Community Based Learning in times of Social Distancing, Isolation and Quarantine

Dear service-learning faculty members,

We hope you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy during this challenging time. We recently sent an email regarding possible ways to continue the service-learning component of your courses through virtual engagement. While there is no pressure or expectation to do this as you transition your courses online, we still wanted to provide information about an evolving possibility that may be of interest.

Durham and Community Affairs has created a community website that includes non-medical resources for those affected by efforts to contain COVID-19. Site resources include practical information for parents seeking learning enrichment strategies and resources while the schools are closed, resources for people who have lost wages and need assistance with rent or mortgage loan forbearance, and information for high school seniors who are applying to colleges with changed financial circumstances.

If you are interested in learning more about how students within your course(s) might support this effort remotely through research, website development and maintenance, and/or English-Spanish translation, please email Kimmie Garner (kimberly.garner@duke.edu) directly and she will connect you with Elaine Madison, Jeannine Sato, and Leslie Parkins in Durham and Community Affairs to discuss this in greater detail. There may also be opportunities to connect with partners who are posting resources, needs, and questions on the site.  

In addition, below is a list of online resources relevant to faculty who teach CE/SL courses:

• Community Based Learning in Times of Social Distancing, Isolation, and Quarantine

• Online Learning: Advice and Best Practices from Colleagues

• Weaving our We: Collecting Resources to Combat Isolation During COVID-19

• North Carolina Campus Compact: COVID-19 Resources

• Campus Compact (Iowa): Coronavirus and the Engaged Campus

• Duke's Keep Teaching resource guide and visit duke.is/aYHqhB to sign up for the Keep Teaching newsletter.

• Virtual Volunteering

NOTE: the information here does not supplant directives from the institution or government regarding social distancing, isolation, and quarantine.  This is simply a collection of ideas that might help keep your course's community-connected learning goals moving during this disruption.

Thank you all and take good care,

Duke Service-Learning

David, Joan, Amy, Kathy, Ruth, and Kimmie