On May 22, 2025, the University of Salzburg hosted a local award event showcasing service-learning initiatives as part of the CIVIS Service-Learning Awards at the iDEAS:lab, the university’s Open Lab. This award initiative promotes service-learning across CIVIS universities by recognizing impactful projects that combine academic learning with real-world civic engagement. It aims to highlight the potential of higher education to address societal challenges through collaboration with civil and administrative stakeholders.

Service-learning is a teaching approach that integrates curricular learning with tangible societal benefits. By engaging in projects that respond to real-world needs, students apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings while contributing to their communities. Related concepts include Civic Engagement, Participatory Science, and Citizen Science. The overarching goal is to mobilize professors, empower students, and build strong ties with civil society, thereby embedding civic engagement within university curricula.

The Salzburg event featured three contributions:

• Dr. Lorenz Wendt presented “Service-Learning in the Christian-Doppler-Laboratory GEOHUM”, illustrating how humanities-driven geospatial research connects with pressing societal questions and opens up new modes of academic collaboration with civil stakeholders.
• Dr. Robert Vogler introduced the project “Spatially Enabled Learning and its Demand for “Suitable” Teaching and Train-the-Trainer Materials”. His presentation emphasized the importance of accessible, well-designed materials to support spatial literacy and civic participation in both academic and community-based education.
• Dr. Robert Vogler also showcased “Youth Participation in the u3Green Project”, an initiative focused on involving young people in shaping urban green infrastructure and sustainability strategies through participatory formats.

After evaluation by the jury based on specified CIVIS criteria within the Service-Learning Award project methodology, the u3Green project was selected to represent the University of Salzburg at the alliance level. It will be presented at the CIVIS Days 2025 in Rome, the annual convention of the CIVIS Alliance. During the event, the project will be featured in the plenary session “Learning Experience in Service Learning at Institutional and National Levels” on Wednesday, June 12, 2025, as part of the Service-Learning Award Ceremonies.

Project context:

“ CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance” is a university alliance consisting of 11 universities, including Paris Lodron University Salzburg. It implements the “European Universities initiative” of the European Union, which aims to create a more unified European higher education area.

The CIVIS partnership enables participating universities to promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise and advance joint research projects through interuniversity courses and projects such as  Open Lab Rolling Call. This contributes to strengthening European collaboration in the field of higher education and the development of a sustainable and inclusive future.