"The research project was a particularly valuable experience for me, as it was very different from my usual studies at the university. I found the personal interactions with the students and the conversations with the teachers about topics such as hunger, nutrition, and crises especially exciting. Some of these conversations and situations were also very moving.

One moment that particularly stands out in my memory was when we talked about the West African dish fufu. One child recognized the dish immediately because his parents are from West Africa. His eyes lit up as he explained to his classmates what fufu is made of, how it’s eaten, and how good it tastes. That moment beautifully illustrated how personal experiences and individual knowledge can be incorporated into the classroom and enrich the learning process.

In addition to these encounters, the project also allowed me to gain a lot of practical experience. This included, for example, giving presentations to larger groups and organizing the various events and trips, some of which took us as far as Nuremberg. Through this, I not only gained a lot of subject-specific knowledge but also learned to take on responsibility, respond flexibly to different situations, and speak more confidently in front of groups."

Philipp Antes (Spring Semester 2025)

"As part of the service learning, I was able to get to grips with the course content in a practical way. Thanks to the cooperation with the non-profit organization Action Against Hunger, I was involved as a volunteer in the Schools Against Hunger project. Specifically, this meant that I gave specialist lectures at schools and thus came into direct contact with young people who were eager to learn and willing to learn. The focus was on raising young people's awareness of hunger and malnutrition and motivating them to get involved in sport to combat hunger - in the spirit of education for sustainable development.

After each school day, certain moments stayed with me for longer. I felt the need to tell those around me about them and discuss certain topics. Dealing with the theoretical content at the same time enabled me to better classify certain things and understand my thoughts. The link between what I experienced and the theory certainly allows me to retain what I have learned for longer than if I had only learned the same content in university rooms.

It can therefore be said that the voluntary work has essentially contributed to my understanding of the theoretical content being more profound, that I will not forget what I have learned so quickly and that I have gained exciting insights as part of the reflection report. Writing down thoughts opens up access to many more insights."

Alessandra Mangold (SS 2022)

"From the kick-off event to the final presentation, the service learning project was a thoroughly successful event. The content conveyed in the lecture could be transferred well to the practical task, so that the development of specialist skills was promoted at all times through the practical-theoretical comparison. The reflection sessions and the guiding questions answered in different ways also helped to deepen and acquire specialist and interdisciplinary skills. In addition, the service learning method offered an opportunity to take on responsibility by contributing to the achievement of the community partner's goals through one's commitment.

In conclusion, it can be said that service learning is a meaningful and useful learning method for all parties, which must continue to be developed in the future in view of the increasing demand for volunteers."

Eduard Schall (SS 2014)

"Since the personal meetings with the cooperation partners took place at the beginning of the service learning project, we gained insights into the typical structures of non-profit organizations before they were dealt with in the course. As a group, we developed the ability to analyze the environment in order to determine what specialist knowledge we needed to complete the task. We then selected the knowledge from the lecture in order to apply it to the task at hand.

Overall, the service learning project was worthwhile for me. Through "learning through engagement", I was able to deepen the technical and methodological content of my studies.

In addition to building skills, we as a group were able to make a small but useful contribution to society and the Rhineland-Palatinate Cancer Society. We were also able to transfer what we had learned into practice. At university, we don't get to gain this kind of experience every day. I would therefore recommend the service learning project at any time."

Ludmilla Rechtik (SS 2014)

"The special thing about service learning is that you are not dealing with a case study, but with a real local problem and working with different people. By working with charitable organizations, you also have the feeling of doing good and being able to help or support where you are actually needed.

In particular, motivation was strengthened by the combination of theoretical content with practice, as you realize that you are not only acquiring new knowledge as part of the project, but that you can do good through your own effectiveness and commitment.

To summarize, it can be said that the service learning project involves more work and time than other university courses and differs significantly from "typical" courses at the university. You also have to do more work outside the university (e.g. preliminary talks with cooperation partners, final events, etc.). However, I learned a lot and thus contributed to my personal development, which is necessary for the future."

Valentina Dill (SS 2014)