The following courses have been approved by the Service Learning Committee based upon these criteria that make up a service learning course.

The UConn Office of Public Engagement is excited to be hosting our first Alumni Event for students who were involved with community engagement or service learning courses while at UConn.

We will be hosting a Farm to Table Breakfast at UConn’s very own Spring Valley Student Farm. The Farm is a place that represents community engagement in every sense. We appreciate our partnership with the farm and look forward to many future endeavors together.

Please register below. Seating is limited to 20.

REGISTER

On a cold January winter day, the newly selected group of Service Learning Faculty Fellows walked into Oak Hall to embark on a new teaching experience. It was their first collective taste of the pedagogy of service learning. Unlike other pedagogies, Service Learning has the ability to unite a wide range of disciplines and find a common thread: the desire for students to come in contact with high impact experiential learning and come away with knowledge to help solve today’s most pressing societal issues. This year’s cohort has ten members from across the University:  Agriculture and Resource Economics (2), Physiology and Neurobiology, Neag School of Education (2), Urban and Community Studies, Political Science, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Economics, and Community Medicine and Health Care. Faculty projects will involve criminal justice, rare diseases, air pollution, food policy, education power and privilege, community medicine and access to healthcare, and urban geographical analysis.

• Kimberly Bergendahl, Assistant Professor In Residence, Political Science, Storrs
• Phil Birge-Liberman, Assistant Professor in Residence, Urban and Community Studies, Waterbury
• Syma Ebbin, APIR, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Marine Science, Avery Point
• Oskar Harmon, Associate Professor, Economics, Stamford
• Mark Kohan and Susan Payne, Asst. Clinical Prof and Assoc. Clinical Prof, Neag School of Education, Storrs
• Rasy Mar, Community Based Education Specialist, Medical School, Farmington
• Adam Rabinowitz, Assistant Research Professor, Agriculture and Resource Economics, Storrs
• John Redden, Visiting Assistant Professor, Physiology and Neurobiology, Storrs
• Kristina Wagstrom, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Storrs

Do you want your students to help solve this century’s most pressing societal challenges? Do you have an interest in community inspired research initiatives? The Office of Public Engagement in collaboration with the Institute for Teaching and Learning are offering a sequential learning series on the pedagogy of Service Learning.

This series will provide faculty an opportunity to receive tools and guidance about the pedagogy of service learning. Faculty who attend all sessions will receive a certificate of participation.

Service Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.  (Carnegie Definition)

**NEW DATE!!** Friday, April 17 – 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (Bring your lunch if you wish)

Pedagogical Pillars of Service Learning, Rowe Building, Room 331E

Julia Yakovich, Service Learning and Anne Gebelein, El Instituto

This seminar will explore the fundamentals and characteristics of the pedagogy of service learning and will also uncover the research behind it. The presenters will review basic tools and tips of the trade for faculty to begin designing their service learning initiatives.

REGISTER

**NEW DATE!!** Monday, April 20, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (Bring your lunch if you wish)

How Sustainable Service Learning Community Partnerships can lead to Engaged Scholarship, Rowe Building, Room 331E

Jennifer Bruening, Neag School of Education

Those who utilize the pedagogy of service learning will have community partnerships to develop and nurture over time in order to create sustainable relationships. These partnerships can lead to engaged scholarship and other research and grant opportunities if framed as such.  You will learn from a faculty member who has ample experience through the Husky Sport program.

REGISTER

Monday, April 13, 11:15 am to 1:10 pm (lunch provided by ITL)

Service Learning and Effective Business Problem Solving in Entrepreneurial Settings, Rowe Building, Room 320

Zeki Simsek, School of Business

The pedagogy of service learning is effective in business settings and can be a driver for the local economy. Learn how this faculty member developed a senior capstone where students focus on consulting with local small businesses and put their accumulated business knowledge to work for the benefit of the business and to strengthen their own skills. This model can be adapted to any discipline.

REGISTER

Wednesday, April 15, 11:15 am to 1:10 pm (lunch provided by ITL)

Identifying Service Learning Community Partners Through the Non-Profit Platform, Rowe Building, Room 320

David Garvey, Department of Public Policy

Identifying community partners can sometimes be challenging. As a main pillar to the pedagogy of service learning, however, it is necessary to find a partner that is right for you, your class, and your research.  This session will help you navigate the local not-for-profit world through the Connecticut Nonprofit Strategy Platform.

