Kimberly Caraway, MA

Service Learning Course(s):

• POLS-2312, State and Local Government

“I think service learning is really important because I think we all have a role in community and i think it's very important that we all have an eye for the needs in our community and put some action behind that."

Since 2010, Kimberly Caraway has been a professor at UTA and has maintained her passion for volunteering and participating in service activities from her past.

After hearing other faculty members incorporate service learning into their courses, Kimberly was inspired to carry her activism into her own classes and found it to be compatible. She discovered the fellows program, which provided structure for her projects and introduced her class to service learning.

Her service learning project focuses on community partners such as Meals on Wheels and Alliance for Children. She assigns groups of students to research these partners and explore their impact on the community.

Kimberly credits the faculty fellows program for providing her with a high level of reflection and valuable conversations. She believes that service learning is beneficial to UTA because it helps students discover their role in the community and the importance of giving back, which builds character.

As a faculty fellow herself, Kimberly appreciated the openness of other faculty members and enjoyed engaging in conversations about their views on the community. She valued the opportunity to step out of her professor role and express her passion as part of a group.

For faculty members who are unsure about integrating service learning into their courses, Kimberly encourages them to participate in the faculty fellows program. She believes that this program can help them better understand the necessary components for successfully incorporating service learning.