In addition, we were invited to collaborate on a special issue of the academic journal Transform Volume 9 – The IARSLCE Asia Pacific x International Conference on Service-Learning with our article: Critically Recycling through Community-Engaged Learning.
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to explore how incorporating service-learning and critical-making approaches can foster social responsibility and support students in creative waste recycling initiatives in a school and community setting. Most importantly, the course offers a critical approach to new media art education, which is crucial to exposing, criticizing, and raising awareness of the human and environmental implications of materials production and consumption. This approach can inspire collective actions that lead to a more sustainable future. The course collaborates with the university’s Community-Engaged Learning Office (CELO), which connects faculty and students with the surrounding community and facilitates academic service-learning opportunities. Student reflections and project outcomes across four course iterations show that incorporating service-learning and community engagement into sustainability education not only enriches academic learning but also empowers students to take meaningful action, effectively bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.
