Professional Development

Service-Learning Fellows Program

The Service-Learning Fellows Program is a semester-long, cohort-based program designed to foster the development and institutionalization of service-learning courses and curricula, projects, and scholarly pursuits at Purdue, as well as strengthen collaborative efforts and outcomes in communities. The program is open to faculty (including non-tenure track), lecturers, staff, and graduate student instructors in West Lafayette and Indianapolis seeking to implement service-learning pedagogy under today’s shifting circumstances. Up to $2,000 is available per project ($1,000 instructor discretionary funds and $1,000 community partner project). Please note, you do not need to have a partner identified as the service-learning staff will help develop these partnerships.

Fellowship Terms of Service

• Collaboratively develop a plan for course and project implementation with community partner and Service-Learning Director
• Participate in 9 cohort meetings
• Attend at least 1 one-on-one consultation with Service-Learning Director
• Develop and submit curriculum design framework, learning contract, learning outcomes & objectives, syllabus, student reflection assignment, curricular map, research impacts, reflections, final report
• Apply for the student engagement and service-learning grants and/or produce a scholarly contribution, i.e., annual Purdue Engagement & Service-Learning Summit, co-author in Purdue Journal for Service-Learning and International Engagement
• Contribute to the assessment of service-learning (instructor, student, community partner assessments)

Expected Use of Funds

• No funds may be used for salaries or honoraria.
• Funds may be used for travel needed to support the course/project.
• Funds may be used for materials, supplies, publicity, printing, postage, digital platform technologies, etc. needed to support the course/project.
• Funds may be used for professional development related to the project.
• Funds may be used to support an intern or undergraduate/graduate research directly related to the project with approval by appropriate unit leadership.

Application

The call for Fall 2024 applications is closed. The Spring 2025 application call information is below and must be submitted online on or before Friday, November 15, 2024, at 5:00 pm ET. 

Full program call (HERE) and departmental support letter (HERE). To apply, click HERE.

Selection Process

A selection committee consisting of Office of Experiential Education representatives and former service-learning fellows selects the final award recipients. Announcement of award recipients occurs in April for fall cohorts and December for spring cohorts. The Office of Experiential Education manages and coordinates all functions and activities thereafter.