Taking Co-op & Math to New Heights through Service-Learning

Contributed by Matt Goreham, S-L Program Assistant & Co-op

December  1, 2014

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Rick Porter and Lisa Campagnoni, the instructors of MATH 3000 Co-op & Experiential Learning Reflection Seminar to discuss how their class was going with the implementation of Service-Learning.  MATH 3000 connects academic and co-op experiences to gain knowledge through reflection. The course is required of all students majoring in math and returning to campus after their first co-op. The course itself is not new, but Service-Learning is the newest component of the course. Professors Porter and Campagnoni are aiming to have a positive influence on the students' next steps in life and help them make well thought out decisions. 

The two were thrilled as to how well the class was progressing.  They expressed how meaningful it was to the students and how they saw a real change in many of them. Students were realizing that this class was about much more than a mere grade.  Through their service, the students were able to see how their skills were valuable to the community; an experience many hadn’t experienced through their co-ops. “The in class reflections were very impressive to see,” remarked Professor Porter. 

The professors believed Service-Learning could be a valuable tool for this course because students would have a “real time opportunity to reflect.” This real-time reflection is incredibly important in the Service-Learning Program; by articulating their progress students have made, they’re able to see their contributions making positive influences in the community. The growth of the students is proof that they are benefiting their community partner which is one of the main goals of the Service-Learning Program; we want to make sure the relationship between student and community partner is mutually beneficial.

When I asked what Professor Porter and Campagnoni would say to other faculty who may be skeptical to implement a Service-Learning requirement into their class they had nothing but positive things to say. “Go for it!” was the first thing I heard (from Lisa) after the question was asked. It is obvious you will never know until you try, but trying is what it is all about. This experiential pedagogy can truly take learning to the next level as seen firsthand in the Math 3000 Co-op & Experiential Learning Reflection Seminar.

Math 3000 Co-op & Experiential Learning Reflection Seminar will continue integrating Service-Learning in the Spring 2015 semester - we can't wait to see what happens!
 

Meet BalletRox, a New Service-Learning Community Partner

Contributed by Co-op Matt Goreham

On Monday, October 6th Service-Learning co-ops Christine Beluk and Matt Goreham went to visit a new Service-Learning community partner, BalletRox. BalletRox is located a few miles from Northeastern in Jamaica Plain. Chrissy and Matt sat down with program Director Carol Knox to get an overview of how the relationship between BalletRox and Northeastern was going so far. Carol was excited about the numerous Northeastern volunteers who serve both in the BalletRox center as well as the schools with which they are partnered. Carol stated the Northeastern students have been a “God send” and she would love to continue this partnership for a long time to come. The Service-Learning students do various activities while serving with BalletRox, mainly assisting the ballet students during class and keeping them up to speed. The students have a lot of fun working with the ballet dancers who range from elementary to high school. 

If you would like to learn more about BalletRox, visit their website http://www.balletrox.info/ and be sure to stop by their open house November 15th at 45 Danforth Street in Jamaica Plain.

Interview with Enabling Engineering Faculty Member Waleed Meleis

Contributed by Co-op Matt Goreham

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with faculty member Dr. Waleed Meleis from The College of Engineering to learn more about his course Enabling Engineering. Enabling Engineering is also a student group at Northeastern that focuses on serving those who are disabled or elderly. The students take on projects each semester they feel will make the greatest impact.

When I asked about the student’s reaction to the course, Dr. Meleis had nothing but positive things to say. “The course is filled with students who are committed to helping others. Every week the students write a reflection about their service. I’m incredibly impressed how moved they are [as well as] how inspired they are by the end users that we hear about. They [the students] are really inspired and engaged.” I also wanted to know how service-learning has affected his teaching. He said “This has been a way for me to engage with the community. It has really inspired and enriched my teaching.” He let me know that it was a way for him to make sure what he was teaching was relevant, because students are taking what they learn and bringing it into the communities around us to help those in need.

As the conversation continued I asked Dr. Meleis if he had any tips for other Northeastern faculty members about Service-Learning and the affect it has. He offers “Something I’ve learned myself is that we really have to rethink how our courses are structured. I think there is a real need for courses at the university that break down the barriers of the classroom.” He went on to speak about how he is traveling along with his student to schools in the Northeastern area, “I’m learning along with the students.” Building on this he reflects, “I’m inspired and reinvigorated. I can see that this has really captured the interest of the students. They see that the world around us is so interesting and inspiring and they want to go into it.”

To wrap up the conversation I asked Dr. Meleis if there was anything he would like to add about Enabling Engineering. He summed it up by stating “Enabling Engineering is a really vibrant organization; I encourage people to find ways to get involved either as volunteers in the students group, by taking the course in the spring, or by suggesting end users or partners we can work with.” 

