Each semester, Missouri State University's service-learning students contribute hundreds of hours of service to a host of local non-profit organizations, schools and government agencies as part of their academic coursework while also addressing various social issues like poverty, homelessness, healthcare and education. Here's what several of the students shared about their experiences: I did service-learning because I wanted to get a better feel of what it was like to do actual scientific research. It was of great benefit to me for three reasons. First, I was able to befriend two wonderful scientists who were willing to answer all of my curious questions and inform me about the overall procedures and purpose of what we were doing. I’m still able contact them if I ever have questions. Second, I gained a plethora of knowledge about advanced lab techniques that are used ubiquitously in modern research. Rather than just reading about these procedures in a textbook, I was able to see them unfold right before my eyes. Lastly, I was able to step back and appreciate all of the … [Read more...] about Service-learning students say…