Service learning merges academic learning with the needs of the broader community, with the aim of  instilling participant with a sense of the rights and responsibilities of national and global citizenship.  In the spirit of Georgetown's Jesuit values, especially Contemplation in Action, service learning emphasizes critical reflection through personal, experience-based and analytical writing and discussion. Moreover, it helps students develop an understanding of the world as an interdependent system and increases global awareness and concern. 

Georgetown has been the first among the six universities in Education City to include service learning, internationally and nationally, as a regular feature in the academic calendar.  Students who participate in service learning trips do so in conjunction with a curriculum of lectures, movies, and readings that prepare them to fully engage with the projects abroad.

Previous Projects

Economic Development in Bangladesh - 2011

During Spring Break, sixteen students ventured to the capital city of Dhaka to observe microfinance and economic development firsthand, and to speak with experts including Muhammad Yunus, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.  The group then traveled to Satkhira District, where they spent five days working alongside local volunteers on houses with Habitat for Humanity.   

Disaster Management in USA - 2010 

In June of 2010, eight students from Qatar teamed up with eight from the DC campus to help in the rebuilding effort in New Orleans, Louisiana and Biloxi, Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.  In the process, they met with organizations in both Washington and the afflicted areas to learn about the long-term relief efforts that continue years after a disaster.  

Disaster Management in China - 2010

Following the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province in China, nine students from Doha ventured to the disaster area to engage in rebuilding the region north of Chengdu.  Prior to the trip, all of the students earned certification in Disaster Management from the Qatar Red Crescent, providing them unique insight into the situation in China.  The group also had the opportunity to visit Beijing and the Great Wall. 
Videos: Pretrip, Day 2, Day 3, Days 4-7

Want to know more about community-based learning and how you can be involved? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.