Service Learning with Community Partners

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Service Learning with Community Partners
Garden Projects

• Midwest Consortium for Service Learning
• Conference
• Brookings, SD
• September 25, 2008
• Dr. Deanna Acklie
• Dr. Merryellen Towey Schulz

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PARTNERS

• Mercy Housing Crestview Village

• College of Saint Mary Teacher Education Faculty
  and Students

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Unusual S-L Participants

• SEAN
• Student Professional Organization

• Graduate Students
• Master of Arts in Teaching

Most service learning is associated with a
particular undergraduate course. At CSM, the
teacher education student association and
graduate students work with professors to learn
about planning and teaching children of diverse
populations while completing service-learning
projects with a community partner.
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The Garden

• Spirit of Service Day
• Landscaped a childrens garden with
• Dry creek bed
• Bridge
• Paths
• Shaped plots
• Play house
• Flowering trees
• Bushes

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The Plan
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Community Partners

• Critical element in successful service-learning
  activities
• Can lend expertise in a specific issue area.
• Provide sites for students to engage in service
  activities
• Help strengthen ties between the campus and the
  community

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OmaGro
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6 Hours Pouring Rain!
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Planting Day in May
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Stepping Stones

• Project completed in summer 2008
• Worked with resident children to create
  individual stepping stones for Childrens Garden
  created by undergrads in April and May

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CELEBRATE!
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Graduate Students

• Individuals with bachelors degrees seeking
  careers as teachers
• Difficult to find time in accelerated program for
  service, but worked well asservice-learning
• Increased experience working with children from
  diverse population

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Benefits of Projectfor Crestview Residents

• Spiritual garden for pleasure and reflection
• Beauty added to surroundings
• Opportunity to work with earth and plants
• Pretty place for children to play
• Opportunities for children to learn about and
  care for plants
• Families work in and enjoy the gardens together

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Benefits of Project for CSM Students

• Learn about landscaping, gardens and plants
• Learn about planning and teaching children
• Work side by side with instructors
• Work with resident children
• Do service

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Funding

• Midwest Consortium for Service Learning CSM Grant
• SEAN (Student Education Association of Nebraska)
  College of Saint Mary Chapter
• Discounts from Lowes and Trees, Shrubs and More
• Private donors

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Benefits to All

• Service-learning enhanced the students learning
  while fulfilling a need in the community.
• Interactions among diverse groups of people
• Varied SES levels
• Multiple races and ethnicities
• Wide variety of jobs
• Many levels of education
• Ages from toddlers to 50

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Lessons Learned

• Maintenance improving but still a concern
• Vandalism
• Training of residents to weed, water, etc.
• Use sturdy perennials
• Students will work hard
• Children can do a lot