Recently, Stefan Norgaard, the chair of Stanford in Government, wrote an op-ed inviting students to engage in more experiential learning opportunities on campus. Norgaard listed several key opportunities: “service learning courses like the International Urbanization Seminar or Sustainable Cities, Stanford in Government (SIG) Fellowships and Stipends, Haas Center Fellowships.” Norgaard correctly stated that “experiential learning ought to have a larger place in a Stanford education.” That sentiment can go one step further: Service learning can be much more integrated into the Stanford experience.

According to The Study of Undergraduate Education at Stanford University (SUES) Report 2012, “community-based learning has emerged as one of the most exciting fields in American higher education.” As a student who is actively involved in public service and who has experienced the direct impacts of community-based learning – a term synonymous with service learning – I know that this approach to education is fundamental to the Stanford undergraduate experience. From partaking in community-based learning course, students will “think reflectively about the nature of their service work, to approach communities not just as beneficiaries of their aid but as partners in a common enterprise.”

Stanford’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program is one such service-learning course, and the one through which I have learned the most. ASB is a student-led program housed at the Haas Center that introduces students to complex social and cultural issues through community visits, experiential learning, direct service, group discussions, readings, and reflective activities.

I first became involved with ASB as freshman, participating in the Asian American Issues course and trip, led by Thanh D. Nguyen ’14 and Van Anh Tran ’13, ’14. Taking this course and trip radically changed my academic and professional trajectory. During the course, we extensively discussed what it meant to be Asian American, how the term came about, and how this community has been affected by important U.S. policies and events. It was the first time that I had ever reflected on my Asian American identity. I learned about how the Asian American community galvanized and protested in the face of Vincent Chin’s murder in 1982. Learning about my own community’s history shattered my world. The typical U.S. history textbook mentions Asian Americans in only one context: Japanese internment camps. Going through this ASB, I realized that the Asian American community has a rich history that is much more nuanced than what our high school education conveyed.

This process of learning and reflecting allowed me to go on the spring break trip with a clear idea of whom I would be interacting with and what issues they would be tackling. During the trip, we met with a variety community-based organizations that addressed issues in the Asian American community through advocacy, grass roots organizing, politics, legal aid, academia, and mental health services. Through these organizations, we experienced firsthand issues of oil refineries affecting Richmond residents’ health, wage theft in Chinatown, mom and pop businesses competing against large retail stores like Walmart, LGBTQ stigma in the community, and much more.

The beauty of service learning is combining scholarly work with experiential learning in a way that benefits the community that you are working with. Many times at Stanford we are so focused on solving problems that we often forget who lives those problems day to day. There is a sense of humility associated with service learning. In order for us to carry out service in an ethical way, we need to understand our intentions and the impact behind our actions.

Community members know what changes they want. However, they often feel they have a lack of power and privilege to voice their opinions. Many times, the systems around them disenfranchise their ability to mobilize and create solutions. And that is where Stanford students can step in. But before we step in, we need to understand our own intentions and biases.

I challenge you to take on a service learning opportunity here at Stanford. Identify a community of interest, and develop a partnership in which you can empower folks to create their own solutions.

James Huynh ’15

James Huynh is the Executive Director of Alternative Spring Break. He can be contacted at jhuynh93 ‘at’ stanford.edu.