International Service Learning in Public and Nonprofit Management Education Reflections From Multiple Stakeholders and Lessons Learned

In this paper, we address international service-learning (ISL) programs in public affairs and nonprofit management education. ISL programs are becoming increasingly popular offerings at universities as they strive to prepare graduates to become responsible and globally oriented citizens. However, little literature exists in the fields of public affairs and nonprofit management education about the pedagogy of ISL. To address this gap, we used perspectives of multiple stakeholders for systemic evaluation of ISL design and implementation. Systematic evaluations must be conducted to ensure that objectives for the full range of stakeholders are being met. Program-specific findings and broad recommendations are presented. The recommendations include (1) establish clear objectives and expectations for all stakeholders; (2) emphasize partnership and continued, sustained communication; and (3) include academic content and reflection about ethics and related values. Additionally, the results of our multistakeholder evaluation suggest the value of incorporating this methodology on an ongoing basis.