Community partners play a crucial role in the Bentley Service-Learning Center (BSLC) program. Partners are key in identifying real community needs and collaborating with Bentley in meeting those needs. Working with Bentley faculty, staff, and project managers, community partners also play the important role of guiding Bentley students on site as they deliver their community service.

The service projects that Bentley students deliver are wide-ranging. BSLC projects include, among others, tutoring Waltham residents in computer skills, developing marketing plans and databases for nonprofit corporations, establishing five-year business strategies and sustainability plans for non-profit organizations, and working on a variety of social service projects for children, the elderly, the economically disadvantaged, and individuals whose native language is not English. Partners include, among others, public service agencies, schools, after-school programs, governmental entities, and nonprofit corporations. In addition, BSLC students also provide income tax preparation assistance through VITA, the voluntary income tax assistance program.

What responsibilities do community partners undertake when accepting service-learning students?

The first responsibility of community partners is to help BSLC identify important community needs and then to provide a service opportunity that meets those needs. The second responsibility is to provide adequate and consistent project supervision for students and project feedback to faculty and BSLC staff.

What responsibilities does BSLC undertake when offering academic service-learning?

BSLC collaborates with community partners to identify community needs; assists faculty in the selection of relevant service projects; monitors project implementation; assists community partners, faculty, and students in troubleshooting issues that might arise during the project; provides logistical support to community partners, faculty, and students in completing those projects.

BSLC also sponsors meetings for community partners and Bentley faculty to discuss issues of mutual interest. One such meeting is the annual Community Partner and Faculty Recognition Luncheon at which an award is given to the community partner that has made a noteworthy contribution to Bentley Service-Learning.

Who is the community partner’s contact at Bentley?

In addition to the student project manager assigned to the community partner, community partners are encouraged to maintain on-going contact both with BSLC’s administrative staff and with relevant faculty. Jeannette MacInnes, BSLC Associate Director, is the best contact for resolving logistical and other practical issues: 781/891-2408 or jmacinnes@bentley.edu