Service for the Heart

Service Day 2005--photo by Daniel Sockwell

Service Learning Program Mission:

The Warren Wilson College Service-Learning Program provides encouragement, information, opportunities, and education that increase student involvement in community service. These activities connect "thinking with doing," address social issues both locally and globally, and provide an opportunity for us all to learn ways of changing the basic structure of our world.

Completing the Triad

In addition to completing their work and academics, students at Warren Wilson College work hard to serve the community. Each year, students complete roughly 20,000 verified service hours, serving over 200 different agencies all over the world. Last year, students served from Artspace Charter School in Swannanoa to GIMAT Volunteer Network in Ghana and everywhere in between.

The Service Learning Crew and its supervisors are responsible for coordinating a variety of service projects so that students may continue to effectively serve the community. Service projects that we offer may last one hour, one day, one week, or even one year; it depends on the student to decide what kind of commitment they will make to the organizations that they serve. Please visit the Service Projects page for more information about weekly, Saturday, and fall/spring break service opportunities.

Okeefenokee Volunteers take a break at Jimbo's

Academic Service-Learning

An ongoing goal of the Service-Learning Program is for students to incorporate service into their everyday life, rather than just doing service every now and then. It is our vision that if a student is serving his or her community on a regular basis, then the service becomes charged with meaning and purpose for both those doing and those receiving the service. In an attempt reach this goal, Service-Learning has combined with Academics to try to bring service to the classroom (or more often, to bring the classroom to the service). For more information, go to Academic Service-Learning

"College students have a lot to offer. ... their writing skills, artistic presentation skills, problem-solving skills, organizational skills any of these can make a big difference to a project struggling to improve the environment or lives of people. I envision students involving themselves passionately with critical community issues. This passion will lead to bold, joint ventures between students and communities. Knowledge students learn through academic courses and on work crews will be put to immediate use in working for social justice and environmental responsibility, locally and internationally.

Students can better serve their communities when they speak with residents, read local papers, and talk with area leaders. It's also important to learn about issues such as rural economics, racism, child development, ageism, local demographics, state and local political systems, and environmental resource management.

Good service begins with listening, learning as much as possible about problems and strengths in a community, and then addressing both short and long range solutions to the problems."

Carolyn Wallace
Dean of Service

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Service for the Heart

Service Learning Program Mission:

Completing the Triad

Academic Service-Learning