information -- in other words,
talking or writing, and listening or reading. Good communicators listen carefully, speak or write
clearly, and respect different opinions.

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THINGS TO PONDER
If you want to be more relevant to a community you already engage, there are a few
questions you should ask yourself. Answering these questions will help you figure out what you
feel most passionate towards. It is important to compare tasks based on their perceived
importance. Recall the quote above, no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
1. What do you already know about the people within it?
2. Do you know how connected people feel to each other?
3. Are there identifiable leaders or representatives you can talk with about their shared
issues, goals, and dreams?
4. Who and/or what are you passionate about?
5. Is there a particular activity you enjoy doing that you could do to help in some way?
Like, baking or drawing.
6. Do you want a long-term activity, something that you can do for short amount of time
or a one-time activity?
7. Why do you want to do this?
8. What is the impact you would like to have?
9. If your impact is quantifiable — an ―amount raised‖ for instance — what is your goal?
10. What do you wish to learn?

After assessing, then you may start tapping people to help you materialized your goal.
Present to them the objectives of your project, involve them in the planning up to the decision
making processes, so they may feel that they are really into it.

Ideas on How to Benefit the Community:

1. Pick up some trash. Head out and spend a few hours beautifying your surroundings.
Start small in your own neighborhood
2. Start a violence protection group in your community
3. Participate in a charity walk or run
4. Host an Earth Day event
5. Create and distribute a list of hotlines for people who might need help
6. Teach a home-alone safety class for children
7. Gather a group of friends or talk to one of the on-campus clubs to package meals
for the homeless in the surrounding city
8. At the end of the semester, create a textbook donation drive so students can donate
used textbooks to redistribute to low-income students for free
9. Create a summer reading program
10. Teach classes for a skill you have

Challenges of community engagement:

1. Attitudes and expectations: There may be a feeling in the community that they
cannot provide constructive input, won’t be taken seriously or cannot influence the
decision-making process. It may be difficult for them to contribute skills, resources
and time because of geographic or cultural barriers.
2. Characteristics of urban communities: Close communities are common in rural
areas. In urban areas, the members of the community may not know each other, so
communities may be more fragmented. Urban communities are very mixed, with
diverse backgrounds and needs that can make it difficult to accommodate different
people’s interests. Communicating technical information in an understandable
manner is also made more difficult if local residents speak different languages or
have conflicting priorities.

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 3. Commitment to the future: Higher levels of community engagement continue beyond
the initial planning stage to project management and maintenance. This requires a
continuing commitment from all stakeholders. Preparing plans for the future and
identifying possible challenges that may arise can help with preparations to avoid
them and should improve sustainability of the project.

SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM

Students “serve to learn” and “learn to serve”

Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful
community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic
responsibility and strengthen communities (Billig & Eyler, 2003). It is a form of experiential
education where learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection as students. seek to
achieve real objectives for the community and deeper understanding and skills for themselves.
In the process, students link personal and social development with academic and cognitive
development experience enhances understanding; understanding leads to more effective action
(Giles Jr., 1999).

How is service-learning different from community engagement?

Community engagement is a process by which an individual or an organization
participates in meaningful and collaborative relationships with a community to address socio-
political-economic-cultural issues to develop awareness and critical consciousness towards
contributing to social and structural transformation. Service-learning is just one form of
community engagement. Service-learning is a course requirement for students while community
engagement is for faculty or group of faculty participating in community activity. Below matrix is
an illustration of its similarities and differences.

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 Service-Learning Community Engagement

Main Participant Students Faculty or Organization

Type of Program Curricular Co-curricular

Course Requirement &

Nature Credit-bearing extension of Academic Functions

Focus Service & Learning Service

Address community
Address community needs using the
Purpose needs utilizing students'
faculty's talents, skills, and expertise
talents and skills

What is the goal of service-learning?

