Final Evaluation of Service Learning Experience for Project SHINE

It is also a “boundary spanning” activity in that it requires active involvement from people both within and outside of the classroom context, often resulting in participant contributors who represent a variety of generations, ethnicities, social groups, and experience levels (Billig and Furco, 2002, p.vii). Service-learning is designed to reduce the boundaries between an institutional campus environment and the community around it. It is designed to connect learning to real experience through service and reflection (Ball and Schilling, 2006; Becker, 2000). As a baseline to facilitate this development, service-learning is distinct from other types of community service and civic engagement experiences in that the service-learning experience must not only have a service and reflective component but also be clearly tied to the curriculum through learning objectives and theoretical underpinnings (Bloomquist, 2015; Pritchard, 2001). As Barbara Holland, former Director of the U.S. National Service-Learning Clearinghouse, shared, “Service-learning is all in the hyphen. It is the enrichment of specific learning goals through structured community service opportunities that respond to community-identified needs and opportunities.” (Kenworthy-U’Ren, Taylor, and Petri, 2006: 121).

For this service learning project, my group and I organized a goods drive. We placed donation boxes around Denton for art-therapy supplies. The group also held an event on November 6, 2017, at Texas Woman’s University to encourage students to make donations. All the donations went to the Child Advocacy Center in Denton; this organization provides assistance to children that have been victims of physical or sexual abuse. This service learning project relates to the theories and ideas in chapter 13 and chapter 14 of Women’s Lives: A Psychological Exploration. Chapter 13 relates to mental health, and it signifies the importance of social support during stressful

In the summer of 2014, I started as a volunteer tutor for the Youth Tutoring Program

After some research and deliberation, I chose Habitat for Humanity (HFH, 2016) for my service project. There were several reasons that Habitat for Humanity appealed to me. The first reason is that I consider HFH to be a worthy cause is that I appreciate that it’s for a lower income family that would not otherwise be able to afford a home. The facts that the beneficiaries are expected to help build their home or other HFH homes with sweat equity, they’ll pay a mortgage, combined with the way it’s set up so they won’t be able to just sell as a short term flip, gives me the impression that it’s not a freebie entitlement program, but a program that promotes responsibility with some life changing results.

Our service-learning project required one of the following opportunities to be fulfilled, which are: to attend a service of different religious traditions, for a non-practicing individual to seek out someone who is, or to interview a religious leader. While attending a service, spending time with a religious person or conducting an interview we are to pay attention to differences and similarities between religious traditions or our own self. For my service-learning experience I have selected to reach out to my older sister who is part of a Jehovah Witness congregation. I selected this opportunity since I’m a non-practicing Catholic. I will share my service- learning experience by sharing our discussion regarding

The topic for the Service Learning Project which I have selected to write about is about The Spinal and Thoracic Treatment and Research (STTAR) Center at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, which conducts research related to the function of a child's spine and chest. I will accomplish this SLP by focusing on four key areas. Those areas are as follows: the establishment of the learning outcome of the SLP, the mechanics of the SLP, the community relationships resulting from the SLP, and the personal effects of the SLP. An analysis of these areas will reveal how The Spinal and Thoracic Treatment and Research (STTAR) Center at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio conducts clinical studies that analyze the chest in unique and unprecedented

Planning and directing this service project taught me to lead by example, delegate responsibility, and be a conscientious organizer preparing me for the demands required of a leader in today’s society. I plan to use this experience to continue to serve my community and nation. Service to me is not just another thing that I can add to my college application, but is a deeper commitment. Service forges an unbreakable bond between me and those I serve, and a bond that I cherish very

My heart started to beat rapidly while my eyes darted around the room, deliberately avoiding the context on the board. My 7th grade elective, Service Learning, stretched me way beyond my comfort zones! Whenever I was in this classroom, we were encouraged to participate in heated discussions, watch long slideshows and intense videos. My deep empathy towards others influenced me to not join in on the conversations; knowing if I were to start talking, my emotions would overcome my ability to stay calm. After a couple of classes, my eyes started to rise from the ground to the board; seeing pictures of men and women, old and young huddled together with tears streaming down their cheeks. Standing behind barb wire fences were separated family and friends, and in rickety boats where the Syrians’ in their vibrant orange life jackets stood out to me.

I volunteered at the food bank for my service learning experience. At this site we sorted food and prepared packages for the people who needed food at home. We worked alongside the head of the nonprofit organization Kimberly Forstrom. We also got to meet a few other the other people that helped make the program run smoothly. Their roles were to help with all the food, sorting and making sure everything is good to eat and there is enough for everybody. I also thought it was really cool to see someone who actually runs a nonprofit locally .She shared with us that the way she keeps the program running is by the donations of big name brands like Walmart, making very generous donations.

The world that we live in is a world represented through a variety of different cultures and languages that all come together in a common setting for children: the school. Through my scholarly involvement in my service learning experience for both my cultural and literacies courses, I was and am being exposed to a variety of different cultures and languages different from my own that have cultivated an appreciation for diversity within me. As a future educator, being aware and having knowledge of different cultures and literacies, while using culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom will help to encourage academic success among all students and provide an equitable educational experience for everyone.

In spring 2015, as I was taking C&T 823, I carried out my own designed service learning project in a church called Mustard Seed Church. Before the project, I have been there a couple of times for Sunday services and Alpha course on Tuesday night. This church welcomes everyone regardless of his or her background. The tolerance impressed me and made me feel belonged. Thus, when I was assigned to plan a service learning project, this church came to my mind. My first thought was to serve as a translator for Chinese students who just arrived in the Untied States. However, after talked to the priest, he suggested that I could teach American seniors Chinese because the one of the purposes of this church was to serve international students to help

On October 20, 2015, I went to the Wood County Park District to do tree inventory as my service learning field trip. During the service-learning trip, I was sent to a certain spot in the park to count and identify the different kinds of trees in the forest. I was handed a tree identification key and with my group we had to figure out if the trees were under the coniferous tree key or the deciduous tree key. In my group, I helped identify the types of leaves, bark, and the place where it was growing.

After working for a year and a half I got to see a lot of pain, desperation and sadness in people. Now I am glad that I was part of a team that could offer a hope and a cure to these people. I finally felt that I am a part of something

For my service learning experience, I had to volunteer at two places, due to some issues I had at one of the volunteer sites. Both sites served as a great learning experience to me and I really enjoyed what time I got to spend at each of the sites. Both sites were there to provide support to those who had some sort of disability and help them lead a more independent life. Each site did amazing work with their clients and I am exceptionally happy to see places like this in our community.

Service learning programs are designed to increase the number of leaders in a community as well as community leadership as a whole. These programs contribute to building leaders in the area. This occurs through developing their leadership skills and knowledge to be effective leaders in the community. Service learning provides youth with the opportunity to practice and enhance their leadership skills by reflecting on their experience. Youth involved in service learning programs report a variety of benefits. These include an enhanced self-esteem, clarification of values, social and personal development, civic responsibility, and enhanced academic performance. Although we are able to understand how youth benefit from service learning programs,