The Impact of Service: Cultural Understanding and International Service-Learning with Bridgewater State University

This mixed-method study examined the impact that international community service experiences have had on college students’ academic learning, cultural understanding, global interest, and sense of global citizenship after studying abroad through programs hosted by Bridgewater State University (BSU). Survey questionnaires were distributed to 427 BSU students who participated in university-sponsored international travel in the past 3 years. A total of 80 students returned completed surveys, and 10 respondents volunteered to participate in face-to-face interviews to elaborate on their experience abroad. Survey results show that 63% of respondents did not have a service component in their travel program, and 74% of those respondents indicated a desire to have done service while abroad. Statistically significant differences were found between the responses of students who did community service while abroad and those who did not with regard to acquisition of cultural knowledge and an inclination toward global citizenship. Interviews reveal that community service experiences create memorable interactions that offer travelers first-hand insight into a foreign country’s culture and social problems. The results provide means for the evaluation of current travel programs and grounds for the potential development of an international service-learning program at BSU