Perspectives of Service-Learning: Faculty Member Erika Koss

Contributed by Suzie Kim, S-L Program Assistant and Co-op.

Photos provided by Jessica Drench of 826 Boston and by the Service-Learning Program at Northeastern University.

This is one of a 3 part series exploring the partnership between Erika Koss' service-learning course First-Year College Writing and 826 Boston. 

Erika Koss

This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Erika Koss, Assistant Dean for Research, Program Development, and Outreach of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH). 

We discussed her relationship with 826 Boston, how she utilized service-learning in her classroom with the help service-learning teaching assistant (S-LTA) Lea Choukroun, and her fascination with human rights and the global coffee industry. 

Erika and 826 Boston

Many professors withing CSSH integrate service-learning as part of their curriculum and as an Assistant Dean of the college, Erika is no stranger to the program. However, this past spring semester was the first time she had incorporated S-L into her First-Year College Writing course.

"It all came together last minute," Erika explained as she poured me a cup of direct-trade coffee from Uganda. "I had a prior relationship with 826 Boston so I approached Jessica Drench [Associate Director of 826 Boston] to see if she had any outstanding tutoring needs."

First-Year College Writing student working together with BTU student.

Erika's First-Year College Writing course was not your average-cup-of-joe. Like the the coffee I was sipping, the service-learning in this course was an intricate blend of project-based and direct service. In between sips of fragrant blend of lavender, nectarine and golden raisin coffee, Erika explained the ways she felt service-learning added another dimension to her course. 

"For most of my students, it was the first time [having] a relationship with a middle schooler that is not a family member," Erika explained. "It added a deeper perspective about the community that surrounds [Northeastern University]. Even just the idea of going on the T in a direction they might not otherwise travel really opened up the students' eyes to the Boston Public Schools," Erika said. 

The original structure of the service was much like a preceding partnership between another Associate Dean of CSSH, Chris Gallagher, and 826 Boston. 

Similar to to some of his past classes, Erika and her students travelled to Boston Teacher Union School (BTU) and 826 Boston during class time. On site, their tasks ranged from assisting younger students to create ink prints for their publications to discussing edits the BTU students had written for their memoir. 

Erika believed that traveling, tutoring, and sharing this experience together created a feeling of unity between the students in the class. And if that wasn't enough, surely battling frigid winds and trudging through heaps of snow prompted the students to at least be physically closer to each other just to keep warm. 

"Some of them expressed their desire to serve at [826 Boston] in the future," she beamed. She triumphantly wiggled five fingers at me, "Five out of seventeen [students], which is a pretty good ratio!"

Erika and Lea Choukroun

S-LTA Lea (left) and Erika (right) pose in front of a
Rwandan peace basket that hangs in Erika's office. 

In comparison to the sections of First-Year College Writing that she had taught prior to this spring semester, the Service-Learning Program certainly made its mark in more ways than one. However, the biggest takeaway from the program for Erika was her relationship with S-LTA Lea Choukroun, second year Behavioral Neuroscience major. 

In fact, when I walked into Erika's office for our interview, she had just been finishing up a conversation with Lea. 

"Before you came in, we were basically talking about [Lea's] life,"Erika said. She had been giving advice to Lea as a mentor figure and the two were discussing reconnecting before Lea left for her international co-op in Bali in the upcoming fall  semester. 

It was easy to see that Erika and Lea were a power duo. They had developed a dynamic mentor/mentee relationship as they navigated the service-learning territory that was new to the both of them. 

"I have never had service-learning in any [of my] courses at any institution, never had a TA. Lea upped the standards of S-LTAs in the future," Erika said. "A lot of students would linger [after class] and I always felt comfortable directing students to her. If they had a question about service-learning , I knew Lea wouldn't have a problem handling it. She did a fantastic job. I feel like I just got a great gift in her." 

Looking forward

Currently, Erika is following her passion for coffee to Africa over the month of July. She is leading grant writing workshops at an all-women's college in Uganda before heading off to a coffee farm in Uganda. 

We wish Erika a safe trip there and back and hope for her return to the Service-Learning program in the coming fall semester! 

Be sure to check out faculty member S-LTA Lea Choukroun and 826 Boston's perspectives as well!

Perspectives of Service-Learning: S-LTA Lea Choukroun

Contributed by Suzie Kim, S-L Program Assistant and Co-op.

Photos provided by Jessica Drench from 826 Boston and by the Service-Learning Program at Northeastern University.

This is one of a 3 part series exploring the partnership between Erika Koss' service-learning First-Year College Writing course and 826 Boston.

