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Toward a Culturally Competent Health Education Workforce 173

Though models help in establishing a learning foundation, life experience is the true
master teacher. Students in professional preparation programs are more likely to value
and engage in learning experiences and apply what they learn through them when those
learning experiences mirror or, better yet, occur within real - world settings. This is par-
ticularly true when cultural competence is the learning goal. Cross - cultural encounters
are essential to helping individuals become aware of differences (cultural awareness),
and multiple encounters are necessary to minimize the perpetuation of stereotypes and
deepen levels of cultural understanding and skill (Campinha - Bacote, 1994). The chal-
lenge in helping students to develop cultural competence is to design learning experi-
ences that will facilitate an appropriate progression of learning development. A natural
avenue through which needed cultural encounters can occur within a university degree
program is found in service learning activities.

The term service learning first appeared in the published literature in the late 1960s
(Champagne, 2006). “ Service learning in health education is designed to engage the
university with the community in ways that enhance students ’ academic experience,
and simultaneously serve the needs of the community ” (Champagne, 2006, p. 97). In
university settings, service learning usually entails campus - community partnerships
through which students engage in experiential activities and process what they have
learned through discussion and refl ection.
Service learning has been deemed a highly valuable approach to training prospec-
tive health educators (Champagne, 2006; Geiger & Werner, 2004). Some benefi ts
include enhanced satisfaction among students, faculty, and community partners with
the quality of student - faculty relationships (Eyler & Giles, 1999) and with the student
learning process (Berson & Youkin, 1998; Geiger & Werner, 2004; Greenberg, 2003),

as well as with the service benefits to the community (Astin & Sax, 1998; Cohen &
Kinsey, 1994; Geiger & Werner, 2004; Melchior, 1997). Yet despite these positive out-
comes, the time needed for most projects and the low appreciation of such projects
among some university administrators are barriers to an ongoing commitment to ser-
vice learning. Efforts to offset these barriers and facilitate effective and widely valued
service learning have been led by Health Professions Schools in Service to the Nation
and Community - Campus Partnerships for Health, organizations whose goals are to
foster community health, social change, and citizenship through community - campus
partnerships (Champagne, 2006).
Service learning is commonly viewed as a viable mechanism through which

students can develop cultural competence. Specific outcomes can include heightened
cultural awareness, reduced stereotyping, and improved cross - cultural communication
skills (Astin & Sax, 1998; Champagne, 2006; Geiger & Werner, 2004; Seelye, 1996).
Though Champagne (2006) found that few published evaluations of service learning
focused on acquired skills, the health education profession already possesses the
capacity to produce skills - based evidence in support of service learning. The formal
internships that are a required component of many university health education degree
programs (Rojas - Guyler et al., 2006) are a readily applicable venue not only for service

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