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!