CIVIC

 ENGAGEMENT
A  student  leadership  development  tool

14  March  2011  @  8:30am

Gail  Jessen  |  Director,  SLCC  Thayne  Center  for  Service  &  Learning
Linnie  Spor  |  Service  Leadership  Coordinator,  SLCC  Thayne  Center
Desa-­‐Rae  Robertson  |  Student  Mentor,  SLICE:  Student  Leaders  in  Civic  Engagement

2011  NASPA  Annual  Conference  |  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania  |  March  12-­‐16,  2011

Why  did  I  come  here  today?
 Service-­‐Learning
Historical  Underpinnings  (early  20th  century  roots)
Higher  education  has  a  responsibility  and  an  obligation  to  prepare  students  to  
be  active  members  of  the  community.
Institutions  of  higher-­‐ed  are  members  of  the  community  in  their  own  right.
Healthy  democracies  comprised  of  schools  +  civil  society.  Experiential  
education  combines  both,  engaging  students  outside  classroom  (i.e.  Dewey).

Curricular  Pedagogy  (traditional  application)

Service-­‐learning  combines  nonprofit  partnerships/volunteer  experiences  with  
academic  instruction,  focusing  on  critical  reflective  thinking,  and  personal  and  
civic  responsibility  (adapted,  American  Association  of  Community  Colleges)

Co-­‐Curricular  Pedagogy  (emergent  application)

Recognition  that  Student  Affairs  professionals  can  also  design  programming  
around  learning  outcomes  and  experiential  pedagogy  is  increasing/trending.
 A  Few  Research  Highlights
Improving  Student  Learning  Outcomes  with  Service  Learning
Prentice  and  Robinson  (2010)  -­‐  National  study  at  community  colleges
Service-­‐learning  participation  is  a  predictor  of  increased  student  learning  
outcomes.  Service-­‐learners  achieve  at  a  higher  rate  than  non-­‐SL  students.

Linking  Civic  Engagement  and  Service  Learning  in  Community  College  Students
Prentice  and  Robinson  (2007)  -­‐  National  study  at  community  colleges
Service-­‐learning  is  the  “educational  spark  that  sets  fire  to  the  commitment  of  
students  to  claim  their  role  as  active  community  members”  (11).

At  A  Glance:  What  We  Know  about  the  Effects  of  Service-­‐Learning  on  College  
Students,  Faculty,  Institutions,  and  Communities
Eyler,  Giles,  Stenson,  &  Gray  (3rd  ed.,  2001)
Extensive  bibliography  and  literature  review  annotated  thematically

{  all  ardcle  dtles  hyperlink  to  full  text  }

 SLICE:
Student  Leaders  in  Civic  Engagement
 SLICE  Vision  +  Mission
VISION:
SLICE  members  work  toward  a  more  just  and  democratic  society,  
seeking  an  end  to  the  social  problems  we  face.  These  students  
become  leaders  among  their  SLCC  peers,  raising  awareness  and  
inspiring  actions  that  address  community  needs.

MISSION:
Through  structured  training  and  guided  practice,  SLICE  members  
develop  the  strong  leadership  skills  necessary  to  bring  about  social  
change.  These  skills  empower  them  to  raise  awareness,  inspire  
others  to  become  engaged,  and  become  agents  of  change.
 SLICE  Learning  Outcomes
Critical  Thinking  Skills
SLICE  members  are  able  to  identify  a  problem,  opportunity,  or  challenge,  
analyze  the  elements/facts  of  a  specific  situation/problem,  and  identify  action  
steps.

Reflective  Thinking  Skills

SLICE  members  develop  reflective  thinking  skills  through  use  of  the  KWL  
reflection  chart  in  conjunction  with  each  initiative/project.

Leadership  Skills
SLICE  members  are  able  to  employ  democratic  principles  as  leaders,  
demonstrated  by  working  successfully  with  their  peers  in  diverse  teams.

Engaging  with  the  Community

SLICE  members  are  able  to  apply  their  critical  thinking  and  leadership  skills  in  
response  to  community  needs.
 SLICE  Program  Logistics
Structure
One  full-­‐time  professional  staff  coordinator
10-­‐20  student  members  selected  in  competitive  application  process
Second-­‐year  members  can  become  Peer  Mentors,  leading  teams  of  students
Members  offered  full  tuition  waivers  (department  receives  10  full  waivers)
Tuition  waivers  contingent  on  fulfillment  of  SLICE  Member  Contract
90-­‐minute  weekly  meetings  include  training,  reflection,  presentations,  etc.
Monthly  discussion  topics  explored  via  volunteer  opps  +  awareness  campaigns

Assessment
Mixed  method  online  pre-­‐  and  post-­‐test  required  of  all  members
Peer  Mentors  meet  1x1  with  program  coord,  assessed  via  qualitative  rubrics
Qualitative  KWL  Critical  Reflection  and  Debriefing  Wheel  completed  by  each  
member  before/during/after  volunteer  opps  +  awareness  campaigns
Assessment  Example
KWL  Critical  Reflection

 hKp://b it.ly/ecXf1f
YouTube  Video    @
 SLICE  Program  Resources
Handbooks  +  Curriculum
Student  Member  Handbook  (original)
Student  Mentor  Handbook  (coming  soon)  
High  Impact  Project:  Social  Justice  (Service-­‐Learning  Northwest)
High  Impact  Project:  Diversity  (Service-­‐Learning  Northwest)
Just  Add  Consciousness:  A  Guide  to  Social  Activism  (Oxfam  America,  Campus  
Outreach  Opportunity  League  (COOL),  Idealist.org,  and  Bread  for  the  World)
Activist  Toolkit  (Student  Public  Interest  Research  Group)

Don’t  reinvent  the  wheel...

NASPA  conference  attendees  are  welcome  to  modify  these  program  resources  
to  benefit  your  own  campus  initiatives.  
All  underlined  documents  hyperlink  to  a  website  with  free  downloads.
Learning  in  Action
2010  Salt  Lake  City  Marathon

  V id eo     @    h K p :/ /bit.ly/hH7RqC
YouTube
 Desa-­‐Rae  
Robertson
Civic  engagement  as  a  
leadership  development  tool
 Small  Group  Discussion...
SLCC  SLICE  Case  Study
Strengths  of  this  leadership  development  model?  Weaknesses?  What  would  you  
use  at  your  institution?  What  would  you  change?  Why?

Benefits  of  this  work

Identify  the  top  three  ideas  from  your  table  discussion.  Record  +  report  out.

Challenges  of  this  work

Identify  the  top  three  ideas  from  your  table  discussion.  Record  +  report  out.

Opportunities  for  this  work  at  your  institution

Similar  challenges?  Similar  opportunities?  Similar  programs?  New  network  
contacts?  Resources  you  use  that  you  can  share  with  the  group?
 What  do  I  plan  to  do  now?

le   a   to -­‐d o   l ist,   refl ect,   etc.

n   statement,   a cV o n   p la n,  dood
DraU  a  visio
 Questions?
...either  for  the  presenters  or  for  each  other?
 Contact  Info:
Thayne  Center  for  Service  &  Learning
@  Salt  Lake  Community  College

{    www.slcc.edu/thaynecenter    }
Gail  Jessen  |  gail.jessen@slcc.edu
Linnie  Spor  |  linnie.spor@slcc.edu