College Students and Joven Students Dance on Stage (A Learn and Serve America Grantee)
Three days a week students from San Antonio College traveled to the JOVEN to teach dance to 45 students ages 4 to 14. San Antonio College students organized themselves into three teams. Teams choose the day of the week and dance style they would teach. Team members rotated being lead dance instructor for the children’s classes. Teams selected class music, planned the warm-up, loco motor movements across floor and choreographed a dance for their JOVEN class.
San Antonio College students caucus weekly to preparation for their JOVEN class. Class discussion included class structure, learning styles, technique, safety, and any problem that may have occurred.
Each semester the project culminates with a joint performance of the JOVEN and San Antonio College Students. The excitement and thrill of the performance is felt by both groups of dancers. JOVEN students are thrilled to share what they had learned with their family and friends. The JOVEN students leave the concert proud of their performance and the skills they had learned. The San Antonio College students are confident that their efforts have created such joy and accomplishment for the children. They exposed the children to the love of dance, an opportunity they may never have had the opportunity to participate. They planted the seed that college is a possibility in every child’s future. "The best thing is when at a performance they are so excited. It is the best feeling," SAC student Marina Mendoza to Conexión Newspaper. To the San Antonio Express-News Mendoza stated, "We just fell in love with them. And to see them perform and do it so well, it was awesome."
The Service Learning Project constituted 25% of the overall grade. It will be divided as follows: 10% working at JOVEN, 5% class preparation, 5% Performance, and 5% Reflection paper. Read More.
For more information about this project, please contact Audrey Grams at San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299, agrams@mail.accd.edu - http://www.accd.edu/sac/sacmain/sac.htm.
Three days a week students from San Antonio College traveled to the JOVEN to teach dance to 45 students ages 4 to 14. San Antonio College students organized themselves into three teams. Teams choose the day of the week and dance style they would teach. Team members rotated being lead dance instructor for the children’s classes. Teams selected class music, planned the warm-up, loco motor movements across floor and choreographed a dance for their JOVEN class.
San Antonio College students caucus weekly to preparation for their JOVEN class. Class discussion included class structure, learning styles, technique, safety, and any problem that may have occurred.
Each semester the project culminates with a joint performance of the JOVEN and San Antonio College Students. The excitement and thrill of the performance is felt by both groups of dancers. JOVEN students are thrilled to share what they had learned with their family and friends. The JOVEN students leave the concert proud of their performance and the skills they had learned. The San Antonio College students are confident that their efforts have created such joy and accomplishment for the children. They exposed the children to the love of dance, an opportunity they may never have had the opportunity to participate. They planted the seed that college is a possibility in every child’s future. "The best thing is when at a performance they are so excited. It is the best feeling," SAC student Marina Mendoza to Conexión Newspaper. To the San Antonio Express-News Mendoza stated, "We just fell in love with them. And to see them perform and do it so well, it was awesome."
The Service Learning Project constituted 25% of the overall grade. It will be divided as follows: 10% working at JOVEN, 5% class preparation, 5% Performance, and 5% Reflection paper. Read More.
For more information about this project, please contact Audrey Grams at San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-4299, agrams@mail.accd.edu - http://www.accd.edu/sac/sacmain/sac.htm.
Learning and Leading- Off the Field and in the Community
CAMP (Collegiate Athlete Mentoring Program) Gator is a leadership mentoring program in which collegiate athletes and student leaders serve as mentors to at-risk students. The hallmark of the program is leadership training that mentors and mentees complete collaboratively; creating mission and vision statements, partaking in service leadership projects, and even the creation of a leadership skills video.
Mentees- At-Risk Middle School Students
For more information about this project, please contact: Mr. Matthew Ohlson, University of Florida, Department of Educational Administration and Policy College of Education, Gainesville, FL 32611-7049, mohlson@ufl.edu, http://www.campgator.com.
CAMP (Collegiate Athlete Mentoring Program) Gator is a leadership mentoring program in which collegiate athletes and student leaders serve as mentors to at-risk students. The hallmark of the program is leadership training that mentors and mentees complete collaboratively; creating mission and vision statements, partaking in service leadership projects, and even the creation of a leadership skills video. Mentees- At-Risk Middle School Students
- Students at PK experienced increased GPA's (13%) and decreased behavior referrals (72%)
- Mentors arranged practice visits and campus outings. These visits allowed students the opportunity to see what college life is truly like. One student, after a visit to Gator football practice, told his mother that "it was the best day of his life."
