Third-Sector-Mediated Community Service-Learning for Inclusive Competencies in Brazilian Higher Education
Abstract
This community service case study analyzes a Brazilian higher education extension program implemented in Curitiba from February to December 2025 with three third-sector organizations serving people experiencing homelessness and social vulnerability. The program aimed to support food-solidarity and street-level care routines while forming inclusive professional competencies among students from bachelor’s and teacher-education licensure programs. Using a qualitative documentary approach, the study examined institutional records, partner-action descriptions, public contextual sources, and an operational matrix of tasks, routines, and educational mechanisms. The results show that food preparation, meal assembly, kit organization, tent setup, welcoming practices, respectful interaction, and supervised listening operated as formative infrastructure for cultural humility, structural awareness, ethical communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical reliability. Community-level contribution was interpreted cautiously as operational support to trusted partner routines, not as proof of net causal impact on homelessness, health, or food insecurity. The study concludes that third-sector mediation can transform episodic volunteering into situated community service-learning when partners provide territorial legitimacy, continuity, ethical boundaries, and practical knowledge. A replication framework is offered for institutions seeking socially responsible and methodologically careful community engagement.
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