Transcript Integrating Civic Engagement in the LAC General Education

INTEGRATING CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT IN THE
LAC COMMON CORE
July 16, 2008
Michelle Vazquez Jacobus
Office of Community Service Learning
What is Experiential Civic Engagement Service
Learning { E.C.C.E.S.L} ?

Experiential Learning
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Service Learning

Civic Engagement
Aka (in academia)
Community
Engagement
Experiential Learning
“Direct encounter with the phenomena being
studied rather than merely thinking about the
encounter, or only considering the possibility of
doing something about it.” (Borzak 1981).
Institutionally sponsored such as that used in
training programs for professions or field study
programs.
 “Education that occurs as a direct participation
in the events of life” (Houle 1980). Here, learning
is not sponsored by some formal educational
institution, but by people themselves. It is
learning that is achieved through reflection upon
everyday experience.

Civic Engagement
“Civic Engagement refers to a wide range of
learning activities within and on the part of the
institution, including engaged experiential
education, service-learning (curricular and cocurricular), some internships and practica, and
action research that engages the institution in
partnership with its civic contexts, i.e., the
communities in which it is located.” USM Civic
Engagement Coordinating Committee, 2005.
 Civic engagement need not necessarily be
curricularly or academically based. A broad,
inclusive term which may include citizen
participation generally.
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Service Learning

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“Service-learning is a teaching method which combines
community service with academic instruction as it focuses
on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility.
Service-learning programs involve students in organized
community service that addresses local needs, while
developing their academic skills, sense of civic
responsibility, and commitment to the community.”
(Campus Compact, 1999).
Differentiated from volunteer service in its focus on the
reciprocity between server and served (Stanton, Giles and
Cruz, 1999) which exchange “avoids the traditionally
paternalistic, one-way approach to service in which one
group or person has resources which they share
“charitably” or “voluntarily with a person or group that
lacks resources” (Kendall, 1990, p. 22)
Community Service Learning
Community Service Learning describes a range of
experiences and exercises which generally include:
 Application of academic curricula to practical
experience (experiential learning)
 Enhancement of learning

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Includes faculty and institutional learning/enhancement
Positive benefit to community

community can be the college community, the classroom
community, a small organization, a neighborhood or a macro
level at large, such as the locality, the town, the county, the
state, the nation –even the WORLD
Student Experiences
Why Do Community Service Learning?
Community Service Learning is
GOOD for you on several levels:
It has a positive impact on your
students
 It enhances you as faculty
 It strengthens your institution
 It builds your community

CSL Impacts on Students

Enhances student learning: Develops skills and
teaches content (Moskowitz et al., 2006 ; Reardon, 2006;
Anderson and Harris, 2005; Baskett et al., 2004)

Allows students with variant learning styles to
apply and learn in individual ways (Brody and Wright,
2004)
Prepares students for professions and future in the
field (Moskowitz et al., 2006; Reifstek, 2002; Hamel, 2001)
 Affords greater access to college


Makes varieties of work more approachable and often
allows students on limited incomes greater opportunities to
earn money or afford education (Astin and Sax, 1998)
CSL Impacts on Students Cont.

Contributes to student retention, perseverance,
sustainability (Keup, 2005; Picket-May and Avery, 2001
Woodard et al., 2001; Astin et al., 2000; Braxton, 2000; Astin et al.,
1999; Eyler et al, 1999)
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Builds student relationships with peers and
faculty
Builds student identity and sense of belonging
(community) as well as morale
Particularly important for sense of belonging,
connection to community, success, perseverance
and continuation in school of students from
diverse backgrounds such as multicultural,
disadvantaged and non-traditional students
(Swail et al., 2003; Mundy and Eyler, 2002; Roose et al., 1997)
More Impacts on Students
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Builds student esteem and confidence (Brody and
Wright, 2004)
Develops students as citizens: cultivates awareness
of social justice, diversity, morality, empathy, social
responsibility, understanding of difference/other,
life-long civic engagement (Anderson, 2006; Moskowitz et al.,
2006; Reardon, 2006; Brody and Wright, 2004; Goodrow et al., 2004;
Reifstek, 2002; Astin et al., 1999; Astin and Sax, 1998)
Impact on Faculty
Provides opportunity for collaboration
 Connects faculty to community, to colleagues and to
institution
 Develops faculty sense of meaning, identity, and
esteem – protective against burn out
 Builds faculty skills and learning
 Has potential for developing faculty research
 Refreshes course content, faculty teaching and
presentation Provides opportunity for current and
relevant application of course material