- From one mentee: "CAMP Gator has helped me by showing me that nothing is impossible…"
- From a teacher: "She is starting to realize the importance of school responsibilities thanks to the work with her mentor"
- From a parent: "My son now has improved self esteem, more caring for others. Can he do this again?"
- # UF mentors received awards of excellence from the Department of Educational Administration and Policy.
- 100% of all UF students state that they would "strongly recommend" this program
- Students experienced improvements in public speaking skills, goal setting, and time management
- Students expressed an increase in the likelihood of the pursuit of education as a future career goal
- Quote by one mentor:"My goal was to change the life of someone in a positive way and this program has given me the opportunity to not only meet but exceed my goals…"
For more information about this project, please contact: Mr. Matthew Ohlson, University of Florida, Department of Educational Administration and Policy College of Education, Gainesville, FL 32611-7049, mohlson@ufl.edu, http://www.campgator.com.
Wayne State University Students Bring Heart Back to Downtown Detroit through Service Learning (A Learn and Serve America Grantee)
Wayne State University (WSU), celebrated for its applied curriculum, is taking another step in integrating its practical education with its commitment to the community through its service learning initiative, CommunityEngagement@Wayne. One of the latest projects in service learning at Wayne involves a Public Relations COM 7140 course crafted to enrich 24 graduate-level PR students’ academic and practical skills.
The graduate level students are working to develop press kits, coordinate events and garner media attention for Detroit non-profits, including Alternatives for Girls, Covenant House Michigan, Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative (SDDC), Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, as well a team helping to increase the visibility of the communication studies major at Wayne.
These organizations have found support through CommunityEngagement@Wayne, which is a service learning program dedicated to advancing students’ efforts in the causes of these organizations ranging from drug and sexual abuse prevention amongst young girls to nurturing Detroit’s natural resources and environment. The initiative identifies courses that have a practical component and assist eager instructors in implementing real-life skill building experiences. For example, from the nearly $650,000 WSU has raised toward this ambitious project the COM 7140 course was awarded a portion to support their efforts in establishing community partners as clients needing public relations consultation.
With troubling economic times in Michigan, it is the ideal opportunity for university professors to facilitate the relationship between struggling organizations and enthusiastic students to work hand-in-hand educating one another by fusing the academic with the practical. Organizers avoid costly expenses and enjoy early access to developing professionals, while eager students hone their skills for the workplace.
The COM 7140 graduate students will continue to assist local area non-profits by supplying a variety of public relations services through the end of the semester. Students hope to equip the organizations with PR resources that will sustain their organizational needs for the future while contributing to their mission.
"I wanted to be a part of something from the beginning and was especially interested in contributing a strategic plan that will be ongoing and adaptive as the organization grows and changes," said Anne Sesko, graduate student working with SDDC. "I knew that this kind of collaboration existed, but did not realize what an impact it could have."
In addition to students, many WSU instructors believe the service learning initiative enhances classroom learning through real-life skill building, which ultimately provides a competitive advantage for participants.
"Service learning assists students in putting academic skills to practical use while recognizing their value as a contributor to their academic, professional and social community prior to formally entering the workforce,"says Donyale Griffin, professor in the Department of Communication and graduate instructor of the PR Campaigns course. "Students are being cultivated as citizens and professionals simultaneously."
Such efforts are ongoing campus-wide and COM 7140 is only one example of how this philosophy is being translated across the curriculum at Wayne.
Surveys were disseminated to participants involved in service learning projects to gauge their awareness of service learning or community engagement opportunities in the Detroit metropolitan area and the impact it had on their lives and aspirations before and after taking part in their selected service learning initiative.
Since its inception in 2005, CommunityEngagement@Wayne has promoted Wayne State University’s dedication to its local, urban environment. The initiative provides tangible benefits to communities and unique opportunities for students to apply newly learned skills in a real-world context. It supports the service learning endeavors of WSU instructors and students and welcomes innovative community partnering. Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting and offers more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to nearly 33,000 students. For more information, visit www.wayne.edu.
For more information about this project, please contactDr.Elizabeth Barton at Community Engagement@Wayne, Wayne State University,2100 Undergraduate Library, Detroit, MI 48202, elizabeth.barton@wayne.edu- http://www.communityengagement.wayne.edu/.