REGISTER

Session completed:

Wednesday, February 25, 11:15 am to 1:10 pm

Developing Effective Service Learning Framework, Rowe Building, Room 320

Beth Russell, HDFS

Service learning is a pedagogical strategy necessitating proper planning and framework.  This seminar will highlight one faculty’s perspective and experience on how to go about developing an effective framework for your service learning course.

Contact Julia Yakovich with any questions at julia.yakovich@uconn.edu.

Do you have an outstanding student that deserves to be recognized for their work in service, research, and advocacy?  If so, consider making a nomination. Contact engagement@uconn.edu with the student’s name by Friday, February 6^th.

Newman Civic Fellows: Accepting Nominations through March 4th

The Newman Civic Fellows Award honors inspiring college student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country. Through service, research, and advocacy, Newman Civic Fellows are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change. Colleges and Universities are asked to nominate exceptional students to be considered for this prestigious award. Learn more about the award and process here.

Clayton Christensen, the Harvard Business School professor and author of The Innovator’s Dilemma, is on record saying that as many as half of U.S. colleges and universities will go out of business in the next 15 years. His case for arguing this stems from extensive research on technology-driven “disruptive innovations” across many industries. In recent years, he has looked closely at the disruption caused by online courses in the education world, and his predictions have caused quite a stir.  Read more below…

http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/179564/real-disruptive-innovation-education.aspx

Consistent with the Academic Vision, the Office of Service Learning (OSL) is designating service learning courses.  Designated courses will be searchable in Peoplesoft and will be supported by the Offices of Public Engagement and Service Learning.

Service Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. – Carnegie Foundation

There are two ways to get your information to the Office of Service Learning.  You can either Apply for Service Learning Designation OR complete the information requested below…quick and easy!  The ultimate goal is to have all SL courses designated for data collection and quality purposes.  **Applications for the SL Designation are due Friday, December 5, 2014 at noon for spring and fall 2015.

How do you know if you are teaching Service Learning?

• Do you have a course that is engaged with the community?
• Are the students reflecting on the community engagement and the course content through discussion, written, or other artistic form (music, drawing, digital media, etc.)?
• Is the project with the community mutually beneficial to both the community and the university?
• Are the course content and the community engagement project aligned?

If you answer yes to any of these questions or if you have questions, contact Julia Yakovich at the Office of Service Learning at julia.yakovich@uconn.edu.

Have you thought about including service learning in your teaching?

Service learning actively engages students in the community.  As a form of experiential learning, it provides direct experience and hands-on learning to develop skills useful in future careers, family life, and community involvement.  It can help develop critical thinking through involvement in situations conducive to creative, effective problem-solving, and it can enhance students’ social responsibility by expanding their compassion, civic awareness, and desire to be engaged in the community.

Service learning projects are developed by connecting student learning objectives and community need. As such, the resulting partnership is mutually beneficial for all parties. The project activities and deliverables can vary widely as service learning can take on many forms.

Links:

• Contact the Office of Service-Learning (http://sl.engagement.uconn.edu/) for more information or for help getting started on developing your service learning course or project
• To learn more about the faculty benefits of service learning, visit Faculty Overview (http://sl.engagement.uconn.edu/news/overview-for-faculty)
• Visit National Campus Compact (http://www.compact.org/) for models of service learning across disciplines and institutions.
• Spring 2015 SL Course Designation Applications are due by Wednesday, Oct. 1 at noon.  To submit a course, please click HERE.

The Service Learning Faculty Fellows Program for 2016 is offered through the Office of Public Engagement (OPE). This enhanced fellowship opportunity is designed to intentionally and consistently align with OPE’s philosophy of Relevant, Reciprocal, Responsible community engagement. The fellowship will begin with immersion training in mid-January followed by monthly two-hour workshops during the spring and fall semesters. Faculty who are accepted must commit to teaching a new or existing modified course with service learning as a pedagogy in the fall of 2016. Faculty will receive continued support from the Manager of Service Learning and the Service Learning Committee throughout the fall in addition to a monetary stipend or contribution to their department. Faculty Fellows are expected to mentor their colleagues in service learning as appropriate.

