Service Learning benefits students, faculty, the community

This year close to 2000 BSU students participated in service-learning, which is a type of class that includes a service project to help you learn course material. Students from 120 different classes contributed over 50,000 hours of service to the Treasure Valley! Service-Learning classes were offered in every college on campus, examples include:

College of Arts & Science: students in Dr. Helen Lojek’s English 278: English Literature class created posters to interest junior high school students in literature. The BSU students met with the 8th graders for their input and feedback in the final project.

College of Social Science and Public Affairs: Child Psychology students spent time with four and five year olds at HeadStart.

College of Business and Economics: Teams of students in Dr. Rob Anson’s ITM 490 class, a senior capstone project class for information technology majors, did everything from system development to cost benefit analysis for their non-profit clients such as Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority.

College of Engineering: Students in Dr. Carol Sevier’s ENGR 120- Intro to Engineering class worked with individuals with disabilities by designing, analyzing, and implementing solutions to assist the individual with everyday tasks. One group designed a tool to hold a camera for a woman with limited motion in her arm.

College of Education: Graduate students in COUN 518 – Counseling Issues with Older Adults with Liz Williard spent time with elders in long-term care facilities and hospice centers.

College of Health Sciences: Students in NURS 413- Public Health Nursing produced a health fair for clients of the Friendship Clinic, a free health center for low-income individuals.

This is what students from these classes said about participating in service-learning:

“Very enlightening experience. Thank you.”

“I really enjoyed the serving learning experience… It’s good to think outside the box and work with a group of people to accomplish a common goal for the benefit of others.”

“I really do appreciate the time that we had with those kids, and feel it will propel us to work more within the community.”

“This course expanded my personal and professional horizons in unexpectedly fulfilling ways. I’d especially commend (the) use of the Service Learning requirement. While I was initially resistant to the idea, it opened up a world of amazing experiences for me, working with Alzheimer’s patients. It’s something I continue to do on a volunteer basis, but never would have thought of absent this course requirement . It’s a great way to integrate theory with practice, to experience a range of client needs and strengths, and to provide a bridge between the department and the community at large.”

“The knowledge we gained has given us a far more in-depth understanding, and respect, for the engineering profession.”

Just 11 years old, Boise State’s Service-Learning program is the largest in the state and is being used as a model to establish and grow similar programs at other universities.

For more information, visit http://servicelearning.boisestate.edu or call (208) 426-1004.

COURTESY SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM

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