Open Doors Field Trips: Making Connections with Minority Students Through the Creation of Vision Boards

Abstract

This chapter highlights a service-learning experience for pre-service teachers offered the semester prior to their student teaching experience. The chapter details the program, entitled Open Doors, its implementation, descriptions of the pre-service teachers, descriptions of the partnering elementary school and its community, feedback from participants, implications for pre-service students, and topics to consider. The basis for implementing the Open Doors Service-learning Program is rooted in the theoretical works of John Dewey’s educational philosophy which addresses the importance of learning through interaction between the learner and the environment. The Open Doors Program is presented to predominately white pre-service teachers and provides them an opportunity to engage in a school community serving mostly students of color. Specific responses and reflections regarding the program from multiple stakeholders are included.