Preparing Our Educators

Mather advocates for service learning

Dr. Pete Mather presents at the Service Learning Workshop on Feb. 11

ATHENS, Ohio (March 7, 2011) - Dr. Pete Mather, assistant professor at The Patton College, along with doctoral student Lisa Nelson and Kevin Smith, interim assistant director of leadership and community service for Campus life, presented a service learning workshop, “Enhancing Learning and Promoting Community Development,” to professors and graduate students on Feb. 11, 2011. The workshop, sponsored by the Center of Higher Education, included faculty and staff from around Ohio University.

The trio gave an overview of the typologies, principles and goals of service learning, providing personal accounts of how service learning has worked for them. The workshop was truly a two-way effort as the presenters constantly asked the workshop participants to reflect on their experiences with service learning and have conversations within smaller groups. This created an effective dialogue where participants got to hear many viewpoints.

Mather also stressed the importance of reflection in appreciating the service-learning experience.

“When I first realized the power of reflection was in doing my dissertation and interviewing people,” Mather explained. “I felt I had to apologize for taking their time, but they actually thanked me because they had the opportunity to reflect during that interview. The power of that reflection really struck me.”

Mather leads an annual service-learning trip to Honduras, which allows students to travel to Honduras for two weeks in June. Under the auspices of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program, the Honduras trip looks at how education and economics work together, along with cross-cultural identities and a reflection on the power of service learning. By experiencing it firsthand, students come to understand how to effectively utilize service learning as well as the benefits attached to it.

“I got to take what I was learning as a practitioner and apply that to service learning,” said Smith, reflecting on the time he went on the Honduras trip.

“The students get the chance to learn about themselves and others,” Mather said. “One of the objectives is to learn about the service learning pedagogy.”

Students interested in more information on the Honduras service-learning program can visit http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/programs/honduras.html or e-mail Pete Mather at matherp@ohio.edu.

Story and Photo by R. Devin Hughes