Students shape the future: New Service Learning in Freiburg!

Students shape the future: New Service Learning in Freiburg!

Freiburg, Deutschland - On April 15, 2025, the University of Freiburg starts a new service learning offer that offers students the opportunity to combine their specialist knowledge with practical questions from civil society. The innovative approach aims to develop projects through the close cooperation with community partners (CPS) projects that have a specific application reference to the learning content and methods of the respective subject. This not only enables students to understand their study content, but also promote their personal development of competence.

The University's Center for Key Qualifications (ZFS) will support the students by making contacts with civil society associations in the region and facilitating coordination with these partners. The reflection on the requirements and solutions that arise in practical work is essential. This reflection is promoted by using key questions in an Ilias course room as well as the provision of a personal logbook and individual office hours.

reflection and self -learning elements

An important part of the program is the exchange with fellow students, which is intended to deepen the reflection of the experiences. In addition, self -learning elements on topics such as project management, communication and cooperation are integrated. The scope of the accompaniment and the required workload are coordinated in advance with the specialist representatives to ensure optimal integration into the studies.

In addition to the new program content, the annual conference of the university network "Education through responsibility" e. V. on September 29 and 30, 2022 in Linz about future partnerships between universities and society. The aim of this event is to illuminate and critically analyze developments in knowledge transfer between universities and society. This also includes an inventory of current research on service learning and community based learning.

In a varied conference program, formats are also intended that promote the exchange between universities, schools and civil society. The submission deadline for research, practical examples and poster presentations was open until April 8, 2022, whereby contributions with school reference were particularly welcome. Further information on the service learning initiatives at the University of Freiburg are here

Overall, it can be seen that the University of Freiburg, with its new service learning offer, sets an important sign of the practical relationship between teaching and strengthens the dialogue between academic knowledge and social needs. Such programs are a central step towards cooperative education that enriches and further develops both students and the community.