Conversation students in the Amigos Club (Spring 2010)

The Amigos Club

Academic service-learning (see Elon’s definition of service-learning below) is a pedagogical approach I use primarily in my conversation courses. The project my students are involved in is the Amigos Club and began in the spring of 2006. It is a joint venture between Spanish conversation students and Hispanic students in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in Alamance Burlington School Systems. Students spend approximately 15 hours getting to know one another throughout the semester doing academic, social and service activities. Sample activities include an initial gathering, pumpkin painting in the fall, school ground beautification projects, visits to Elon’s campus, attendance at an athletic event, tutoring, and weekly conversations via webcam. Events are held in both Spanish and English to encourage bilingualism.

Elon University’s Definition of Service-Learning

Service-Learning is fundamentally an academic endeavor in which service is an integrated component of a course. It is a credit-bearing, experiential education approach that involves an established community partnership guided by the expertise of professors and community-based practitioners, working together with students to address community needs. The partnerships between Elon and the community engage students in service primarily with non-profit organizations, schools, and government agencies. Academic Service-Learning is a unique form of engaged learning that includes: