Sustainable Service-Learning Success Stories at Wayne State College

Defining Sustainable  The capacity to endure  The long-term responsible management of a resource or resources

Research on Sustainability in Service-Learning  Campus Compact. Indicators of Engagement  Cushman, E. (2002) Sustainable Service Learning Programs.  Robinson, G. (2000) Creating Sustainable Service Learning Programs: Lessons Learned from the Horizons Project,  Vogel, A., Seifer, S., Gelmon, S. (2010) What Influences the Long-Term Sustainability of Service-Learning? Lessons from Early Adopters.

Common Research Findings  Institutional mission and strategic plan  Resources and infrastructure  Integration into the curriculum course catalog, class schedule, transcript notation  High level administration support  Orientation opportunities for faculty, students, and partners  Recognition/celebration – Campus publicity/marketing  Faculty roles/rewards/development “Champions”  Community role/voice/  Evaluation

The ‘P’s of Sustainability  Planning and Preparation  Principles, Philosophy, and PASSION  People and Participation  Persistence and Practice  Project and Purpose  Partnerships and Perspective  Promotion  Program

Success Stories at Wayne State College Please meet the Champions of sustainability at WSC  Barbara Engebretsen  Laura Dendinger  Marilyn Mudge With many thanks to the State Chancellor, Board of Trustees, College President, Vice President of Academics Affairs, Deans, and numerous faculty/staff members, students, and community partners.

Barbara Engebretsen Health & Human Performance

Barbara Engebretsen HHPS “I have been using Service-Learning in some of my classes for many years now. At first it was an attempt to engage students with hands on applications of course material, and to serve others while doing it. But it has become much more. I tend to be a 'big picture' person, who needs to have a context from which my discipline of basic and applied physiology is given meaning. Serving others, being good citizens and translating academic details to big picture understanding, while collaborating with campus and community partners to find solutions to public health and environmental problems gives meaning and energy to what I am doing here. And I am convinced that it makes a difference in student growth as they develop into civic and professional leaders. “

The Bike Project Engebretsen is a great example of Philosophy and Passion Good health leads to so many positive outcomes. Student begin bicycling awareness campaign in Downtown ‘Main St.” bike racks 2008 Soles on Wheels, Earth Day and the Nebraska Lied Main Street Award Green Bike and Earth Day Bike sharing/Bike mentors

Fall Fall 2012

Laura Dendinger Business Communication

Laura Dendinger Business “Using service-learning in the classroom allows me to share my passion for giving back to the community with my students. The students see a real world example of communications in the workplace. We like to meet the client and know that our work will bring about good things for a nonprofit.”

The Non-Profit Work It begins in the fall 2001 And the winner is….. Dr. Laura Barelman integrated service-learning in her Strategic Communications class in Fall She has 75 students developing fundraising and general communication pieces for Habitat for Humanity, Haven House and the Columbus Animal Shelter. Dendinger exemplifies passion and purposeful work, combined with community and curriculum perspective. Serving on boards and committees in the community and on the Service-Learning Advisory Committee since 2004.

Marilyn Mudge -Education

Marilyn Mudge Education “The service learning component of EDU 430 Literacy Assessment provides students with authentic, yet supervised learning opportunities. Every semester students comment on how much they have learned from administering a variety of assessments and then interpreting the results to provide appropriate instruction. I cannot imagine teaching this course without the service learning activities.”

Literacy Assessments WSC students enrolled in Marilyn Mudge’s Literacy Assessment courses have been assisting area schools for over a decade by providing needed elementary student assessments. Literally, saving the schools both monetary funds and time, while WSC future teachers receive hands on experience in an authentic classroom setting. Mudge reports, “I have teachers who participated as students now participating as classroom teachers. Almost every semester some former students report using one or more of the same assessments or similar assessments in their own classrooms.” Mudge is a model for persistence, purposeful, and preparation.

Challenges to Sustainability  Competing priorities  Time, risk, committment  The match between course goals and community need (relevancy)  Turnover  Growth  Funding  Burnout

WSC Service-Learning CHAMPIONS

Birds on Wire Moral of the story?

Good Intentions Five Birds and Good Intentions Five birds are sitting on a telephone wire. Two decide to fly south. How many are left? Most people would say three. Actually, all five are left. You see, deciding to fly isn’t the same as doing it. If a bird really wants to go somewhere, it’s got to point itself in the right direction, jump off the wire, flap its wings, and keep flapping until it gets there. So it is with most things. Good intentions aren’t enough. It’s not what we want, say, or think that makes things happen; it’s what we do. So the key to sustainable Service-Learning is in the doing

References Campus Compact. (n.d.). Indicators of Engagement. Cushman, E. (2002). Sustainable service learning programs. College Composition and Communications. 54 (1),40-65 Robinson, G. (2000). Creating sustainable service learning programs: Lessons learned from the horizons project, American Association of Community Colleges. Project brief, 1-12 Vogel, A., Seifer, S. Days, K. (2010). Mazimizing the long-term sustainability of service-learning: Lessons from a study of early adopters. Community-Campus Partnerships for Health. Presentation Vogel, A., Seifer, S., Gelmon, S. (2010). What influences the long-term sustainability of service-Learning? Lessons from early apopters. Michigan Journal of Community Service-Learning 17 (1),

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