From classroom to community: Service learning in Spanish at WMU

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University Spanish students are using their language skills to serve their community, through an upper level course taught by Dr. Lindsay Jeffers. The class, SPAN 4400, pairs students with local Spanish speaking organizations — like elementary schools and nonprofit organizations — to apply the language in a meaningful, real-world setting.

“Students are often really interested in being able to use a language to connect with people — for the most part that’s why they wanted to learn another language in the first place,” Jeffers says. “So, giving them the opportunity to do that in various contexts is kind of the whole point of the class  — to make those connections for them and give them some course credit for the time they’re in the community doing that service learning.” 

The course meets once a week, with students spending the rest of their time at individual volunteer sites. Placements change each semester based on student preferences, but partner sites like El Concilio — a community organization offering ESL classes for adults and after-school tutoring — and El Sol Elementary, a bilingual school, almost always have a WMU student or two.

Other students work with Upward Bound, supporting middle and high schoolers with college readiness, while others volunteer with Bethany Christian Services, which assists refugees from Spanish-speaking countries. This semester, a few students are working with United Farm Workers, which provides outreach and support to the migrant working community, many of whom are Spanish-speaking.

But no matter where students are placed, the impact is real, as they use language to build relationships and deepen their cultural understanding firsthand as they serve and connect with community members — from elementary students to ESL learners to refugees.

“When you use language to connect with real people versus just doing work with a textbook, culture is embedded in that. It doesn’t even need to be taught. It’s just there. It’s just part of it,” Jeffers says.

Millie Boutwell came to WMU to learn Spanish to use in a future workplace setting, as she hopes to move to Mexico after graduation, and took the service learning course last spring.

She volunteered at El Concilio, a community-focused organization that seeks to help Latinx residents support their families, contribute to society, and appreciate their cultural significance in the region, where she assisted with teaching English. 

“When I moved to Michigan about eight years ago, the immigrant community really took me in and supported me,” Boutwell says.

“To have an opportunity to give back in that way to so many Spanish speakers has been very important, especially during the time that we’re living in right now, where a lot of racism and xenophobia is occurring more openly,” Boutwell says.

During her time volunteering with El Concilio in early 2025, she  saw firsthand the effects of the new administration on the Spanish-speaking community, including intensified hate speech and increased fears  surrounding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

“But at the same time, I also had the opportunity to listen to many stories and experiences from people who were being villainized just because of where their family was from,” she says. “To get to know people better in their own language, through helping to assist in teaching English, it’s very meaningful, very powerful.

Her service-learning experience in Kalamazoo prepared her for a semester abroad in Mexico focused on migration and border issues. Working with local Spanish-speaking communities gave her firsthand exposure to the challenges people face in immigration systems, which she was able to observe and explore further during her study abroad program.

Boutwell strongly encourages anyone else studying language to pursue service-learning. 

“We have such a wonderful, connected community that we have an obligation to help and support because there’s a cultural and learning exchange that happens whenever you go and volunteer and serve your community,” she says.

For other students, the class can springboard how they may want to use their Spanish education after graduation.

Naomi Washington, B.A.‘25, volunteered with El Sol Elementary when she took the class in spring 2024, where she worked as a classroom aid. Already fluent in Spanish, she decided to take the course as an interesting alternative to a traditional language course, as she was interested in helping others.

“I’m from North Carolina originally. It gave me a chance to get connected with the Hispanic community here,” Washington says. “I’m from a more diverse city, where it was part of my upbringing to be around Spanish speaking people. And so it took a little bit more navigating to find those spaces here in Kalamazoo, and the service learning class was a pretty good way to get an introduction.” 

While she volunteered at El Sol Elementary, she learned about El Concilio — where she now works as a Language Services Coordinator. Hearing about the experiences her classmates had with the organization piqued her interest, and inspired  her to learn more about it.

After the academic semester ended, she began volunteering with El Concilio over the summer. Now, she works as a Language Services Coordinator, where she manages translation and interpretation services, overseeing Spanish and English classes, and supporting other language-related programs.

While her current role is somewhat different from her service-learning experience, she’s grateful for the class. It was fulfilling to work with students at El Sol, and hearing from guest speakers from local nonprofits helped her build connections within Kalamazoo’s Spanish-speaking community — ultimately leading her to the organization where she now works.

In April, Jeffers is planning to participate in the research, innovation and creative scholarship week — as this year’s theme is community outreach — with students presenting their experiences with service learning. Students will display their service learning work on Wednesday, April 8 from 12:30-1:45 p.m. in the Dunbar Hall lobby.

Because whether  they continue to work in language services, study abroad, or simply carry those community connections with them, the impact of service learning extends beyond just the semester.

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