The Impact of Service-Learning Projects in Health

on Student Civic Engagement and Career

Development

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

Promoting Health and Wellness

Grant3-year Learn and Serve America Higher Education

consortium grantFunded by the Corporation for National and

Community ServiceConcept

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

A Partnership Project• CASE Center 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

Project Concept

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

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

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

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”

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

Getting Buy-in OR What’s in it for me?

CBO’s, Non-Profits, Associations

• 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.

Students

• 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

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

Site Specific Models

Project at City College of

New York

Preparation

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

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”

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

Action Taken

Residents’ SurveysEstablished PartnersPostersHealth FairsEarth Day EventVisits to Community Sites

Use of Technology

FacebookBlog

Accomplishments

Healthy Bodega Initiative • Three Bodegas now sell healthy sandwiches that includes water

and fruit at a low cost. • Working with Community Board 9 and New York City Department

of Health and SEEDCO to expand Healthy Bodegas Initiative in West Harlem.

• One of the students in the Healthy Bodegas Group has been selected by the New York City Department of Health for an internship.

Accomplishments Conts:

Farmers Market• Conducted a survey of community residents asking what

produce will eventually be sold in the proposed green market.• Brought awareness of the benefits of the farmers market/ green

market to the community.• Attendance at monthly community board meetings to ensure

that the plan becomes a reality.

Accomplishments

Healthy Campus• Students worked with the manager of the CCNY Cafeteria to

identify some locations and healthier choices for the school vending machines ( Healthy Vend).

• Constructed a model to make the students, staff and faculty buy into the new choices.

Impacts on Students

More active in the communityEnhanced /developed their leadership

skillsScholarships/ InternshipsExposed to an alternative careerMore health conscious students

Impacts on the College and Community

Made the college and especially the students aware of service-learning

Improved relationship with the communityHealthier citizens

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

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.

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.

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

Experiments

• Blood Typing - using simulated blood

Test your Blood type

Blood components - separation by centrifuge

Preparation of Peripheral Blood Smear• Helps student identify the red blood cells and different

white blood cells

Hemoglobin Electrophoresis• Separation of different kinds of hemoglobin using a

separation technique using a separation technique known as gel electrophoresis

Service Learning

Pedagogy

Student

Reflection

Construction of Knowledge

Student Designed Survey

Students Take Over!

Photos from the Blood Drive

http://questblooddrive.pbworks.com/

Blood Drive Results48 Attempts

52 Donations57 appoints for next day

SUNY College at Old Westbury

A Focus on Diabetes

Dr. Henry Teoh, DirectorMs. Monique Clark, Program Coordinator

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

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.

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

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

What We Learned: Programs and

Impact

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

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

In Summary…

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

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.

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

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

Community

Student

CBOs, etcCommunit

y Capacity

CollegeCommunity

Social Networks

Stakeholders

FundersGovernment

Potential for Sustainable

Change

Professional Networks

Professional Networks

Health Based Service-Learning

Thank you!

• Contact Information

Deborah Hecht, Ph.D.365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3300New York, NY 10016Dhecht@gc.cuny.edu212 817 1834