To learn more about Enabling Engineering, visit the website at www.northeastern.edu/enable 

Faculty Workshop: Working with an S-LTA

The Service-Learning Program hosted a small faculty workshop September 26^th that focused on the utilization of Service-Learning Teaching assistants (S-LTAs). The group was welcomed with Haley House sandwiches and an agenda full of ideas and activities that were primarily based on how we can maximize our S-LTAs and to highlight just what it is they do. The group participated in a small activity that required participants to conceptualize the differences and similarities of a traditional Teaching Assistant and a Service-Learning Teaching Assistant. What we found (that was no secret to the Service-Learning Program already) was that S-LTA's are a great connection to the students, faculty, and community partners. The S-LTAs act as liaisons both inside and outside of the classroom. It is important to recognize that the faculty members play a large role in the connection between the community partners and the class, however the S-LTAs are a key part in the relationship as a whole. On top of these conversations the group talked about the S-LTA training and spoke about the best strategies to use in training so that our S-LTAs are ready to facilitate classroom activities and keep the students concentrated. The group made a lot of progress over the hour and a half on September 26^th and took away many key ideas to help the Service-Learning program keep striving forward.

                                                               Contributed by Matt Goreham

Social Justice Scavenger Hunt in Community Learning

Contributed by Faculty Member Julie Miller

On Saturday, September 13, approximately 70 students from 10 the Community Learning cours sections (formerly known as Global Experience) in The American Classroom program participated in the 3rd Annual Social Justice Scavenger Hunt. Peace through Play, a student organization on campus, led fun and interactive games with students. Then, faculty members Julie Miller, Daryl Morazzini, and Lisa Roe, along with several undergraduate Service-Learning Teaching Assistants, sent students out on the town! Students were given a list of local sites to visit and students were tasked with finding these sites, describing how they relate to social justice, and then taking creative group photos. Here are some of the photos from the event!

 

 

Let's take a closer look at what happens in the classroom of Community Learning! 
Contributed by Service-Learning Teaching Assistant Nikki Makwinski

In class, students are learning about building communities, working as part of a team, and cross-cultural communication through interactive lessons and challenges. In one class section students learned about what it means to be part of a community by playing games like Connection! in which they have to find things they have in common, and activities like The Human Knot which required the students to work as one unit to untangle themselves into one circle. Most recently, students in this section of Community Learning experienced cross-cultural communication by having to first organize themselves in order of birthday without using verbal or written communication, and then by working in a team for a tower-building competition.

These activities that may seem silly to do in class, but have sparked rich discussion and reflections about how the Community Learning students might feel in the new communities that they live and are serving with. Students have had to think creatively and are able to bring that creativity and the lessons they have learned to their community partner organizations.

 

This is the first time that 10 sections of Community Learning have happened in the same semester. Lead faculty member Julie Miller brought on Francis Griffin, Charline Melon, Michelle Matuszak, Daryl Morazzini, and Lisa Roe to teach other sections of the course.

What's going on in the neighborhood?

Contributed by Co-op Chrissy Beluk

Since Northeastern is uniquely integrated within four neighborhoods, the Service-Learning Program is always excited when they have the opportunity to show new students around the area and introduce them to our neighbors. In collaboration with the Honors Program and more than 600 first year Honors students moving onto campus this September, the Service-Learning Program set up tours to introduce them to Mission Hill, Roxbury, the South End, and Fenway. 

Although we would have enjoyed showing each student around personally, that didn’t seem possible for a team of four! Therefore, we created a training model to teach Honors student leaders the routes so they’d be able to lead their students through the communities themselves. On the first Saturday in September, bracing the heat and humidity the Service-Learning team ventured off into the sweltering sun with some pretty brave Honors student leaders. Although it was 90 degrees, the students were attentive as we showed them the ins and outs of giving one of the four community tours.  

The leaders were put to the test at the end of September when they went out to give the tours to their group solo! The tours for the Honors Program were unique to each neighborhood and led them through an interactive route to reflect the dynamic history, rich culture, and some of the community partners, students volunteer with throughout their time at Northeastern. Each group also stopped along the way for a snack from a local restaurant.

Although we weren’t able to go on the tours with every student, we were able to check in on them when they posted photos with the hashtag #NUHONORS – and from the looks of it, it seemed like quite a success!

