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LSU Student Government Promotes Extending Service-Learning into Every Major
As more students participate in service-learning classes each year, these “hands-on” learning experiences are receiving increasing attention from the LSU student body.
Stuart Watkins and Martina Scheuermann, president and vice president of Student Government, are hoping to take service-learning at LSU to the next level. With a campaign initiative to extend service-learning into every major, they intend to make service-learning more accessible to every student.
“Service- learning teaches you how to deal with "the real world" while continuously allowing you to expand on your knowledge of the subject and fine tune your skills in the curriculum, “says Martina. “I learned a great deal through my course requirements that are going to greatly enhance my resume.”
Stuart and Martina look to provide more students with these opportunities through their initiative to extend service-learning into every major, and plan to begin with exploring funding options, meeting with administrators, and identifying which majors can easily incorporate service-learning into their curricula.
“I felt that the knowledge gained through service-learning was far greater than the knowledge I would have gained through a classroom setting,” Stuart says. “Service learning gave me the opportunity to witness the struggles and challenges that [members of] the Baton Rouge community face.”
“I feel that students who actively engage in their community at a younger age are more willing to give back to the community later on in life,” Stuart says. “Extending service-learning to all majors will allow every student in the LSU community to take part in civic engagement. “
Martina believes accomplishing this initiative would help to introduce students to service-learning who may not consider taking a service-learning course on their own.
“I don't think I would have ever made my way to incorporating a service-learning class into my degree program had it not been part of a required course,” Martina says. “This is simply because of major changes and pressure to graduate on time. I think every student should be given the opportunity to be a part of a program that is so eye-opening.”
“Service-learning is an opportunity to step away from your comfort zone and take your academic experience outside of the classroom,” says Martina. “It's not just about you and your grade. It's about you, your selflessness and making even the smallest difference in someone's life.”
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