Welcome to the Office of Civic & Community Engagement
Aloha! Welcome to the Service Learning Program (SLP) at the University of Hawai'i Mānoa. Since 1994, our office has worked with students, faculty, and members of the community. The SLP provides students with the opportunity to volunteer in their community in meaningful ways while furthering their education. Check out our upcoming events page for opportunities!
What is Service Learning?
Service Learning combines the best of active learning and citizenship by connecting course content with service projects that help the community. It is a powerful way of understanding course material by learning from experience.
Service Learning can help
- To develop personal and social responsibility
- To develop leadership ability and critical thinking skills
- To improve your knowledge of academic subjects
- To expand your world view
- To develop skills for future employment
Preparing for the Real World
Service Learning is all about connecting what you're learning in class to the real world. It helps you find relevance in the material you're learning, and exposes you to real-life situations to enhance your understanding. We hope you'll find that the four walls that separate the classroom outside of college suddenly become less daunting after you engage in a service learning project.
How to help Maui aid efforts
As many of you have heard by now, the devastating fires in West Maui, Kula, and Kihei have left many without homes, resources, and access to said resources, here are some ways to financially help the efforts. Consider donating to the following funds that are specifically focused on aiding Maui during this challenging time:
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- Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong fund: Focusing on rapid response and working with local nonprofits to understand community needs. More details.
- Maui Food Bank: Collecting and distributing food to help the hungry in Maui County. More details.
- Maui Humane Society: Supporting shelters for displaced people and animals, and caring for injured animals. Emergency fosters also sought. More details.
- Maui United Way: Providing direct relief to families and nonprofits. More details.
- The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division: Providing food and resources for evacuees. More details.
- Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement: Matching up to $1 million in donations for Maui fire victims as of Thursday afternoon. More details.
- World Central Kitchen: Providing meals to people in need by partnering with local organizations. More details.
- Kako'o Maui fund
- Funds will go to families and businesses.
- You can donate here.
- The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Alakaina Foundation Family, and Kakoo Haleakala will match up to $100,000 in donations for Kakoo Maui.
- ‘Āina Momona
- This fundraiser is through the Hawaii Community Foundation.
- For details, click here.
- Donate at your nearest Foodland: Foodland stores are accepting donations at checkout to support the American Red Cross of Hawaii’s efforts toward Maui fire relief. Shoppers can:
- Make donations of up to $249
- Donate 250 Maikai points ($5 equivalent donation)
- Round up purchases to the nearest dollar
- Donate change
- Chef Hui is also offering aid to Maui and mobilizing volunteers to prepare food and send resources to those in need. See their link to sign up as a volunteer or donate goods as well.
Civic Engagement
Civic Engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.
Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, ed. by Thomas Ehrlich, 2000 (Preface, page vi)
A morally and civically responsible individual recognizes himself or herself as a member of a larger social fabric and therefore considers social problems to be at least partly his or her own; such an individual is willing to see the moral and civic dimensions of issues, to make and justify informed moral and civic judgements, and ti take action when appropriate.
Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, ed. by Thomas Ehrlich, 2000 (Introduction, page xxvi)
Together Against Injustice
Community Partners Spotlight