Anderson, 2006; Reifstek, 2002; Hamel, 2001; Hodge et al.,
2001;Zlotkowski, 2001; Astin et al., 1999; Reardon, 1998; Weissberg
and Greenberg, 1998; Boyer, 1994
Impact on Institution

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Builds profile and public image (if done well, completely
and responsibly)
Aids student recruitment
Encourages gifts, donations, alumni volunteerism
Extends institutional resources through collaboration
 Community sites for learning
 Access to community expertise for supervision,
consultation, internships and teaching
 Provides opportunities for work with other institutions
and organizations (DEC)
Strengthens relationship with community organizations
and with community as whole
Possibility for improving institution’s status with
government and political officials because of all above
Renews university relevance in community and society
Reardon, 2006; Baskett et al., 2004; Goodrow, 2004; Blank et al.,
2003; Zlotkowski, 2002; Jacoby,2000; Reardon,1998 ; Astin et
al.,1999; Boyer, 1994
Impact on Community

Extends resources of college to the community
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Provides additional staff, resources for organizations
Lends expertise and perspective of research
Adds potential for creative collaborative problem solving
Extends opportunities for lifelong learning
Builds community capacity
 Increases public access to community and
interaction in community
 Contributes to use of community services,
businesses and profile
Contributes to improved college access and
aspirations

Increased profile and presence leads to community
members thinking about college and it being a part of
their horizon
Vazquez Jacobus, and Harris, 2007; Reardon, 2006; Baskett, 2004;
Goodrow et al., 2004; Blank et al., 2003; Reardon, 1998
The Spectrum of CSL
CSL can be integrated through a range of curricular
and co-curricular experiences, providing a
continuum from introductory exposure applications
up to intensive course-focused experiences.
Introductory
Exposure
Intensive
Exposure
Introductory Exposure Activities
Letter to the Editor or to Community Leader
 Short term (2-5 hours) volunteer experience
(fundraiser, soup kitchen etc.)
 Design of public education poster (and posting of
it)
 Participation in protest, rally, festival or public
education opportunity

Mid-level CSL Projects:
Longer term volunteer work with concrete
positive benefit to partner (15-20 hours with
recommendation paper for agency or other small
scale end-product)
 Class/Team Project or large scale analysis (GIS
mapping of trails, assessment of LAC
environmental footprint, design of evaluative
survey for OCSL)
 Organization of community event (fundraiser,
festival, workshop)

Intensive CSL Projects
Long term internships with supervision and applied
academic exercises
 Community Engagement Focused (community as
text) Courses: Healthy Learners and Youth,
Community and Higher Education, CLASS
 Extensive Community Engagement Projects:
individuals or small groups work throughout
semester or longer on comprehensive research about,
and application of, curricular work through
community based project (Applied Social Policy)
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IMPORTANT CAVEATS/QUALIFIERS
 Need
flexibility
 not recommending that require these
in all classes or all times—can
overwhelm students
 Within a class need to read the
audience and reality of situation and
curriculum
 With many of these projects IRB approval
would be required – build in time for this
CAVEATS/QUALIFIERS cont.
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Intensity level of CSL experience need not
necessarily be based on seniority of student –
some students or classes may lend themselves to
more extensive application opportunities even at
more introductory levels.
Primary purpose of OUR CSL engagements is
student learning – reflection, application,
discussion of the experiences is necessary for
most of these experiences to realize full potential
of the learning experience.
Do what’s in your time frame and expertise
 Many community based projects require
supervision and oversight –cant always rely
on community partner to provide it.
 Organization and administration of CSL
activities takes time and energy – prepare for
and build this in or be sure to integrate
support for supervision and administration
(e.g. work-study coordinators, class
designated coordinator)
 Depending on level, build in oversight even to
introductory activities: e.g. have letters to
community leaders run by you first for critique
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*Often CSL experiences can be frustrating
and are not always fully “successful” as
originally envisioned. Take advantage of the
“learning moments” provided by the
frustrations, complications, and unexpected
turns to discuss the applications.
“We learn more by looking for the answer to a
question . . . than we do from learning the
answer itself” Lloyd Alexander
Students learn a great deal about organizational
functioning, about group dynamics, and about the struggle
of people living with these challenges.
WORKING GROUPS – DESIGN CSL EXPERIENCES FOR LCC
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES
The End
Please see reference list provided in packet
The producer of this powerpoint wishes to thank the following
for their generous assistance with this presentation,
without which this project would have been an
impossibility:
Khadra Jama
Daphne Comeau
Maryli Tiemann
Becki Quimby
Catherine Harman
Terri Warren
Monica Lee
Robert Baskett