Learning can also mean giving something back. Each year, IU School of Health & Human Sciences students step outside the classroom to apply what they are learning in the community. Through a robust network of academic and community-integrated partnerships, IU SHHS departments and programs prioritize “service learning” – practical experiences that benefit both students and the larger community.
“Weaving real-world service learning into coursework enables students to apply classroom learning while serving communities with unmet needs,” said Julie Bednarski, OTD, MHS, OTR, clinical associate professor and occupational therapy program director. “Service learning not only enhances student learning but also provides valuable support to the populations we serve.”
Across SHHS undergraduate and graduate programs, service learning is built into degree programs and offered as volunteer opportunities for students to engage in experiences that help prepare them for the future.
“Service learning promotes civic mindedness, revealing ways in which the knowledge and skills students are acquiring can be used for the greater good,” said Mark Urtel, Ed.D., chair and associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology “At the same time, students develop leadership skills and gain experience working with and for others—all of which leads to career readiness.”
Here are some examples of service-learning at IU SHHS:
Kinesiology
For students interested in helping people engage in physical fitness, the Department of Kinesiology offers a wide range of opportunities for service learning. Each year, students participate as part of their coursework or volunteer in partnerships such as Live Laugh Dance, a dance and rhythm-based program for young adults with Down syndrome. Through INShape, students gain hands-on experience as personal trainers while helping campus faculty and staff meet their health and fitness goals. Kinesiology students are instrumental in providing physical activity programming for area children with disabilities through the Motor Activity Clinic and the Ability Fitness Clinic.
Health Sciences
As part of the Disability and Society course, Health Sciences students at IU Fort Wayne coordinate activities for individuals enrolled in the adult daycare at Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities. The students also volunteer at Gigi’s Playhouse, a center supporting people with Down syndrome.
Tourism, Event and Sport Management
Senior capstone courses in both Sport Innovation and Event Production provide TESM students with opportunities to make an impact with community partners. In late 2024, capstone students worked with Indy Parks and Recreation to enhance programming and facilities for the city’s youth. In another capstone project with Mudsock Youth Athletics and the Center for Sports Transformation, students examined the recruitment, retention and quality of youth sports coaching. Their ideas centered on ways to develop a healthy ecosystem for volunteer coaches. TESM students in introductory-level courses volunteer at the Future Farmers of America conference in Indianapolis during the fall semester.
Occupational Therapy
With ongoing opportunities to engage with the community, occupational therapy (OT) students benefit from a service-learning curriculum that spans all three program years. An adaptive waterski clinic helps first-year OT students gain early understanding of the importance of community-based programming for people with disabilities. Second-year students adapt toys for children with disabilities through a partnership with Hoosier Christmas Hope and Riley Children’s Health. Partnerships with the child development center and adult day program at Flanner House, as well as Skills on Wheels, a wheelchair mobility training program, give second- and third-year students practical experience in community-engaged settings.
Physician Assistant Studies
For the past three years, the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program has partnered with ParentLife to host a health fair to provide education on topics such as car seat safety, safe sleep, vaping, exercise, first aid and dental hygiene. As part of the Healthcare Across the Lifespan course, the students develop educational materials and staff the booths at the fair. PA students also volunteer at the IU Student Outreach Clinic, a health clinic run by students in IU’s health professions programs, that provides free medical care to underserved communities on Indianapolis’ near east side.
Nutrition and Dietetics
Sharing expertise on nutrition, Nutrition and Dietetics (N&D) graduate students plan and staff a booth at the IU Indianapolis health fair held at the beginning of the academic year. The event gives N&D students practical experience developing educational materials for a specific target audience. In recent years, the graduate students have distributed information and tips on eating and cooking on a budget, and healthy packable lunch options. N&D also partners with a variety of community organizations to facilitate students’ supervised practice rotations.
Physical Therapy
In addition to structured service-learning activities that are part of the physical therapy (PT) doctoral curriculum, PT students lead several community-based programs. GoBabyGo!—a collaboration between the students and community volunteers—furnishes adapted battery-powered cars and four-wheelers to children with motor and cognitive developmental delays. PT students also participate in the IU Student Outreach Clinic, working in collaboration with other IU health professions students to deliver free health care to underserved populations. Other student-led volunteer programs include MS Swim, a program for people living with multiple sclerosis, and the Goodwin Exercise Program, which engages low-income older adults in group exercise.
“These opportunities allow students to grow as professionals and complement the didactic knowledge they are learning in the classroom,” said Kristine Miller, PhD, PT, associate professor and physical therapy program director. “At the same time, they’re seeing firsthand the needs of the wider community and exploring ways they can continue to serve.”