چکیده (انگلیسی):

Service-learning is, by nature, continually evolving. Seifer (1996) stressed the importance of
partnerships between communities and schools, and stated that reflection should facilitate the
connection between practice and theory, and lead to critical thinking. Before these reflective
activities occur, however, much can be done to maximize student impacts and facilitate critical
thinking. When students are included as partners, within a learning community, they can
experience significant professional development through the mentoring and modeling of
professional behaviors, by faculty members. During a three month pilot, a team of junior-level,
undergraduate nursing students joined together, in one such learning community, called
“FOCUS”. The common agenda was to update evidence-based program materials, prepare for a
federally-funded, five-year study, and to begin educating local females, regarding pregnancy and
sexually transmitted infection (STI) strategies. This article reviews key impacts for the pilot team,
and explores student-identified outcomes, in reflection of their learning community experience.