Lea Choukroun is a second-year behavioral neuroscience major and a seasoned service-learning student. As part of her Inquiries of Cell & Molecular Biology course, Lea served at Citizens Schools,a nonprofit that partners with public middle schools in low-income communities to provide an expanded learning day. It was her experience as a volunteer at Citizens Schools that sparked her love and curiosity of education theories and methods. 

“I became really interested in the American education system, about how it works and the history behind it. I wanted to know more about it,” she explained. 

The following semester, Lea promptly enrolled in Polly Attwood’s Education in the Community course and served at Ellis Memorial, a nonprofit that works to strengthen Boston's inner city working families with high quality education and care for children, youth and vulnerable adults.

Lea's fascination for teaching extended far beyond the walls of the courses that she was enrolled for. Her curiosity led her to apply to be a service-learning teaching assistant (S-LTA) last spring semester. She already knew what she wanted out of her experience.

"I was really interested in the behind the scenes [process] of being a professor," she said. However, what she gained was more than just what she had hoped for, starting with her mentor-mentee relationship with Erika Koss.

Lea and Erika Koss

When they first sat down for a meeting, Lea and Erika discussed both their mutual goals for the students of the First-Year College Writing course as well as Lea's own personal/professional goals as an S-LTA.

"[When Erika asked me], 'What do you want to do?' I said, 'Anything and everything I can help with.'"

Lea and Erika's relationship extends past just the classroom. Erika is a mentor to Lea by advising her on her personal development as well. In fact, when I walked into Erika’s office to interview her, she and Lea had been finishing discussing reconnecting when Erika returns from Africa and also other opportunities to partner in the future semesters. 

Erika put great effort into creating learning opportunities and Lea embraced them wholeheartedly.

Her face lit up as she explained all the responsibilities she was given as the S-LTA. "At the beginning, [Erika] just had me take attendance and then that turned into 'research this [topic] and present [it] in class.' And then it became 'teach class for the whole period today.' Then it was 'Here you go, blackboard is yours. Mark all the Blackboard discussions and come up with a Service-Learning rubric.'"

“She really trusted me and I really appreciated it that,” Lea said. We hope that Lea has an amazing semester abroad as she continues to expand her passion for teaching (and also that she returns to Service-Learning the following Spring semester!)

Lea and 826 Boston

With the snowmageddon of 2015, there was a great deal of flexibility required to reorganize and schedule. Lea was right in the fray, managing stakeholders. She worked closely with the staff of 826 Boston (to read more about 826 Boston and their role in Erika Koss’ First Year College Writing course, click here. To learn more about 826 Boston, click here)

One of the challenges Lea faced as an S-LTA was organizing and scheduling site visits with the course's community partner 826 Boston. The course is a different style of service-learing as some of the service happened during class hours. 

Lea works with a 7th grade student on ink prints for the cover art of the publication.

Lea's class traveled together to Boston Teachers Union School (BTU). Students first partnered with younger students of BTU and worked to create cover art for their upcoming publication. Then, they started one-on-one tutoring to help with the writing process, where Erika's students incorporated lessons learned in their own course for their tutoring sessions with the BTU students.

"[The staff of 826 Boston] was very understanding when the [snowstorms hit]. They were always willing to communicate and be flexible with the students' schedules," Lea said on her experience working with 826 Boston.

Looking forward

“[My experience as an S-LTA] really solidified and clarified my wish to be a teacher,” Lea said. “All the things I was doing for the class, like preparing reflection questions and rubrics were things I’ve always wanted to do.”

She even joked, "I would almost rather do all that than go to my own classes."

This coming fall semester, Lea is ready to pack-up and move to Bali for her international co-op at the Green School.

"They teach from the theory of 'green education.' The school itself has no walls." Lea explained. The school is heavily integrated with the neighborhood that surrounds it. Community members volunteer to cook meals for the staff and students. In return, Green School has their own brand of service-learning in which course instruction integrates several hours of community service a week for their students.

"I wanted to see the operation of different organizations and different teaching methods. I'm interested in what is most effective and what is not."

We hope that Lea has an amazing semester abroad as she continues to expand her passion for teaching (and also that she returns to the S-L program the following spring semester!).

Be sure to check out faculty member Erika Koss' and 826 Boston's perspectives as well!

Perspectives of Service-Learning: Community Partner 826 Boston

Contributed by Suzie Kim, Service-Learning Co-op

All photos originated from the 826 Boston website or were provided by Jessica Drench. 

This is the one of a 3 part series exploring the partnership between Erika Koss's service-learning First-Year College Writing course, and 826 Boston. 

