NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERT TO SPEAK AT UNK MONDAY, APRIL 10

Dr. Geraldine Stirtz
UNK Office for Service-Learning director, 308.865.8957
 

Service-learning, which is growing in momentum at all levels of education throughout the United States, is to be the main focus of a presentation at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.  
    
Dr. Barbara Holland, director of the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, will speak on “Assessment and Service-Learning” at 3 p.m. on Monday. April 10, in the UNK Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room. The presentation is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session will follow Dr. Holland’s talk.  
    
According to Dr. Geraldine Stirtz, director of the UNK Office for Service-Learning, “Dr. Holland appears at national and international conferences as a keynote speaker, workshop leader and advocate for service-learning and its potential for building citizens in our democratic society.”  
       
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse Web site, located at www.servicelearning.org, supports service-learning efforts of schools, higher education institutions, communities and tribal nations. The site provides information and thousands of free online resources for learning projects. The clearinghouse site defines service-learning as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.”  
       
In addition to her work with service-learning, Dr. Holland is a senior scholar at the Center for Service and Learning at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, and an adjunct professor at the University of Western Sydney and Australian Catholic University.  
       
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., Dr. Holland will be available to visit informally about service-learning during a reception at the Sandhills Dining Room in the Nebraskan Student Union. 
     
“It is exciting to be able to host Dr. Holland on our campus. She brings expertise and insights on service-learning issues, which we hope will interest many people,” Dr. Stirtz said.