The Service Learning Faculty Fellows Program is open to all faculty on all campuses; whether you have taught with service learning as a pedagogy for years or have never done so. Courses may be undergraduate or graduate, domestic or global.

The Office of Public Engagement and its Service Learning staff support academic and program-focused service learning at the University. OPE is a resource for students, faculty, staff and community partners interested in the pedagogy of Service Learning which “is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.” – Carnegie Foundation Definition of Service Learning

Please contact Julia Yakovich for assistance prior to submitting your application at julia.yakovich@uconn.edu.

Timeline for Fellow Application  

Deadline for submission: Thursday, Oct. 1st

Notification from OPE: Thursday, Oct. 8th

Faculty response to OPE: Thursday, Oct. 15th

Faculty Fellowship Outline of Pedagogical Activities from January to December 2015

January 2016 Intensive Training

January training will focus on building an SL course through a consideration of SL course components: organization, objectives, assignments, assessments, and the community partner relationship.

Faculty will bring with them: syllabus of the course they want to modify or a description of a new course with a list of readings, goals and objectives.

Homework will be posted on HuskyCT before the training. Faculty will be expected to have read all homework on the web before the first day of training.  It will include the UConn Service Learning Guidebook, critical articles, history of Service Learning at UConn, and sample syllabi in their discipline.

Faculty Fellow Required Training Schedule

Thursday, January 14 & Friday, January 15 of 2016*               

*snow day will be Monday, January 18, 2016

Overview of Workshops

Spring Semester 2016

Spring semester workshops will assist faculty in preparing for their fall course, in addition to deepening faculty understanding of Service Learning pedagogy. Each workshop will include training module, followed by time to discuss critical article or chapter.

February: OSL Policies and Procedures, IRB, Risk in addition to ‘Writing and Service Learning’.

March: Technology and Service Learning.

April: Campus Compact-sponsored presentation of keynote speaker on Service Learning. Current and former faculty fellows process the talk together, discuss ideas and how they connect to courses and research over lunch.

May: Day-long service learning experience in either Willimantic or Hartford focused on a theme. This experience will give faculty the opportunity to have a mini hands-on experience with SL while also talking to partners about how to have successful partnerships.  

Fall 2016 Semester 

Fall workshops will provide additional training, as well as providing a forum in which faculty can process course teaching, brainstorm, and receive feedback and support.

September: Using Media to get your message out.

October: Community Partner Management and Critical Reflection.

November: Assessment w/ Community Partners. Critical Reflection continued.

December: Writing up the results. A discussion with faculty who have published articles about their SL teaching or research.

Apply for the program here.  

Please note: If you would like to explore possible proposals or goals for service learning before submitting this application, please contact Julia Yakovich at julia.yakovich@uconn.edu or at 860.486.4531.

The Service Learning Faculty Fellows Program for Academic Year 2014-2015 has been redesigned by the Office of Public Engagement and the Institute for Teaching and Learning. This enhanced fellowship opportunity is designed to intentionally and consistently align with OPE’s philosophy of Relevant, Responsible, Reciprocal community engagement. The fellowship will begin with immersion training in mid-January followed by monthly two-hour workshops during the spring semester. Faculty who are accepted must commit to teaching a new or existing modified course with a service learning component in the fall of 2015. Faculty will receive continued support from the Office of Service Learning (OSL) and ITL throughout the fall, in addition to a monetary stipend or contribution to their department. Faculty Fellows are expected to mentor their colleagues in service learning as appropriate.

The Service Learning Faculty Fellows Program is open to all faculty on all campuses. Courses may be undergraduate or graduate, domestic or global.

The Office of Service Learning, as part of the Office of Public Engagement, supports academic and program-focused service learning at the University. The OSL is a resource for students, faculty, staff and community partners interested in the pedagogy of Service Learning which “is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.” – Carnegie Foundation Definition of Service Learning

Required Fellow Orientation

Thursday and Friday, January 15 and 16 with a snow day on Monday, January 19 of 2015

Timeline for Fellow Application  

Deadline for submission: Monday, September 29^th

Notification from OSL: Friday, October 10^th

Faculty response to OSL:  Friday, Oct. 17^th

Application will be available, Tuesday, September 2.