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Reflective Essays

Vol. 29 No. 3

The International Service-Learning Network: A Community of Practice Designed for a Pandemic

  • Phillip Motley
  • Katherine M. Robiadek
  • Mark Charlton
  • Steve Grande
  • Sharon Hutchings
  • Alison Rios Millett McCartney
  • Mary McHugh
  • Dari Sylvester Tran
  • Marie Xypaki
Submitted
February 29, 2024
Published
2025-10-01

Abstract

The International Service-Learning Network is a group of university teaching faculty and staff in the United States and United Kingdom who formed a community of practice in 2020 around issues of service-learning and community engagement and to provide cross-institutional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. This reflective essay analyzes two sets of reflections written by Network members—the first set written in 2021 and the second set in 2023. The reflections describe many of the disruptions and impacts that affected community engagement for students, teaching staff, and community partners as well as the changes and innovations that emerged from the global crisis in both countries. We analyze these reflections, synthesizing noted observations that broadly affected our institutions, and offer suggestions and guidance for other community-engaged practitioners to consider.