The goals of service learning and community engagement go beyond a desire to contribute positively to communities and to learning, but how do we know if these efforts are effective or that communities or students benefit?
Assessment, evaluation, and research are critical to demonstrating the effectiveness of these efforts to both academic and community stakeholders. The CSL has a longstanding commitment to developing evidence to support our work. Collectively, our work has led to the development of several frameworks and tools designed to study and to support the development of civic-mindedness among students and professionals. This commitment has also yielded systemic inquiry into the dimensions and relational outcomes of community-academic partnerships.
The results of these efforts have yielded longitudinal research on IU Indianapolis students involved in service learning and deepened partnerships with organizations throughout Indianapolis and beyond. Use the links below to learn more about tools and instruments you can use when conducting research and assessment on service learning and community engagement.