Transform your education with Community Service Learning

Support & resources

• Match your course with a societal issue

  The CSL team has an network of societal partners who work on various topics. Based on the content and objectives of your course we can identify various topics for you to choose from, including different associated societal partners to collaborate with.

  Additionally, we organise Meet & Match events around wider societal themes. Here, interested lecturers and societal partners can freely get to know each other. Long-term connections can easily be perpetuated through one of three main themes we operate in: Sustainability, Mental Health, or Inclusive Public Spaces. These networks foster ongoing collaborations and result in higher-impact contributions to society.

• Design CSL activities for your course

  When you found your match, the CSL team offers various means of support to (re)design your course and integrate Community Service Learning activities:

  • Workshops | Under guidance of the CSL team and in collaboration with the societal partner we will tailor your course and implement CSL activities
  • Toolbox | Whether you are exploring CSL or already have years of experience, this toolbox provides helpful resources and tools
  • Examples | Get inspired by stories of VU lecturers who work with CSL, and examples of CSL courses in a wide variety of disciplines.

• Reflect & share knowledge

  At the end of your course, you will reflect with the societal partner, your students and the CSL team on the collaboration. You can continue for another course cycle and work on the same topic with a new group of students, but perhaps some are changes required. Or it may be suitable to pass the topic on to another course, who can build on your course’s outcomes. Anything is possible. 

• More support

  Go to the CSL support page to see the entire overview of support options offered by the CSL team.

• Academic publications

  For literature on knowledge gaps of CSL in practice, refer to our academic publications. If you have any ideas for researching additional knowledge gaps, we encourage you to reach out to CSL@vu.nl. 

  A brief overview of the literature we have published:

  • Aligning Civic Engagement with Business Students' Motivations | This study explores how to effectively engage business students in civic education by aligning such programs with their career-oriented motivations.
  • Multi-stakeholder networks in higher education | This review explores how universities and societal partners collaborate in networks, revealing two dominant modes: centralised and polycentric.
  • CSL and cultural contexts | This workshop explores how cultural context shapes CSL practices, highlighting differences in focus, values, and outcomes across regions and institutions.
  • Implementing CSL in Large-Scale University Courses | This study examines the benefits and challenges of implementing large-scale CSL courses at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, offering nine practical strategies for success.
  • Students as Change Agents in CSL | This study explores how students can act as change agents in implementing CSL at the VU, highlighting their perspectives and the importance of their involvement in shaping engaged education.
  • Institutionalising CSL in Higher Education | This review identifies factors and strategies for embedding CSL in higher education institutions, categorizing them into start-up, scale-up, and sustaining phases to support its institutionalisation.
  • Integrating CSL into a Master's Program | This study explores the integration of CSL into a master's program at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, highlighting the benefits, challenges, and strategies for successful implementation.
  • A Thematic Approach to Realize Multidisciplinary CSL | This study explores how a thematic approach to CSL can address complex societal problems through multidisciplinary collaborations.
  • Becoming Productive 21st Century Citizens | This review identifies design principles for integrating CSL into higher education courses to prepare students as productive 21st-century citizens.
  • Implementation of Public Engagement Pedagogies | This study examines the transition from individual public engagement initiatives to an institutional approach at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
  • Community Involvement in Higher Education | This narrative review explores definitions, guiding principles, and strategies for successful community involvement in higher education courses.
  • Training in Inter- and Transdisciplinary Sustainability | This study presents a module for training students in inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability education, emphasizing cross-faculty commitment and community collaboration.
  • Accommodating the Plurality of Voices | This study explores teachers' challenges and needs in institutionalizing public engagement in higher education.
  • Training for Complex Sustainability Issues | This review provides insights into design elements and strategies for inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability education.
  • Onderwijs is Kans voor Verandering | This publication discusses the opportunities for change in education.

CSL course highlights

• 2024 - 2025 highlights

  Period 4 | IBA LAB - Business and economics students develop entrepreneurial solutions to thorny social and societal problems.

  Period 5 | Science with Societye - Health Sciences students work on mental health in young adults

  Period 6 | Organizations & Anthroplogy Students of the Bachelor of Social and Cultural Anthropology (SSW) work on a practical assignment in cooperation with the municipality of Almere

• 2025 - 2026 highlights

  Period 1 | Vitality and Frailty in the Elderly - Movement science students work with eight different parties to come up with fresh solutions to a variety of issues

  Period 2 | Management of Sustainable Innovation - for 8 weeks, a diverse set of master students become consultants, researchers and innovators  for diverse contexts such as community gardens, circular tech companies or energy cooperations. 

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