Abstract
As part of the project Rural 3.0: Service-Learning for the Rural Development—RURASL (https://rural.ffzg.unizg.hr/), to ascertain the needs and gaps relevant to implementing service-learning in rural Croatia, we surveyed three target groups: university students, rural community organizations, and potential service-learning beneficiaries. We discovered three main challenges: insufficient human capacities, attributable mostly to difficulty in obtaining funding, which hinders development and implementation of new service-learning projects. Croatian local action groups (LAGs) and rural NGOs were found supportive of rural service-learning. The older population recognizes a great opportunity to get support for basic living needs, and the younger population shows a great interest in engaging university students in improving the tourist and cultural sector. Higher education institutions’ implementation of innovative service-learning will improve the quality of education for sustainable development and promote university–community partnerships in rural areas.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 117-128 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The results presented are output from ERASMUS+ KA2 research project 599382-EPP-1-2018-1-PT-EPPKA2-KA “Rural 3.0: Service-Learning for the Rural Development— RURASL.”
Funding Information:
They expect support from the LAG for applying to educational programs and funds, primarily the EU education and training program ERASMUS+.
Publisher Copyright:
© Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Volume 26, Number 1, p. 117, (2022)