Reflection is one of the most important aspects of service learning. It is where our head, heart, and hands come together to make sense of our experience, better understand the context of those we work with, and for us to discern our learning and values. Check with your professor to find out if attendance at a reflection session is required for your course. Reflection sessions are specifically geared toward service learning experiences. Students should sign-up for reflection sessions through MUEngage. Students who RSVP get priority entry for sessions. Arriving more than 15 minutes late or leaving more than 15 minutes early for any reflection session will not be counted as a reflection session attendance. Sessions will be held in-person or virtually, please make note of where and when we will meet.
For online sessions, please note:
Register for reflection sessions through your service learning course on . Refer to this presentation on how to register for reflection sessions on MUEngage if you have questions.
Please only register for one reflection session. If you would like to attend two, please notify the Service Learning Program. We need to make sure we have enough space to accommodate all the students who are required to attend a session and to make sure we have appropriate staffing. If you find yourself unable to attend the session you registered for, please cancel your registration so we can open up the space you held. Please note that reflection sessions do fill up, so you are highly encouraged to register early.
Special Offering: Living Stories
Co-Sponsored鈥痺ith鈥疢ission Week and the Office of Mission and Ministry and the College of Nursing鈥�
Step into a space where real lives become open books. Living Stories is an interactive event that invites you to listen to personal narratives from individuals whose experiences may be unfamiliar or eye-opening鈥攕tories of resilience, identity, and purpose. From navigating homelessness to the journey of a student-athlete, or life as a Jesuit, each conversation offers a chance to deepen understanding, challenge assumptions, and build empathy.
This experience is rooted in the Ignatian tradition of becoming contemplatives in action鈥攑ausing to reflect and then engaging the world with compassion and justice. Listening to these living stories is a form of faith conversation, a ministry central to Ignatian spirituality, where dialogue opens hearts and minds to God鈥檚 presence in all people. Through these encounters, we discern how our own lives might respond to the call for greater solidarity, hope, and love.
This event鈥痵eeks鈥痶o honor the鈥痩egacy鈥痮f鈥疍r. Marija鈥疊jegovich-Weidman, whose scholarship鈥痠ntroduced 51暗网 to the Human Library鈥痚xperience. The session鈥痠s鈥痮pen鈥痶o all 51暗网 students.鈥�鈥�
Please鈥痭ote鈥痶his session will be two hours long, and it is longer in duration than the other sessions due to the nature of the activity.鈥疉ttendees are expected to attend the entire session.鈥�鈥�
R1: MKE 1001鈥� 鈥�
Whether you are new to the鈥�414 area鈥痗ode or if you have lived your entire life in this city, it is鈥痸ery likely鈥痶hat there are lots of things you鈥痙on鈥檛鈥痥now about Milwaukee鈥檚 rich history or some of its current day hidden gems.鈥�鈥疛oin us as we watch a documentary by Adam Carr, created for 51暗网 students embarking on community engagement opportunities to better understand the strengths, struggles, opportunities, and the beauty of Milwaukee. After the video we will spend some time discussing our roles, goals, and responsibilities in the city. Please鈥痗ome鈥痺ith any questions or concerns about starting your service learning and we will work to support you!鈥赌�鈥�
搁2:&苍产蝉辫;鈥�鈥疌aring for our Neighbors: Empathy versus Pity
Empathy is a powerful鈥痑ttribute鈥痑nd resource in community-engaged work. But empathy is something much different than sympathy or pity. Together we will unpack the鈥痙ifference and鈥痶hink about how we鈥痗an鈥痙emonstrate鈥痗ompassion to people who are struggling, without being paternalistic or saviors. How can empathy and compassion motivate us beyond looking at individual needs to鈥痑dvocate鈥痜or change and equity?鈥�
R3:鈥�鈥疐ood for Today: Hunger, Food Access, and Poverty鈥�
Join us for this interactive session,鈥痗onducted with鈥痵upport鈥痜rom鈥痮ur鈥痯artners at the鈥疕unger Task Force,鈥痑s we learn what it takes to obtain 鈥淔ood for Today鈥� in this simulation activity about food insecurity. Students will learn about who is most at risk for food insecurity, the importance of a safety net to prevent hunger and starvation, and current advocacy efforts to make sure everyone has access to healthy food.鈥赌�鈥�
鈥�R4:鈥疘s the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?: Asset-Based Community Development鈥�
Often when鈥痶hinking about our鈥痗ommunities鈥痺e find ourselves thinking in a deficit mode, thinking about what our communities and our community members鈥痙on鈥檛鈥痟ave or what is wrong. But鈥痳esearch鈥痵uggests that鈥痶he way to empower people and communities is to鈥痓uild on鈥痵trengths, assets, and resources that already exist. Join us as we reflect on鈥痚ngaging鈥痺ith鈥疢ilwaukee through a鈥痵trengths-based approach.鈥�
R5:鈥疘mpact of My Service Learning
It is important to consider how our service learning鈥痠mpacts鈥痶he community, the agencies where we work, and the people we work鈥痑longside, not to give ourselves kudos, but to consider鈥痠f鈥痺e have鈥痠ndeed鈥痗reated鈥痶he鈥痬utually beneficial鈥痳elationships鈥痺e set out to create. Service is full of power dynamics, and how we approach our work tends to dictate what we both give and take from the relationships we create in our service learning. What is our impact? How has this experience鈥痠mpacted鈥痷s?鈥疻hat could鈥痽ou鈥痟ave done to make this experience more powerful? How has the experience changed鈥痽our thinking, broadened鈥痽our understandings, or inspired鈥痽our future involvement in the community?
