Chelsea Center

The Chelsea Center’s focus in service learning is to foster a reciprocal relationship with organizations wherein students learn holistically about the context and need for the work while also directly contributing their efforts to the cause.

Last week, the Guided Service Learning class spent extended time at the International Institute of St. Louis. The mission of the Institute is to create a welcoming, prosperous, and healthy region for all by helping immigrants and refugees to thrive. Our students toured the facility as they learned more about the context for the work of refugee resettlement, and came to see that there are public-facing efforts as well as operational details behind the scenes that make it all happen. For the services the public can see being enacted, such as providing essential economic and cultural integration services, English classes, employment, orientation, and citizenship preparation–there are also hundreds of operational details being coordinated behind-the-scenes to make those efforts work.

Students pitched in to clear, clean, and store the Festival of Nations supplies from the iiSTL gym, allowing access for kids to return to that space during the after school programming. They also gave support to the food pantry, helping to stock the shelves and break down boxes prior to the food bank’s operating hours. Once clients arrived at the food bank, they helped them register, shop and load their groceries, and provided childcare while parents received that support.

The Guided Service Learning students will finish the course with a collection of curated authentic experiences and work products demonstrating their initiative, problem-solving skills, and ability to create effective responses to community needs. Of equal importance, they also leave with eyes opened wide to a fuller concept of community, and hearts a little happier after helping.