Faculty and administrators attending the Associated New American Colleges (ANAC) Summer Institute shared stories of innovation in service learning on June 13. Details...
Representatives from Belmont University, Ithaca College and Elon University discussed the many ways that service-learning programs are flourishing on their campuses.
Pam Kiser, Watts-Thompson professor in the department of human services and service-learning faculty development fellow, discussed Elon’s Kernodle Center for Service-Learning. The number of people involved in organizing academic service-learning is one of the main strengths of the program.
Elon sociology professor Angela Jones described the Mentoring Violence Prevention program, a program she started with Family Abuse Services. The program was funded by a Community Partnership Initiative grant. Elon students made class visits to area ninth grade students to encourage the students to help reduce sexual violence, harassment and abuse. Not only did the high school students learn from this program, but Elon students also felt fulfilled by the work they had done.
“Students felt they had done something meaningful,” Jones said of her students’ experiences.
Kim Boggs, associate professor of chemistry and director of the teaching center at Belmont University, discussed the community partnership Belmont has with Magdalene House, a residential program for women with criminal records of prostitution or drug-addiction. Belmont has four different groups of students working with Magdalene House tutoring, gardening, raising campus awareness of the program, as well as participating in other activities with the residents of Magdalene House.
Representatives from Ithaca College discussed a partnership with Longview, a senior citizens residence. Suzanne Morgan, associate professor of sociology and director of the center for faculty excellence, stressed the special relationship between Ithaca College and Longview. Programs range from a social bingo night to an informational gerontology workshop series.