Service learning is a cornerstone of the Barry University student experience. Through service learning, students are encouraged to turn what they learn in the classroom into real impact across South Florida communities and in the process, discover more about themselves.

So, what is service learning exactly? At Barry, it’s more than just volunteering or community service. It’s a structured opportunity to apply your academic knowledge to real-world situations, all while helping others. Whether you’re mentoring preschoolers in enrichment programs, engaging with senior citizens in nursing facilities, or supporting local nonprofits, every hour spent in service helps you connect course content to community needs.

Students gain hands-on experience, sharpen leadership and communication skills, and build the kind of professional competencies that employers and graduate programs value. Even more, they develop a deeper sense of empathy, social awareness, and civic responsibility.

Psychology students, for example, have the option to take service-learning courses that place them directly in the field. Students are matched with a service agency and work with a field/service advisor who serves as a liaison between the course professor and the service-learning agency.

Social Work students also engage in service-learning courses that immerse them in real-world social service environments across Miami-Dade and neighboring counties. BSW students apply classroom theory to hands-on experiences that deepen their understanding of social justice, advocacy, and community engagement.

Service learning isn’t just a requirement; it’s engraved into the university’s mission and values. It’s about becoming not only a better student, but a stronger advocate, leader, and citizen.

To find out more about service learning @ Barry University, please contact cel@barry.edu.