Seventy-six Carroll Community College
students participated in service-learning projects as part of their
Spring 2004 coursework. Five Carroll faculty had included service-learning
options in fourteen sections of their courses in Spring 2004. Twenty
community organizations partnered with the college to offer these
service-learning opportunities to students.
Service learning is a teaching methodology that connects students'
academic learning in the classroom with students' service to community
partners outside the classroom. It is an active, experiential process
in which students learn through the integration of theory and practice.
Courses that incorporated Community Partnership Projects into their
curriculum for the Spring 2004 semester are described below.
PSYC
210: Human Development Through The Life Span (Instructor: Teresa
Sawyer)
The learning objective was to gain a greater understanding of
the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of
the individual through the life span. Students could elect to
serve 25 hours with an agency of their choice. They were required
to do some reflective journal writing and present a portfolio
presentation of their project. Students linked with Human Services
Programs of Carroll County, ARC of Carroll County, Meals on Wheels,
Bureau of Aging, Copper Ridge, Springfield, Carroll County Farm
Museum, South Carroll Senior Center, North Carroll Senior Center,
and CHANGE, Inc.
PSYC
205: Social Psychology (Instructor: Teresa Sawyer)
The learning objectives were to understand the methods used in
social psychology research to collect and interpret data, and
to better understand people, social relationships and attitudes.
The specific project for this class was to assist the Human Services
Programs (HSP) of Carroll County in collecting and interpreting
data on the homeless population in Carroll County. This involved
data collection at local soup kitchens (Westminster or Taneytown)
or homeless shelters (Westminster). Students wrote a paragraph
or two about the experience, and participated in related class
discussions. This project gave the students an opportunity to
apply interviewing skills, learn more about a serious social problem,
participate in data interpretation, and provide important assistance
to a local agency. With the students' help, HSP was able to increase
the number of surveys completed from 79 last year to 208 this
year. And learning took place. As one student stated, "Meeting
these people was a very eye-opening experience, as I was able
to gain a better understanding of the needy and homeless people
that live in our community. I now feel ashamed of some of the
assumptions that I've made over the years, saying that these people
are just lazy, and that they just need to find a job."
ENGL
101-75: Craft of Composition (Instructor: Siobhan Wright)
The learning objective was to produce unified, coherent, well-developed,
and well-organized essays that logically support a thesis. Students
that selected the Community Partnership Project interviewed a
client of a homeless shelter for the purposes of providing the
HSP with materials needed for future grant proposals or community
relations. A student who participated in the Community Partnership
Project commented that "This assignment was one of the best I've
ever done. I almost didn't do it because I am shy and get really
nervous around strangers. I was really uncomfortable about talking
to someone about being homeless. I'm really glad I did the interview,
because it showed me another perspective of life that I had never
thought of before."
HLTH
101:The Science and Theory of Health and Wellness (Instructors:
Mary Kemp and Wendy Stewart)
The learning objective was for students to learn about and promote
health and wellness within an underserved population within our
community. Students selecting the Community Partnership Project
performed 12 hours of service with a community partner agency
and submitted a final portfolio that shows and tells their own
personal story. Students partnered with Therapeutic Riding Program,
St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home, Patapsco State Park, North
Carroll Senior Center, and Habitat for Humanity.
THTR-115:
Introduction to Technical Theatre, THTR-110: Acting 1, THTR-125:
Theatre Practicum 1, THTR-126: Theatre Practicum 2, THTR-225: Theatre
Practicum 3 (Instructor: Don Elwell)
The learning objective was to plan, produce and perform a community
play. Students from various theater courses worked together to
produce all facets of Flamenia's Wedding, a classic 16th century
commedia del arte or largely improvised Italian comedy. The
performance was a collaborative effort with the Carroll County
Arts Council. Two vanloads from ARC of Carroll County, along with
personnel from local service agencies, enjoyed the free performance
at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster. Service learning at
Carroll Community College strives to meet the following three
goals: (1) integration of course or program learning objectives
with the service experience, (2) development of a lifelong commitment
to service and civic engagement and (3) fulfillment of an identified
need in the community.
Service learning can be an assignment in an academic course, service
performed by a student club or organization, or volunteerism of
individual students that incorporate learning and reflection about
the experience. At Carroll Community College, service-learning assignments
that are part of an academic course are known as Community Partnership
Projects.
Service-learning programs benefit students by enhancing academic
and interpersonal skill development, by fostering a greater sense
of civic and social responsibility, and by promoting a greater understanding
of people with a background different from one's own.
Incorporating service learning in the curriculum helps faculty
to bring a fresh approach and new energy to the course content,
to deepen student understanding through practical application, and
to strengthen faculty-student connections.
By forming partnerships with community agencies the college provides
an expanded network of trained volunteers and an increased awareness
and understanding of the community's needs. Carroll Community College
is grateful for the support of community agencies throughout the
region that are committed to supporting the educational endeavors
of its students.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Anne Davis
at the Center for Service Learning, 410-386-8413 or adavis@carrollcc.edu.
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