By Bree Hussong, Spring 2017 Street Team Member
With less than one month left, it is important that we dedicate time to take a step back and remember just why Service-Learning is so great and why we love what we do as students and Street Team members.
Getting to Know Your Community
Whether you’re new to Boston or have been attending Northeastern for a couple semesters, it is never a bad time to explore the communities around. Students often find that even though they live here, they know very little about the culture and history of the 5 neighborhoods NU borders (Roxbury, Fenway, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plains, and the South End). Service-Learning is a great way to explore and get involved in a different area. The Service-Learning Street Team also offers amazing community tours to familiarize you with the area!
Make New Friends
What better way to meet people than while simultaneously making a difference? Service-Learning provides students with the opportunity to meet peers who share the same passion of helping others. You’ll always find yourself looking forward to your service when you are working with people you love.
Discovering an Unknown Passion
Perhaps you purposefully enrolled in a Service-Learning course or maybe it just happens to be a component you had no idea about. Regardless, by the end of the semester I promise you will have a newfound love for volunteering in the community of Boston. Perhaps the field or nonprofit you served with even gives you a stronger idea of the kind of work environment you like or what you possibly want to do after you graduate.
Develop Stronger Relationships with Your Professor, Service-Learning Teaching Assistant, and Community Partner
Students tend to develop meaningful relationships with professors and Service-Learning Teaching Assistants throughout the semester because the classes tend to be smaller, more discussion based, and your professor will know a ton about you and your service. By working with your community partners every week, students build strong relationship with the employee’s at their site. In the future when thinking of references for co-op you will think back to these adults who you’ve worked closely with.
Strong Resume Booster
Need something to spice up your resume a little more? Service-Learning is a fantastic way to catch attention and boost your resume appeal. Employer’s will love to see that you are passionate about the city of Boston and dedicated to helping others. Service-Learning always provides an easy and fun talking point.
Many Opportunities to Stay Involved with Service-Learning
It’s the end of the semester, you just completed your last service assignment, and you have the end-of-Service-Learning blues. Have no fear! There are plenty of ways to stay involved in Service-Learning.
- Stay involved with your community partner. Talk with your supervisor about opportunities to continue or expand upon your role.
- A very popular option is applying to become a Service-Learning TA so you can assist a certain class with their service.
- For the person who is already super booked, the Service-Learning Street Team would be a great fit where you give community tours to classes and assist at certain S-L events.
- Of course, with over 100 Service-Learning courses offered at Northeastern in 2016-2017, there may be another option for you to take another S-L class in your college career.
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