To integrate Community Service Learning (CSL) in your education, lecturers do not have to reinvent the wheel; the CSL team provides support throughout the process. Find our offerings below.
Match your course with a societal issue
The CSL team has an network of societal partners who work on various topics. Based on your course objectives we can identify various topics for you to choose from, including different associated societal partners to collaborate with. Additionally, we regularly organise Meet & Match events around wider societal themes. Here, interested lecturers and societal partners can freely get to know each other.
Design CSL course activities
When you found your match with a societal partner, the CSL team offers various means of support to (re)design your course and integrate Community Service Learning activities:
- Toolbox for Stakeholder Engagement | Whether you are exploring CSL or already have years of experience, this toolbox provides helpful resources and tools
- Examples & inspiration | Get inspiration through videos on VU lecturers' CSL experiences, and a catalogue with an overview of CSL courses at VU Amsterdam
Share knowledge and reflect
At the end of your course, you will reflect with the societal partner, your students and the CSL team on the collaboration. You can continue for another course cycle and work on the same topic with a new group of students, but perhaps some are changes required. Or it may be suitable to pass the topic on to another course, who can build on your course’s outcomes. Anything is possible.
Co-disseminate outcomes
The CSL team will help you to disseminate the outcomes of your course and the experiences you gained. We have various channels, platforms and formats at our disposal:
- Openresearch.amsterdam | Digital platform for research, knowledge, and innovation about Amsterdam and the metropolitan area. The platform show relations between different kinds of knowledge, and enables collaborations between different types of project partners.
- Academic publications | Turn your course outcomes or lecturer experiences in an academic article in collaboration with the CSL team.
- VU channels | Share your insights with peers at VU Amsterdam by publishing a news item in VU-zine or on the website.