The primary goal of service-learning is to provide service to the less privileged community and,
equally, enhance student learning through rendering service.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL SERVICE-LEARNING

Students can learn about environmental and social issues in a real-world setting by
incorporating service-learning into the curriculum. A successful service-learning project entails
students applying their knowledge and talents to create a positive impact in their communities.
There are six crucial characteristics that contribute to successful service-learning (SL):

1. Meaningful Service- Make sure your idea meets a real-world need in the community.
2. Curriculum Connections- Connecting academic information to practical tasks allows
students to learn by doing.
3. Student Leadership- Assist students in taking ownership of the project through
student leadership.
4. Reflection- Make sense of SL experience through reflection.
5. Community Involvement- Involve people from all walks of life.
6. Demonstration and Celebration: Tell people about the SL experience.

Meaningful Service
Meaningful service fills a void in the community. Devising a strategy to plant trees and
other native flora in order to counteract soil erosion, construct wind barriers, give wildlife habitat,
and provide shade for residents is an example of a service of importance. SL is meaningful
when-
1. The service responds to an actual community need that is recognized by the
community.
2. The service is age-appropriate and well organized.
3. The service is designed to achieve significant benefits for students and the
community.

Curriculum Connections
Educators must make a clear distinction between community involvement and service-
learning. When young people participate in service-learning, they do more than just show up at
a soup kitchen or a park and serve food or clean up. It all starts with research and preparation

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for the specific problem or situation that the service experience will address, which should
ideally be related to the academic subject matter being studied. This promotes integrated
learning; hence, the following.
1. The service-learning project substantiates the course content.
2. The course content guides the service-learning program.
3. The course objectives and competencies were met by the service-learning program.
4. The service-learning project provides an avenue for the development of life skills.
5. Life skills learned outside the classroom are integrated back into classroom learning.

Student Leadership
Allow students to take on leadership roles from the start and engage in (nearly) every
aspect of the project. For instance, students will look for funding to support their SL. Students
will work together to create a difference in their neighborhood, alongside school leaders and
community partners. They will communicate effectively, have a strong work ethic, and make
good use of their resources. SL intensifies students' voice; thus-
1. Students take roles and tasks that are appropriate to their age, subject, and course.
2. Students participate actively in planning the service-learning activity.
3. Students are involved actively in planning and implementing the reflection sessions,
evaluation, and success of the activity.

Reflection
Reflection is commonly acknowledged as a hallmark of high-quality service-learning.
Reflection is guided, can occur in a variety of modalities, is often shared, and entails recalling
components of the service experience. It should also connect those experiences to previous
events, beliefs, and learning, as well as ask questions and solve issues, as well as examine the
meaning of involvement. Students who take the time to reflect on their service-learning activities
will gain a greater benefit from them. Below are the two key characteristics of SL reflection.
1. Reflection establishes connections between students' service experiences and the
academic curriculum.
2. Reflection occurs before, during, and after the service-learning project.

Community Involvement
Involving and partnering with the local community directly not only encourages
community members to help with the project but also guarantees that the ultimate result meets
actual community requirements. There has to be collaboration among stakeholders for a
successful SL. The following are key features of SL where the community is involved.
1. The service-learning program is a collaboration of potential partners which may include
students, parents, community-based organizations, local businesses, public libraries,
school administrators, teachers, and recipients of service.
2. All partners benefit from the project and contribute to its planning and implementation.
3. All partners contribute to the planning and implementation of the project.

Demonstration & Celebration

Demonstrations and celebrations should always be included in service learning so that
participants can share their experiences with others. Students' learning is deepened as they
prepare to share with others. The following are learnings deepened through SL.
1. Adapting varied roles and responsibilities.
2. Working effectively in a climate of doubt and changing priorities.
3. Monitoring one’s understanding and learning needs.
4. Defining, prioritizing, and completing tasks without direct oversight.
5. Utilizing the time for the service-learning activity efficiently.

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6. Demonstrating commitment to learning as a lifelong process.
7. Working appropriately and productively with others.
8. Using different perspectives to increase innovation and quality of work.
9. Setting and meeting high standards and goals for delivering quality work on time.
10. Demonstrating diligence and a positive work ethic (e.g. being punctual and reliable).
11. Using one’s interpersonal and problem- solving skills to influence and guide others in
attainment of the goals of Service-Learning Activity.
12. Learning to care for others and contribute to the community.
13. Understanding how one’s actions could impact the community.

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