Service Learning

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.