Critical service-learning as social justice education: A case study of the citizen scholars program

A critical service-learning pedagogy links service-learning and social justice education by engaging students in meaningful service in the community and integrating that experience with thoughtful introduction, analysis, and discussion of issues important to understanding social justice. The Citizen Scholars Program is a unique four semester service-learning experience with an explicit aim to develop students' capacities to act for positive social change. Using the experiences of the second completion cohort of this program as a case study, this research suggests that a critical service-learning pedagogy encourages students to think more deeply about and develop commitments to act for social justice.