The entrance to the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Center in  Roxbury, MA.

The sign on the building read “Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Center” in bold green letters. They popped out from the surface of the brownstone, suspended over the entrance by silver beams. Underneath was a two-doored glass hemisphere bordered by the same green forest green color.

The interior looked like a rustic gift shop for your average cryptozoologist or hidden creature researcher. Along the front window, a tarantula bathed in the sun rays that filtered in. Another tank held an intrusion of cockroaches. The shelves along the walls were filled with field equipment for casual cryptozoological research such as unicorn tears or bigfoot toenails.

Jessica Drench, Associate Director of 826 Boston, welcomed me by a huge bulletin board that hung across the back of the store. It stretched from the ceiling of the room to the floor and was littered in clouds of post its about Bigfoot sightings. 

As I let my eyes wander around the whimsical store, Jessica tugged on the bulletin board. It slid open to the side and revealed an entire space hidden behind the store! I stepped through  the now open doorway into a spacious area that held bookshelves and rows of wooden benches and chairs.

This was where the 826 Boston magic happens!

826 Boston and Northeastern University 

Following the success of prototype 826 Valencia program in California, 826 Boston became the seventh chapter of 826 National.Under the umbrella organization, 826 Boston shares the same mission as its sister branches across the nation. All 826 chapters provide a creative space and free writing programs for students ages 6 to 18. It encourages and cultivates both creative and expository skills in their students, as well as providing mentoring opportunities for volunteers.

When 826 Boston first started in 2007, the program staff consisted of Daniel Johnson, the founding executive director and one volunteer coordinator. Since then, the program staff has expanded from two staff members to eleven.

More hands on deck meant that the capacity of the program to develop and flourish increased as well. This is where the seeds of the now mature partnership between Northeastern University and 826 Boston were sown.  

“Our founding director, [Daniel Johnson], started a conversation with Chris Gallagher, [Associate Dean of Teaching, Learning and Experiential Education at Northeastern University],” Jessica explains. The sixth, seventh and eighth graders at 826 Boston had been working on a publication.

"The uniting theme [of the project] was work,” said Jessica. “The students did transcriptions of interviews of people about their jobs.”

The range of careers covered in the book is diverse. Some kids opted to interview their parents because they simply wanted to learn more about what their mom and dad did everyday. Others sought out people with unique jobs such as an exotic animal handler.

As final drafts of the transcriptions were collected, Chris Gallagher brought his Northeastern students on site to tutor students one-on-one and help edit their projects. (The completed publication, A Place for Me in the World, is available on 826 Boston’s online store.)

The summer, NU's relationship with 826 deepened when the CSSH hosted their annual staff development conference with the Office of Public Affairs.

826 Boston, Erika Koss, and Lea Choukroun

This past spring semester, 826 Boston continued a similar relationship with Erika Koss’ First-Year College Writing course. They partnered with students from the Boston Teachers Union School (BTU) to aid in their newest publication.

Publication by Boston Teachers Union School students. 

On top of one-on-one tutoring, Erika’s class assisted the students in creating visual representations of pieces of their memoir in ink prints This meant the college class traveled to BTU as well as the 826 Boston main office regularly to serve. The effort that they made was certainly acknowledged.

“This was in the context of this winter,” Jessica recalls. “[Erika] had so many classes being canceled, and she still needed to get through the content of her own course while still making sure to honor the commitment she made [to us] to come in with her students to tutor. There was one day I was driving to the site and I saw a long line of students trudging to the snow with Erika at the front in her big white coat… just charging ahead through the ice to get to the school.”  

Students in their one-on-one tutoring session
at the Boston Teacher's Union Schools

Jessica also mentioned her appreciation for Lea Choukroun, the Service-Learning Teaching Assistant of Erika Koss’ course for her flexibility and organization. Lea was crucial to sorting out the times between the students and 826 Boston to make sure every student served the required amount of hours.

“The winter affected our timeline quite a bit,” Jessica said. “To be able to get all the pieces together felt like an iceberg at one point, but their class came in and saved the day.   

“Service-Learning is the gas in the tank of our after school program,” Jessica said. “We have tremendous volunteers, many who come from Northeastern. There’s a true enthusiasm to be there and the [826 Boston] kids pick up on that,” Jessica reflected.

826 Boston and You

For anyone who loves to nurture their creativity and has a passion for working with kids, 826 Boston is a magical place. If you are interested in volunteering, explore their website for opportunities! 

We look forward to partnering with 826 Boston in semesters to come! 

Be sure to check out the perspectives of faculty member Erika Koss and S-LTA Lea Choukroun as well!