Community Engaged Scholars

Public Service Project WorkshopCommunity Engaged Scholars

This workshop is primarily to help you understand whats needed to graduate as a Community Engaged Scholar, especially the Public Service Project

All questions are welcome!

You must pass a quiz with a grade of 70% or higher to receive credit. Overview

Complete six hours of course credit in Service-Learning Designated Courses, earning a B- or higher

Take the workshop (receive a 70% or higher on the quiz)

Complete a Public Service ProjectSteps to Becoming a Community Engaged Scholar

Be certain that you are ready to work hard!

There is an expectation that your project will reflect a significant effort Before (planning, researching, meeting)During (working on the project) After (writing, sharing results)Public Service Project: Before you begin!

Service-learning has undergraduates actively engage in well-organized direct service, projects and research in ways that respond to community-identified needs and enhance the wellbeing of people and places while allowing students to reflect and learn about the connections between their courses and their work.Service-Learning

Steps to Public Service project

Find a community partner who is willing to collaborate with you on identifying an area of need and helping to plan a project to address that need

For example . Your community partners mission is to end chronic homelessness in Asheville. The organization needs help planning a benefit to raise funds to support the work of the organization. Also, for grant writing purposes, it would be helpful for them to know statistics about Ashevilles homeless community and how they compare to the state and national statistics.Public Service Project Step 1: Identifying a community partner

Public Service Project Step 2: Define your project

Public Service Project Step 2: define your projectIf you are doing a product project, explicitly name what it is (i.e. resource manual, documentary, art project, etc.).

Its highly advisable at this point to do or have done some research about your topic.

You will be expected to have references from scholarly sources in your paper for the Key Center Journal but those references should guide your work, not just be window dressing.

Of course, you can use your expertise to help shape the work. *You are creating a partnership.

Public Service Project Step 3: Research & Academic Ties

10You also need an academic advisor.

If your project is growing out of a class, it should be that professor.

Otherwise, a professor who has the ability to help you guide the project due to his/her expertise on the issue is needed. It is possible to have more than one academic advisor.

Public Service Project Step 3: Research & Academic Ties

11Once the nature of the project is settled, complete the application for a project. Link to application document http://keycenter.unca.edu/forms

The Key Centers Advisory Council will review your application and may make suggestions to help guide you to a successful project. Public Service Project Step 4: Complete the application

12IRBs or Institutional Review Boards exist to protect human participants in research.

If your project involves any systematic collection of data from people to answer a question, you most likely need UNCAs IRB to review and approve your study.

Your faculty advisor should have completed the course modules required to submit an IRB application.

Depending on the nature of the study, it could take weeks for approval, so plan ahead.

More information about the process and the forms needed are available at www.unca.edu/irb. Institutional review board

The most important point is to consult with others particularly your community partner and faculty advisor, should difficulties or dilemmas arise.

Can you think of any examples of difficulties you might encounter?Ethics

Once you have received approval you may implement you project! Step 5: Implement the ProjectAfter the work of the project is done, youll need to:

Write a report of a minimum of 5,000 words that includes:explanations of the project's originsthe methods and work undertaken, ties between the work and your academic field(s)challenges faced and methods usedthe resultsthe likelihood of sustainability of the workconclusion discussing implications of the project for the community partner and for my field of study

This report can be adapted from a class report or report for the agency, but cannot simply be copied for the Key Center Journal, where it will be published. It should include scholarly sources, usually at least 10, which should be referenced at the papers end.

Step 6: Final tasks*Public Service Project:Final paper

After the work of the project is done, youll need to:

Receive the endorsement of the community partner, academic advisor and department chair. (signed completion form)

Have the report undergo a review by a faculty member who is not your advisor and make any recommended changes.

Present the project at an end-of-semester poster session on campus (see Key Center website for info on posters).

Public Service Project:FINAL STAGESPublic service project:question & answer