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Impact Of Service Learning On The Inter-Cultural Competency Of Pre-Service Teachers, Andrea Faye Gangoso-Aguila, Jonathon Arndt, Yuseina Brito-Lino, Chandler Gooding, Alyssa Harter, Sean O'Rourke, Amanda Rousemiller, David Edwards, Tori Smith

Education Presentations at National and International Conferences

The population of the U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse in language and culture. And, the population of students in elementary and secondary schools is becoming more diverse, as well. Therefore, it is critical that pre-service teachers (PSTs) experience and understand other cultures. Teachers will need to become more inter-culturally competent (ICC). According to Hammer & Bennett (2010), ICC is "the capability to accurately understand and adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonality.” One way to do this is for PSTs to participate in Service Learning. According to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC), service learning is “a teaching and learning strategy …