A generous donation from Alan E. and Jeanne N. Hall has been used to create an endowment for community outreach at Weber State University. This is the second year that faculty, staff, and students have applied for funding to support service-learning and volunteer activities in the local community. The objective of the Hall Endowment for Community Outreach is to address the needs of disadvantaged individuals, families and groups within Ogden and the surrounding communities by enhancing their educational, economic, social, psychological and cultural well-being.

Amanda Sowerby, assistant professor of dance, received funding last year and again this fall to involve her dance students in service to elementary school children and persons with disabilities. Sowerby says her dance students “experience their own potential as artist, educators, and members of a broad and diverse community” through this service-learning experience. She goes on to say, “through the experience of dance, participants can realize hidden talents, artistic expression and improved physical health.” The funding from the endowment made it possible for Sowerby and her dance students to positively impact the lives of children at ten low income elementary schools and make five site visits to Development Technology System, Inc., a day training facility for severely disabled persons.

Marci Rigby, a Weber State student and the Vice President for Service in the student government, received funding to facilitate an art contest for children this fall 2006. The “Dream On” contest was designed to introduce the importance of a college education to pre-school, elementary and middle school aged children. “More specifically, this project is directed at inspiring first generation students who may not have parents or family members who have attended college” Rigby says. The contest encouraged students to create a piece of art that shows how a college education can help them achieve their biggest dreams. These pieces will be displayed on campus during the spring semester. The students who entered the contest and their families will be invited to campus to enjoy the display and be recognized for creating an entry.

Stephanie Bossenberger, professor of dental hygiene and department chair, received funding from the endowment to implement a dental health education, dental screening, and dental sealant project for inner-city Ogden elementary school children. Not only do Weber State dental hygiene students go out into the schools but the children are also bused to the Weber State Dental Clinic. The project will impact 180 first and second graders who will be provided with dental hygiene treatment, including teeth cleaning, x-rays, dental sealants, oral hygiene, and flossing. Bossenberger says “the educational goal for the dental hygiene students are threefold: first to have positive experiences with community dental health projects as they are in their education program; second, to instill a sense of service that will be life long; and third, to provide students direct experiences with individuals who are culturally diverse.”

The organizations in the Ogden community with whom the endowment recipient’s partner are overjoyed with the prospects of the partnership with Weber State University. They value the investment the university is making in their organization and the clients they serve. Daneec Ipsen, volunteer coordinator at Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership, said that the “Dream On” art contest “opened the door for Head Start teachers to explain all the educational opportunities open to the children.” She goes on to say that “the whole experience was fun for the children and educational at the same time.”

The potential impact of the Hall Endowment for Community Outreach is far-reaching. Last fall, seven projects addressing a variety of community needs ranging from education, to health, to poverty, were funded. This fall, an additional eleven projects, three of which are described here, were funded. The Hall Endowment is making it possible for more Weber State faculty, staff, and students to actively engage in service to the surrounding community.
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This fall, Weber State University students majoring in Spanish are volunteering as translators for non-English speaking patients at McKay-Dee Hospital. Students in the Women’s Studies program are serving at the Your Community Connection and Safe Harbor, assisting women dealing with domestic violence. Next spring, members of WSU’s botany club plan to assist students at Ogden’s Dee Elementary School to create a garden on site.

Why did all these students wind up working with these community outlets? It’s called service-learning or experiential learning, a concept that is gaining attention at college campuses across the nation, including Weber State University.

Service-learning is more than coordinating a group of student volunteers who want to make a difference. A key component is connecting courses with projects that provide an opportunity for students to apply scholarly concepts. There might be limited benefit for business students to engage in a Great Salt Lake environmental project, but that same task might yield tremendous scientific learning opportunities for a student in a botany or zoology course.

Part of my role as director of the newly created Office of Community-Based and Experiential Learning is to match university professors and their students with community organizations in mutually beneficial partnerships. There are amazing opportunities for both community organizations and WSU with the proper planning, coordination and commitment from faculty, students and our community partners.

Most professors who embrace service-learning use it as a tool to teach specific objectives in their curriculum. The research shows that students engaging in service-learning projects are more likely to not only learn the material but retain it. This, of course, is very appealing to professors who are continually challenged to get students to learn and do something more with that knowledge than simply regurgitate it on the midterm exam. Additionally, professors who employ service-learning no longer have to struggle to come up with examples to which the younger generation can relate. Class discussions are enriched with real life, relevant examples from students who are serving in their communities.

More than 45 faculty, representing WSU’s seven academic colleges, have incorporated service-learning in their classes. The actual amount of service-learning time required of a student can range from as little as 8 hours a semester, to as much as 30. However, some students get so excited about what they are doing in their community and how it relates to what they are learning in the classroom that course requirements can not contain their enthusiasm. One student spent 145 hours tutoring in the HOSTS program at Highland Middle School in one semester when she was only required to serve 25 hours.

There are countless benefits of service-learning for students. Studies have shown that students who participate in service learning have a higher graduation rate and a more positive college experience overall. In most cases students can put the experience and skills learned on their resumes, giving them an edge in pursuing their careers or graduate school. In some cases, the service-learning experience influences career choices, or leads to long-term employment. Additionally, communication, team work, and leadership skills are honed. And perhaps most importantly, studies show that service-learning students have a greater sense of social responsibility and citizenship skills. Because service-learning benefits students, we all benefit in the long run.

A National Survey of Student Engagement study released earlier this month found that in addition to the aforementioned benefits for academic achievement and retention, student engagement was especially beneficial for underserved minority populations or those who come to college less prepared than their peers. The same study also reported on the benefits service-learning provided for distance-learners (students who take classes without actually coming to campus, such as students in on-line classes). These are examples of how service-learning connects students to campus while connecting them to the community. This is why I see service-learning students as a bridge between the university and the community.

Community organizations play a vital role as co-educators in the service-learning partnership. Service-learning requires community partners to make a commitment to enhancing students’ education. In return however, community groups, organizations and non-profits benefit from an enthusiastic work force with relevant knowledge at little or no cost to the operation. A statewide assessment of the impact of service-learning on community organizations conducted by the Utah Campus Compact, shows the community greatly benefits from partnerships with universities and colleges – 72% of surveyed community partners increased the services their organization was able to provide to clients; 50% said they increased the number of volunteers in their organization, the number of clients they serve, and the resources in their organization; and 1 in 4 community partners identified a new staff member.

I hope the community will come to view service-learning at WSU as a resource. The office of Community-Based and Experiential Learning at Weber State University is making every effort to build bridges between campus and community through service-learning. Why wouldn’t we? It has something to offer everyone.
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