The Impact of Service-Learning Projects in Health on Student Civic Engagement and Career Development

1. The Impact of Service-Learning Projects in Health on Student Civic Engagement and Career Development

2. Presenters Center for Advanced Study in Education • Dr. Deborah Hecht, Project Director • Caterina La Fata Almendral, Senior Research Associate City College of New York • Dr. Millicent Roth, CCAPP Director • Nkem Stanley-Mbamelu, CCAPP Assistant-Director Long Island University • Dr. Gladys Palma de Schrynemakers, Assistant Provost College of Old Westbury • Monique Clark, Project Coordinator

3. Promoting Health and Wellness Grant • 3-year Learn and Serve America Higher Education consortium grant • Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service Concept • Engage STEM talented minority college students in the design and delivery of health-related service-learning projects in high needs communities • Create a training curriculum and workshop materials for implementing health related service-learning projects

4. A Partnership Project • CASECenter for Advanced Study in Education, CUNY Graduate Center (lead) • CSTEP (Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program): New York State initiative for minority college student interested in STEM careers • LSA (Learn and Serve America): • Supported by a LSA– Higher Education grant • NY-LSA provides access to state resources & connections to K-12 • NYS – Colleges: Colleges with CSTEP and typically STEP programs are provided sub-grants to implement service-learning • Community Partners: Local community partners identified by each site, local, regional and national CBOs and health related organizations

5. Project Concept Four and two-year colleges infuse health-based service-learning into their existing STEM initiatives (CSTEP programs)

6. The “MUSTS” • Students must have a real voice in project design • Projects must address a real health need (broadly defined) • Projects must fit within the culture of the college campus and community • Technology must be used to enhance the project activities (communication, advocacy, documentation, dissemination) • Students must have opportunities to apply their STEM knowledge and skills • Evaluative data about implementation and impact must be collected and used

7. Why service-learning in STEM? Why health based needs? • College students struggle to connect science content learned in college classrooms to real world settings • Many leave STEM disciplines because they fail to see relevance of their academic classes to real life • Students interested in STEM, particularly minority students, often have limited knowledge of potential STEM careers other than “medicine” or “engineering” • During an economic downturn, health care often becomes a lesser priority and access to health information and care may be reduced • Demand for health care workers and Public Health professionals is increasing as population ages and obesity related diseases increase

8. The Project in Context: Year 1 • The Colleges (all in NYC metropolitan area) • Four and two year colleges • Private and public institutions • Located in urban and suburban areas • Implementation Approaches (determined by each college): • Credit granting class • Extra curricular • Interterm course • Part of “college experience”

9. Supporting our Partner Colleges • Mini-grants provided seed money to each college • Staff at each partnering college was provided with training and resources to help them design and implement a health-based service-learning project • Site support was provided by graduate students in education (service-learning) and public health • Collaborative gatherings (in person, wiki, email, etc.) facilitated sharing across colleges

10. Getting Buy-in OR What’s in it for me? Students CBO’s, Non-Profits, Associations • Real World Experience • Apply science knowledge in a community to address a need; increase knowledge of STEM related health careers • Build career and professional skills • Resume/graduate school application builder; internships, fellowships, scholarships, mentorships; marketable skills • Builds organizational capacity to help provide services and meet community needs • Increases partnerships and collaborations • Potential to tap into new funding streams, increase public relations, promote organization.

11. Getting Buy-in OR What’s in it for me? (continued) Colleges Community • Engage students and faculty through new experiences, courses, etc. • Expand potential field placement opportunities, new courses • Recognition • Within community, by administration; awards • Expand funding options • Provide additional health resources and services • Increase engagement of college in community activities

12. Site Specific Models

13. Project at City College of New York

14. Preparation • Training (Staff and students) • Introduction to public health and CBOs

15. Planning • Needs’ Assessment - Research based data - Department of Health statistics • Route to Possible Topics -Brainstorming session -Personal interest -Background information • Consensus on the topic/ health issue to address “OBESITY AWARENESS”

16. Addressing the Topic • Possible Approaches to Address the topic - Researched previous and current approaches - Decision reached on new approaches • Approaches led to the three projects • Partners – CCNY, community partners, CBOs, government and private health agency

17. Action Taken • Residents’ Surveys • Established Partners • Posters • Health Fairs • Earth Day Event • Visits to Community Sites

18. Use of Technology • Facebook • Blog

19. Accomplishments

20. Accomplishments Conts:

21. Accomplishments

22. Impacts on Students • More active in the community • Enhanced /developed their leadership skills • Scholarships/ Internships • Exposed to an alternative career • More health conscious students

23. Impacts on the College and Community • Made the college and especially the students aware of service-learning • Improved relationship with the community • Healthier citizens

24. Thank You Email: roth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu Nkem@sci.ccny.cuny.edu Dcampbell@ccny.cuny.edu • Be our friend on Facebook: City College Service Learning Project • Follow our class blog: www.servicelearningccny.blogspot.com

25. Long Island University • Biology 198:Blood: Metaphor for Life and Iconic Character • Understand the historical and cultural aspects surrounding blood. • Understand the scientific concepts of blood. • Enhance student learning by joining theory with experience and thought with action. • Fill unmet needs in the community through direct service that is meaningful and necessary. • Increase the civic and citizenship skills of students. • Increase student written and oral presentation skills.

