Models of civic engagement initiatives at Louisiana State University

Abstract

In this chapter, the author examines ways in which Louisiana State University enhances the civic outcomes of its undergraduate students, by increasing their civic responsibility and by encouraging them to work with others across differences. Implementing service-learning is especially urgent in a context such as Louisiana. Using data from an International Studies class, which commits students to tutoring children in public schools, the author investigates the university’s partnerships with programs such as Everybody Reads. The author draws on literature that studies the impact of service-learning projects on students, nonprofit organizations, as well as communities-and also shows how students’ gender, race, and socioeconomic status often shape students’ interactions and service-learning experiences.