Week 1 Discussion

Introduction to Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

As we begin this journey together over the next eight weeks, it is imperative to understand the key concepts incorporated within the course, as well as the overall purpose of taking the course. As President John F. Kennedy has been quoted, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Service-learning versus volunteering: Aren’t they one and the same?  The correct answer is “no” as there are differences.   Volunteering allows for activities which place the emphasis on the recipient.  (Providing meals at the local homeless shelter places the emphasis on the recipient being fed for that particular meal.) Service-learning activities differ from volunteering in the INTENT involved.  This intent with service-learning utilizes intellectual capacities which in turn address problems within the community. (There is a growing number of homeless individuals in the community – what activities can be performed to address this problem?)

Following this example, we can see that service learning allows us to become an educated community member and problem-solver through serving and collaboratively reflecting on the meaning and purpose of the activities put into that service.  The entire purpose of service-learning is therefore learning to grow in skills and knowledge because these assets are being brought to real-world problems.

As we evaluate these skills, we need to have the understanding of civic capacity.  This is knowing how to APPLY our knowledge and skills to the community challenges we are analyzing.  This capacity is developed when we are able to look deeper at the connection between academic knowledge and experience.

Putting each of these concepts together, service-learning, therefore impacts our community positively in order to address societal and political challenges, and generate the positive changes necessary for both individuals and within the system we are looking to change.

Preview of Your Final Project

Over the next few weeks we will be learning about service learning and investigating a community organization.  You will begin to put this information together to evaluate the role of the community organization that you have chosen.  You will support your ideas with the literature resources that you have found. 

You have three options in how you can present your final project:

As a Paper

Your paper should be creative and interesting, and demonstrate what you have learned.  It should be a minimum of 5-7 pages in length and you will use APA style formatting with a title page and reference section.  You should use Times New Roman, 12pt. font, double-space your lines, and set your page up with one inch margins (See the APA Template included in the Course Resources folder)

As a Presentation

Like the paper option, your presentation should be creative, interesting, and demonstrate what you have learned throughout the project. Your presentation should be 8 to 10 minutes in length, include visual elements (graphics, pictures, etc.), be presented using a program such as PowerPoint or Prezi, and you should record yourself giving the presentation (consider using screen capture programs such as JING or Eyejot to record your voice—be aware, you may need to create more than one file).

As a Speech

As it is in the other two options, your speech should be creative, interesting, and demonstrate what you have learned throughout the project.  Your speech should be 8 to 10 minutes in length and include a typed handout. 

For All Assignment Types

Your assignment should be well-organized and demonstrate an orderly flow of information that clearly addresses the subject chosen.  In addition to the above criteria, your final project should include the following elements:

· The Community Organization: Clearly indicate the focus of the organization and the community needs that the organization. A brief historical background of the organization should also be included.

· Discuss any community partnerships that they have.  Suggest additional partnerships that you feel they should have.

· Explore how the cross-cultural challenges and humanitarian considerations are involved.

· Demonstrate how the organization uses volunteers and the economic benefits associated with this (not just “free labor”).

· Illustrate any roadblocks that the organization has faced or potential could face and how they did or might find solutions.

· Describe the organization’s vision for the future.

· Indicate what areas in which you feel the organization could improve.  What challenges (technological, political, economic, laws and regulations, community-based initiatives, educational, etc.) will they need to overcome?

· Discuss potential ways you might be able to contribute to the organization.  How could your own interests, talents, and skills benefit this organization?

Note: You will need to include a minimum of ten (10) sources to support your project claims. Additionally, make sure the sources you choose are no more than five (5) years old.

Criteria:

· Title your Project

· Introduction: Begin with the attention-getter, tie in the background information, and end the introduction with your thesis. 

· Body:

·

. Clearly identify the topic of each section. The topic must be a statement, not a question, and should begin with your own ideas and your own words.

. After identifying your topic, use quotations or paraphrase from your sources to help illustrate the point you are making (be sure to identify the author(s) and source(s)).

. After you have given support, spend a sentence or two explaining how the example(s) support the section topic.

. A compilation of your research, your literature review, your methods,  (how the data was collected or generated and analyzed), and your results should be included in the body of your project.

· Conclusion:

·

. Restate your thesis.  This means that you say about the same thing as you did in your thesis, but you say it differently. 

. After stating your thesis, restate the topics from each of your body sections and emphasize what is important for your audience/readers to remember.

. End your conclusion with a call to action that illustrates what your audience/readers should do with the information you presented.

Please note: You will have the opportunity to revise and perfect this project, but you should do your best to make each step as complete as possible so you can receive more relevant and constructive feedback from your instructor and your peers.