Pemberdayaan Masyarakat melalui Program KKN: Integrasi Pendidikan, Solidaritas Sosial, dan Nilai Kebangsaan

Abstract

The Community Service Program (KKN) is an implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education that positions students as agents of change within society. This study aims to analyze the role of KKN in community empowerment by emphasizing the integration of education, social solidarity, and national values. A qualitative descriptive method with a participatory approach was employed, using observation, interviews, and documentation involving students, community leaders, and local residents. The findings reveal that KKN contributes to enhancing children’s learning motivation through Quran memorization, call to prayer, and literacy activities; strengthening social solidarity through communal work and Independence Day celebrations; and instilling national values through traditional competitions and collective prayers. Moreover, a collective awareness emerged among the community to sustain the program through the active role of youth organizations. The program not only generated short-term impacts, such as improved facilities and social activities, but also produced long-term effects in the form of shared awareness and nationalism. For students, KKN served as contextual learning that enhanced empathy, social skills, and leadership capacity. Thus, KKN proves to be a relevant and sustainable model of community service.