Community Service

Life's most persistent question, King said, is "What are you doing for others?" As an MLK scholar you'll answer that question with regular community service.

Within a few weeks of your arrival at Ithaca, our staff will help you connect with a local service opportunity that matches your learning objectives, interests, and schedule. But don't expect to be doing simple volunteer work -- as an MLK scholar, you'll consider your service activities within the larger contexts of social justice and social policy.

• Tutor young readers at an elementary school, and you might explore what practices and social conditions undermine the educational potential and moral basis of schooling in democratic societies.
• Work with older residents at an assisted-care facility, and you may research barriers to the use of assisted living programs by ethnically diverse older adults.
• Help prepare and serve meals at a community kitchen, and you may investigate the root causes and possible solutions to global hunger, poverty, and ecological degradation.

No matter how you get involved in the local community, you'll be asked to report back to your fellow scholars and reflect on your experiences. You'll also connect your service learning to your independent research -- resulting in a broader understanding of the practical ways you can advocate for social justice.