Teaching Beyond the Classroom: Service Learning in Practice
Service learning bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world impact, giving students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills while engaging with other communities. In this spotlight, we highlight two faculty members whose courses incorporated meaningful community partnerships through their projects—The Action Rhetoric Project and The Women's Center Chapbook Project. Through these initiatives, students moved beyond traditional assignments and showcased how experiential learning can empower students while supporting vital community partnerships.
In Dr. Charlotte Hogg's WRIT 30633: Women's Rhetorics, students learned about action-based rhetoric and embarked on a project that not
only raised awareness to an issue in society, but also helped students feel empowered
in their passion for making a change. In The Action Rhetoric Project, students were encouraged to think critically about their roles and impact of their
work to their communities and take action. From writing letters to congress, to starting a book club, and even changing curriculum
for future courses, students not only learned about women in rhetoric, but also took
action to apply their knowledge and passion outside of the classroom.
"Women's rhetorics is all about using our voices no matter how small to make change possible." - Former WRIT 30633 Student
For the past five years, Dr. Chantel L. Carlson's writing internship course: WRIT 30390 Publication Production, worked on The Women's Center Chapbook Project. From 2018 to 2023, Dr. Carlson and her students worked alongside The Women's Center of Tarrant County to share the stories of sexual assault and violence survivors from the Center’s staff and members of the
by giving voices to those who may not have the strength to speak up themselves. In
addition to students writing and publishing the chapbook monologues with Dr. Carlson,
many students were able to submit their own artwork to potentially be the cover of
each chapbook. This entire project was very student driven, from generating the questions
themselves, to interviewing the surviors, and deciding certain sections of the chapbook,
students were leaders in their community while also learning skills that expand way
beyond the classroom. 
"By doing service-learning projects like the chapbook, you can see the very people who live in the community and the kinds of issues that they face, and you can recognize the ways that you can use what you've learned at TCU to help others." - Former WRIT 30390 Student
Dr. Carlson and Dr. Hogg's advice for those who wish to start experiential learning in the classroom:
"Just start, start with something you are passionate about." - Dr. Carlson
"Take baby steps and channel your desire for wanting to help others in and outside the classroom." - Dr. Hogg