PHOTO: During the Homework with Friends orientation, Maria Ramirez led students on a tour of the Durham County Library’s children’s area — complete with the library’s giant Lite-Brite wall. Homework with Friends partners with Partners for Success and several service-learning courses, including Prof. Rebecca Ewing’s SPANISH 307S: Issues of Education and Immigration, to connect Duke students with opportunities to support youth learning and enrichment. (Photo credit: Joanna Middleton)

As fall unfolds, we continue exploring this year’s theme: Being Rather Than Seeming (Esse Quam Videri). In service-learning, authentic engagement often grows through small, steady moments—listening deeply, showing up for partners, and learning alongside our community.

This month, we highlight opportunities to connect in ways that are both meaningful and real—whether in the classroom, through events, or in collaboration with our local partners.

👉 Read on for upcoming courses, spotlights, and ways to join us in practicing engagement that lasts.

👉 Stay in the loop by following us on Instagram and Linkedin.  

Friday, October 3, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm  |  Stay for the full three hours or just as long as you’re able — all participation is welcome.

Join the Duke Service-Learning team for a Community Action Day at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (Durham) to help address food scarcity by packing and sorting alongside community volunteers.

If you run into any issues with the Food Bank sign-up link, just reach out and we’ll make sure you get registered.

👉 [Watch this short [Food Bank video] and then sign up below.

Thursday, October 30, 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm | Brodhead Center, Room 067

Join Prof. Andrew Nurkin at the Brodhead Center for an interactive workshop on asset mapping — a strengths-based approach to community-engaged work. Learn how Duke students have used asset mapping in service-learning through the Hart Leadership Program, and explore ways to bring this practice into your own learning, teaching, research, or advising. Participants will leave with a foundational understanding of asset mapping and practical strategies for using it in their work.

Each month, we share a reflection that reminds us what authentic engagement looks like in practice.

“I came to Curundú thinking I knew how to help. Instead, I found myself learning — from real communities and from leaders — about what it means to challenge traditional narratives and work outside of my comfort zone. I thought I would return with an increased set of skills, some “completed” projects to brandish. But not all growth can be tracked by charts and numbers, sometimes it happens at a dinner table, sharing stories and perspectives, eating a slice of Panamanian cake underneath the setting sun."

— Linda Garziera, Trinity ’28, in Beyond numbers and community lines (Duke Chronicle)

Read the full article →

Teaching Asset Mapping Through Community-Engaged Projects

Workshop with Prof. Andrew Nurkin

When Prof. Andrew Nurkin teaches asset mapping, he invites students to see communities not by what they lack, but by the abundance they hold — from culture and history to local associations and businesses. Join us on Oct. 30, 12–1:30 p.m. in Brodhead 067 for a hands-on workshop exploring how asset mapping can strengthen teaching, advising, and research. Discover how students have mapped musical heritage in western NC after Hurricane Helene, and leave with practical ways to connect assets in your own field. 👉 [Read the story to learn more about this exciting workshop]

Drawing Durham: Documenting the Indie Comics Scene Through Story and Memory

Duets Season 2, Episode 2 

Professor Adam Rosenblatt and undergraduate Shreya Joshi explore Durham’s independent comics community through oral history and visual storytelling. From interviews with self-published artists to the local spaces that sustain them, this project preserves the people, places, and culture at the heart of North Carolina’s creative pulse. 👉 Listen here

 

Spotlight on Prof. Germain Choffart

Duke Service-Learning faculty member Germain Choffart, a Lecturing Fellow in Romance Studies, is featured in a recent article about his new DukeEngage program in Saint-Avold, France. Drawing on his hometown roots and passion for community engagement, Choffart created a program where Duke students partner with local organizations on projects ranging from restoring furniture for low-income families to revitalizing public spaces.
👉 Read the full story

Meet Our Newest Team Member: Suepriya Adhikari

As a Master’s student in Population Health Sciences, Suepriya Adhikari is bringing her talent in research, writing, and design to Duke Service-Learning — helping us with assessment, communications, and more. 

Her background in community-engaged research began at UMass Amherst, where service-learning courses shaped her academic path. Here at Duke, she supports our work in assessment, communications, and program administration — from analyzing data and contributing to reports, to creating multimedia content and helping tell the story of service-learning.

Email us at servicelearning@duke.edu