Wayne State University (WSU), celebrated for its applied curriculum, is taking another step in integrating its practical education with its commitment to the community through its service learning initiative, CommunityEngagement@Wayne. One of the latest projects in service learning at Wayne involves a Public Relations COM 7140 course crafted to enrich 24 graduate-level PR students’ academic and practical skills. The graduate level students are working to develop press kits, coordinate events and garner media attention for Detroit non-profits, including Alternatives for Girls, Covenant House Michigan, Southwest Detroit Development Collaborative (SDDC), Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, as well a team helping to increase the visibility of the communication studies major at Wayne.
These organizations have found support through CommunityEngagement@Wayne, which is a service learning program dedicated to advancing students’ efforts in the causes of these organizations ranging from drug and sexual abuse prevention amongst young girls to nurturing Detroit’s natural resources and environment. The initiative identifies courses that have a practical component and assist eager instructors in implementing real-life skill building experiences. For example, from the nearly $650,000 WSU has raised toward this ambitious project the COM 7140 course was awarded a portion to support their efforts in establishing community partners as clients needing public relations consultation.
With troubling economic times in Michigan, it is the ideal opportunity for university professors to facilitate the relationship between struggling organizations and enthusiastic students to work hand-in-hand educating one another by fusing the academic with the practical. Organizers avoid costly expenses and enjoy early access to developing professionals, while eager students hone their skills for the workplace.
The COM 7140 graduate students will continue to assist local area non-profits by supplying a variety of public relations services through the end of the semester. Students hope to equip the organizations with PR resources that will sustain their organizational needs for the future while contributing to their mission. "I wanted to be a part of something from the beginning and was especially interested in contributing a strategic plan that will be ongoing and adaptive as the organization grows and changes," said Anne Sesko, graduate student working with SDDC. "I knew that this kind of collaboration existed, but did not realize what an impact it could have."
In addition to students, many WSU instructors believe the service learning initiative enhances classroom learning through real-life skill building, which ultimately provides a competitive advantage for participants.
"Service learning assists students in putting academic skills to practical use while recognizing their value as a contributor to their academic, professional and social community prior to formally entering the workforce,"says Donyale Griffin, professor in the Department of Communication and graduate instructor of the PR Campaigns course. "Students are being cultivated as citizens and professionals simultaneously."
Such efforts are ongoing campus-wide and COM 7140 is only one example of how this philosophy is being translated across the curriculum at Wayne. Surveys were disseminated to participants involved in service learning projects to gauge their awareness of service learning or community engagement opportunities in the Detroit metropolitan area and the impact it had on their lives and aspirations before and after taking part in their selected service learning initiative.
Since its inception in 2005, CommunityEngagement@Wayne has promoted Wayne State University’s dedication to its local, urban environment. The initiative provides tangible benefits to communities and unique opportunities for students to apply newly learned skills in a real-world context. It supports the service learning endeavors of WSU instructors and students and welcomes innovative community partnering. Wayne State University is one of the nation’s pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting and offers more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to nearly 33,000 students. For more information, visit www.wayne.edu.
For more information about this project, please contactDr.Elizabeth Barton at Community Engagement@Wayne, Wayne State University,2100 Undergraduate Library, Detroit, MI 48202, elizabeth.barton@wayne.edu- http://www.communityengagement.wayne.edu/.
LSU Ehrlich Award Winner Elected to Prestigious Fellowship (A Learn and Serve America Grantee)
Biological Engineer Professor Marybeth Lima, 2007 Thomas Ehrlich Award winner, was recently elected Fellow of the prestigious American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, joining more than 900 international engineers and scientists, among them Nobel Prize winners. Lima and her students work with East Baton Rouge Parish public school students, teachers, parents, and administrators to design, implement and raise funds for "dream playgrounds" created by elementary school students. Her service-learning project goal is to design and build a safe playground for every parish public school, all of which will be accessible to children with disabilities and will incorporate the children’s own creativity. To date, Lima and her students have designed and/or constructed 13 playgrounds with the assistance of numerous community groups and funding agencies.
For more information about this project, please contactRoxanne Dill at LSU Center for Community Engagement, Louisiana State University,B-31 Coates Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, rdill1@lsu.edu - http://www.ccell.lsu.edu - http://appl003.lsu.edu/unv002.nsf/0/2d45d7e74071d4ea
86257410005120d4?OpenDocument.
