Transcript Engaging Your Community: One University’s Model

Transforming Classroom
Instruction into Professional
Practice: Bass Fishing or
Dodgeball Anyone?
Fred Gibson, Ph.D.
Raymond Poff, Ph.D.
Tammie Stenger-Ramsey, Ed.D.
Derek Hottell, M.S. Candidate
Civic Engagement
• Individual and collective actions designed to
identify and address issues of public concern
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individual volunteerism
organizational involvement
directly address an issue
work with others in a
community to solve
a problem
Pew Charitable Trusts (2005)
Similar Concepts
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Service learning
Community engagement
Community service
Volunteerism
Community partnerships
Paraprofessional experiences:
– Internship
– Practicum
– Contact hours
WKU Mission
• Western Kentucky University prepares students to
be productive engaged leaders in a global society. It
provides service and lifelong learning opportunities
for its constituents. WKU is responsible for
stewarding a high quality of life throughout its
region.
Engagement
• Students will engage with communities other
than their own in purposeful learning activities
that explicitly address their capacity and
responsibility to contribute to society. WKU QEP (2005) p 8
Engagement
• Students will demonstrate their capacity to apply
knowledge and training to address relevant concerns in
community or society
• Students will demonstrate respect for diversity of
peoples, ideas, and cultures
• Students will demonstrate awareness of their
opportunities as responsible citizens living and working
in a global society
WKU QEP (2005)
Engagement at WKU
Engaging students for success
in a global society
• In the classroom
• Scholarly activity
• Application of knowledge
• Community other than own
Recreation & Sport Administration
• We address civic
initiatives both inside and
outside the classroom
• We believe that civically
engaged students tend to
become more informed
and productive citizens
• We create innovative
projects for our students
Dodgeball & Bass Fishing
• REC 306 Recreation
Program Planning
• Discuss theoretical
foundations programming
• Practical Application
– Host Charity Fundraiser
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Goals & Objectives
Needs Assessment
Program Design
Planning and Preparation
Implementation
Evaluation
Charity Event Outcomes
• Over $9000 in 3 years
– Jo Verner Scholarship Fund
$350
– BG Special Olympics
$2700
– The Dream Factory
$6000
Charity Event Outcomes
• Practical Paraprofessional
Experience
• Networking
– Recreation Professionals
– Corporate Administrators
– Local Government
Representatives
– Private Business Owners
– Local Media Professionals
USOC Sport Management
Seminar
Networking
Wes Barnett, USA Weightlifting
Jeff Gerwitz, USOC Legal Counsel
• International games
preparation
• Security
• Media relations
• Marketing
• Legal issues
• Doping control
• Facility and event
management
• Professional
development
Facility Tours
• CSOTC Facilities
• NGB Headquarters
• Air Force Academy
• Invesco at Mile High
Stadium
• Pepsi Center
Collaborative Projects and
Presentations
• Evaluation of programs,
services, and facilities
– Data collection
– Plan formulation
– Presented results and
proposals to USOC staff
WKU Outdoor Education and
Leadership Center
• Challenge Course Facility
– REC 482 – Workshop:
Trail Design and
Development
– REC 482 – Workshop:
Challenge Course Design
and Development
– REC 482 – Workshop:
Challenge Course
Technician
– REC 451 – Development
of Recreation Facilities
Challenge Course Outcomes
• Understanding of Facility
Development
• Understanding of Resource
Management Practices
• Challenge Course Building
Professional Standards
• Challenge Course
Operational Standards and
Certifications
Challenge Course : Engagement for
University Community
American Humanics
www.wku.edu/ah
• REC 220 –
Interaction/instruction from
local nonprofit agencies
• National American Humanics
Management Institute
• Community service projects Friends of Lost River Cave
2007-08
• American Humanics Student
Association
Undergraduate Course Projects
REC 220 – Intro to Nonprofit Organizations - Community Food Drive
REC 302 – Recreation Leadership, Warren County Parks and Recreation Casper’s
Carnival & Casper's Trail
Bowling Green Parks and Recreation “Special Olympics”
Lost River Cave “Butterfly Garden Area Clean-up”
Bowling Green Parks and Recreation “Brownie Fun Day”
REC 322 - Recreation Activity Facilitation - planned and implemented 3 one hour
community programs
REC 420 - Commercial Recreation and Tourism - New Beginnings Golf
Tournament
REC 430 - Recreation Resource Management - long history of community projects
REC 432 – Principles of Outdoor Recreation, Western Kentucky Corporation inventory of outdoor recreation outfitters/guides/related enterprises
REC 450 - Intro to Commercial Recreation & Tourism, Western Kentucky
Corporation “Watchable Wildlife” & "Commercial recreation and
tourism opportunities inventory"
Graduate Course Projects
REC 501 - Research Methods in Recreation & Sport –
Bicycling survey for Parking & Transportation
REC 513 - Recreation & Sport Admin - Warren County
Employee Performance Review
REC 515 - Recreation & Sport Facility Development - Class
site visits throughout KY & TN
REC 521 - Public Relations in Recreation & Sport - Marketing
plans for agencies
Innovative Projects
• Costa Rica: Service Learning, Ecotourism, and
Outdoor Recreation
• Outdoor Leadership Semester – Greensburg Elementary Special Education Canoe Trip
– Warren County Blueways GPS and Mapping Project
• Projected Course - International Sport Seminar-China
Transfer of Learning
• Key ingredient for successful engagement
opportunities is what happens after the project.
– Faculty must design and facilitate appropriate
reflection and response to help students make sense
of their experience.
The Student Perspective
• Courses Taken with Experiential Learning Components
– REC 306 Program Planning
• Hilltopper Black Bag Classic Fishing Tournament
– REC 501 Research Methods
• Assisted with data processing for WKU Bicycling Survey
– REC 515 Rec & Sport Facility Development
• Site visits to recreation and sport facilities
– REC 521 Public Relations
• Hilltopper Black Bag Classic Fishing Tournament
– REC 590 Practicum in Recreation and Sport
• Shadow and assist WKU Recreation Faculty
Student Learning Outcomes
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Event Planning/implementation
Adaptability
Networking
Problem solving
Utilization of intrapersonal & communication skills
Utilization of interpersonal & evaluative skills
Working with a group to achieve a common goal
The application and synthesis of classroom learning to
practical situations
Questions or Comments