Service-learning provides students the opportunity to work with others, gain valuable insights,

and acquire different skills. Through varied community projects, they can apply what they have been taught in class by formulating
appropriate solutions to the problems they encounter in their chosen communities,

Service-learning was first introduced during 1970. According to John Dewey, service-learning is the interaction of knowledge
and skills with experience (Giles Jr & Eyler 1999). Dewey believed that human beings learn through a 'hands-on' approach, or
known as learning by doing. This means that students must interact with their environment in order to adapt and learn.In this
topic students deal with the guidelines and procedures of community service-learning. It integrates meaningful community service
and reflection to enrich the students’ learning experience and social development.Service-learning is a form of project
based learning in which academic goals are accomplished through community service. Service-learning is a pedagogy that
integrates community service with academic study, reflection and analysis to enrich the learning experience, teach
civic responsibility and strengthen communities (Pacho 2015). It provides students the opportunity to work with others, gain
valuable insights, and acquire different skills. Through different community activities and programs, students can apply what they
have been learned in class by formulating appropriate solutions to the problems they encounter in their chosen
communities

Characteristic of Service-learning
The common characteristic of service-learning includes the following:
1. It brings good, substantial, and practical results for the participants.
2. It promotes cooperation rather than competition where the skills associated with teamwork and active community involvement
are develop
3. It gives appropriate rather than simplified solutions to the problems that seriously affect the community.
4. It provides real-life experiences where in students gain knowledge from a
particular community engagement activity rather than from a textbook. Through these direct experience, service-learning offers
great opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking skills and learn how to identify relevant and emerging issues in
community settings.
5. It gives students a deeper understanding of concepts and real-life situations in the community through immediately observable
results.
6. Through an immediate understanding of a situation in the community, service- learning becomes a more significant experience
for students, leading to their emotional and social development and cognitive learning.

These characteristics of service-learning may be observed through actual andpersonal experience with the members
of the community. However, this time of pandemicwe will adopt some flexible activities that can promote service-learning

What Service-learning is Not

Students have misconceptions about the conduct and value of service-learning. Service-learning is not:
1. An episodic volunteer program
2. An add-on course to an existing school or college curriculum
3. Logging a set number of community service hour in order to graduate
4. Compensatory service assigned as a form of punishment by the courts or by school administrator
5. Only for high school or college students
6. One-sided, that is, beneficial only to the students or the community
The distinctive element of service-learning is that improves the community through the service provided, and it also result in the
improvement of the students and the other people providing the service. Service-learning is rapidly growing and becoming popular
because of its powerful impact on the people and cognitive advancement. According to Eyler and Giles (1999), the
service-learning model enhances understanding and leads to more effective action.

Service-learning Theory
Service-learning theory is based on the idea that experience is the foundation for learning, and the bases for learning are the
different forms of community service (Morton & Troppe, 1996). Service-learning, therefore, is a form of experimental education
where in learning occurs through cycles of action and reflection. Students work with others in applying what they have learned in
class to solve community problems while, at the same time, reflecting upon their experience as they seek to attain their goals for
the community and to develop skills for themselves (Eyler&Giles, 1999).

Legal Bases of Service-learning

Service-learning is based on RA 8292, also known as the Higher Education Modernization of 1997. This law reiterates Section
2(1) of Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution by declaring that the "policy of the state is to establish, maintain, and support a
complete. adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and the society." This policy can be
attained through the HEIs' trilogy of function-academics (teaching-learning), research, and extension (community service) and
their keeping in mind of their legal responsibility to act as effective agents of change and development.

HEIS on Service-learning
One of trifocal functions of the university is community extension. According to tariman (2007), its duty to the youth is to make
them literate and functional, so they can make good decisions regarding the problems affecting their health, families, and duties
for cooperative undertakings affecting the welfare of the entire community, so they can develop into young men and women who
look upon their own interest in terms of the welfare of others.

