The Marshall University Service Learning Program introduces a new kind of course that lets students practice citizenship through the lens of academically-based community service. "Service learning" helps students of all majors achieve a greater understanding of academic theory, as well as a greater awareness of the social problems that exist around us. These are not internships or "field work" courses. Instead, service learning courses give students an opportunity to apply their course learning to a specific community problem or need.

The tangible benefits of such an experience include greater connections to the local community, deeper understanding of course material, exposure to a wide variety of people, and real-world examples of what is learned within the classroom. Service learning not only benefit the Huntington and surrounding areas, but students also benefit as they consider how a student is a citizen, how a citizen is a servant, how a servant is a leader, and how students as individuals might claim such identities for themselves in community for a lifetime of learning.