International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE)

Contributed by Associate Director & Service-Learning Coordinator Dr. Becca Berkey

Northeastern had a large presence at this year’s International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) conference, held September 29-October 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Two undergraduate students, Daniel McKenna and Barak Soreff, were funded by the Office of the Provost’s undergraduate research grant program to attend to present their collaborative research, Perspectives on Sustainability and the Partnership as the Unit of Analysis: A Case Study from the University and Partner Viewpoint, along with Becca Berkey and Lisa Roe. In addition, faculty members Emily Mann and Lori Gardinier presented a session on Poverty Attributions among Service-Learners: A Mixed Methods Exploration; Julie Miller, Becca Berkey, and Francis Griffin presented on Using Service-Learning as a Tool for Language-Learning, Culture-Exploration, and Professional Development with ESOL Students; and Lori Gardinier, Julie Miller, Becca Berkey, and Lisa Roe presented on Cultural Gatekeepers and Professional Coaches: Learning from Supervisors of International Service-Learning Students. In addition to all of those presenting, John Tobin, the Vice President of City and Community Affairs attended.

A highlight of the conference was the announcement that Northeastern University will serve as the institutional host for the 2015 IARSLCE conference, which will take place next fall in Boston. Dr. Lori Gardinier and Dr. Becca Berkey will serve as conference co-chairs, and the planning committee is comprised of a diverse group of faculty and staff across campus. More information will be forthcoming both about opportunities to present at next year's conference and ways to get involved with planning.

Thank You

A special thanks to all of our students, faculty, community partners, Service-Learning Teaching Assistants and Advisory Board members who contributed to another successful year of campus and community partnerships through Service-Learning. We would also like to acknowledge all of those providing behind the scenes support for the Service-Learning Program, including all of our colleagues in the Center of Community Service and City & Community Affairs. The extraordinary learning outcomes our students experience would not be possible without your dedication and support. 

Strategic Media Plans & Service-Learning

This spring semester two Service-Learning courses, Advanced Writing for the Technical Professions and Interpersonal Communication, partnered with HandsOn Tech Boston in order to develop social media plans. 

Who is HandsOn Tech - Boston?

HandsOn Tech is located at 281 Summer Street, right in downtown Boston. Their staff consist of three amazing AmeriCorps VISTAs Sam, Rachel, and Chelsea. Together this dynamic staff of three work to help small non-profits with technology development. HandsOn Tech provides a variety of services such as giving Salesforce trainings, providing volunteer engagement, and technology assistance. Their two project spearheads, Chelsea and Rachel, work as the liaisons between Northeastern Service-Learning students in these two courses and their clients, the Summer Fund and Healthworks Community Fitness.

From left to right: Chelsea, Sam, and Rachel 

Who are the clients?

Summer Fund - is an organization that provides grants and resources to nonprofits that offer summer camps and programs to underserved and low income youth in Greater Boston. Healthworks Community Fitness - is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing fitness opportunities and health education for women and children in low-income neighborhoods. Both organizations came to HandsOn Tech requesting assistance in creating a strong social media presence. 

What exactly is the student project? 

Students in the Service-Learning courses created strategic media plans for both the Summer Fund and Healthworks. Each course went about this in two distinct ways. The Interpersonal Communication  course worked on answering the questions, "What kind of relationship does the organization want to have with the client? and "How does one go about developing this relationship via social media?" The students went to Healthworks and interviewed the women there to learn exactly what they use social media for, what they want from the gym, and how they want to be engaged.  The Summer Fund students interviewed individuals who donate regularly to organizations. Based off the data they collected, students were able to write up recommendations on how the two organizations can maximize their social media presence with their clients.

The students in Advanced Writing for the Technical Professions wrote proposals for social media usage for both clients. Split into two groups, the students collaborated to research social media strategies, answering questions from "How should the organizations interact with their clients on social media?" to "What type of texts or fonts should one use for a post on Facebook?"

With their multi-page proposals, these groups showed the Summer Fund and Healthworks where they were lacking in their online presence. Students made suggestions for posting everyday, how to use a variety of posts to engage clients, or perhaps to even create a newsletter. Students did more than just make recommendations in a formal document; by developing a website, the students provided useful templates for Healthworks to use.  

Why Service-Learning?

Referring to the difference with this Service-Learning project and a typical project, Professor Akbari says, "...things get messy and you sort of have to fill those gaps based off what you know. Where as with an assignment it says do this, the third step is this so it is sort of pre-processed for you....So there will be some messy and that's good." And good it was indeed. By collaborating outside of class and using the infamous Google docs, students proved to be resourceful and innovative.  It is apparent that when students work with real-life clients they benefit greatly, especially with conflict resolution skills. By the end of their projects our Advanced Writing students were able to enhance their professional writing skills by creating these proposals; the Interpersonal Communication students were able to learn how communication facilitates positive relationships.

