Community-Based Learning: Empowering Together

1. Community-Based Learning: Intro to S-L and CBR Brenda Marsteller Kowalewski Community Involvement Center, Co-Director Professor, Sociology CBL Faculty Fellows Program Fall 2010

2. Topics • Community-Based Learning • What it is, why we do it, and best practices • CBL at WSU • Overview and Examples • Community Involvement Center as a resource to you

3. What it is and why we do it. Community-Based Learning

4. Community-Based Learning • Curricular based service • Service-Learning • Community-Based Research • Service-Learning and Community-Based Research provide experiential learning of classroom concepts within the local community, reinforcing application of classroom knowledge.

5. Service-Learning is… • “…a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” -National Commission on Service

6. Service-Learning: A Balanced Approach to Experiential Education (Furco, 2006) FOCUS Service Learning PRIMARY INTENDED BENEFICIARY Recipient Provider Service-Learning Community Service Field Education Volunteerism Internships

7. Reflection: A Key Component The intentional consideration of an experience in light of particular learning objectives (Hatcher & Bringle, 1997). • Connected • Continuous • Challenging • Contextualized

8. Community-Based Research • “CBR is a partnership of students, faculty and community members who collaboratively engage in research with the purpose of solving a pressing community problem or effecting social change.” -Strand, et al, 2003

9. Principles of CBR • CBR is a collaborative enterprise between researchers and community members. • CBR involves the democratization of knowledge • CBR has as its goal social action and social change for the purpose of achieving social justice (Strand et al., 2003: p. 8).

10. CBR vs. Traditional Research See handout. Table: Traditional Research vs. CBR

11. CBR does what? • Complex social problems ill-suited to “outside expert” research alone • Impact community capacity • Build long-term relationship with community partners • Effective method of teaching and learning for all participants

12. Why Community-Based Learning? • Students Benefit • Faculty Benefit • Community Partners Benefit

13. S-L Students Benefit • Personally • Raises student awareness • Student’s academic learning increases • Students have a positive relationship with the university.

14. Faculty Benefit from S-L From: “Transcending Disciplines, Reinforcing Curricula: Why Faculty Teach With Service Learning.” American Association of Community Colleges, 2005.

15. Community Benefits from S-L Percent of Partners who Increased the following: • Services 72% • Volunteers 52% • Clients Served 49% • Resources 49% • Project Completion 45% • Collaboration 45% • Staff Recruitment 24%

16. Who Benefits from CBR? • Community • Access to faculty expertise • Organizational capacity building • Policy change • Students • Develop new skills • Improve existing skills • Connect classroom learning with real-world application • Faculty • Enhanced teaching credentials • New venues for publishing and presenting • Positively impact students and community

17. Best Practices

18. Best Practices

19. Best Practices

20. Online Resources • Community Involvement Center • www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement (Faculty menu) • National Service-Learning Clearinghouse • www.servicelearning.org • Campus Compact • www.campuscompact.org • Utah Campus Compact • www.utahcampuscompact.org

21. CBR Specific Resources • National Community-Based Research Networking Initiativewww.cbrnet.org • CBR Course and Project Databasewww.bonner.org/campus/cbr/profiles.taf • Campus-Community Partnerships for Healthwww.ccph.info • Community-Based Research & Higher Education: Principles & Practices • Strand, Marullo, Cutforth, et. al.

22. Overview and Examples CBL at WSU

23. Community-Based Learningat WSU • Courses & Faculty • 44 courses designated as CBL • 55+ faculty members engaging students • Students • 2,512 Students enrolled in 2009-10 • Hours • 35,493 hours served in 2009-10

24. Examples of Community-Based Learning • Spanish Course - Medical Terminology • Service-learning assignment • Translate for health professionals • Athletic Training – S-L Field Experience • Service-learning assignment • Provide medical assistance in Ogden Rescue Mission’s free clinic and at Special Olympics Winter Games each year • Sociology Course - Research Methods • Community-Based Research assignment • 20 year longitudinal program evaluation to help identify program strengths and weaknesses

25. Incorporating CBL into one of your courses Getting Started

26. CBL and Your Course • Which course is the best candidate for incorporating a community-based learning component? • Course Development Worksheet (S-L and CBR) • List course objectives. • Brain storm potential projects and partners that could help you teach at least one course objective. • Logistics • Assignments and Evaluating them.

27. CBL Designation • Apply to have the CBL prefix listed on your course • Gives students a “heads-up” about the community-based learning component in your course • http://www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement/CBL_Designation.html

28. a Resource For Youwww.weber.edu/Communityinvolvement

29. Community Involvement Center • Main Goal: • Get students, faculty and staff engaged in service with community organizations

30. CIC provides faculty: • Workshops, trainings, discussions and retreats (support at campus, state and regional levels) • Assistance finding and developing community partnerships appropriate for particular courses with specific learning objectives. • A searchable community partner database.

31. CIC provides faculty: • Assistance tracking students’ service hours. • Library and online resources regarding the pedagogy. • Lots of resources on our website: www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement

32. CIC provides faculty: • Hall Community Outreach Grant opportunities • CBL Designation on Courses • AmeriCorps program to support students

33. Hall Endowment Grants • Supports faculty, staff, and student service projects. • Fund about 15 projects/year • $30K – $35K granted annually http://www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement/HallDescription.html

34. CBL Designation • Apply to have the CBL prefix listed on your course • Gives students a “heads-up” about the community-based learning component in your course • http://www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement/CBL_Designation.html

35. Domestic Peace Corps Students Teacher Education Sociology & Psychology VIP Program Terms of Service 300 hours or 10 hours/week = $1,000.00 450 hours or 15 hours/week = $1,250.00 900 hours or 30 hours/week = $2,362.50 141 Active Members during 2008-09 AY Completed 47,090 hours collectively Earning over $100,000 in Education Vouchers http://www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement/Americorps.html Social Work Nursing Other disciplines across campus AmeriCorps Education Awards

36. Location: 327, Shepherd Union Building Contact Us: 801-626-7737 CIC@weber.edu Web address: http://www.weber.edu/CommunityInvolvement

37. Questions?