Transform your education with Community Service Learning

Community Service Learning (CSL) is an innovative form of education that connects students with societal actors to collaborate on real-world challenges. At VU Amsterdam we encourage lecturers to incorporate CSL in their teaching, supporting students to grow as responsible global citizens and to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Educating students through a Community Service Learning approach fosters deeper understanding of course material, personal growth, and social responsibility. In line with this year’s VU theme of Global Citizens, CSL helps students develop the skills and mindset to connect to the world around them and to contribute meaningfully at local, national and global levels. By engaging with societal partners, students also work on the Sustainable Development Goals, making abstract global ambitions tangible through concrete action.

Teach career-oriented skills and societal engagement

CSL equips students with a wide range of skills that are crucial for their future careers, such as critical thinking, problem solving and cultural understanding. At the same time, CSL strengthens students’ ability to reflect on their role in society and to take responsibility in addressing global challenges. Linking course content to the SDGs creates opportunities for students to see how their knowledge contributes to themes like climate action, health, inclusion and peace.

Easy implementation through tailored support

Community Service Learning is integrated in all VU faculties and can be adapted to most courses with a practice-related component. As a lecturer you do not have to reinvent the wheel. The CSL team provides support throughout the process, from the orientation phase to identifying societal challenges that match your course objectives and practically implementing CSL activities. With years of experience across disciplines, a strong network of community partners, and a wide range of tools, workshops and learning labs, the CSL team helps you prepare students to engage as responsible global citizens working towards the SDGs.

The CSL team Presents: A Broader Mind in Practice

'A Broader Mind in Practice’ are lunch sessions for VU staff who are involved in CSL or would like to get involved. Each session has its own theme, ranging from CSL with large student groups to the impact of AI, and how CSL helps shape students into global citizens. You’ll learn from colleagues, discover new teaching methods and go home with practical tips for your teaching.

8 September (Tuesday): 12:00 – 13:00 – Topic: How to use CSL for ‘A Broader Mind'
17 November (Tuesday) 12:00 – 13:00 – Topic: Interdisciplinary Community Service Learning
21 January (Thursday) 12:00 – 13:00 – Topic: TBD
11 March (Thursday) 12:00 – 13:00 – Topic: TBD

_{Photo: ©Florencia Jadia}

Toolbox for Stakeholder Engagement

Resources and tools to design your CSL course

Go to toolbox

Plug & play option

Off-the-shelf modules for Bachelor and Master programmes

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"I immediately liked the idea behind CSL; to connect students to actual professionals in the field. This was perfect for my course Marketing Sustainable Innovations, in which students design a marketing plan and integrate theories that we've discussed. I highly recommend other courses to collaborate with a societal partner through CSL, as the CSL team makes it really easy to find a match, and partners are very motivated to work with students."

View more experiences

Match your course with a societal issue

The CSL team has an network of societal partners who work on various topics. Based on the content and objectives of your course we can identify various topics for you to choose from, including different associated societal partners to collaborate with.
Additionally, we organise Meet & Match events around wider societal themes. Here, interested lecturers and societal partners can freely get to know each other. Long-term connections can easily be perpetuated through one of three main themes we operate in: Sustainability, Mental Health, or Inclusive Public Spaces. These networks foster ongoing collaborations and result in higher-impact contributions to society.
Design CSL activities for your course
When you found your match, the CSL team offers various means of support to (re)design your course and integrate Community Service Learning activities:
- Toolbox | Whether you are exploring CSL or already have years of experience, this toolbox provides helpful resources and tools
- Examples | Get inspired by stories of VU lecturers who work with CSL, and examples of CSL courses in a wide variety of disciplines.
- Workshops | Under guidance of the CSL team and in collaboration with the societal partner we will tailor your course and implement CSL activities
Reflect & share knowledge

At the end of your course, you will reflect with the societal partner, your students and the CSL team on the collaboration. You can continue for another course cycle and work on the same topic with a new group of students, but perhaps some are changes required. Or it may be suitable to pass the topic on to another course, who can build on your course’s outcomes. Anything is possible.
More support

