FACILITATING MEANINGFUL SERVICE REFLECTION Marianne Magjuka, M.Ed.

Why do we perform service?  Required by membership, class, or organization  Build resume  Help others  Build community  Religious, moral, or political convictions  “Because of how it makes me feel”

Why is service important?  Students who perform voluntary community service are 19 percentage points more likely to graduate from college than those that do not  Community service has a positive effect on: Leadership and communication skills Spiritual growth and moral development Cultural and racial understanding Career development Personal identity Commitment to the community and sense of belonging

Why is service important in Waco?  2008 Census reports that Waco is the fifth poorest city in the state of Texas  In 2007, the poverty rate for families in the city was 21.9 percent, almost double that of the national average  One in three children in Waco live in poverty

Why is reflection important?  start discussions  encourage creative thinking  facilitate communication  make meaning of service project

Reflection Strategies: Discussion  What? So What? Now What?  Step One: Literally, what happened? Descriptive, factual  What did I do at the agency? Facts, what happened and with whom?  What did you see, or feel? Describe your interactions.  What did I like/dislike about the agency?  What skills do I bring to the agency?  What issues does the agency engage?

 So What? Looks at the consequences of the service experience and gives meaning to it  Why do I serve?  Why did I choose this agency?  What have I learned about this issue or about life?  What have I learned about myself? What did the experience mean to me?  Did you make a difference? Why or why not?  How is this service related to my studies?  How is this service related to my career objectives?

 Now What? Where do we go from here?  What will I do differently next time?  What should society do about this issue?  What am I going to do about this issue?  How will this change the next week, month, or year of my life?  How has this service effected my life goals?  What more needs to be done?

Reflection Strategies: Discussion Discussion/Reflection Circle What were your expectations of the service project before you arrived there? Were your expectations met? What surprised you about the service project? If you were the person receiving our service today, how would you feel about needing our help? What have you learned about the Waco community today that you didn’t know before? What was the best/worst/most challenging thing that happened today? How has our service today addressed a social need in the community? Is this the kind of service we should consider doing again as an organization? If so, why? If not, why not?

Reflection Strategies: Quotes Quotes Do these comments represent your experience today? Are these comments sensitive to the people who we are serving? Can you identify with the emotions behind these statements? Why do you think the speaker made these comments? Imagine for a moment that a member of the host organization recorded these comments. What image of our organization would that person have? What image of Baylor would that person have? After hearing these comments read back to you, are you proud to be affiliated with our organization

Reflection Strategies: Taking Sides  Students gather by phrase with which they agree  Fun warm-up questions could include pop culture, current events, athletics  Once people are comfortable with this format, you can steer toward questions regarding your project  Can be modified with thumbs up

Reflection Strategies: Wall Exercise  Post newspaper clippings, stories, quotes, etc. around the room with blank sheets of paper on which members can write their reactions to the materials you have posted.  Be sure the materials pertain in some way to the topic you wish to discuss during reflection.  Have students silently walk around the room, reading the material and sharing their opinions.  When they are finished, select students to read the opinion papers aloud and discuss together

Reflection Strategies: Artistic  Community Mural  Scrapbook  Thank you cards  Banner or poster  Frame

Reflection Strategies: Online  Blackboard Discussion Board, Facebook Group, Blog  Create a dialogue  Write summaries and identify critical incidents that occurred at the service site.  Rotate as a moderator of the discussion every two weeks  Connect about issues at the sites, help each other solve problems, identify patterns, and have open discussions about societal issues

Reflection Strategies: Storytelling  Ask each member to tell a story from the service experience  Key phrase, picture, image or item