Animals, Sustainability, and the Environment: A Service Learning Model for the Humanities

This project has provided my students with an experience in hands-on service learning, thus fostering a synergistic understanding of historical analysis and community engagement. “Animals and American Culture: Select Historical Perspectives” is an interdisciplinary upper-division undergraduate seminar that attracts a diverse student body in the liberal arts and natural sciences. During the first week of class, students are  required to contact one of two local organizations--or, with my permission, an organization of their own choosing. Weeks two through seven consist of reading and discussion regarding animals and cultural history. Starting in week eight, students begin their service learning assignments. They keep a journal to chronicle their experiences and to make connections with the course content. Additionally, I dedicate a portion of each class to a discussion of each student’s service learning experience, aha moments, challenges faced, and anything else that students wish to address. The service learning component lasts for seven-eight weeks. The final course requirement is a research paper on a topic of the student’s choosing regarding animals and American history. I am humbled by the fact that several  past students are pursuing careers based on their experiences in my course--building communities through scholarship and civic engagement.