Study Abroad in Stellenbosch: Service Learning Certificate

Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement Program (LSCE)

The object of the LSCE is to provide students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the historical background and current issues impacting on community life and problems in South Africa and experience it first hand through service to a South African community while earning academic credits.

Students opting to take this LSCE Program may earn a total of 15 credits, comprising a 9-credit mandatory Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement course plus one or two 3-credit modules from the list of courses.

Please note the following admission requirements for the Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement program:

  • 3.2 minimum GPA required
  • Students must be aged 20 or older by the start of the program
  • Only students at the third year level of their study or more, OR students having completed at least 5 semesters of coursework or more will be considered for acceptance to the module
  • Students will be required to submit an essay (please consult your AIFS Admissions Officer for further details)

Please note that acceptance to the AIFS Stellenbosch program does not guarantee acceptance to the Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement Program. Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement applications will be reviewed by the Learning for Sustainable Community Engagement Program Coordinators at Stellenbosch University and an acceptance decision will be provided prior to departure from the U.S.

LSCE Course Outline

  • Basic understanding of the South African context service learning.
  • Basic understanding of community development concepts, principals, processes and practices with special reference to the South African context.
  • Ability to compile a community/organizational profile and conduct a needs assessment.
  • Ability to address the needs of a community/organization using available resources and identifying gaps that exist in this regard.
  • Ability to identify their individual service role in relation to existing services and available resources.
  • Ability to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice in the contexts they will work in.
  • Ability and skills to think analytically, critically and practically about their work, through reflection, observation, supervision, planning and experience.
  • Ability and skills to work individually and as part of a team, so that the set goals are achieved.
  • Skills to develop a group facilitation manual for the services they’ll be providing in their respective host-communities/ organizations.
  • Sensitivity for cultural diversity and respect for value systems that differ from one’s own.

Duration

Students attend lectures once a week, on Friday from 9:00 to 16:00 in the community Lynedoch. They provide services to Lynedoch Primary School every Monday from 9:00 to 15:00. The course spans over 12 weeks and is structured as follows:

Week 1
  • Profiling of Lynedoch Primary School. LSCE class members skills-audit
  • Contracting with Lynedoch Primary School Preparation of Programs for first engagement and an introduction to journaling
Week 2
  • Presentation and Submission of Organizational Profiles and Skills Audit
  • Introduction to Core-concepts
  • Planning of interventions for weeks 3-12
Week 3
  • Submission of manuals for weeks 3-12
  • Submission of a copy of signed contracts
  • Ethical guidelines and rules for community engagement
  • First Micro-skills training Session: Group Cohesion and Facilitation skills
Week 4
  • Class Test and Experiential Learning: Community Excursion
Week 5
  • Theoretical Framework for formulation
Week 6
  • Theoretical Framework for formulation
Week 7
  • Assignment One: Open Book Assignment: Using Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological Systems Theory as a framework
Week 8
  • Theoretical Framework for Community Engagement
Week 9
  • Exploring Sustainability
Week 10
  • Assignment Two: Open Book Assignment: Use Community Engagement Theory to compile criticaloverview of your learning over the past 10 weeks
Week 11
  • Termination Processes
  • Termination Summaries
  • Continuity
  • Planning of Group Presentations and Portfolios for submission
  • Organizational Assessments
Week 12 Group presentations and Individual portfolio submissions