26. Historical Context Five Quarts By Bill Hayes • Author incorporates mythology, history, literature, to illustrate his own personal connection and history with blood • Use of the mythical character Medusa to explain the dual nature of Blood • History of humanity's efforts to grasp blood's content and meaning • Paul Ehlrich, inventor of the Side-Chain Theory: chemical structure could be used to explain why the immune response occurred in reaction to infection.

27. Heuristic Laboratory Experiences • Goals of the Laboratory Experiments • Making student comfortable with working with blood • Familiarize them with routine blood procedures • Providing them with experimental opportunities to work with blood • Demonstrating the rationale for the compatibility for donor and recipient blood

28. Experiments • Blood Typing - using simulated bloodTest your Blood typeBlood components - separation by centrifugePreparation of Peripheral Blood Smear • Helps student identify the red blood cells and different white blood cellsHemoglobin Electrophoresis • Separation of different kinds of hemoglobin using a separation technique using a separation technique known as gel electrophoresis

29. Service Learning

30. Student Designed Survey

31. Students Take Over!

32. Photos from the Blood Drive

33. http://questblooddrive.pbworks.com/ Blood Drive Results 48 Attempts 52 Donations 57 appoints for next day

34. SUNY College at Old Westbury A Focus on Diabetes Dr. Henry Teoh, Director Ms. Monique Clark, Program Coordinator

35. Program Objective • The Learn & Serve America Project at SUNY College at Old Westbury in partnership with the American Diabetes Association, various health professionals and project staff at the CUNY Graduate Center, focuses on diabetes education. • The project was developed to increase awareness of the rates of diabetes among African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American communities. • The project began in the spring semester of 2010

36. Program Goals • Provide information about the seriousness of diabetes and its complications • Teach the importance of making healthy life choices • Educate those with or at risk of developing diabetes about prevention, treatment and management.

37. Student Ambassadors • Twenty four diverse undergraduate students from SUNY College at Old Westbury from various majors at different levels • CSTEP Program and First Year Experience and Civic Engagement Program • Six intensive two hour modules over a one -semester period including a one hour seminar on service learning, and a one hour seminar on healthy eating • Credits given to students upon completion of program

38. Service Activities and Projects • pamphlets, fliers and posters • public service announcement • Diabetes Day • American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure • American Diabetes Association Diabetes Walk-a-Thon • Diabetes workshops at local organizations; Boys and Girls Club, Mamma’s House, etc

39. What We Learned: Programs and Impact

40. Strengths of Model • All learning is contextually relevant to each college campus • Facilitates greatest institutional change • Each campus provided ongoing support • Implementation Guidance • Professional development availability • Graduate Students in public health and educational psychology (service-learning) for technical support

41. Challenges of the Model • Students often have competing priorities (e.g., challenging courses, financial responsibilities) and often question “how do I fit service-learning into my schedule?” • Institutional support and resources are needed, particularly during the initial implementation year, including the involvement of committed and creative staff members willing to advocate and problem solve • Faculty and students often struggle to distinguish service-learning from volunteerism or community service and to tie activities to the curriculum and student learning • Multiple constituencies often use different language and jargon

42. In Summary…

43. How Participating Benefits Students Increases civic engagement and social responsibility Provides productive ways to get involved Exposure to new areas, ideas, health issues, etc. Broadens career choices and professional options

44. How Participating Benefits Colleges More engaged students and faculty Provides opportunities to expand course offerings and seek additional funding sources Provides the potential for additional partnerships with community, CBOs, etc.

45. How Participating Benefits CBOs Engages new/different constituencies, including colleges (broadening support base) Provides new resources for meeting mission and community goals Increases the likelihood of successful advocacy/change

46. How Participating Benefits Community Health related resources increase (e.g., green market, expanded blood drive, diabetes awareness) Healthy citizens, decreased illness Greater investment in community by college students

47. Health Based Service-Learning Funders College Community Social Networks Government Community Community Capacity CBOs, etc Student Stakeholders Professional Networks Professional Networks Potential for Sustainable Change

48. Thank you! • Contact Information Deborah Hecht, Ph.D. 365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3300 New York, NY 10016 Dhecht@gc.cuny.edu 212 817 1834