Learn. Travel. Serve. The motto of the Deans’ Service Scholars (DSS) program is simple, but holds much significance. The program has existed in some form or another since NYU Shanghai’s inaugural year, and resembles the Alternative Breaks program at the New York campus. It connects students to other parts of China and Asia that are in need of service in a very meaningful way. This year, DSS is seeing major changes. It focuses much more on the “learning” portion with a newly designed zero-credit spring course. A student applying for DSS this year has to consider these changes and whether he or she is willing to put in the effort to be a successful part of the service learning experience. As a previous participant in DSS on the Henan province trip, I can say it was an extremely valuable experience in my first year at NYUSH. The focus of my trip was teaching students English at a school in 荥阳 (Xingyang), 河南 (Henan) province and learning about the Chinese educational system. Other trips in Anhui, Cambodia, India, Guangdong, Shanghai, and Beijing had different service focuses and very different experiences. Last year’s Deans’ Service Scholars were required to pass the selective application process, participate in a fall day of service, engage in a series of refection exercises before, during, and after the trip, and put together a final capstone project. This proved to be a considerable amount of work and required a considerable time commitment. However, the amazing experience of the trip made the work worthwhile. Personally, I formed connections with my classmates that would not have been made otherwise. I learned about different sides of the Chinese educational system. I learned so much from the kids we were teaching in many unexpected ways. The DSS program of this academic year resembles what I participated in but with significant changes, the largest of which is a required zero-credit course in the spring semester. In addition to the fall day of service and capstone projects, DSS participants are required to take this course as a supplement to the service-learning trip. During the DSS information session last week, the course syllabus was handed out, complete with readings and assignments. DSS leaders described the course as having the same amount of readings as a two-credit course with a calculated grade at the end of the semester. The Deans’ Service Scholars program now requires a much higher level of commitment. That being said, this change is not necessarily a bad thing. It might deter students who think DSS is just a fun way to spend their spring break and travel, which is not the goal of DSS in the slightest. I see the DSS of the coming year to be an enriching academic experience rather than a service or travel one. Most of the amazing lessons I learned through my DSS involvement last year were mostly from experiential learning, but NYUSH seems to be looking to extend the learning into the classroom. Students that are truly passionate about NGOs, their roles, and the limitations of service learning may love this new DSS, but others that are simply looking for a carefree spring break will not find their home in the Deans’ Service Scholars program. This article was written by Tara Tate. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Charlotte Evans