A Deeper Understanding of the Term 'Service Learning'

At the beginning of my AmeriCorps service term I viewed the phrase ’service-learning‘ very narrowly. I assumed that this meant offering previously learned skills to the community with limited exposure to the field of public health and the realm of social services. However, this experience proved to be much more than that. My service term has given me an entirely new understanding of what it means to be of ’service‘ and exceeded my expectations in terms of ’learning‘ and personal growth.

My position as the male responsibility case manager at the Magnolia Project entails several key tasks. These tasks include, but are not limited to, identifying useful community resources and compiling them into a resource guide, providing male case management services, and providing appropriate referrals. I naively took on these tasks expecting to have a more sudden and profound impact, that would result in countless clients rapidly overcoming unemployment, homelessness, and other barriers. However, I learned that ’service’ is gradual and rarely immediate. One person I came across captured it beautifully, “Serving is all about passing along the small nuggets that may help a person a day, a week, a month, or a year from now.” These “small nuggets” may be as simple as proofreading a client’s resume or directing him where to go for a health screening, but they have the potential to change the trajectory of a person’s life. I have learned to embrace this new understanding of ’service’ and hone in on the small opportunities that may allow me to have the greatest impact.

In addition to modifying my understanding of ’service,’ this experience has been educational in many aspects. It extensively exposed me to the field of public health, while providing me with a glimpse of how social services are set up and successfully run. I also had the incredible opportunity to serve a diverse community and sharpen my cultural competency skills. In addition, this experience pushed me to work harder than ever before. I catered parties, waited tables, and did other side work to make ends meet throughout my service term. At times this required me to compromise sleep, exercise, and necessary self-care. Throughout my service term I asked myself, “How do I serve the community, support myself, stay positive, and not burn out?” Learning how to maintain the delicate balance between survival and service gave me a more thorough understanding of my personal abilities and limitations. Although difficult, this experience was extremely gratifying.

In hindsight, I realize that my initial hopes of having a more profound and immediate impact in the community were unrealistic. I have learned that ’service‘ is often in the form of small and simple acts that promote gradual and lasting change. On a personal level, ’serving‘ required ’learning‘ the many new aspects of my position and how to juggle multiple commitments.  Most importantly, I now understand that ’service‘ and ’learning‘ are inextricably linked and depend upon one another.

This blog post was written by NFHC member  Alex Tarabochia.

Alex serves at The Magnolia Project as the Male Responsibility Case Manager.