Volunteer work can help create positive interactions with your new neighbors, while at the same time facilitating a deeper understanding of what it means to be an engaged member of the community.  Through our service, we work together to increase civic engagement and a more just society.

Our FYS class will be working to support teachers and students at Parkview Elementary.

More information on volunteer projects, including specific time slots available, will be given during in-class presentations during the first weeks of class.

For our CCP project, students will:

• Contribute to our service activity at Parkview on Saturday, August 26.  This orientation is effectively your first service learning session and the time spent at the orientation counts towards your total service learning hours.
• Log 15 hours of service at Parkview Elementary
• Write 2 short reflection papers over the course of the semester.  These papers are critical reflections upon your service experience and how this experience relates to the content of the class. The first reflection paper is due on 9/22 9/29; the second paper is due on 11/3. Papers must be uploaded as pdf files to Moodle.

CCP Reflection #1

Write a short essay (500-750 words) that reflections on the following questions:

• What is your role at the CCP site?
• What were your initial expectations? Have these expectations changed? How? Why?
• What are you learning about the people in the community?
• How does this experience reflect Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s discussions of community engagement and service?

Upload to Moodle by 4pm on Friday, September 29.

CCP Reflection #2

Write a short essay (500-750 words) that reflects on the following questions:

• How did your understanding of the wider Wooster community change as a result of your participation in this service project?
• How can you continue your involvement with this group or social issue?  With another community issue that is important to you?
• Talk about any disappointments or successes of your project. What did you learn from it?
• During your community work experience, have you dealt with being an “outsider” at your site? How does being an “outsider” differ from being an “insider”?
• How are your values expressed through your community work?

Upload to Moodle by 4pm on Friday, November 3 17.

Note: I got some of many of these questions from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Engaged Learning webiste.