In early April, Duke Service-Learning hosted the North American Regional Gathering of the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE)—a two-day convening to help shape a future-looking Global Research Agenda for the field.Led by facilitator Dr. Andrew Furco and supported by GivePulse, Inc., the Durham gathering brought together researchers, faculty, and practitioners from across North Carolina and the U.S. to review and refine more than 2,000… read more about Duke Service-Learning Hosts Regional Gathering for Global Service-Learning Research Agenda »
When Associate Professor of the Practice Yan Liu reached out to Durham Academy's Mandarin teacher Bonnie Wang in 2014, she was exploring new connections in the community for her new service-learning course in Chinese. Neither educator could have predicted that this initial connection would blossom into a decade-long partnership that would transform hundreds of students' lives and their own teaching practices.This year, Bonnie Wang was named the 2025 Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Community Partner Award… read more about A Decade of Connection: Learning, Language, and Community »
Each year, Duke Service-Learning recognizes a senior student, a faculty member, and a community partner with the Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards. Named for Betsy Alden, a pioneer in service-learning at Duke beginning in the 1980s, the award honors individuals who embody the values of meaningful community partnership, reflection, and a commitment to social change. Recipients are selected for their exceptional dedication to community-engaged learning. Each receives an honorarium, and their stories are shared… read more about 2025 Betsy Alden Award Recipients for Excellence in Service-Learning »
Master’s student Dhaval Potdar needed something to work on over the summer. He came across Data+, an interdisciplinary program for small teams of students to tackle challenges for clients who are often external to Duke. A project to improve operations at Durham Public Schools appealed to him because of the potential societal impact: “I got to do a project which would, if implemented correctly, have an impact on the lives of 30,000 children,” he said. “That’s pretty significant to me.”Potdar shared his experience at a… read more about Community Engagement Tips From Faculty, Students and Local Partners »
Senior Faculty at the Duke Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity and Professor of the Practice in Education at Duke UniversityDavid Malone, PhD, joined the Cook Center in 2014, when it first originated as the Duke Consortium on Social Equity. He is currently the Co-Director of the Working Group on Educational Equity & Policy at the Cook Center and a Professor of the Practice in Education. With almost 40 years of experience in leadership, teaching, and research at Duke, Dr… read more about A Q&A with Senior Faculty David M. Malone »
It has been nearly a decade since Sandra Valnes Quammen, senior lecturer with the Department of Romance Studies, began exploring ways to integrate sustainability into her language teaching — largely thanks to the Trillium Sustainability Fellows Program. Created by Charlotte Clark, associate professor of the practice of sustainability (now emeritus) at the Nicholas School of the Environment, the program encouraged faculty from outside the environmental sciences to think of ways climate sustainability could intersect with… read more about Sustainable Conversations »
When STEM education meets community wisdom, the results can be life changing. During Duke Service-Learning’s Fall 2024 event series, STEM + Community Engagement: Pedagogy and Practice.", Professor Liz DeMattia from the Duke Marine Lab shared how their program, Ready, Set, Resilience, grew out of unexpected challenges. What started as a response to hurricanes evolved into a model for helping communities build resilience in the face of climate change.The story begins with Hurricane Florence in 2018, which devastated… read more about Building Resilience Through Stories of Nature and Community »
On Friday, February 28, we gathered with incredible community partners, faculty, and staff for our annual Community Partner Breakfast—a celebration of collaboration and impact! We were honored to have partners from education, the arts, social services, and local nonprofits, alongside faculty from engineering, medicine, language departments, education, documentary studies, and more. Together, they make community-engaged learning at Duke meaningful—connecting Duke students with Durham through hands-on projects in schools… read more about Celebrating Community Partners »
Bridging Classroom Learning with Global Health InnovationAt Duke University's Global Health Institute, Dr. Dennis Clements has pioneered an approach that transforms theoretical knowledge into practical solutions. Through two innovative service-learning courses—a required capstone for Global Health majors (GLHLTH 499) and an Innovation & Entrepreneurship course (I&E 590) open to students across all levels—Clements connects students directly with healthcare organizations worldwide that need… read more about Bridging Classroom Learning with Global Health Innovation »
