Discrimination remains a fundamental problem in the world today, affecting people’s opportunities, their well-being, and their sense of agency. Discriminatory norms and behaviours remain widespread driving and reinforcing social exclusion. Social exclusion can occur due to an individual’s social group membership when a group excludes someone because they are from another social group, key to this form of exclusion is the development of prejudice and negative attitudes, considering the importance of interventions that may change these attitudes. (Rutland & Killen, 2015)

Service-Learning methodology, with its growing popularity and relevance in educational practice and research, can be identified as an appropriate methodological tool to address exclusion due to its capacity to open educational institutions to other social realities and connects students with other people from different social groups (Redondo-Corcobado & Fuentes, 2020).

Through service-learning students will be involved with different social group working in social justice issues; this will foster alliances for social change and help overcome attitudes of superiority, fear, and prejudice (Jay, 2008), basic elements that lead to exclusion. Moreover, service-learning allows students to gain knowledge about cultural issues, stablish intergroup contact and challenging consensus information, which are successful strategies for reducing discriminatory behaviours (Allport, 1979; Mcbride, 2015).

Moreover, the interaction of students with other social realities will help them acquire a major knowledge on the social reality of the group, being more aware of cultural similarities and differences, and therefore challenging given and false beliefs.(McBride, 2015). It is important to address not only the commonalities, but also acknowledge the differences across groups as even though there are common human problems, we face them in different conditions, with different resources and by making choices based on different values and beliefs (Jay, 2008).

For this to happen and to avoid reinforcement of prejudices a replicating power differentials though paternalistic, patronizing or even racist interactions, both of the groups must share in the decision-making process of the service, which must focus on responsiveness to real community needs avoiding selfish interests at the expense of the community receiving the service, engagement with the institution and the issues that affect the people must be present and the group conferring the service should be aware too of how they are beneficiaries from the project as well, accompanying the project with a guided reflection (King, 2004).

Considering this, a service-learning project was carried out at Complutense University of Madrid with 16 students from different undergraduate degrees in the educational area that participated in an optional workshop. The service provided was spanish classes to youth from the Magreb recently arrived in Spain, addressing their need of improving their linguistic skills. This social group is one of the populations that suffer from more cases of rejection from Spanish society( Molero, Navas & Morales, 2001).

This study analysis the impact on the reduction of prejudices and enhancement of inclusion of a higher education service-learning project involving students from the Faculty of Education of Complutense University and young migrants from the Maghreb in the participants and their surroundings. The results will make us consider the importance of educational interventions with the non-excluded society as a mean to construct inclusive communities.

This study seeks to reveal how service-learning projects, involved with community at social-risk, can support the creation of more inclusive communities and aid in the reduction of prejudices and behaviours that promote exclusion. In order to achieve this, documentary research was carried out on social exclusion, prejudices, and service learning. Using a case study approach, data was collected from three different sources. Firstly, the reflective diaries of the participants of the projects; secondly, group discussion with the university students and the institution’s professionals and lastly, observations of the interaction between the students throughout the projects. These sources of information were analysed through a content analysis. Later, conclusions were created, linking the theoretical evidence found with the evidence found in the case study analysed.

From the documental and data analysis we can conclude that the service-learning experience carried out was successful in the reduction of prejudices and discriminatory behaviours, as well as in the promotion of a more inclusive community. Not only the service was successful by covering the linguistic needs of the students, but it was also a starting point for an engagement of the University students in the issues that young migrants have to face, stablishing strong bonds with them and reflecting about issues regarding social justice. Moreover, the reduction of prejudices led students to make an impact in their immediate surroundings by sharing their experiences, bearing witness of the difficulties migrant youth have to undergo and report discriminatory behaviours of their closed environments if needed. It is concluded that Service Learning, if organised and carried out successfully, can be a potential element in the eradication of discriminatory behaviours, favouring inclusive societies that respond to the multicultural context of European communities. The exposure of students to different realities and the engagement and bond with the communities facilitates altering attitudes and behaviours, impacting them rationally and emotionally in social issues.

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