Ashesi University College
Leadership IV – Leadership As Service
LEADERSHIP IV – COMMUNITY SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT GUIDELINES
You each have to sacrifice your time and energy at the least, to engage in strategic volunteer work. For
example, you may volunteer in the local school, spending time with children, teaching them etc., but you should
also consider helping them strategically – to use your time to identify fundraising or entrepreneurial
opportunities, help them to set up a volunteer program, design and document operations etc., and to become
sustainable in the long term. We will use any opportunities we have, to engage substantially and strategically
with our community. You will identify an issue you are passionate about and then its relevance, or its place in a
community. You will get meaningfully involved in order to understand the problems or issues better, and then
participate in solving the problem however you possibly can.
You are encouraged to work with/through student organizations to achieve your service-learning goals. Think of
a student organization that will agree to HOST the project so that each semester, they take an interest in
keeping it alive. You will be provided with log sheets and performance evaluation sheets. You have to identify a
project and commit at least 40 hours to Service-Learning for the entire semester (up to due date of
report) . Please note that you do NOT have to wait until the mid-semester break to engage in service. Ideally,
you should spread your service across the semester and help the organizations you choose, both remotely and
in person. Do your best to continue projects initiated by the previous year group.
Here are a few steps you will find useful, if you follow them.
1. Think of the social problems that bother you, or that have caught your attention for one reason or
another
2. Identify an issue you are passionate about and would like to learn more about, and also contribute to
finding solutions for
3. Find a community to get involved in, to understand the problems or issues better, and then to
participate in solving the problem.
4. Contact the organization to learn more about what they are doing, or want to do in the future
a. If you don’t have a way of contacting them, or know what issue you want to work on, but are not
sure how to find an organization or community, let me know, and I’ll help you find a service
learning site.
5. Together with the organization, identify how you will be most helpful to them. Here are some
questions that you must ask yourself …
a. Why am I interested in this particular issue?
b. What has the organization done so far in this area?
c. Where do they need the most help now?
d. How much am I willing to commit to them?
i. Time
ii. Energy
iii. Heart-level commitment 
6. Set objectives and performance measures. What are my objectives in getting involved with them? In
other words, what do I want to achieve by the time I am done with my service project? Have tangible
measures that will be evidence of your value added/contribution to the organization or community.
7. Plan your engagement! What are your logistic needs? What do you need to discuss with the partner/site
before showing up? What do you need to be able to work? (Tools of Trade) etc. etc.
8. What can I do?
a. Operational (actual, activity that involves my physical input etc.)
b. Strategic (intellectual and critical thinking contribution)
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Leadership IV – Leadership As Service
Ashesi University College
Project planning Checklist.
Review this checklist and use it to guide you in making sure you are planning properly
Item/ Step in Process
?
Comments and next step
BEFORE GETTING INVOLVED, DURING THE SERVICE-LEARNING ENGAGEMENT
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Read all course documents –
guidelines on the Service-Learning
Component
Identification of key area of
interest (social cause/issue)
Research on local organizations
dealing with this issue
(www.idealist.org)
Narrow down to a specific
organization or initiative/project
Research on the selected project
Initial contact with project partner
(organization, individual, past L-IV
student etc)
LISTENING and Identification of
NEED of the organization
Documentation of need and
agreement on service involvement
– nature and scope of activities
etc…
Have I/we identified and secured
the support of an Ashesi student
organization for this project?
Logistics – travel/commuting plans
Logistics – food arrangements
Logistics - accommodation
Logistics – documentation
equipment – notepad; phone;
camera etc…
Logistics – what material
resources will you need for the
service period? (books? Cement
bags? Wood?)
Logistics – Personal needs

Reviewed everything on Courseware, spoken to past students,
spoken to Course Instructors …
Fundraising strategy – how will
you raise funds in order to do this?
Have I taken my Leadership IV
Journal? ;-)
AFTER THE SERVICE-LEARNING ENGAGEMENT
A ‘Thank You’ card for the project
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partner is not a bad idea
Putting the project partner in touch
with the Ashesi student
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organization for future
collaboration
Prepare 5-minute presentation, SL
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Report for submission
Other:
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Leadership IV – Leadership As Service
Ashesi University College
Think beyond the class – especially if the
social cause/issue is of interest to you, don’t
end there. Pursue it! This is just a listing to help
you with ideas and identifying areas in which
you can serve.
Focus Areas in Service Learning
(www.idealist.org)
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Art, Architecture, Music
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Children and Youth
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Communications Access and Infrastructure
Community Development
Community Service and Volunteering
Computers and Technology
Consumer Protection
Crime, Safety, and Victims’ Issues
Disability Issues
Disaster Relief
Economic Development
Education and Academia
Energy Conservation and Green Living
Environment and Ecology
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Family and Parenting
Farming and Agriculture
Foundations, Fundraising, and
Philanthropy
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Government Oversight and Reform
Health and Medicine
Health, Mental
Housing and Homelessness
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Human Rights and Civil Liberties
Human Services
Immigration
International Cooperation
International Relations
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Job Training and Workplace Issues
Law and Legal Assistance
Library or Resource Center
Media and Journalism
Men's Issues
Microcredit
Multi-Service Community Agency
Museums and Historical Societies
Network of Nonprofit Organizations
Peace, War, and Conflict Resolution
Personal Finance
Politics
Poverty and Hunger
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Prison Reform
Professional association
Race and Ethnicity
Recovery, Addiction and Abuse
Religion, and Spiritual Issues
Research and Science
Rural Issues
Seniors and Retirement Issues
Social Enterprise and Economic
Development
Sports, Recreation, and Leisure
Travel and Transportation
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Urban Affairs
Veterans
Victim Support Services
Voting, Democracy, and Civic Engagement
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Wildlife and Animal Welfare
Women's Issues
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