On Friday, February 7th, Duke Service-Learning’s Community Action Project partnered with Book Harvest to support literacy in Durham by preparing donated books for local families. As a respected Durham nonprofit, Book Harvest ensures that children have access to books from birth, fostering a lifelong love of reading and learning. This initiative was part of our Pursuit of Common Good series, which connects Duke and Durham through meaningful, hands-on… read more about Supporting Literacy in Durham: Duke Service-Learning Partners with Book Harvest »
Breaking Stereotypes, Building Confidence in MathAt a time when STEM fields continue to grapple with gender disparities, an innovative program is transforming how middle school girls see mathematicians—and themselves. Girls Exploring Math (DukeGEM) is a Bass Connections Research Team at Duke, bringing together undergraduates, graduate students, and professors to create engaging, puzzle-based math and logic workshops for students in the wider Durham community. DukeGEM tackles a persistent challenge: the… read more about Reimagining Who Can Be a Mathematician »
LEAPS founders Glenn Gutterman (right) and Dan Kessler (left) with Betsy Alden during a planning outing in the mid-1990s. Inspired by UNC's APPLES program, the two Duke sophomores partnered with Alden to create what would become Duke's own distinctive approach to community-engaged education. As Duke celebrates its Centennial, we’re reminded that one of its enduring and impactful educational initiatives began not in lecture halls or administrative offices, but around a kitchen table.In… read more about From Students to Changemakers: The Legacy of LEAPS (Learning through Experience, Action, Partnership and Service) »
We’re proud to celebrate Kathy Sikes, Associate Director of Duke Service-Learning, for earning her certification as a highly qualified community engagement practitioner through Campus Compact’s Community Engagement Professional Credentialing Program. Kathy’s achievement reflects her deep commitment to advancing community engagement at Duke and beyond. Read the full announcement here. read more about Kathy Sikes Recognized as a Certified Community Engagement Professional »
When Duke medical student Nicola Young envisioned creating a volunteer birth doula program, she saw an opportunity to address health equity gaps for families navigating childbirth. But a pivotal conversation with a Duke obstetrician with experience in community collaborations for health equity changed everything. The feedback revealed an uncomfortable truth: her well-intentioned program could undermine local community-based doulas who served historically excluded families of color."That feedback stopped me in my tracks and… read more about Postpartum Partners: Training Health Professionals Through Community-Centered Care »
When Dhruv Rungta signed up for his first documentary photography class at Duke University, he couldn't have predicted how it would reshape his path. What started as an engaging elective blossomed into a deeper commitment to community engagement when his professor recognized his passion and invited him to take on a leadership role in the course. Now a junior pursuing a self-designed degree in Economics, Ecology and Sustainable Development, Rungta serves as an SLA (Service-Learning Assistant) for DOCST… read more about Dhruv Rungta: Building Community Through Documentary Photography »
Picture a third-grade girl designing a water filter, her mother by her side. They laugh, experiment, and problem-solve together—both discovering they're natural engineers. It's a powerful moment, especially in a field where young girls—particularly girls of color—rarely see themselves represented.Through the InventHERs Institute, Drs. Whitney McCoy and Shaundra Daily are revolutionizing how girls and women see themselves in STEM fields. By creating what they call a "counterspace"—where everyone can authentically… read more about In Their Own Words: Whitney McCoy and Shaundra Daily on Creating Inclusive STEM Spaces »
What happens when STEM meets community? Magic, it turns out. In Fall 2024, Duke Service-Learning's event series, "STEM + Community Engagement: Pedagogy and Practice," brought together faculty who are reimagining how we teach and learn STEM. From engineering students designing adaptive technology for children, to medical students transforming postpartum care, these faculty are demonstrating how community engagement makes STEM education more powerful, inclusive, and transformative.At Pratt's School of Engineering, Michael… read more about In His Own Words: Michael Rizk on Engineering Education and Community Impact »
Four faculty in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences were recently recognized by the Arts & Sciences Council for outstanding achievements in undergraduate teaching.Each year, the Council’s Committee on Undergraduate Teaching selects outstanding faculty members for their commitment to their students, for engaging them deeply in research and scholarship, for their continued development as innovative teachers and mentors, and more.Members of the council — in collaboration with the dean's office — … read more about Four Trinity Faculty Receive 2024 Undergraduate Teaching Awards »
