Leaders of Austria’s main teacher training university are keen to implement and promote the service-learning approach. Following an initiative of Christiane Hoth, regional hub specialist for Central and Eastern Europe, Maria Rosa Tapia, coordinator of the Uniservitate programme, and Marlen Leytz, from Porticus, visited the University College of Christian Churches for Teacher Education (KPH) in Vienna in June.
KPH, the largest teacher-training institution in Austria with seven campuses in Vienna and Lower Austria, fosters interreligious dialogue among the country’s 17 officially recognized religions.
Tapia and Leytz met with KPH Vice-Rector Jennifer Jakob, Richard Pirolt, responsible for International Relations, and Tanja Mikusch, head of Sustainability and Service-Learning. The hosts wanted to include service-learning in the new curriculum the university is currently analyzing. They were also interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the service-learning approach and promoting it among their faculty and, through them, the future professors studying there.
In response to the institution’s interest, KPH was invited to join the Uniservitate global network. This will provide access to training and opportunities to meet with colleagues and experts that will help them advance in the implementation of service-learning in their teaching practices.