Biological Engineer Professor Marybeth Lima, 2007 Thomas Ehrlich Award winner, was recently elected Fellow of the prestigious American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, joining more than 900 international engineers and scientists, among them Nobel Prize winners. Lima and her students work with East Baton Rouge Parish public school students, teachers, parents, and administrators to design, implement and raise funds for "dream playgrounds" created by elementary school students. Her service-learning project goal is to design and build a safe playground for every parish public school, all of which will be accessible to children with disabilities and will incorporate the children’s own creativity. To date, Lima and her students have designed and/or constructed 13 playgrounds with the assistance of numerous community groups and funding agencies.
For more information about this project, please contactRoxanne Dill at LSU Center for Community Engagement, Louisiana State University,B-31 Coates Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, rdill1@lsu.edu - http://www.ccell.lsu.edu - http://appl003.lsu.edu/unv002.nsf/0/2d45d7e74071d4ea
86257410005120d4?OpenDocument.
2008 Summit on Indigenous Service Learning: Service
Learning and Storytelling a Native Education Model
On April 30, 2008 - May 3, 2008, the Center for Service Learning hosted a second conference
entitled the 2008 Summit on Indigenous Service Learning: Service
Learning and Storytelling a Native Education Model. This 3 day
conference was attended by more than over 90 people from all over the US
including from as far as Hawaii, South Dakota, Montana. One of the highlights
of the event was the place-based experience - a model unknown to most
conferences, where participant had the opportunity to experience the
"place" in which the event is hosted. Guests and locals alike got to
pull canoe, weave cedar, do beadwork, and make drums. In the evening
everyone enjoyed a cultural feast, visited with local elders and
storytelling by open fire on the Lummi campus.
The conference also offered formal education workshops that focused on storytelling and service-learning. Keynote speakers were Roger Fernandes and Tracy Rector who inspired all who attended to teach using traditional and contemporary methods of storytelling both to preserve indigenous cultural heritage and address critical social issues in Native American communities. The conference was wrapped up on Friday by the closing speaker John Guffey whose message was the importance of honoring the cultural significance of service-learning in your community. This Highly Successful Summit was followed by the Honoring Indian Education Pow Wow, where participants enjoyed traditional drumming and dancing.
For more information about this event, please contact: Michelle J. Vendiola, Director of the Center for Service Learning, Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, WA 98226, 360-392-4300, mvendiola@nwic.edu, http://www.nwic.edu/csl.
On April 30, 2008 - May 3, 2008, the Center for Service Learning hosted a second conference
entitled the 2008 Summit on Indigenous Service Learning: Service
Learning and Storytelling a Native Education Model. This 3 day
conference was attended by more than over 90 people from all over the US
including from as far as Hawaii, South Dakota, Montana. One of the highlights
of the event was the place-based experience - a model unknown to most
conferences, where participant had the opportunity to experience the
"place" in which the event is hosted. Guests and locals alike got to
pull canoe, weave cedar, do beadwork, and make drums. In the evening
everyone enjoyed a cultural feast, visited with local elders and
storytelling by open fire on the Lummi campus.
The conference also offered formal education workshops that focused on storytelling and service-learning. Keynote speakers were Roger Fernandes and Tracy Rector who inspired all who attended to teach using traditional and contemporary methods of storytelling both to preserve indigenous cultural heritage and address critical social issues in Native American communities. The conference was wrapped up on Friday by the closing speaker John Guffey whose message was the importance of honoring the cultural significance of service-learning in your community. This Highly Successful Summit was followed by the Honoring Indian Education Pow Wow, where participants enjoyed traditional drumming and dancing.
For more information about this event, please contact: Michelle J. Vendiola, Director of the Center for Service Learning, Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, WA 98226, 360-392-4300, mvendiola@nwic.edu, http://www.nwic.edu/csl.
Domestic Violence Gets ‘Old’ for San Antonio College Learn and Serve Project (A Learn and Serve America Grantee)
Student Alejandro Gonzalez at San Antonio College in San Antonio, Texas, presents his Domestic Violence Awareness Month poster to the Task Force Against Domestic Violence and Capitol One Bank. The poster, which is displayed in all Capitol One branches, highlights awareness of violence against seniors who are at risk of being abused. Brook Rosser's Visual Arts and Technology class worked with the Task Force as a service-learning project, with funding from a Learn and Serve America Grant.
As a result of the service-learning project, Capitol One Bank is posting this poster and its companion brochure in all of its San Antonio branches and San Antonio College (through their Learn and Serve America grant) is doing the same throughout the city of San Antonio. Capitol One bank was so moved by the poster’s message - that domestic violence occurs at all ages and seniors are just as likely to become victims as any other age group - that they also donated $50,000 to the Not Forgotten Coalition to help fund training for volunteers working with seniors.
