Home > Service Learning

About CF

Service Learning

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

At the College of Central Florida, we believe that Service Learning is a great way for students to learn while helping our community. It gives students a chance to get involved and make a difference.

Working together to meet a specific need, students commit around 10 to 20 hours on a service project as part of their academic course. Service Learning offers many experiences across a diverse range of courses and programs.

What is Service Learning?

Service learning is an educational approach that combines acts of community service with course work. Students can choose to work on something they care about, like social issues or professional interests. They make a plan for how they will get involved and then share what they learned through papers or presentations. This involvement could be through community service, paid jobs, internships, nonprofit work, academic research, or supporting a public office candidate.

The goal is to improve learning, build a sense of responsibility, and stregthen communities by mixing academic study with real-world help.

Types of Service

Community Engagement/Service

Community engagement, or service, means helping out in your community by doing voluntary, unpaid activities. Groups or individuals take action to benefit others or to address specific needs, like social, environmental, or humanitarian issues.

Some examples of community service include:

  • Volunteering at charities
  • Participating in clean-up events
  • Helping with educational programs
  • Engaging in activities that improve the quality of life in the area

The main idea of community service is to help others, focus on making the community better, and do so without expecting any money in return.

Volunteer Service

Volunteer service means helping out wherever it’s needed, without focusing on a specific social issue. It’s about being there to assist in different situations.

Students are advised to keep a log to document their volunteer activities. This helps track the time and effort they put into their service.

Paid Work Experience

Paid work experience hours are jobs that students complete at a business that has a Federal ID number, usually a non-profit. To get started, students must fill out the Service Learning Approval Form and send it to the Service Learning Coordinator at ServiceLearning@CF.edu for approval before they begin working.

Some examples of non-profits:

  • Goodwill
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Humane Society
  • Hospice

Why Should You Start Service Learning?

Service learning benefits students by allowing them to apply real-world knowledge, enhance problem-solving skills, build meaningful connections, improve their resumes, and more, including:

  • Personal Development
  • Real-World Experiences
  • Skills Development
  • Community Engagement
  • Career Readiness

Get Started

Step 1: Find a place to earn your hours: communicty service, volunteer, paid work, etc.
Step 2: Complete the Service Learning Approval Form and submit it to ServiceLearning@CF.edu.
Step 3: Wait for approval. Once approved, you can start your service learning.

For more information, contact the Service Learning Coordinator at ServiceLearning@CF.edu