Service-learning, rights to the city, and justice in community practitioner preparation

ABSTRACT Critical service-learning (CSL) is an important pedagogy for the preparation of community practitioners. In this article, two service-learning practitioners offer “Rights to the City” (RTTC) as a framework to guide what “social change” means in CSL and for undergraduate students preparing to work in community settings. The article outlines three central tenets of RTTC: the democratically reimagined city (DRC), inhabitance, and difference. It then analyzes three case studies from their own service-learning courses to demonstrate the tenets in practice. The article concludes with considerations for how RTTC can shape forms of community-driven partnerships that prioritize social justice outcomes as part of student learning and practitioner training toward radical community practice.