Service-Learning: A Student’s Perspective 2004 Gulf South Summit Pamela E. Owens Fred Geary Stuart Feilden

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Student Perspective I Pamela Owens  Student Advisory Council President  Senior: Family, Child, and Consumer Sciences

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning Experience English 1002 :  Writing About Service and Issues American Red Cross Women and Gender Studies 2500 :  Gender Roles Then and Now St. Claire’s Manor Nursing Home

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning Experience English 2123 :  Interdisciplinary Learning Community Project Bluebonnet Swamp and Nature Center English 2027 :  Power and Perspective in Poetry Connections for Life Thrift Store

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

Why Do Students Get Involved? Former students recommend it Meet interesting people Involved in service Make a difference in the world

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Why Do Students Stay Involved? Learn about problems that YOU will have to solve Build your resume for job market Get into graduate schools Feeling of satisfaction

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Reinforcing Academic Goals Works for different learning styles Combines lecture with hands on experience Remember what you learn - 5 senses Learning is interesting and fun

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Average Retention for Learning Activities (Source: National Training Laboratories, Bethel, ME)

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Success in other academic courses Carry over learning strategies Reduces stress PARE Model Preparation Action Reflection Evaluation

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Summary: Help Students Get Involved and Stay Involved Learn by doing  Increases knowledge  Increases motivation Improvements in other courses Prospects for the future

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Questions What strategies does your institution use to maintain student involvement? What kind of incentives are used or are appropriate to encourage students/faculty to participate in Service-Learning? What barriers exist at your institution to starting a Service-Learning course and how might you overcome them? How are faculty and students at your institution rewarded for participating in a Service-Learning class?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What strategies does your institution use to maintain student involvement?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What kind of incentives are used or are appropriate to encourage faculty to participate in Service-Learning?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What barriers exist at your institution in starting a Service-Learning course and how might you overcome them?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership How are faculty and students at your institution rewarded for participating in a Service-Learning class?

Service-Learning: A Student’s Perspective II Fred J. Geary Former President Student Advisory Council

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Background Management Major Senior Service-Learning Classes  English 1001: Exploratory Writing  English 1002: Persuasive Writing Service-Learning Student Advisory Council

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership English 1001 Nature Conservancy  Preserving Louisiana’s Last Great Places  Journals

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership English 1002 Carver Library  Library Assistant

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Carver Library  Reading Program  Journals

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service-Learning Student Advisory Council Promotion Service Events Recognition Celebration

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Promotion Classroom Presentations First Year Orientation Spring Testing Scheduling Links

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership 140 Classes in 35 departments Horticulture Spanish Theater Math Human Ecology Chemistry

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service Events Old South Baton Rouge

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Service Events Old South Baton Rouge  MLK Commemoration Day  McKinley High School  Cemetery Restoration

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Celebration Community Partners Faculty Students

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership 360 o Communication Promote Awareness Communicate Experiences Gather New Ideas Establish Relationships

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Leadership Development Intrapersonal Communication Networking Public Speaking Teamwork Organization

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Questions What marketing strategies would you use to engage student interest in S-L? What are some ways to facilitate further student involvement in S-L beyond the classroom? How do you recognize completion of S-L courses?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What marketing strategies would you use to engage student interest in Service-Learning?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What are some ways to facilitate further student involvement in Service-Learning beyond the classroom?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership How do you recognize completion of Service-Learning courses?

Service-Learning: A Student’s Perspective III Stuart P. Feilden Secretary, Student Advisory Council

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Theme How does Service-Learning prepare students for the job market? 1. My background 2. My S-L experience 3. Successful work-related skills & behaviors 4. Service-Learning on the Resume

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership 1. My Background Age = 24 Hometown = Kenner, LA Senior in Biological Engineering  Louisiana State University Accepted job offer in January 2004  Construction Sales Engineer  Houston, TX  Johnson Controls, Inc.

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Year: Un-motivated Un-engaged Highly-motivated, Engaged Service-Learning Playground Project President of BE Student Organization Dean’s List: 4 semesters Chancellor’s Honor Roll: 2 semesters Ethically/Civically Conscious Offered a Sales Engineer Position Academic Probation

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership 2. My Service-Learning Experience Biological Engineering 1252  Dr. Marybeth Lima The Community Need: To build a playground for a local public school  Safe, accessible  Promote physical, mental and social growth of its children  Provide a comfortable environment for community members to gather

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Success!

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership

Dr. Lima

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership 3.Successful Work-Related Skills & Behaviors Behaviors (Habits): Taking the Initiative Pride Civic Responsibility Skills: Leadership Organization Management * Arrow = Strengthens & Promotes

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership 4. Service-Learning on the Resume Evaluated and consolidated several initial engineering designs into final specifications for several playground construction projects, applying ADA and CPSC standards. Wrote and presented PowerPoint presentations to community groups to attain feedback on initial playground designs, communicated with community members to identify specific needs and incorporated information into the engineering design Managed student volunteers at three playground construction sites

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Questions How do you as instructors put students in the situation to take an initiative (assume leadership responsibility)? What other classroom techniques may allow for the work-related skills and behaviors to develop? How can you prepare students to accept civic responsibility on the job? Skills → Habits. How can you reinforce this relationship in the context of Service-Learning as preparation for the job market?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership How do you as instructors put students in situations to take an initiative (assume leadership responsibility)?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership What other classroom techniques may allow for the work-related skills and behaviors to develop?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership How can you prepare students to accept civic responsibility on the job?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Skills → Habits. How can you reinforce this relationship in the context of Service-Learning as preparation for the job market?

© LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership Evaluation What do you want to say to us? Thank You!