Shown in the photo is a Deborah C. Parrott from the Family Justice Center, Jane Shafer from the Family Assistance Crisis Team; Yvonne Lozano, SAC Faculty in Gerontology; student Alejandro Gonzalez; Brook Rosser, SAC Faculty in Visual Arts and Technology who assigned the project; and Audrey Grams, San Antonio College Service-Learning Coordinator and Learn and Serve Project Director.
You can download a news clip of the event (7500K mpg).
For more information about this project, please contact Audrey Grams at San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78212-4299, agrams@mail.accd.edu.
Student Alejandro Gonzalez at San Antonio College in San Antonio, Texas, presents his Domestic Violence Awareness Month poster to the Task Force Against Domestic Violence and Capitol One Bank. The poster, which is displayed in all Capitol One branches, highlights awareness of violence against seniors who are at risk of being abused. Brook Rosser's Visual Arts and Technology class worked with the Task Force as a service-learning project, with funding from a Learn and Serve America Grant.
As a result of the service-learning project, Capitol One Bank is posting this poster and its companion brochure in all of its San Antonio branches and San Antonio College (through their Learn and Serve America grant) is doing the same throughout the city of San Antonio. Capitol One bank was so moved by the poster’s message - that domestic violence occurs at all ages and seniors are just as likely to become victims as any other age group - that they also donated $50,000 to the Not Forgotten Coalition to help fund training for volunteers working with seniors.
Shown in the photo is a Deborah C. Parrott from the Family Justice Center, Jane Shafer from the Family Assistance Crisis Team; Yvonne Lozano, SAC Faculty in Gerontology; student Alejandro Gonzalez; Brook Rosser, SAC Faculty in Visual Arts and Technology who assigned the project; and Audrey Grams, San Antonio College Service-Learning Coordinator and Learn and Serve Project Director.
You can download a news clip of the event (7500K mpg).
For more information about this project, please contact Audrey Grams at San Antonio College, 1300 San Pedro Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78212-4299, agrams@mail.accd.edu.
French Students Add Flair to the Festival of Nations
Almost twenty students in Frances Chevalier’s Advanced Composition, Coversation, and Translation course contributed to the Crown Point (NY) Historical Society's Festival of Nations. Students researched Champlain’s exploration of New France, the French heritage of the Champlain Valley region, and the relationship between the native Americans and early French explorers. They prepared French lessons and visual aids and learned early French songs that were popular at the time of Champlain's arrival to the region. During the Festival, September 15-17, 2006, the students and Professor Chevalier performed French songs, judged an art and sculpting contest for middle schoolers, taught French language lessons, and gave tours of the Champlain Memorial and the attached sculpture by Auguste Rodin, "La France."
"The students performed superbly, giving tours of the Champlain Memorial, instructing in French, and judging the sculpture contest," said Michelle Barber, Service-Learning Coordinator. "Our students seemed to enjoy the day, as did the youth and their parents participating in the Festival. I could tell it was a success when, on numerous occasions, Fran's students asked me if there were other service-learning projects in which they or their classes could get involved."
Class Syllabus (74K pdf).
For more information about this project, please contact Michelle Barber at Norwich University Service-Learning Program, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield, VT 05663, mbarber@norwich.edu.
Almost twenty students in Frances Chevalier’s Advanced Composition, Coversation, and Translation course contributed to the Crown Point (NY) Historical Society's Festival of Nations. Students researched Champlain’s exploration of New France, the French heritage of the Champlain Valley region, and the relationship between the native Americans and early French explorers. They prepared French lessons and visual aids and learned early French songs that were popular at the time of Champlain's arrival to the region. During the Festival, September 15-17, 2006, the students and Professor Chevalier performed French songs, judged an art and sculpting contest for middle schoolers, taught French language lessons, and gave tours of the Champlain Memorial and the attached sculpture by Auguste Rodin, "La France." "The students performed superbly, giving tours of the Champlain Memorial, instructing in French, and judging the sculpture contest," said Michelle Barber, Service-Learning Coordinator. "Our students seemed to enjoy the day, as did the youth and their parents participating in the Festival. I could tell it was a success when, on numerous occasions, Fran's students asked me if there were other service-learning projects in which they or their classes could get involved." Class Syllabus (74K pdf). For more information about this project, please contact Michelle Barber at Norwich University Service-Learning Program, 158 Harmon Dr., Northfield, VT 05663, mbarber@norwich.edu.
