The experiences of volunteering and service learning: A case study of a service learning project at “crossroads foundation”

The processes and outcomes of a service learning project conducted by a group of five students and engaged with a nonprofit organization, namely, Crossroads Foundation in June and July 2013. The processes and outcomes are evaluated with respect to the effectiveness of service learning as an educational means and the contribution to the nonprofit sector made by service learning initiatives. The findings include the benefit of the initial ambiguity of the service learning project and the benefit of the project outputs to the nonprofit agency. It is concluded that researchers may need to figure out the absolute relationship between initial ambiguity and the effectiveness of a service learning project and that between project outputs and the benefits received by the organization concerned. It is also concluded that researchers need to study how to keep participants’ passion towards the nonprofit sector after completion of their service learning project.