Benefits of Service-learning (Villasoto et al., 2019)

Service-learning has potential benefits to the students, faculty, and community.
Students in service-learning classes can benefit academically, professionally and personally. They will:
1. Increase their understanding of the class topic
2. Gain firsthand experience possibly leading to a future intemship or job)
3. Question or defend values and belief
4. Have the opportunity to act on values and beliefs
5. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
6. Increase their knowledge of diverse culture and communities
7. Learn more about social issues and their causes
8. Improve their ability to handle difficult situations
9. Be open to change and become more flexible
10. Develop or enhance their skills, especially in the areas of communication, collaboration, and leadership.
11. Test out the skills, interests, and values required in a potential career path and learn more about their field of interest
12. Connect with professionals and community members who will also learn from the service-learning program
13. Growth a professional network of people, whom they can contact later for career growth
14. Be encouraged in joining public service or social organizations

There are personal and professional benefits that faculty members can derive from integrating service-learning into the course
they handle. Their decision to teach service-learning classes can:
1. Promote interactive teaching as well as reciprocal leaming between them and their students
2. Provide new concepts and subjects that will enrich the class
3. Open up new areas of concem for research
4. Motivate their students to engage in active learning and be exposed to varied teaching styles
5. Enable their students to learn more and further develop themselves
6. Increase enrolment by giving the proper motivation to highly engaged and active students
7. Enhance the leadership potential of their students
8. Expose their students to networking activities with active faculty members in other
discipline
9. Promote quality relationships between them and the members of the community or the institution which may facilitate
collaborative endeavours
10. Offer firsthand information or concepts and opportunities for community involvement that will help them understand and
resolve issues

Community partners involved in service-learning can:

1. Receive additional human resource assistance that can expedite the achievement of organizational goals.
2. Inspire a higher enthusiasm, perspective, and energy
3. Improve organization's pool of volunteers as students engaged in service-leaming will boost their own morale prompting them to
share their experience with their classmates and friends
4. Enhance public awareness regarding significant issues confronting the community
5. Ensure future support for the organization
6. Make students well informed about issues in the community and enlighten them regarding common misconception
7. Prepare the youth of today, particularly students, to become tomorrow's responsible community leaders.
8. Establish strong networks with partners in other organization and agencies
9. Gain access to the other resources of the university and strengthen collaborative ties with its faculty members, students, and
staff
The objective of service-learning provides the stake holders especially the implementers of different programs and activities with
opportunities for reflection and the assessment of personal values, skills, and knowledge.

The following are significant and helpful steps in effectively implementing service-learning:
I. Assess the community resources.
After selecting a project, the available resources of the community must be assessed or evaluated. This includes looking into
opportunities to establish partnership with the local leaders, out-of-school-youth, business man, women leaders, and youth
leaders regarding community issues and problems.
2. Establish partnership and linkages.
Establishing partnerships with different service-oriented organization is necessary to make the delivery of community service more
effective. Maintaining and improving existing affiliations and developing potential partnerships are important in ensuring that an
organization's needs and limitation can be met and worked on
3. Indicate the specific learning objectives in the syllabus.
Specific learning objectives should be clearly stated in syllabus. It must be a dominant component that can be easily identified in
the service-learning organized by community-based organizations. Assessment tools should be devised and used to evaluate
students performance with regard to the application of the subject. The service outcomes may differ from what is initially expected.
4. Initially plan on the chosen program.
In selecting the program, the initial stage of planning is of utmost importance. Plan according to expected goals. Find out your
human, financial, physical, and intellectual resources including the additional student leaders who can assist your group in
executing and coordinating the different activities you have prepared for the community.
5. Plan the details of the programs.
Prepare the program with all the important things in mind like the rationale, timeline, budget, and list of assignments. The partners
must be involved in this process. The community project must have the following components: a thorough plan, schedule or time
frame, benchmark, budget evaluation and assessment, and tools and process to identify, document, and address problems and
issues that can potentially take place.
6. Look for funds.
It is necessary to look for adequate funding resources such as tie-ups with local businessman, National Corporation, faith-based
organizations, NGOs, government agencies (GAS), and other local community organizations.
7. Implement and manage the program.
The plan of action must be properly implemented. The right intervals for assessment must be set and partners must be involved in
the process. This, in turn, will enhance the program.
8. Organize reflection activities.
Carefully design activities that give students the chance to better understand community service. Through this, the students'
knowledge and perception will continuously be reinforced. Students must be permitted to record all their experiences, including
their assignments, in a journal. This also helps in further improving the program
9. Assess and evaluate the program.
It is imperative to include the active involvement of the community or institution in assessing community service outcomes. The
active participation of individual students and organizations in the service-learning program must also properly documented.
10. Celebrate the achievement.
Appreciating and recognizing the students' active involvement in community will develop their life-long interest in service
involvement. Students name can be posted in bulletin boards. The presence or attendance of community leaders in recognition
programs is necessary for inspiring students and other active participants in community projects.

