The theoretical roots of Service-Learning (S-L) are typically attributed to John Dewey, an early champion of experiential education. While Dewey’s scholarship on reflective thinking was undoubtedly influential, there were countless voices that contributed to the field that are too frequently overlooked. When the history of the field is authored by academics, the influential contributors are likely to be published scholars with recognizable scholarly products (Dolgon, 2018). Neglected contributors include “feminist-pragmatists” (Deegan, 2018, p. 52) like Jane Addams, co-founder of the Hull-House in late 19th century Chicago who influenced Dewey, a faculty member at the University of Chicago at the time. Similarly, Historically Black Colleges and Universities founded on the heels of the civil war focused on “community engagement—typically expressing a commitment to social change and challenging social oppression” (Daniels, Hicks, & Plummer, 2018, p. 65). Our current understanding of the role of higher education in the community is shaped by scholars like Dewey as well as a rich, messy, and contradictory tapestry of activists, non-traditional educational institutions, and movements steeped in a deep commitment to realizing democracy.

At the core of S-L is the notion of coupling community experience with the rich intellectual traditions of the academy to bring about societies that are fair and just. While experience can be a powerful learning opportunity, Dewey cautioned that some experiences are mis-educative and can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes. David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model was built on the work of Dewey, Jean Piaget and Kurt Lewin, and has been a foundational theory in S-L since 1984 (Jacoby, 2015). To decrease the likelihood that experience will cement stereotypes, Kolb proposed linking intentional reflection with experience.