The Service Learning Program at Dutchess Community College facilitates student academic
learning through meaningful service experiences, which encourage and enable DCC’s
faculty and students to positively impact the community. The Service Learning Program
seeks to bring campus and community together in partnership to share resources, meet
real community needs, and help educate individuals to become the change agents of
tomorrow. Almost every student at the College will have an opportunity to participate
in a service learning project.
Service learning is an educational experience integrating community service within
an academic class to enhance learning and address critical community needs. Service
learning emphasizes hands-on experiences that address real-world concerns. The service
experience provides a context for testing, observing, or trying out discipline-based
theories, concepts or skills. Students gain knowledge that’s directly connected to
the student learning outcomes of the service learning course being taken. Likewise,
the academic context enriches the service experience by raising questions about real-world
concerns and providing a forum for probing these concerns in-depth. Most service learning
work is done with non-profit organizations, community groups, and governmental agencies
whose goal is to serve the public good. For more information call (845) 431-8969.