MCAST is Malta’s largest provider of vocational and professional education and training, dedicated to empowering individuals through accessible, high-quality learning opportunities. With a mission to provide inclusive education and lifelong learning, MCAST supports personal growth, skill development, and community engagement, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose among students.
The College is composed of six institutes, each offering a diverse range of courses and services:
MCAST offers qualifications from EQF Level 1 to Level 8, ensuring students at all stages of life can access recognised pathways for further education and personal achievement. Beyond academic qualifications, MCAST nurtures creativity and initiative, offering support through its various mentoring programs.
MCAST’s involvement in international projects like EngageAll reflects its commitment to fostering active and inclusive student engagement. The College believes that empowering students to actively participate in their educational journey within and beyond the lecture rooms leads to personal growth, stronger communities, and a more cohesive society. EngageAll aligns with MCAST’s ethos by offering an opportunity to co-create strategies that encourage student civic participation and involvement in decision-making processes.
MCAST is proud of its diverse campus, where students from various socio-economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds come together in a shared learning environment. This diversity is central to the College’s identity, creating a vibrant, inclusive community that nurtures mutual understanding and respect. By participating in EngageAll, MCAST aims to build on its existing efforts to create a supportive environment for all learners, particularly those from underrepresented groups, ensuring they have the skills, confidence, and platforms to contribute meaningfully to society.
The EngageAll project also provides an opportunity for MCAST staff and students to collaborate with European partners, exchange best practices, and develop solutions to common challenges. By fostering dialogue and partnerships across borders, MCAST hopes to enhance its inclusive practices and strengthen its role as a leader in vocational education that prioritises the holistic development of students.
MCAST plays a key role in the EngageAll project by contributing its expertise in inclusive education and VET. Our focus is on developing and implementing strategies that encourage student engagement, particularly among those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Through our participation, we aim to help create tools and frameworks that make it easier for students to get involved in their communities and develop essential life skills.
As one of the partners, MCAST is leading the Student Ambassador Scheme, where we will design and run a program that connects students with young people in the community. This initiative aims to inspire and guide students in taking on leadership roles and becoming active citizens. Additionally, we are actively contributing to other areas of the project, such as developing a competence framework and supporting peer learning activities.
Our team will work closely with students, staff, and partner institutions to ensure that our solutions are practical, inclusive, and effective. By sharing our experiences and best practices, we aim to strengthen the project’s impact and help build a more inclusive learning environment for students across Europe.
Dr Heathcliff Schembri, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator (Inclusive Education)
Heathcliff Schembri is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Community Services at MCAST. With 15 years of experience in teaching and leadership, he coordinated the InclusiPHE project, EngageALL’s predecessor. Since joining MCAST in 2020, he has been active in research, driven by a passion for education’s role in societal enrichment.
Christianne Gatt Fenech, Deputy Director (Institute of Community Services)
Christianne Gatt Fenech is a Deputy Director at MCAST’s Institute of Community Services and manages part-time courses, events and Erasmus+ visits. With a Masters in European Studies and expertise in EU policy, she supports ICS’s mission of fostering inclusive learning and empowering diverse learners to achieve personal and professional success.
Dr Claire Sciberras, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator (Inclusive Education)
Claire Sciberras is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Community Services at MCAST. Her published research focuses on various aspects of inclusive education, including autism and the collaboration between teachers and Learning Support Educators in classroom settings. Claire earned her PhD from the University of the West of Scotland.
To ensure that service-learning projects have a positive and lasting impact on all stakeholders: the community, the higher education institution, and the student, they should be evaluated regularly and thoughtfully. Ongoing evaluation helps identify what’s working well, what can be improved, and how the experience is contributing to shared goals. To support this process, we’ve provided a selection of tools and frameworks to help you plan and conduct evaluations. Please note that even though some resources refer to e-Service-Learning, they are also applicable in the face-to-face context
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Introduction and guidelines for the evaluation of Service-Learning community impact
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning impact measurement tool
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning projects quality assessment tool
Service-learning projects should be designed to respond to the real needs of the community. To ensure their relevance and impact, higher education institutions must actively collaborate with community partners, such as NGOs, local organisations and institutions that are directly engaged with the community’s most pressing challenges. Building and sustaining these partnerships requires mutual trust, clear communication, and shared goals. To support you in establishing collaborations with community partners, co-designing projects, and implementing them effectively, here is a a useful resource (please note that even though it refers to e-Service-Learning, it is also applicable in the face-to-face context).
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Manual for community partners involved or planning to be involved in the e-Service-Learning. However, this manual is also applicable in a traditional face-to-face setting.
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Capacity building is the first step to supporting the effective implementation of service-learning across the higher education institution. When teaching staff are equipped with the right knowledge, tools, and pedagogical strategies, they are better prepared to design relevant service-learning experiences and guide students through the process. Here is a helpful handbook (please note that even though it refers to e-Service-Learning, it is also applicable in the face-to-face context).
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A train-the-traniner set of guidelines for introducing e-Service-Learning. However, these guidelines are also applicable in a traditional face-to-face setting.
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Institutionalising service-learning is essential for its successful and sustainable implementation, moving beyond isolated efforts driven solely by individual enthusiasm. When support is provided at the institutional level, it becomes much easier to embed service-learning systematically into the curricula. However, this process must also take into account some contextual factors, such as the characteristics of the national higher education system and existing institutional policies and frameworks. To help you navigate these complexities, here are guidelines that can support institutional adoption and long-term implementation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Guidelines for institutionalisation of service-learning based on research
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Assessment is a key element of service-learning, particularly because, according to the EASLHE definition, the learning achieved through this methodology must be formally recognised through ECTS credits. However, this stage can be particularly sensitive, as traditional assessment methods often do not fully capture students’ learning in a service-learning context. To support you in developing fair assessment strategies, here is a set of tools and examples to help you plan and implement appropriate assessment methods.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: Guidelines for trainers and universities for adopting the methodology and tools
More resources can be found in our Resource Library.
Reflection is a crucial component of the service-learning process, as it enables students to connect their community service experiences with the learning outcomes of the course. Reflection can take many forms: written, oral, creative, or digital, depending on the goals of the service-learning project, the way it has been integrated into the curriculum and your students’ needs. To support the design of meaningful reflection activities, here is a useful template that can help structure this important part of the Service-Learning experience.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A Service-Learning project reflection template
More tools and templates can be found in our Resource Library.
Once everything is planned and the service-learning elements are integrated into your curriculum, students should be thoroughly informed about each step of the process and the expectations they are expected to meet. After addressing any questions or concerns, it’s time for the community partners to take an active role in the implementation. At this stage, clear and consistent communication is essential, along with careful documentation of the students’ activities, progress, and contributions. To find inspiration check out the projects and practices showcased by the European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE):
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCES: An overview of EASLHE’s (European Association for Service Learning in Higher Education) projects, with a map-based visualisation tool.
More resources, such as such as journalling tool is available to help students regularly reflect on their experiences and learning while the community service is in progress can be found in our Resource Library.
If you want to implement the service-learning methodology in your teaching practice, it’s important to consider your institutional context, the learning outcomes outlined in your curriculum, your students’ aspirations, and the needs of your community. To support you in this process, here is a useful resource that will help you understand the basic principles of service-learning, identify key stakeholders, and design meaningful, impactful experiences for both students and the community.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE: A guide for embedding Service-Learning elements into the curriculum and recommendations for higher education institutions
More resources, such as such as guidelines, handbooks, and templates can be found in our Resource Library