Go to the CSL support page to see the entire overview of support options offered by the CSL team.
Academic publications
For literature on knowledge gaps of CSL in practice, refer to our academic publications. If you have any ideas for researching additional knowledge gaps, we encourage you to reach out to CSL@vu.nl.
A brief overview of the literature we have published:
- Embedding Transdisciplinarity in HE Design | This empirical study explores design considerations for embedding transdisciplinarity in higher education.
- Training for Complex Sustainability Issues | This review provides insights into design elements and strategies for inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability education.
- Transdisciplinary Learning Trajectories | This study examines how transdisciplinary learning develops students' action and attitude skills in complex educational contexts.
- Expert and Non-Expert in Teamwork | This research explores knowledge integration dynamics when experts and non-experts collaborate in interdisciplinary teams.
- Developing Interdisciplinary Consciousness | This paper investigates how playful frame reflection can challenge disciplinary biases and foster interdisciplinary awareness.
- Epistemic Stability and Adaptability | This study analyzes competencies for integrating interdisciplinary knowledge in addressing complex sustainability issues.
- Implementing CSL in Large-Scale Courses | This multiple case study examines benefits, challenges, and nine practical strategies for implementing community service-learning in large university courses.
- Service-Learning in Times of Crisis | This article analyses how students, teachers, and community partners in service-learning courses responded to the COVID-19 crisis.
- Emergent Transformative Learning | This study investigates transformative learning outcomes from a cross-disciplinary course designed to broaden students’ societal perspectives.
- Student Motivation in Cross-Disciplinary Bildung | This article explores factors that support or impede student motivation in a cross-disciplinary educational programme.
- Embedding Engaged Education Review | This review synthesises literature on how higher education institutions institutionalise community service-learning and identifies supporting strategies.
- Thematic Multidisciplinary CSL | This article describes a thematic community service-learning approach developed to address complex societal issues and promote multidisciplinary collaboration.
- Becoming 21st Century Citizens | This systematic review identifies design principles for integrating community service-learning into higher education courses.
- Training in Inter- & Transdisciplinary Sustainability | This study presents a module for training students in inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability education, emphasizing cross-faculty commitment and community collaboration.
- Transdisciplinary Competencies for Transformation | This paper examines competencies needed for transformation in transdisciplinary research and practice.
- Roles and Competencies in Transdisciplinary Practices | This study explores various roles and competencies that support effective transdisciplinary collaboration.
- Multi-Stakeholder Networks in Higher Education | This configurative review investigates how universities and societal partners collaborate through different network models.
- Community Involvement in Course-Based Higher Education Activities | This narrative review explores definitions, guiding principles, and practical strategies for effective community involvement in course-based education.
- Realizing Reciprocity in Community-University Partnerships | This article investigates how reciprocal relationships between communities and universities can be strengthened when addressing complex societal issues.
- Integrating Community Service-Learning into a Master’s Program | This study examines the integration of community service-learning within a master’s program, its implementation, challenges, and outcomes.
- Implementation of Public Engagement Pedagogies | This paper analyses the transition from individual public engagement efforts to an institutional approach in a Dutch university context.
- Inter- & Transdisciplinary Sustainability Education (Amsterdam case) | This research investigates how inter- and transdisciplinary sustainability education can promote equitable renewable energy opportunities in vulnerable communities through participatory action research.
- Motivating Business Students for Civic Education | This article identifies design principles for aligning civic engagement programs with business students’ motivations, drawing on Self-Determination Theory.

2024 - 2025 highlights

Period 4 | IBA LAB - Business and economics students develop entrepreneurial solutions to thorny social and societal problems.
Period 5 | Science with Societye - Health Sciences students work on mental health in young adults
Period 6 | Organizations & Anthroplogy Students of the Bachelor of Social and Cultural Anthropology (SSW) work on a practical assignment in cooperation with the municipality of Almere
2025 - 2026 highlights

Period 1 | Vitality and Frailty in the Elderly - Movement science students work with eight different parties to come up with fresh solutions to a variety of issues
Period 2 | Management of Sustainable Innovation - for 8 weeks, a diverse set of master students become consultants, researchers and innovators for diverse contexts such as community gardens, circular tech companies or energy cooperations.
Period 3 | Community-Based Health Interventions – Students from the Faculty of Science collaborate with societal organisations to design interventions addressing local health and wellbeing challenges.
Period 4 | Diversity and Good Education - A Master's course that proves CSL doesn't need a formal partner to be meaningful. Students examine educational inequality as a mirror to their own assumptions and future roles in society.
Period 5 | Societal Internship Dentistry - Dental students approach oral health care from a new perspective during their societal internship
Period 6 | Bachelor Project: Business Case - Students of mathematics, computer science and business economics work in multidisciplinary teams with external partners on real problems, from predicting no-shows at the Anne Frank House to building an AI search engine for the Dutch Ministry of Defence

A Broader Mind

Become a societal partner in Community Service Learning

Exploring if CSL suits you? Let’s find out together!

CSL@vu.nl

Athena Institute, Faculty of Science

Main Building (HG-0E), ground floor, wing E

Transform your education with Community Service Learning

Teach career-oriented skills and societal engagement

Easy implementation through tailored support

The CSL team Presents: A Broader Mind in Practice

Meike Morren, lecturer at the School of Business and Economics

Support & resources

Match your course with a societal issue

Design CSL activities for your course

Reflect & share knowledge

More support

Academic publications

CSL course highlights

2024 - 2025 highlights

2025 - 2026 highlights

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