King's College  

Community-based Learning Initiative

Pursuing the goals of the curriculum by working with the community to solve community problems

 The following descriptions give examples of how community-based learning has been implemented in courses taught by King’s College faculty members:  

Times Leader, May 19, 2002

Environmental Studies -- This project included the training of college students to disseminate river/ watershed information to area schools.  This experience not only informed those who received the information, but also served as a learning opportunity for the presenters as they prepared and delivered the material. 

College students were provided with the necessary training and equipment to prepare and deliver presentations to area schools.  Each college student was assigned the task to prepare a presentation on a topic related to the river/ watershed or an associated resource. 

Computer Application for Education, Social Studies Methods - pre-service education students

King's College Teacher Education Outreach

Teaching With Technology

Exemplary Lesson Plans Developed by King's College Teacher Education Students Made Available Via the Internet

These plans were developed in King's College Education courses.  They are made available to practicing public school teachers to promote the use of technology in the classroom and to initiate a conversation about how to teach effectively. 

Outreach website found here: http://www.kings.edu/kdils/Outreach/outreachhome.htm

King's Education Major Making a Difference at the Luzerne County Head Start

Foundations of Education—First Year and Sophomore Education majors. 

Over 70 King's students since 2000 have observed a Head Start classroom, prepared a lesson plan, and conducted a circle time lesson with 4 & 5 year olds at the Luzerne County Head Start school. Students could opt for the service-learning assignment, or another assignment that did not involve service in the deductive component of the course.  The students then made presentations to the class, describing and critiquing their own experiences.  

This project was described in Dils, A. K. (2002) “The Use of Service Learning to Narrow the Potential Racial Mismatch Between Future Teachers and Their Students.” Focus on Teacher Education. A Quarterly Newsletter Published by the Association for Childhood Education International. 3(1), 1-3. 

Education Division Brochure, 2004.

Major-level Spanish courses - for Spanish majors

Over the course of the semester students interview various members of the local Hispanic community about how they arrived in Northeaster Pennsylvania, what their life was like before living here, and how they have lived since their arrival.  When permitted, the students will video tape these interviews.  Students will present their findings at the "Conference on Immigration and Life in Northeastern Pennsylvania" at King's College.

 Environmental Studies —for environmental studies majors.  Focused on a small (unreportable) oil spill near a power plant.  A piece of equipment on the roof of one of their buildings was blowing a fine spray of oil onto the roof.  When it rained, the oil was flushed from the roof into the drainage system, and into a rock-lined culvert where the soil was contaminated.  We recommended that they use one of a number of commercial microbe consortia developed for these purposes.  However, given the number of products available, we also recommended that they allow us to do some laboratory testing to see which of the products would work best.  They gave us a grant of $1500 towards our experimentation.  Therefore, two faculty members (one with gas chromatograph and microbial expertise and one with stats expertise) and the ENST 370 class and instructor have begun to put together an experiment to test a number of these products.

Mass Communications 391- Building a Website - Mass Communications majors

Students built a website for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Pocono Northeast Chapter.  The website can be found using the following link:

http://www.afp-nepa.org/index2.html

  Translation (Spanish-English)—students beyond conversation level. 

The instructor collected documents from local social service agencies for students to translate into Spanish.  Local Spanish-speaking residents then benefited from using the translations.  The class also had to choose an agency and participate in service with that agency.  First, it gave students real world experience and provided the instructor with realistic documents on a variety of topics. Second, the students got a real feel for cultural differences and the interplay between language and culture.  

 Business Writing—both English and Business majors

Students worked in groups to assist local not-for-profit organizations to address an issue, such as finding new office space. The course required the students to meet with the organization staff and prepare relevant documents to address the issue, such as memos, letters, proposals, etc.  

  Effective Writing—largely First Year students. 

Students were asked to interview senior citizens and write a profile about them.  The students had the chance to walk into someone’s life (literally walking in to a Senior Center, in many cases) so that they can write the kind of profiles asked of them.  In return, they wrote an oral history that, in theory, benefits the subject.  

Political Behavior—treats issues of political socialization.

Each student tutored one fifth-grade student in an at-risk school (generally Spanish-speaking, low levels of income and parental education) for at least 2 hours per week for the entire semester, in reading.  College students brought in age-appropriate materials on political life, government, etc. and served as mentors for the children.

Economics of Women, Poverty, & the Environment—Econ and Enviro Studies majors

Students were divided into three groups that serviced local organizations.  Some assisted a group home for mentally ill women with grant writing material. Others worked in an after school program for at-risk children. The third worked with a local environmental group to conduct a needs inventory and to provide an Earth Day program for pre-schoolers.  

Science Methods—for pre-service Education majors.

Pre-service student teachers worked with school children in two Saturday morning hands-on science workshops, demonstrating basic scientific principles.

