Service Learning

Learn. Serve. Engage.

Please note: As long as campus is open, students are allowed to pursue service opportunities on-site. Students should practice caution in any setting, following all protocols, and the use of protective personal equipment as required. Students must wear a mask while on-site. Any student hesitant to complete service on-site should contact Dr. Mary Walsh regarding possible modifications and alternate options for online/remote service.

The Elmhurst University Service Learning program provides opportunities for students and faculty to connect on-campus learning with service to the local, national or global community.

Service Learning furthers the University’s mission of preparing students “for meaningful and ethical contributions to a diverse, global society” by bridging the gap between theory and practice, the individual and the community.

A survey conducted by the Service Learning program in the fall of 2021 indicated that 91% of Elmhurst University undergraduate students feel “a responsibility to serve the community.” This program provides possibilities for bringing these feelings of responsibility to life.

Benefits of Service Learning

Participating in Service Learning completes the circle between giving and receiving. Students who participate:

Examine their personal capacity and desire to serve others.
Reflect upon their relationship to the communities in which they engage.
Demonstrate an awareness of and respect for cultural differences.
Practice behaviors necessary for responsible citizenship.

There is so much we can learn from others if we open our eyes and our hearts.
—Grace M.

Community Partners

Community partners welcoming Elmhurst University service learners include organizations which prompt reflection in a variety of areas including:

Animal Care
Arts and Culture
Civic Engagement
Education and Literacy
Environmental Justice
Global Challenges

Health and Well-being
Intimate Partner Violence
Older Adults
People with Disabilities
Social Justice

Explore All of Our Community Partners

Featured Articles

A close-up of children's books lined up on bookshelves.

Spotlight on the York Literacy Project

Elmhurst students are powering young kids’ passion for literacy. Read all about it in Prospect, the magazine of Elmhurst University.

Allison Skiple ’23 Awarded Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grant

Allison Skiple ’23 was awarded a 2022 Literacy Grant from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Skiple was one of only 13 applicants nationwide to receive the award.

Honors Student Named a Newman Civic Fellow

Hailey Nicholas ’23 was among 173 students in the U.S. and Mexico named 2022 Newman Civic Fellows. The program recognizes students committed to creating positive change.