SPAN 3564: Community through Service: Latino NRV

SPAN 3564 is a service-learning course taught in Spanish in which students will explore Latino cultures in the U.S. and meet weekly with members of local Latino communities who have requested help. Students will: reflect on community work and student citizenship; explore cultural factors involved in the construction of community, including the challenges of immigration, multiculturalism, and multilingualism within the U.S.; analyze literary readings, films, and works of art from U.S. Latino communities; discuss readings on Hispanic migrations and border studies; and discuss articles on social privilege, service-learning, education, health care, language, and language learning.

Why take it?

Students in this course will gain an awareness of the multiplicity of Latino cultures and identities in the U.S., and will have the opportunity to apply their language and cultural knowledge within our local community. Students will work with community members in Spanish, English, or a mix of both languages, learning practical inter-linguistic communication skill and practicing basic tutoring techniques. Such hands-on learning provides students with strong linguistic, communicative, and interpersonal skills that will enrich any academic or career path. Furthermore, the service-learning component of this course provides students with the necessary skills to become engaged citizens in their post-college personal and professional lives.

Requirements

Prerequisite: SPAN 3304.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Critical Thinking in the Humanities, Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States, and Intercultural and Global Awareness.