Service Learning Reflection Sessions
Reflection is one of the most important aspects of service learning. It is where our head, heart, and hands come together to make sense of our experience, better understand the context of those we work with, and for us to discern our learning and values. Check with your professor to find out if attendance at a reflection session is required for your course. Reflection sessions are specifically geared toward service learning experiences. Students can sign-up for reflection sessions through MUEngage. Students who RSVP get priority entry for sessions. Arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early for any reflection session will not be counted as a reflection session attendance. Sessions will be held in-person or virtually, please make note of where and when we will meet.
For online sessions, please note:
- It is understandably more difficult to focus online, however we ask that you do your best to remain engaged and participatory. If you do not contribute to the discussion at all we will not be able to verify your attendance. We expect that you will find a quiet place where you will not be distracted and be able to use your video and microphone.
- The registration numbers are limited so we have a manageable number to have quality conversations in breakout rooms. **Please do not forward the log-in information to students who did not register, we have an attendance sheet we monitor for entry**
Register for reflection sessions through your service learning course on MUEngage. Refer to this presentation on how to register for reflection sessions on MUEngage if you have questions.
Fall 2023 Reflection Sessions
Please note, all of the reflection sessions below are offered twice this semester. Do not register for the same reflection twice.
Please only register for one reflection session. If you would like to attend two, please notify the Service Learning Program. We need to make sure we have enough space to accommodate all the students who are required to attend a session and to make sure we have appropriate staffing. If you find yourself unable to attend the session you registered for, please cancel your registration so we can open up the space you held. Please note that reflection sessions do fill up, so you are highly encouraged to register early.
A Little Context: Introduction to Milwaukee and Your Role in the City
In Person:
- Thursday, September 21, 3:30-5:00pm, AMU 163
- Monday, September 25, 5:00-6:30pm, AMU 163
Whether you are new to the 414 area code or if you have lived your entire life in this city, it is very likely that there are lots of things you don’t know about Milwaukee’s rich history or some of its current day hidden gems. Join us as we watch a new documentary by Adam Carr, created for Marquette students embarking on community engagement opportunities to better understand the strengths, struggles, and opportunities of Milwaukee. After the video we will spend some time discussing our roles, goals, and responsibilities in the city.
R1: I Want to Help Others: Ethical Considerations for Service and Volunteerism
In Person:
- Friday, October 6, 2:00-3:30pm, AMU 157
- Tuesday, October 10, 4:00-5:30pm, AMU 163
Altruism is an important value, but throughout history, a lot of atrocities, misguided efforts, and paternalistic approaches to “helping” people have been done in the name of “service”. How can we prevent that from being the case with service learning? How should we behave, respond, and engage in our communities in a way that fosters reciprocity and partnership? How can we reframe our own preconceived notions and examine our motivations in a way that is ethical, compassionate, and helpful? How do we fully participate as members of this community, as neighbors, and as citizens in a way that fosters peace, interdependence, and trust?
R2: The Impact of Implicit Bias
In Person:
- Monday, October 30, 3:00-4:30pm, AMU 163
- Thursday, November 2, 12:00-1:30pm, AMU 163
This session will examine implicit bias and how bias can lead to systemic oppression. Session participants will identify examples of how implicit bias shows up in different sectors of the community, and they will be asked to identify how their own implicit bias can lead to “blind spots” that prevent them from building authentic relationships and being inclusive in their actions.
R3: The Privilege of Health Care
Virtual Sessions:
- Sunday, November 12, 4:00-5:30pm
- Tuesday, November 14, 6:00 -7:30pm
Though the number has improved significantly over the past decade, nearly 30 million Americans do not have health care. As of 2018, 9% of Milwaukee County residents were uninsured compared to a statewide average of 5.5% and in Milwaukee, the uninsured rate was 4 times higher among 18-24-year olds, at 37% uninsured. What impact does that have on community health? Who is being left behind? Join us as we talk about health care inequity and access to health care and reflect on the resulting health disparities.
*Zoom link will be sent 24 hours prior to session to those who registered*
R4: The Impact of my Service Learning
In Person:
- Thursday, November 30, 4:00-5:30pm, AMU 163
- Friday, December 1, 9:00-10:30am, AMU 163
It is important to consider how our service learning impacts the community, the agencies where we work, and the people we work alongside. Not to give ourselves kudos, but to consider if we have indeed created the mutually beneficial relationships we set out to create with our agencies. Service is full of power dynamics, and how we approach our work tends to dictate what we both give and take from the relationships we create in our service learning. What is our impact? How has this experience impacted us? What could you have done to make this experience more powerful? How has the experience changed your thinking, broadened your understandings, or inspired your future involvement in community?
Special Offering: The Human Library- Tentative
- In Person:
- Wednesday, November 1, 4:00-5:30pm, AMU 163
- Wednesday, November 1, 6-7:30pm, AMU 163
This session will be led by a College of Nursing Faculty member, but will count as a reflection session. You will need to complete assessment surveys as part of this experience.
The Human Library is a unique learning opportunity where you as a "reader" can borrow a human being serving as an open book and have a conversation that you would not normally have access to. Every Human Book from our "bookshelf" represents a group in our community that is often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization, or discrimination because of the color of their skin, ethnic origin, lifestyle, or beliefs. This is an opportunity for you to become more aware of and address your implicit biases. Implicit biases are those unconscious positive and negative attitudes and stereotypes that every person holds that are activated automatically and involuntarily, and can influence decisions and behaviors without awareness. Implicit biases unaddressed by health care professionals may result in less time spent with patients and the delivery of lower quality care and patient poorer outcomes. You as a reader will have the opportunity to borrow two books for 30-minute sessions.