Professor Akbari
Course: Advanced Writing for Technical Professions
Q: What class do you wish had Service-Learning
when you were a student?
(giving a variety of suggestions) something with
translating literature for elementary students or
working with a professional theater program

Professor Speed
Course: Interpersonal Communications
Q: What class do you wish had Service-Learning
when you were a student?
It would have been nice to have a math class
with Service-Learning tutoring young girls.

Thank You to all our participants

Ask Caroline: April 2014

I am currently an S-L student and I just finished my service. I really think this is marketable for employment but am not sure if I should put Service-Learning on my resume. What should I do? Absolutely put Service-Learning on your resume! As a student, you can put Service-Learning under your volunteer experience, related experience, or professional experience depending on you target audience. Service-Learning is definitely marketable to employers; this experience is similar to a co-op where you are able to apply classroom concepts to a real life scenario. Great resources for including S-L on your resume include: career services, your co-op advisers, your S-LTA (if applicable), and the S-L program staff. 

"Spring is the time of plans and projects." - Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

How do I become a Service-Learning Community Partner for Fall 2014? This is a very important question. Please e-mail service-learning@neu.edu. Your information will be added to the distribution list and you will receive the Request for Partnership when available in May.  

Anticipated Fall 2014 Service-Learning Courses

As we wrap-up another successful semester, we look to the future. While this list will likely grow throughout the summer months, you can look forward to service-learning in the following courses, or select sections of some of the following: 

Inquiries in Cell & Molecular Biology

Education in the Community

Social Movements Communication

Advocacy Writing

Consultation Skills

Advanced Writing in the Disciplines - Technical Professions

Introduction to Nutrition

Human Services Professions

Child Intervention & Treatment

Strategic Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management

Advanced Conversational Spanish

Psychosocial Aspects of Healthcare Seminar

Advanced Chinese 1 & 2

College Writing

Connections & Decisions

Global Experience 1

Engineering Design

Industrial Engineering Capstone 1

Ask Caroline

Q: It's been two days since I emailed my community partner and I haven't heard back. What should I do? 

A: Remember most of our community partners are small nonprofits with a small very busy staff. Patience is always key but when you are in need of an immediate response try using key signal words in your subject line. It is also okay to try calling but with the expectation they may be busy. Remember they don't operate on a student schedule.

Service-Learning at Adventure Challenge

Adventure Challenge, the volunteer site that I have worked at for the past semester and a half, is an organization that was founded in order to further assist children with special needs. Mentors (who are usually college students) are partnered with a child and their family, and both parties go through initial match meetings in order to see if the mentor is a good fit for the family, and vice versa. From there, the mentor and mentee establish a bond and work together to advance the child's social skills, as well as their physical activity. I started working at Adventure Challenge because I hoped to go on to become a pediatric occupational therapist, so I thought that this would be an experience that would help expose me to my target demographic. 

I enjoy working with not only my mentee, but his family as well, week after week. We have developed a special bond, and not only was I able to understand more about a life that is drastically different from my own, but I was able to apply my Service-Learning experience to my classroom learning. This semester I am taking the Human Services Professions course with Professor Gardinier, and I have been able to apply numerous course concepts such as civic responsibility, and self-determination to my Service-Learning experience. It has been a joy to have a very different Service-Learning partner than my classmates, because I realized that although we are all working with organizations that have very different aims, we all connect our work and learn form one another's experiences. 

-Akiera Gilbert 

B.S. Human Services, Class of 2018

Who are these S-LTA leaders?

The Service-Learning Team Manager (S-LTM) program is the newest addition to Service-Learning (S-L) at Northeastern. This pilot program was created with two goals in mind: (1) to more proactively support the growth of S-L at Northeastern, and (2) to provide additional leadership opportunities to our S-L teaching assistants. Each of the five S-LTMs have a strong background in S-L and leadership so that they can manage a small cohort of fellow S-L teaching assistants by acting as mentors to discuss individual needs, challenges, and successes. This collaborative arrangement allows for more efficient communication, more individualized attention, and more measurable course management for S-LTAs and S-L staff. 

Congratulations Kathleen Collins, Deb Pacella, Sydney Palinkas, Nicole Pantano, and Barak Soreff for being selected as the first Service-Learning Team Managers! 

Meet Our Service-Learning Team Managers

Deb Pacella
Major (s): Political Science & English
Class of 2014
S-LTA: Becoming a Global Leader

  

Kathleen Collins
Major (s): English & Education
Class of 2015
S-LTA: College Writing 

Sydney Palinkas
Major (s): Human Services & Sociology
Class of 2014
S-LTA: Human Services Professions

Barak Soreff
Major (s): Sociology
Class of 2014
S-LTA: Phonetics

Nicole Pantano
Major (s): Psychology
Class of 2014
S-LTA: Child Intervention & Treatment