UW-Madison senior Jannet Arenas works with a student on a Wisconsin DNR Fishing Club field trip. Arenas worked with the DNR and the Centro Hispano of Dane County to create the club as part of her directed study course in 2011.
About the Office of Service Learning & Community Based Research
Founded in 2005, the Office of Service Learning and Community Based Research is the connective fiber that brings together service learning and community engagement for faculty, staff, students and the public.
The office helps faculty and staff administer service learning courses and works with community partners to reinvigorate our public service mission.
Dr. Andrea-Teresa “Tess” Arenas serves as OLSCBR's director. Dr. Arenas is guided by the L&S Service Learning Faculty Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from key disciplines within the College.
The office provides a variety of services:
- Assisting L&S faculty and staff to incorporate service learning and community based research into existing or new courses;
- Working one-on-one to develop service learning and community based research course goals and student learning outcomes;
- Identifying community partners, agencies or organizations for courses;
- Connecting faculty, staff and students to grants, fellowships and resources for expanding or creating courses in departments and discisplines;
- Providing grants for short term unexpected expenses related to the implementation of a service learning course;
- Working with University Relations to obtain news coverage of community projects
- Hosting department/discipline based forums to share best practices, strategies for reflection and more.
The office also has close partnerships with:
