| Description |
This multisite case study sought to build a deeper understanding of community partner experiences with service-learning collaborations. The study examined how community partners involved with service-learning collaborations shape and evaluate these collaborations; what their motivations were when they started participating; why they choose, or choose not to, continue participating; and how service-learning supported their organization's identity. The study was comprised of 11 community partners, including seven nonprofit organizations, one government agency, and three Kindergarten-12th participants. It also included four staff from the three college service-learning centers represented in the study. Using a qualitative design, data were collected through a document review of community partner websites and annual reports, a focus group with college center staff, and 11 individual interviews with community partner representatives. Four major themes evolved from this study: expectations, investment, communication, and echelons of collaboration. Community partners and college center staff discussed how expectations, investment, and communication overlapped, yet contained separate characteristics that made each theme valuable in service-learning collaboration success. Community partners conceptualized varying echelons of collaborations that developed through relationships. Finally, community partners explained how service-learning assisted them with meeting operational needs that were central to their organization's identity. This study contributes to a growing field of literature about community partner experiences with service-learning. The findings from this study build on policies, practices, and research regarding service-learning and how the four major themes are vital in developing and sustaining collaborations. |