Guidelines and Procedure

A. Preparatory Stage
Faculty members interested in conducting service-learning must see to it that the service-learning program (SLP) is indicating in
the syllabus.
1. The students and faculty members are both responsible for the selection of the community or institution. However, institution or
communities with already existing Memorandum of Agreements with the school/university are the most appropriate choices.
2. The faculty members must submit a letter of intent to the college dean through the chairman or the head of the SLP. The letter
should come with the program/activity design indicating the rationale, objectives, time frame, the evaluation process (rubrics and
reflection papers), and the schedule of activities.
3. The faculty member will write a letter of intent and request for permission to conduct a SLP. The letters must be noted by the
dean through the program
coordinator or head.
4. The students who will join the SLP must secure a waiver from the office of students affairs (OSCA) to be signed by their parents
or guardians. The faculty members will collect the waivers a day before the actual activity. Students without signed waivers will not
be allowed to join the SLP.
B. Implementation Stage
1. The students and the supervising faculty member of the SLP are required to wear the prescribed identification card (ID) and
college T-shirt and observed proper decorum while in the community or institution. Smoking and engaging in other forms of vices
while in the community or institution, whether before, during, or after the SLP are strictly prohibited for both faculty members and
students.
2. The students and faculty members on the SLP shall cover their respective transportation, communication, and meal expenses
during the period. Other logistical requirements shall be based on those indicate approved activity design of the college dean.
3. The faculty member or the assigned group leaders shall take responsibility for all communications and coordination with the
partner community or institution in relation to the SLP. They are also in charge of ensuring the safety and security of the students
while in the community.
4. The college dean or the head of the program will conduct spot monitoring of follow-up of the students involved in the SLP to
determine the actual and
current status of the program.
5. In case the faculty member in-charge will be absent, he or she must inform and ask permission from the college dean to find
another faculty member as substitute to supervise the students. Any SLP activity without the supervision of an assigned faculty
member shall be considered unofficial.

C. Post-activity Evaluation Stage.

1. The students must submit a narrative report with pictorial documentation and reflection paper to the faculty member. The report
must be hard-bound, follow the required format, and be submitted fifteen days (15) after the SLP activity. 2. The faculty member
will evaluate the students' narrative report using the assessment too that is designed for this activity. The performance of the
student will be evaluated using the same rubrics. The two evaluation result will be added and then divided by two. Its average will
be the SLP grade for the term.
3. The college or university through the chairman or head of the program must conduct an exit conference with the community or
institution beneficiaries and leaders to assess the SLP implemented.
4. A certificate of SLP completion shall be issued by the college or university upon the written request of the faculty member in
charge.
5. The college or university shall issue a certificate of appreciation to the cooperating community or institution upon the completion
of the service- learning activities.

CONCLUSION
Service-learning is applied in a wide variety of setting, including schools, universities, and community- and faith-based
organization. It can involve a group of students, a classroom, or an entire school. Students build character and become active
participants as they work with others in their schools and community in various service projects designed for the development of
education, public safety, and the environment.
For example, student-volunteers collecting trash and dredging an urban or rural river. stream, or water way render a valuable
service to the community. If students also analyze with the residents of the neighbourhood also engaged in service-learning, they
will be doing the community much good.
Service learning provides an important service to the community. Students develop an understanding of actual social, political,
economic, and environmental issues in their future personal and career interest whether these be in the field of natural sciences,
behavioural sciences, public administration, values clarification and formation, environmental studies, public policy or other related
areas. Through service-learning, both the students and the community undergo a transformative experience.

COMMUNITY IMMERSION
"Experience is the best teacher." It is the simplest way to describe the necessity of community immersion among college students
today, particularly for NSTP-CWTS 2 students who study how community, in different aspects, function and develops. Community
immersion inculcates civic consciousness and defence-preparedness in the youth. They should be ready to engaged in different
community activities in order to be aware of community concerns, dynamics and lifestyles. It is only through immersion in an
actual community, they associate with the people whom they intend to work with as their partner or allies in the community. Forms
of community immersion include home visits, living with selected families, informal discussion with individuals or groups, sharing in
household and community activities, attendance in social gatherings, and assistance in production work.
Community immersion is a strategy goes beyond acquainting students with community concerns but makes possible their
participation in their resolution. This type of activity the lives not only of the students but also of the member of the community. As
students aid in providing solutions to problems by the community, the community also show and shares its way of living that allows
students to see the world from a different perspective.

