Sewing for a Cause: Implementing and Evaluating Service-Learning in a Clothing Construction Course

The purpose of this exploratory investigation is to examine the use of a pedagogical framework to guide the development of a successful service-learning project within a technical program (clothing construction) as determined by increased student engagement and qualitative feedback. This investigation uses student reflection comparisons to assess the rollout of a service-learning theoretical framework, which was set up in two stages over multiple years. Stage One (pilot) investigated student and faculty reflections of community engagement after completing a community service project for an organization, but without direct interpersonal contact or reciprocity (mutual exchange and benefit) of learning. Stage Two (implementation) investigated student and faculty reflections of community engagement after completing the same activity as a service-learning course developed with a community partner, which provided direct interaction and learning reciprocity (mutual exchange and benefit) between students and affected populations. Through the comparison of student reflections from both stages, results indicate both learning and community engagement are present during the initial stage, which had no direct contact with a community partner. However, reflections from the second stage demonstrate a deeper connection and feeling of engagement with the service aspect during the full-immersion service-learning project.