Community Engagement/Experiential

This assignment is to fulfill the requirements for the Community Engagement/Experiential Learning Activities. As stated in the syllabus, points are given for participation in approved community engagement activities and preparing a journal of those activities. Community engagement activities include those organized or approved by the school, as well as other such activities the instructor feels fits the spirit of the school definition of community engagement and is appropriate to the content of this course. Experiential learning activities allow the student to apply the principles learned in the course in a practical way, so the students may “get their hands dirty” with an appropriate learning activity to help students gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and concepts presented in the course. If unsure of what is appropriate, please contact the instructor for clarification. Some examples of things former students have done are listed at the end.
You may begin this assignment at any time during the term, but it must be completed by the deadline. You should submit your journal as a Word document attachment to the Discussion Board for this assignment. Please read and comment on the postings of your peers for this assignment. You may learn of many exciting activities that you can do in the future. If you are doing community engagement for this assignment, you should spend at least ten hours performing your activity. This can be done in one day, or broken up into several segments. Your journal is to provide a clear picture of: 1. What you did for this activity, 2. Who, or what organization did you perform this activity for, 3. How your activity related to the emphasis of this course, specifically ethics and social responsibility as they relate to environmental issues, if possible, and 4. Your feelings about doing this activity and whether it causes you to want to continue to perform such activities in the future.

If you are doing experiential learning for this assignment, you will need to work with the instructor on developing an appropriate activity that reinforces concepts learned in the course. Similar to the community engagement activity, you will keep a journal explaining: 1. What you did for this activity, 2. How you accomplished this activity, 3. How your activity related to the emphasis of this course, specifically ethics and social responsibility as they relate to environmental issues, if possible, and 4. Your feelings about doing this activity and whether it causes you to want to continue to perform such activities in the future.

Examples of Community Engagement Activities: 1. Volunteer service at established charitable organizations, i.e. Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Club, Planned Parenthood, Bethany House, Ryves Hall, Lighthouse Mission, or other similar organizations, 2, Volunteer service at daycare centers, elementary schools, senior centers, or assisted living centers, 3. Volunteer services at a religious center, or other organizations serving people, 4. Volunteer for charity fundraising events such as March of Dimes, Aids Task Force, Relay for Life, Race for the Cure, etc.5. Volunteer with organized events such as Earth Day, Donaghy Day, Make a Difference Day, and other organized beneficial events.

Examples of Experiential Learning Activities: 1. Clean up roadsides, parks, etc. of trash and recycle things that are recyclable, 2. Clean up communities after disasters such as tornadoes, floods, etc. 3. Construct homes, churches/mosques etc. in disadvantaged communities, 4. Perform other activities that put into action the principles of this course.