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ECU Faculty SpotlightDr. Beverly WrightCollege of Business

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Calls for PapersGrants & Funding Opportunities

Conferences & Events

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Hot TopicsPublications of Interest

Quarterly Reflection Activity

S e r v i c e - L e a r n i n gQuarterlyA publication of the

Volunteer and Service-Learning Center

Community Partner Spotlight

Adaptive Sports

Sponsored by Arc of Pitt County, PGSA, and Greenville Parks and Recreation, Adaptive Sports offers

Challenger Baseball and TOP Soccer. Challenger Baseball is a program for mentally and physically disabled youth to enjoy the full benefits of Little League participation in an athletic environment structured to their abilities. The game of base-ball is adapted to allow each child to play at his or her level of ability and provides the experience of team play and baseball on the Little League field. Players wear the same uniforms, use the same equipment, and play on the same field as other little league divisions. Buddies assist the players where needed during the game. TOP Soccer uses the same adaptive methods

as Challenger Baseball.

Challenger Baseball is played from late April until mid-sum-mer, and TOP Soccer is played from September through November. Under the direction of Dr. John Harer, ECU

Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology, Adaptive Sports regularly partners with service-learning courses to meet the needs of its constituents. ECU

faculty interested in exploring future service-learningpartnerships with Adaptive Sports future should contact the

VSLC at least one semester in advance.

Next Spotlight: Lenior County Migrant Ed. Program

What’s New in the VSLC?

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center provides consistent one-on-one support for faculty members engaged in service-learning pedagogy. From identifying course relevant community partnerships, to in-class service-learning orientations and hour tracking, the VSLC is here to ensure successful experiences for all constituents. The VSLC is now offering the following resources for ECU faculty:

• End of semester hour reports specific to your needs and timelines. The VSLC will verify and compile student timesheets and return a fully detailed report based on faculty selected timelines. Our reports eliminate the end of semester paper shuffle, and allow the VSLC to provide students timely and accurate documentation of their hours for professional development purposes.

• Online access to the VSLC end-of-semester service-learning survey for students. Using the online format means faculty receive their survey summary digitally in easy-to-read reports as soon as the last student completes the survey. The VSLC also offers community partner surveys.

• Access to more than 141 community partners across Eastern North Carolina. The VSLC can arrange faculty/student site visits, projects, exploratory meetings and more, all with community partners educated on service-learning pedagogy, and dedicated to successful experiential learning.

• Access to dozens of reflection activites and writing prompts via email or hardcopy

Service-Learning Quarterly Page 2

Fac

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“If we want our students to lead creative,

productive, responsible lives, we must give them

opportunities to learn in ways that have

consequences for others, as well as for themselves.

-Judith Ramaley

Beverly Wright, Assistant Professor in the College of Business, has utilized service-learning pedagogy in her Marketing Research (MKTG 4662) classes since Spring Semester 2006. Since then, Wright’s students have successfully created nearly two dozen high quality marketing information reports for local non-profits including Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center, the Humane Society of Eastern North Carolina, and the American Red Cross Blood Services. MKTG 4662 uses optional, project-based service-learning, with students completing information reports during the course of one semester.

Why do you choose to use service-learning in your classroom? Offering service-learning in Marketing Research benefits my students, the local community and our university. In addition to applying their knowledge from class, students develop an understanding of the importance and rewards associated with helping to serve the community in business-oriented ways. The not-for-profit agencies in the local community are able to gain meaningful, actionable insights for important marketing decisions based on data that they may not have otherwise been able to collect, analyze and interpret. As a result, the university is able to develop stronger bonds with the community and benefit from more well-rounded, service-oriented business students.

What types of reflection do you use throughout the semester? I meet with my students in groups several times throughout the semester. We discuss their progress and their observations about working with VSLC organizations. Some of my regular questions include, “What part of working with an s-l partner might have made the project more or less challenging, and were there special considerations for working with a non profit organization compared to a for profit company?”

In your opinion, how can faculty best facilitate successful community partnerships?Communication, understanding and collaboration are the keys to working successfully with community partners.

How do you prepare your students for service-learning?I work with my students throughout the semester to coach them and help them understand the perspectives of their community partner organizations.

What challenges have you experienced with service-learning? How have you overcome those chal-lenges?What I really want to portray to others... is this: your course does not need to require service-learning in order for you to incorporate service -learning into your curriculum. The course does not have to be about service to the community. Even a course that involves unrelated concepts can still incorporate aspects of service-learning, and non-traditional service-learning courses can still find ways to give to the community.

What is the most rewarding aspect of service-learning?I enjoy having representatives from the community organization visit our class and work with our students. Their interaction with us is extremely important and valuable for helping students grow and helping the College of Business become even more service oriented. I am thrilled when I hear about how the organization used our information also.

