Response to “Framing follies”

Duke Service-Learning and the leadership of LEAPS, the student group that created the promotional advertisement referenced in the Nov. 7 editorial “Framing follies,” agree wholeheartedly with the author that “framing non-traditional college activities … and schoolwork as mutually exclusive” is problematic and that “learning in a traditional classroom setting is crucial … to applying that knowledge outside of the classroom.” Indeed, combining traditional classroom learning with community-based experiences through critical reflection is the very foundation of service-learning—a program that promotes the interdisciplinary education prescribed in the article. We apologize for the way the advertisement mentioned in the editorial may have been interpreted as “denigrating to traditional forms of inquiry.” We also wish to note that, although there is one service-learning course at Duke focused on social entrepreneurship, service-learning should not be conflated with “startups,” which are the primary focus of the editorial.

Kristin Wright

Assistant director of the Service-Learning Program