Publication

Abstract : Service-learning is part of the curriculum at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kerala, India and provides students with a unique opportunity to understand social and sustainability issues. Besides learning academic content hands-on, they develop a heightened sense of civic responsibility. Community engagement is another vital aspect of the university's service-learning activities since students forge reciprocal relationships with stakeholder communities to solve social and environmental problems. One such example of a service-learning project at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham was the planning and implementation of a sustainable waste management system by students in collaboration with local communities. An analysis of pre- and post-clean-up surveys showed increased knowledge of sustainable waste management practices in the local communities as well as among the students. In addition, the students had gained a higher level of social responsibility. This shows the mutual benefits for both students and local residents, which is the hallmark of successful community engagement.