What tips would you give to faculty interested in using service-learning in the future?It may seem like an incredibly difficult task but working with VSLC and our community partners is extraordinarily rewarding for all parties involved.

Quarterly Reflection Activity

Deconstructing StereotypesCress, C.M. (2005). Learning Through Serving. Sterling,

VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

This activity is particularly helpful about a third of the way through the semester. It can be done in class, or as an outside assignment. Provide students the following instructions:

You may choose to complete this activity in a variety of ways. You might create a collage, using visual and/or word images clipped from magazines and newspapers to create a representation of those persons you are serving in your community partnership. You might pay particular attention to the ways that those you are serving are shown in the broadcast media, including film, television, and the radio, by watching and listening to several shows and making notes about what you see and hear. After you have spent some time intentionally engaging with the images in popular media that connect with the group you are serving, respond to the following questions:

• How do these images represent stereotypes about the community you are serving?

• How are the stereotypes about this group reinforced in the media? How do the media negatively portray this group?

• How are the stereotypes about this group challenged in the media? How do the media positively portray this group?

• How do these images connect with your own experience of this group, and how are they different?

• How has course theory affected your experience with this group? Please give specific examples.

Visual images created by students can be presented to the group in class, digitally displayed on a class website, and/or explained in a journal or essay. Visual assignments stimulate conversation among students and present an open environment to accomodate varied learning styles and personalities.

Publications of Interest

What’s New?

Bowen, G. (2007) Reflection Methods and Activities for Service-Learning: A Student Manual and Workbook. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Tannenbaum, S. (2008) Research, Advocacy and Political Engagement. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Clarkson, J. (2008) In Safe Hands: A Global Concept of Service Learning in Higher Education. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishgin, LLC.

Zlotkowski, E. (2006) Students as Colleagues: Expanding the Circle of Service-Learning Leadership. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.

Service-Learning Quarterly Page 3

Hot Topics

“How many service-learning hours do I require for my students?” Unfortunately, no magic formula exists to calculate how many hours to require of students to ensure the best possible learning experience. The following are standard recommendations made by the VSLC based on national standards, and supported by our community partners.

• Students needing fewer than 10 hours of service should rarely serve directly within a community agency Rather, they should identify one-time events or special projects so as not to burden the agency.

• S-L courses at ECU require an average 10-25 hours per semetster, though some project-based requirements have generated 50+ hours per student.

• Nationally, students are averaging 5 hours of service per week. Campus Compact. (2008). 2007 Service Statistics: Highlights and Trends of Campus Compact’s Annual Membership Survey. Providence, RI: Campus Compact.

Conferences and Events

8th International Research Conference on Service-Learning and Community EngagementOctober 25-28, 2008, Marriott New Orleans at the Convention Center

http://www.researchslce.org/Files/2008Conference/Conference_Main.html

2008 NC Campus Compact Student ConferenceNovember 8, 2008, High Point University, High Point, NC

http://www.nccampuscompact.org

MLK Day of ServiceJanuary 19, 2009, East Carolina University, Sponsored by the VSLC

More information TBA: http://www.ecu.edu/vslc

2008 P.A.C.E. (Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement) ConferenceFebruary 11, 2009, Elon University, Elon, NC

http://org.elon.edu/nccc/events/slc.html

13th Annual Institute: Service-Learning and Civic EngagementFebruary 12-13, 2009, Crown Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI

http://www.micampuscompact.org/Institute.asp

Service-Learning Quarterly Page 4Calls for Papers

Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning

The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning seeks papers at the cutting edge of research, theory, pedagogy s related to academic service-learning, campus-community partnerships, and engaged/public scholarship in higher education that extend the knowledge base and support and strength-en practitioners’ work. A one-page abstract or précis is due by December 20 by e-mail, fax or mail to the editor. Invitations to submit a complete paper will be mailed in January.

Additional Publishing Outlets:http://compact.org/resources/service-learning_re-sources/publishing_outlets/

Grants and Funding Opportunities

The Arthur B. Schultz Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life on earth through

support of wildlands conservation, disabled recreation and mobility, international

microenterprise, and global understanding. The Foundation’s grantmaking priorities include

organizations supporting outdoor adventure opportunities for the disabled in the U.S. and programs providing wheelchairs for the needy

overseas. Letters of inquiry may be submitted at any time.

For more information visit: http://www.absfoundation.org/

Mark Your Calendars!6th Annual ECU

Conference on Service-LearningFebruary 19, 2009

Featuring Dr. Garry Hesser

More information available soon at: www.ecu.edu/vslc

Fall Edition2008

Volunteer and Service-Learning Center

Old Cafeteria Complex

252.328.2735 (phone) 252.328.0139 (fax)

www.ecu.edu/vslc • vslc@ecu.edu