Message from SLC

Service-learning means learning through service（or volunteer aimed at voluntary social contribution）activities for short.

International Christian University (ICU) is a liberal arts college whose mission is to cultivate internationally minded citizens who perform service to God and humankind and make contributions to lasting peace. Liberal arts and sciences education emphasizes integration of diverse knowledge and ways of knowing beyond specialized knowledge as well as nurturing citizenship by educating heart. Service-learning is an experiential learning that has an intention to develop new ways of thinking, behaving, and being through reflection by finding a same goal with a community, engaging oneself with social issues as his/her own, and integrating academic knowledge and experiential knowledge. While becoming conscious of their own perspectives and positionality, students will obtain critical thinking, proactive behaviors, communication with profound understanding of diversity, reciprocity and tolerance, which will eventually lead to finding their own identity of global citizenship and meaning of social engagement. It is not by dividing academic knowledge and experiential knowledge but by integrating them that students will actively gain their own perspectives.

It is not an over-saying that Service-Learning serves the five meaning of learning defined by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), namely “learning to know,” “leaning to do,” “learning to live together,” “learning to be,” and “learning to transform oneself and the society.” We hope that by taking Service-Learning courses you will grow as a life-long learner who will continue to critically think and act for others and world peace before graduating ICU to join the world of work.

Service-Learning Center