5^th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning

“Love Journey: Community Engagement through Service-Learning”

27^th May to 29^th May, 2015
Service-Learning Center, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan

The Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning, a biennial event first launched in 2007, stressed on the advancement of the “Theory and Practice of Service-Learning” in the Asia-Pacific region. The second conference, held in 2009, discussed on multi-community development and cross-border communication. The third conference, taking place in 2011, emphasized on the differences and impacts facilitated by Service-Learning. As to the fourth conference in 2013, Service-Learning was regarded as a bridge connecting the contemporary and the future. With respect to the fifth conference in 2015, “Love Journey: Community Engagement through Service-Learning” is designated as the theme.

In virtue of the faith in “Love,” we could have persisted all the way on Service-Learning. From the moment that teachers lead students to participate in Service-Learning activities, this Love Journey has started. Teachers and students apply their knowledge obtained from class for services conducted and are adapted to the ability to face and to challenge their future employments in the age of globalization. In addition to that, the purpose of higher education is to cultivate good citizens on behalf of the society. Just as the motto of Fu Jen Catholic University - “Veritas, Bonitas, Pulchritudo, Sanctitas” which means Truth, Goodness, Beauty and Sanctity, we expect that, by the accomplishment of higher education, students are equipped with not only a holistic capability and a sense of responsibility, but also possess international care. Therefore, we start from love, and extend to social engagement. This journey makes a connection of schools, communities, societies, local associations and international organizations. By the delivery and link of love, we are able to qualify ourselves with a sense of responsibility, partnership, modesty and honesty. And furthermore, to take a challenge for excellence and sustain the engagement in a positive power for social changes.

We sincerely hope that by means of this conference “Love Journey: Community Engagement through Service-Learning”, more discussions on Service-Learning can be facilitated nationally and internationally, and attract more talents’ involvement and attention on Service-Learning activities.

Conference Goals

1. Provide a platform for Service-Learning teachers, students, community partners, administrators and educational policy makers to share their ideas and practices on Service-Learning.

2. Apply Service-Learning experiences to daily lives, and discuss on the solutions of social problems by the association with social issues and resources. For examples: Ecological Conservation, Medical Care, Social Enterprises, Agricultural Development, etc.

3. Review Service-Learning theories and practices from an international perspective.

Conference Strands

For the 2015 conference, we particularly interested in proposals in the following areas:

1. Theories and conceptual models of Service-Learning

• Application of Service-Learning for teaching, lesson plan devising or activities engagement, and development of theories and conceptual models of Service-Learning

2. Campus-Community partnerships

• Influence of Service-Learning on communities
• Benefits and the conflicts of interests between campuses and communities
• Methods and process of partnerships between campuses and communities that integrate campuses into communities

3. Social enterprises and community developments

• Long term projects of Service-Learning and their positive influences on the enterprises’ development which evolve into social enterprises that can influence the communities
• Prospering of the communities built by the enterprises instead of exploiting or damage

4. Diverse Service-Learning modes and evaluations

• The specific connections between those who serve, service objects, service regions and Service-Learning Modes
• Corresponding to the above discussion, process and establishment of evaluation for Service-Learning Modes

5. International and intercultural subjects on Service-Learning

• Discussion of the impact of international /cross-cultural Service-Learning on students' learning
• The implementation of service learning programs influenced by overseas service-Learning experiences
• Discussion of the international cooperative models

6. Outcomes and experiences of K-12 and higher education collaborative programs

• K-12 students' experiences in participating Service-Learning programs
• Different programs in Universities that initiate K-12 schools’ involvement in Service-Learning

7. Others