Service Learning and Course Projects

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Service Learning and Course Projects
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What is Service Learning?

• Integration of service and academic course
  content that significantly inform and enhance
  each other.
• Planned reciprocity of benefits for the community
  partner and the students.
• Service addresses a need and follows processes
  that are mutually agreed upon by the partner,
  instructor and students.
• Course assessment and credit are based upon the
  demonstration of student learning including
  critical reflection regarding the integration of
  the service and the academic course content.
• Course actively guides and supports students in
  critical reflection regarding the integration of
  the service and the academic course content.

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Our Partner

• VPIRG Vermont Public Interest Research Group
• Engages in research, education of both citizens
  and government
• PIRGs in every(?) state
• As a small state, often easier to get things done
  in Vermont, can serve as model for nation

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The Problem

• Obesity epidemic
• Overtaking smoking as health problem
• This may be first generation to live shorter than
  parents
• Rapid increase among adults, sky-rocketing rates
  among children
• For first time, as many people are overweight as
  malnourished
• Multiple causes
• Concerns allocation of scarce resources among
  desirable ends
• VPIRG is planning campaign. Our goal is to help
  them

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Course projects

• FUNDING
• Prepare letter of interest for funding, send out
  to funding organizations.
• Brief but careful description of VPIRG project to
  address the obesity problem.
• Research on funding organizations.
• Letter must be prepared to meet the requirements
  of each potential foundation.
• COLLABORATION
• Find other groups in Vermont and nationally doing
  research on the same issue.
• Describe what they are doing in a clear, concise
  write up.
• Write to them to assess interest in collaborating
  with VPIRG

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Course projects (cont.)

• CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
• Prepare detailed campaign strategy.
• Need to understand VPIRGs approach
• Study the approaches other groups have taken
  elsewhere.
• Background reading on civic activism
• White paper
• overall review of the problem
• What is the trend, what are the causes?
• Policy paper what can be done?