Students gain benefits from their participation in community immersion. They are given opportunity to comprehend people's lives
as they see real-life situations; gain social acceptance derive from community relations; develop skills in conducting asset
mapping and other life skills; and imbibe social awareness and consciousness of the pressing conditions faced by certain
communities. Community immersion offers students an avenue to identify and understand issues that help solve problems in the
communities affecting the entire nation as a whole.

Community Immersion
One of the strategies of community organizing is community immersion. It involves extensive exposure of the students to various
community activities so that they may become responsible members of the society where they belong. Students are also trained
to becoming socially, morally, and civic individuals on the area of sports, literacy, health, livelihood, environmental service, values
and other social welfare activities.
Community immersion, as a voluntary and participatory approach in developing a wholesome and ideal society, is reflected on the
following student learning activities:
1. Determining the economic, psychosocial, and political status of the people as students immerse in actual community life.
2. Identifying the community needs, interest, and other concerns.
3. Gaining personal development through acquiring additional knowledge on real-life situation and giving importance to good
values and life skills.
4. Recognizing people's dignity by letting students participate in community participate in community programs and help in
determining appropriate course of action for community problems.
5. Realizing that students participation yields contribution to the welfare of the community, and that community participation, in
turn, gives meaning to the holistic developments of the students.

Service-learning from Community Immersion

Labuguen et al. (2009) describe how the community immersion aspect of NSTP-CWTS 2 benefits not only the communities
served but also the students who are accorded the following advantages:
1. Have the opportunity for the students to appreciate other people's lives through living, identifying, and associating with the
people
2. Gain social acceptance derived from community relations coupled with the appropriate community services and activities.
3. Enhance experience in conducting resources and community inventory
mapping such as identifying geographic coverage, pointing out resources and their uses, determining relationships of people with
the existing resources 4. Establish rapport and relationship with different people who may be of help to them at some future time.
5. Develop conscience that make them realize how their ability to help solves problems in the community and how indifference of
people affects
communities.
6. Acquire first-hand experience in dealing with community intervention and services
7. Have the chance to learn life skills that will enrich and better them as persons.

Community Development Work

One might think that the community is something external to life, something extra like that of having car, owning home, having a
stable job working with supportive co workers, or having thoughtful neighbours. Community is every connection one has with the
world around that sustains the way of life. A community does not include only people who live next door or who work in the same
office, but also those people who constructed the roads, who work at markets, factories and malls, and even who plant wheat,
grow crops, and raise livestock. The people upon whom we rely on for our living often invisible or sometimes living thousands of
miles away. These people constitute the work of the community.

Community development work is the process by which efforts to improve the socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the
community. Community development works can be referred to as efforts to improve the economic or structural conditions of a
community. Such efforts may focus on business or job creation and physical or infrastructure development. It must be emphasized
that community development work in general is a social learning process that serves to empower individuals and involve them in
collective activities aimed at socioeconomic development.
Moreover, community development works are action that seek to build social capital, promote interaction, and empower
community resident to alleviate their living conditions.

What is Community Immersion?

Community Immersion is one important requirement of the National Service Training Program (NSTP) prescribed to students,
male or female alike, in private and public higher education institutions and technical-vocational schools.

Community immersion is a strategy in community organizing that is sought to imbibe among the NSTP trainees a better
understanding and realization of the different community concerns through the exposure on actual life situations specifically in the
deprived, depressed and the underprivileged (DDU) communities.

The NSTP trainees are expected to initiate community-based interventions in the form of projects and activities meant to address
the multi-faceted issues and concerns of the people in the area of service.

● Is a strategy that goes beyond acquainting us with community concerns but make possible our participationin their
solution.
● Is an essential strategy in community organizing work that entails understanding of the different communityconcerns,
process, dynamics and lifestyle through exposure and engaging different activities
● Is advised as a strategy in molding students just so that they may be socially aware and responsible to theircommunities.
This manner of transformation is bent on training the youth to become civic consciousness anddefense prepared
individuals.

Objectives of NSTP Community Immersion?

Community immersion allows individuals who are not familiar with the people and communities where they will work immerse
themselves in these settings. This gives them the opportunity to reflect on their assumptions, attitudes, and the knowledge base of
their profession and to gain cultural competence.

Immersion programs relocate individuals into an unfamiliar environment for a period of time for the purpose of providing
meaningful learning opportunities. For maximum effect, the individual must be receptive to the social, cultural and/or political
circumstances into which they have been placed.