Reading Methods - for pre-service Education majors.

Sister Miriam Stadulis, director of the McGlynn Learning Center of Boulevard Homes in downtown Wilkes-Barre, has communicated with me for several years of her need for tutors to help children complete their homework after school.  Approximately 45 children come to the center each day after school from 3:30 until 5pm. Many of them do not have family members who can or will help them at that time.

Students’ Role: 22 college students in the spring 2004 sections will support students at the center in completing their homework for 12 hours over the course of the semester.

Instructor’s Role: I will give students suggestions for motivating and helping children with their homework. I will also provide oral and written feedback as I read students’ journal entries.

 Community Agency: Sister Miriam and her staff provide an initial orientation at the center , supervise students’ as they tutor, and document college students’ participation with certificates and photographs.

 The college students will be assisting, roughly, 2-3 students each visit.

Assessment & Instruction of Reading - for pre-service Education majors.

Students are teaching their own lessons to develop reading and writing at "Kids' Cafe" at Heights Murray School in downtown Wilkes-Barre. My entire class of 20 students are either teaching, planning, or gathering materials for these lessons. Seven college students are responsible for lessons taught to approximately 22,1-3rd graders on Monday nights. Thirteen college students are responsible for lessons taught to approximately 10, 4--6th graders on Wednesday nights. Lessons are conducted between 5 and 5:40 pm at Heights Murray Elementary School. Students fulfill varying roles: some are the actual on-site teacher or assistant teachers, others type a King's College lesson plan for teaching, and others are responsible for gathering and/or making various educational materials.

Secondary Teaching Methods- for pre-service Secondary Education majors.

"Lend a Helping Hand" is a program recognized by the Intergroup Relations Commission of the Pennsylvania State Education Association as an exemplary partnership between King's College Education Division and Wyoming Valley West Middle School.  King's students are integrated into the middle school to support students in their studies.  King's students observe the workings of the school and eventually practice their teaching to a whole class.

Citizens' Voice April 7, 2003

Human Behavior and Social Institutions - introductory, core curriculum students all majors

Instead of doing major terms papers, the students who choose the service learning option will reflect (in a journal and in class discussion) on how the children at Kids' Café, their conditions, and the program itself relate to topics in the social sciences studied in CORE 150, such as sociology, economics, and political science. Examples include discussing the roles and groups observed at Kids' Cafe, and government policies affecting poverty and education.

Students in sections C and F of CORE 150 (Fall 2003) will have the opportunity to participate in a service learning project as an alternative to traditional items such as terms papers.  Students will spend some time working with elementary school children, doing things like providing after-school homework assistance, computer assistance, and mentoring

Political Science - Political Science Majors

Students completed a management study and prepared a compendium of borough ordinances for a local Borough government agency.  The ordinance book was presented to the local agency.

Cultural Psychology - Majors

Students investigated the use of technology as a cultural tool in the local economy.  Students conducted a case study of a local business and designed and implemented a short survey on technology use in small businesses in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

Advanced Photoshop

Students designed and created posters using the advanced Photoshop software.  Posters were made for various campus community organizations.   The goal is to now provide this service for appropriate organizations in the Wilkes-Barre community.

Strategic Management

Student teams developed strategic plans for local profit and non-profit businesses.  The clients attended the final presentations and gave the students a grade.

Mass Communications

King's Mass Comm Student To Assist "Windsor Park Stories" Production Team

As reported at http://www.windsorparkstories.com/news.html:

"Lacey Banis, a senior from Florida, majoring in Mass Communications at King's College will study 'Graphic Design for the Web' with Mr. John Augustine, and she will take an independent study experience in public relations for a television series with Dr. Anthony J. Mussari and his wife, Kitch Loftus-Mussari, the producers of 'Windsor Park Stories.'"

"These individually crafted learning experiences will enable Lacey to immerse herself in design and writing for the Internet."

"During her Christmas vacation, Lacey used the World Wide Web to conduct interviews with many of the people who will be telling their stories this season in Windsor Park."

Criminal Justice - While possibly considered more of an internship than a CBL project embedded in an existing course, the following describes a valuable community-based  learning experience:

(As reported on the "Criminal Justice Department News" section of their web site)

"The Juvenile Justice Research Program, conducted by Dr. Ryan Sheppard and Mr. Lindenmuth, began at the start of the 2003 Fall Semester. This dual (6 credits) internship opportunity combines a traditional internship experience at Luzerne County Probation, with research experience evaluating the effectiveness of juvenile programs such as boot camps, school-based probation, and community-based programs. Four students are now taking part, and plans are now under way to continue the program next semester."

This website was constructed through the efforts of Dr. Margarita Rose, Dr. Keith Dils., Dr. Ed Napieralski, the Community-based Learning Project Team, and those faculty using Community-based Learning.