ABSTRACT
Service-learning or aprendizaje-servicio is an increasingly ubiquitous term in the United States (US), Latin America, and Spain. In all three regions, the expansion of state support and private funding since the 1980s has given rise to its exponential growth at schools and universities, where educators across disciplines are striving to create synergy between the work of their classrooms and the real-world concerns of nearby communities. Across the Spanish-speaking world, the general meaning of service-learning or aprendizajeservicio is broadly agreed on: a student project addressing a community need, carried out in a local setting, and integrated with academic knowledge through reflection and discussion (Corporation for National and Community Service 2013; Puig Rovira 2009; Tapia 2007; Thomsen 2006). It is also generally agreed that service-learning serves as an advantageous bridge between pedagogical models (Butin 2006: 490; Rubio Serrano 2009: 92–93). These shared philosophies have been useful in launching fruitful transnational dialogue on service-learning between the regions. A growing number of organizations also facilitate transnational dialogue through their websites, publications, and conferences. 1
