The mission of the Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement is to empower students to define and deepen their classroom learning experience through impactful need-based community engagement rooted in Marianist and Native Hawaiian values.
Our vision is to foster a collective sense of place through investment in community partnerships, service learning process and pedagogy, and a commitment to serving others. We envision a campus culture that embraces service and service learning as a valuable community-focused vehicle toward personal growth.
Staff
Mitch Steffey
Associate Director, Service Learning and Community Engagement
[email protected] or [email protected]
Student Staff
Alani Meltel, Community Partnership Coordinator
Jacob Escuza, Community Partnership Coordinator
Kanani Tim Sing, Sustainability Staff
Lehiwa Wong-Frank, Sustainability Staff
Luke Afuso, Sustainability Staff
Makaʻala Ng, Sustainability Staff
River Pitcher, Sustainability Staff
Service Learning
Chaminade students will have the opportunity to enroll in courses that offer service learning. Service Learning, unlike community service, directly connects service to course content. Service learners strive to illustrate aspects of the course while simultaneously working to satisfy the needs of the community. Most service learning courses require 10 hours of service.
To learn more about Service opportunities please visit our Service Experience Database.
For specific course instructions please visit the Presence Points page (requires log-in).
Community Service
During each student’s college career they will have numerous opportunities to serve our community. Unlike service learning, community service is done by individuals or in collaboration with on-campus programs and departments outside of their coursework.
If a student is participating in a program on campus that requires community service hours, such as Chaminade Scholars, Ho’oulu Scholars, or Experiential Honors, they will track their hours through their program Presence Points page (requires log-in).
Faculty Resources
The Service Learning and Community Engagement (SLCE) office name explains our intention to serve and also to engage with our community in doing so. Here is key information for Chaminade Faculty.
5 Things to know about Service Learning in your course and SLCE as a partner:
- Learning Outcome: We will work together to establish a learning outcome connected to one of your courses’ original Learning Outcomes.
- Community Partner: We will discuss and identify community partners and/or community projects that will satisfy the established Service Learning Outcome. This can be one community partner of which all students must serve, it may be more than one. It could also be a class-led project in partnership with the needs of the community. There are a number of ways we can both serve for the betterment of our students and the community simultaneously.
- Orientation: The SLCE office will facilitate a short orientation at the start of the semester and a short final reflection at the end of the semester.
- Logistics: The SLCE office will handle all logistics and coordination with students and community partners. Students will be required to complete at least 10 points (hours) of Service Learning each semester. A final report of student service points (hours) will be provided to you at the end of the semester.
- Reflection: Faculty drive and grade the Service Learning reflections. These can be done after each service experience within or separate from our Presence form and reported to you however often you decide.
Community Partner Resources
We currently have established relationships with over 60 community partners across Oahu. We continue to do our best to connect our faculty, staff and students to the needs of our community through our partnerships! If you are interested in partnering with the Service Learning and Community Engagement office we encourage you to fill out the Community Partner Form or email us at [email protected].
Sustainable Service on Campus
The Service Learning and Community Engagement office has found inspiration within Chaminade’s CIFAL Honolulu Center. This inspiration has led to our commitment to building Sustainable Service opportunities right here on our own campus. These commitments include an on-campus garden, attention to composting our food waste, recycling initiatives, and native restoration work.
Within these commitments, we hope to build a stronger, more resilient community through aloha aina cultural knowledge immersion, physical service, and intentional sharing of our space. We envision a campus formed by the Sustainable Development Goals rooted in our Hawaiian and Marianist values.
