What is Service-Learning?
Service-Learning @ Lingnan celebrates the marriage of rigorous academic study and impactful projects that benefit local and global communities and contribute to sustainable development. Through Service-Learning, students will gain a deeper understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of global citizenship. Service-Learning allows liberal arts students to put their interdisciplinary training into practice and sharpen their problem-solving skills by tackling the challenges of the 21st century.
Cultivate the Whole Person through S-L
Through Service-Learning, students have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they are acquiring in the classroom to address real-world community needs. This hands-on, experiential learning not only reinforces academic concepts, but also facilitates the development of the whole person.
4 Types of Service
At Lingnan University, we practice four broad types of Service-Learning in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular advocating healthy lifestyle and well-being for all, and facilitating the generation and implementation of innovative concepts.
Direct Service
Projects that directly impact individuals who receive the service. For example, designing a lesson plan and teaching young children in a daycare center, and preparing for a musical performance with SEN children.
Indirect Service
Projects that have clear benefits to the community or environment, but not necessarily directly to any individuals. For example, launching a photo exhibition about the history and culture of local Hakka villages, and constructing a new model of hydroponic system and producing a visual guide about the technology behind for high schools in the Philippines.
Research-based Service
Projects that include an undergraduate research component, where students get first-hand experience with collecting, organizing, interpreting, and/or presenting data. For example, researching into the agricultural practice in the Philippines and formulating a strategic plan to improve the lives of the local sugarcane farmers, and probing into housing issues in Hong Kong through site visits and focus groups.
Advocacy Service
Projects that aim to generate public awareness and positive action in relation to societal issues, such as poverty, environmental problems, crime, etc. For example, filming a documentary about the problems in the Philippines' waste management system and the obstacles faced by the waste collectors, and interviewing migrant workers in Hong Kong to record their lives.