What does it mean to pursue common good, and in what ways do service-learning and community-engaged courses invite us to join that pursuit? In 2024-2025, Duke Service-Learning is focusing our work on Pursuit of Common Good, inviting our communities to consider ways our engagements take common good as an underlying value. As articulated in our Mission Statement,(link opens in a new window/tab) Duke Service-Learning values academic coursework that joins communities in promoting social equity and social change… read more about 2024-2025 Annual Theme: Pursuit of Common Good »
When he arrived at Duke four years ago as a first-year student in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elaijah Lapay said he had no idea of what would happen next, but he knew he needed to do something of value. As he now prepares to graduate, Lapay leaves with a record of service that has helped address local issues of food insecurity and access to health care for migrant workers. For his leadership and selfless services to others, Lapay recently joined two others at Duke in receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award… read more about The Sullivan Award: Honoring Three Who Aid Others at Duke and in the Community »
A significant body of research lends support to the notion that establishing certain “enabling conditions” makes it more likely that young people will be successful, thrive and flourish in school, work and their lives. A sense of belonging is one “enabling condition” associated with a positive undergraduate experience, academic achievement and psychological well-being. On the other hand, what some psychologists call "belonging uncertainty" is associated with student disengagement and less successful academic… read more about Belonging, Well-Being and the Undergraduate Experience: A student conversation with Dean Gary G. Bennett »
Each year, Duke Service-Learning recognizes a senior student, a SLCE faculty member, and a community partner with the Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Award. Betsy Alden was a pioneer in service-learning, beginning her work at Duke during the 1980s. Read more about the legacy of Betsy Alden. Recipients are chosen because they represent an exceptional commitment to the community-engaged ideals of service‐learning. Each winner receives an honorarium and is recognized at the University’s annual In the Spotlight… read more about 2024 Alden Award Recipients for Excellence in Service-Learning »
Ask Deja Simms, a sixth-grade English Language Arts teacher at Durham’s Neal Middle School, about her class’s Friday learning sessions with Duke students, and she’ll say: “We usually have low attendance Fridays, but now no student is missing. They’re like, ‘The Duke students are coming?’ They’re excited.” The lessons were part of education professor Kisha Daniels’ Critical Pedagogy of Hip Hop class, where her students worked with the sixth graders on exploring how social issues are connected to musical genres. The class… read more about Hip Hop in the Classroom »
(Left) Students in MUSIC 398S, Meeting the World Through Chamber Music, working with Professor Hsiao-Mei Ku and KidzNotes, a community organization working in Durham Public Schools. (Right) Students in CHINESE 333, Advanced Chinese for Bilingual Learners, working with Professor Shu-Ting Hsu and students at Glenwood Elementary in the Chapel-Hill Carrboro City Schools. Many of our Duke Service-Learning courses work with K-12 education in school settings… read more about Service-Learning in Action »
Community Partners Breakfast The annual Duke Service-Learning community partner breakfast is an opportunity to express our deep gratitude to the community partners that collaborate with our faculty and students. What better way to celebrate our community partnerships than through breakfast in the community? Duke Service-Learning faculty and their community partners joined us… read more about Service-Learning in the Community »
For the past decade, Duke Service-Learning affiliated faculty, Joan Munné and Melissa Simmermeyer, both Senior Lecturers in Romance Studies, have co-taught SPANISH 310, Translating Spanish-English and English-Spanish, a community-engaged course. Real-World Context To better understand in today’s terms what translation and interpretation mean, what challenges they pose in institutional settings, and why they matter… read more about SPANISH 310: Translating Spanish-English and English-Spanish »
Charged with addressing equity gaps in undergraduate educational outcomes, the Boyer 2030 Commission issued a new blueprint for advancing equity and student success, and cited Duke as an example to be followed among research universities in the United States. Duke is one of three research universities recognized in the Commission’s latest report as having successfully incorporated service-learning into undergraduate education. Duke Service-Learning is a signature program of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. It… read more about Duke Cited as One of Three Top Universities in Community-Engaged Education »