Pessar, MD, professor emerita of psychiatry, says the community immersion program is one way of teaching studentsthat
developing trust with their patients “requires some understanding of the social, economic, psychological and cultural issues” faced
by patients.

Concepts an Principles of Community Immersion:

Community
According to Arlien Johnson, a noted community development specialist, a community is a collective of people with similar
interests and goals whether living in the same geographic loyalty or not.

Geographical and Functional

Geographical community is defined in the purview of group of persons though not necessarily based on living in the same
geographical location, is bounded by a common end such as fighting for the same cause, having the same interests and goals.

What is Community?
A common definition of community emerged as a group of people with diverse characteristics who are linked by social ties, share
common perspectives, and engage in joint action in geographical locations or settings.

What are the elements of Community Immersion?

The important elements of Community are:
1. Demographics
oCharacteristics of population;
oTells about the movement of population in the community that you will serve;
2. History
oAllows you to identify certain patterns of change and people’s way of adapting thesechanges that can be useful in plotting your
activities.
oEvents of the past that contributed to the development of the community.
3. Understanding the economy, culture and community structures
oAn economy consists of the economic systems of a country or other area; the labor, capital, and land resources; and the
manufacturing, production, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area;Income level and occupation of
the people.
oCulture (Latin: cultura, lit. "cultivation") ways of living of the people.
oStructures - physical, political and social structures.

Whom do you immerse with in the community?

-Parents, youth, constituents, professionals, and potential collaborators of your project/activity

WHOM DO YOU IMMERSE WITH IN THE COMMUNITY?

● When one goes to a community, he associates with the people whom he intends to work with a partners orallies in the
community.
● We do not just work for and serve the people but rather we encourage their participation.
● Confucius’s philosophy of “give man a fish and he will live for a day: teach him how to fish and he will live fora lifetime.”
● Community immersion is empowering the people towards development of the locality.Is vital to the development of
the students’ knowledge, skills, values and attitudes in realizing thepenultimate (last but one) ends of NSTP.

WHAT CONDITIONS MAY QUALIFY ONE TO GO INTO COMMUNITY IMMERSION?

● It is so desired that one fundamental pre-requisite qualification among those who intend or are tasked toundergo
community immersion is a full understanding of the concepts and theories behind the dynamics ofgroups and community.
● Training-wise, community developer/organizers and social workers are most qualified because it is assumedthat they
have more or less formal background on carrying out these kinds to organizing work.
● As for NSTP, students enrolled in NSTP-CWTS/LTS 2 are mandated to undergo community immersion for aperiod
covering a minimum of 54 hours to a maximum of 90 hours a cited from CHED – prescribed Programof Instruction (OPI),
2007 edition.

Personal gains from Community Immersion

-Provides an opportunity to apply academic learning to real life events. Builds relationships and 'social connectedness' with peers
and adults, and exposes students to diversity and multiculturalism. Improves lifelong communication, interpersonal and critical
thinking skills.

WHAT PERSONAL GAINS MAY A STUDENT GET FROM COMMUNITY IMMERSION?

1. Community Immersion improves the students’ understanding of himself in relation to others
2. Opportunity for the students to comprehend people’s lives
3. Gain social acceptance derived from the community
4. Enhance experiences in conducting asset mapping
5. Establish rapport and relationship
6. Acquire first-hand experience
7. Chance to learn life skills

Community Immersion
It is an essential strategy in community organizing work that entails understanding of the different community concerns, process,
dynamics and lifestyle through exposure and engaging in different activities.

Forms of Integration in Community Immersion

1. Home visits
2. Living with selected families preferably with key informants
3. Informal discussions with individuals and groups
4. Sharing in household and community activities
5. Attendance in social gatherings
6. Assistance in production work
Examples of Community Partners
1. Parents
2. The youth (in-school or out of school
3. Differently-abled constituents
4. Professionals
5. Members of people's organizations

Personal Gains for Students in Community Immersion

● Opportunity for students to comprehend people's lives
● Gain social acceptance derived from community relations
● Enhance experience in conducting surveys and researches
● Establish rapport and relationships with different people
● Develop their conscientization ability
● Acquire first-hand experiences in dealing with community works
● Chance to learn life skills

The Extension Creed by Dr. Y.C. James Yen

Go to the people.
Live with the people. Learn from them.
Plan with them. Work with them.
Start with what they know. Build on what they have.
Teach by showing, learn by doing. Not by showcase but by pattern. Not odds and ends but a system. Not piecemeal but integrated
approach. Not to conform but to transform. Not relief but release.