About Us

Our Office

The Office of Service Learning at Stan State, established in 2000, advances experiential education by connecting academic learning with meaningful community engagement. Through community-engaged learning, which includes service learning and academic internships. We support students, faculty, and community partners in creating mutually beneficial experiences that strengthen academic achievement, civic responsibility, and regional impact.

We have collaborated with faculty across the university to develop high-quality community-engaged learning experiences. These opportunities enable students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges while building professional skills, cultural awareness, and a lifelong commitment to civic engagement.

Opportunities to participate in community-engaged learning experiences are integrated across numerous disciplines, including but not limited to Accounting, Agriculture, Anthropology, Art, Business, Chemistry, Child Development, Communication Studies, Criminal Justice, English, Honors, Kinesiology, Liberal Studies, Political Science and Public Administration, Psychology, and Sociology.

Additionally, our office enjoys supporting other campus community service and engagement. We were honored to co-lead Science in Our Community (SIOC) from 2011 to 2024 with now-retired faculty member Dr. Mark Grobner from the College of Science. As we no longer co-lead SIOC, we continue to support the program as part of the steering committee and champion the current leadership of SIOC, which consists of  Dean Martina Ramirez, Faculty Director Dr. Jeanette Pirlo, and program coordinator Mr. Robert Bell from the College of Science. Their outstanding team continues to promote STEM education through free community events and outreach activities.

Mission

Aligned with Stanislaus State's vision of inspiring students to become "engaged leaders who make meaningful contributions to the Central Valley and beyond", the Office of Service Learning's mission is to foster civic engagement through collaborative partnerships between the university and the communities we serve.

We believe that community partners are co-educators whose expertise enriches student learning while expanding community capacity. By integrating academic coursework with meaningful service, students gain valuable professional experience, deepen their understanding of social issues, and develop the knowledge and skills needed to become active, responsible citizens.

Goals

The primary goal of our office at Stan State is to enhance student learning through community-engaged learning experiences. Specifically, our office's goals are to:

• Enhance our students' subject matter learning by applying classroom knowledge to practical experience.
• Model for our students how a critical and democratic teacher can act to bring civic engagement into the classroom.
• Develop our students' commitment to service, social justice, and community involvement.
• Enable our students to work productively with diverse communities.
• Assist faculty and students to comply with the risk management policy designated for relevant service learning and internship activities.