Author(s)
Isabelle Drewelow Xabier Granja
Published
2021
Publication URL
Abstract
This study investigates the ways students’ disposition toward solidarity can be fostered during a community-based service-learning (CBSL) project performed remotely, not requiring direct contact or interactions with community members. Seventeen students were enrolled in an advanced Spanish grammar course section with a service-learning component and collaborated throughout the semester to translate documents from English to Spanish for three local non-profit organizations. The analysis of their end-of-semester reflection papers reveals that the high stakes of the outcome (facilitating the local Spanish-speaking population’s access to essential social services) influenced students’ engagement in the task, triggered by an emotional buy-in with the nonprofit organization’s missions. Participation in the CBSL project fostered solidarity disposition as students considered opportunities to get involved and reflected on how they might be able to support Spanish speakers in their future jobs. The article concludes with suggested guidelines for the design of remote CBSL opportunities to nurture solidarity disposition as a primary objective.