Student Learning in Guatemala

Abstract: In this article I explain how I combined service learning, public-good work, and research in Guatemala. This path has not been easy. Indeed, it has been risky because the time invested in public-good work and teaching field classes could have detracted from research productivity. Taking a risk under the current and traditional academic model at many universities, however, has resulted in the creation of a servicelearning class in Guatemala where students learn to conduct community-based research and then, along with the community, formulate a plan of action to try and meet needs identified by the community. I offer a cautionary note for untenured faculty because my tenure case rests on my store of traditional publications, not on the public-good work and service-learning classes that I teach abroad.

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