Service Learning: An Ethos

From its establishment in 1899, community service has been at the core of Simmons University’s mission. John Simmons (1796-1870) conceived the school as an academic institution for women to receive professional training at a time when very few institutions of higher education accepted women. Students were initially offered B.S. degrees and certificates in Household Economics, as well as certificates and degrees in Library Studies, Secretarial Studies, General Science, Nursing, and Teaching. Later, the curriculum would expand to Social Work, Physical Therapy, Public Health, and Business Administration. 

Most of the programs offered to women in the early days of Simmons were in the “caring professions.” These professions are at the core of individual and community wellbeing. Yet, historically, they have been designated as women’s work and at times devalued. The concept of an institution for higher education meant for women was revolutionary at the time, as was providing women with the opportunity to generate an independent income. At the same time, professions for which Simmons students were being prepared (teacher, secretary, librarian, nurse) served to keep women in a distinct social sphere even as they entered the workforce. Because of their emphasis on community support, these fields have always required the most amount of “field work” in the Simmons curriculum. Students studying these professions have always been required to complete more “field work” or “practicum” hours because of their emphasis on community support.

While Simmons students participated in both extracurricular community service efforts and in-class community fieldwork placements for years,  it wasn’t until 2002 that the term “service learning” was used in the course catalogue. “Service learning,” also referred to as “community-engaged learning,” is a pedagogy in which an element of community service is integrated into course curriculum and learning objectives through mutually beneficial partnerships.  Students are given the opportunity to gain experience, build community connections, and reflect meaningfully on their service experience. Service learning differs from the traditional notion of volunteer work because there is a sustained commitment to the community with which Simmons has partnered. The combination of community organizing and academic rigor make service learning at Simmons a valuable endeavor for both students and the communities in which they are embedded. 

The act of caring for one’s neighbors, of committing to engagement with one’s local community, and attending to needs as identified by the community itself continues the revolutionary work first intended by Simmons. Providing women with the professional education to support themselves financially empowered them to gradually make changes in cultural and workplace norms. Providing future professionals and local organizations with the tools to invest in, tend to, and build connections with one another empowers us to make the changes we want to see in our communities together. Revolution does not always look like upending the status quo in one fell swoop. Sometimes, it looks like building out the spokes of a wheel in order to turn it intentionally. As a cyclical motion, a revolution is never finished. This exhibit invites viewers to relish in the Unfinished Revolutions for which we are still working, inspired by the legacy of revolutions past.