Community Agency Voice and Benefit in Service-Learning

Abstract

Supervisors from 40 community agencies working with a university-based service-learning program were interviewed regarding the extent of their input in service-learning program planning and implementation (Agency Voice), Interpersonal Relations with service-learning students, Perceived Benefit of the servicelearning program to the agency, and their Perceptions of the University. Issues of diversity in the context of service-learning were considered. Support was found for two hypotheses: First, agency members’ indicating more voice in program planning saw more benefits to their agency from taking part in the servicelearning program. Secondly, the perception of benefits predicted agency members’ positive perceptions of the university as a whole. Representatives of agencies with a longer history of participation in the service-learning program and from agencies involving larger numbers of service-learning students were more positive about some aspects of the relationship.