Service-Learning

At the core of Benilde-St. Margaret's mission as a Catholic school is our long held tradition of service dating back to the 1970s, when Hank Scheinost joined the staff, following ten years in the Peace Corps. All students experience an aspect of service through their theology classes. However, service is beyond just the theology classes and can be found across all disciplines through a unique pedagogy called service-learning. Benilde-St. Margaret's has been recognized as a national service-learning leader school and mentors schools around the world. Serving is part of the culture at BSM. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni all participate in service.

In 1996, student Youa Yang introduced BSM to a new pedagogy called service-learning that she experienced at a previous school. BSM applied and received a Learn and Serve American Grant that helped BSM make a dramatic shift from volunteerism to service-learning.

Service-learning is a learning method in which students have leadership roles in thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet real need in the community. The service is integrated into the students' academic studies with structured time to research, reflect, discuss, and connect their experiences to their learning and their world view.

The State of Minnesota recognized BSM with a Minnesota Service-Learning School Award, as well as the Minnesota Student Service Award with the high honor of "Hall of Fame" distinction in 2003.

Examples of some service-learning across disciplines include testing water for the city of St. Louis Park in Ecology class, analyzing food packing data in Science 9, and more.