Pamela Johnson, MSSW, LCSW

Associate Professor in practice, School of Social
Work

Service Learning Course(s):

• Social Work in Schools (SOCW 4370)
• Social Work in Schools (SOCW 5370) 

“Service Learning shows students what it will be like in the real world. They are able to apply the skills they’re learning before they get out there."

Pamela Johnson had known about service learning and had even applied it to her teaching to an extent, but it wasn’t until she reached out to the Faculty Fellows Program that she began to grasp its true nature. Her students’ curiosity for how their coursework could be applied in real-world settings and how it would translate to the community motivated her to join the Faculty Fellows. Professor Johnson sees service learning as playing a major role in academia as it takes student learning from the realm of the abstract to that of the practical.
Her service learning projects involve working mostly with school districts, like the Center for Clinical Social Work (CCSW), which provides intervention in schools through character building, one on one mentoring, and counselling.

Professor Johnson advises faculty interested in service learning to reach out to those who may know more than they do. Ask for tips and do not be afraid to branch out of your discipline to see what other faculty members are doing. It’s all about the baby steps you take, and the planning you put in. Do not rush the process and you will be rewarded in the end.