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| A student from an Upper Valley Current Environmental Issues class prepares to water trees planted along the White River as part of a service learning project. |
Have you noticed
little black boxes next to some courses in the course schedule? Have you wondered what they are for? CCV uses a the little black box to designate service learning classes.
Community -engaged learning, or service-learning, is a teaching approach that combines what is learned in
the classroom with real- world experiences.
Students engaged in service learning literally “learn by doing” and use
the community and their service experience as a “live textbook” for the class –
another powerful source of information to complement course readings, lectures,
and discussions. Service learning allows
students to increase understanding of class topics, gain hands-on experiences
and network with members of the community.
Students who have been a part of service learning courses often feel a
great sense of satisfaction – not only have they learned new information,
gained new skills and met new people, but they have also provided a service to
the community. Additionally, service learning can be a powerful resume builder.
CCV offers numerous courses with service learning activities
each semester.
During the Spring 12 semester I took Introduction to Nutrition (with Melanie Meyers), this class contained a service-learning component to it, and I enjoyed it tremendously. In my opinion, classes that offer service-learning aspects are the best classes to take, while at CCV. These classes are extremely important, where they teach the student about what it means to be a valuable member in their community.
ReplyDelete“Don’t become part of the problem, be part of the solution.” ~ Joe Martin
I recently completed the Current Environmental Issues course at CCV's Upper Valley Academic Center. Jennifer Guarino taught this course, and emphasized from the beginning, the importance of completing a service-learning project. Getting to experience the hands-on aspect of helping out a local community was an enormous advantage to my overall experience of the class. I had the opportunity to work alongside classmates, and make a difference in a way I would not have otherwise been able to do. I highly recommend taking a class that offers a service-learning experience. It's an incredible chance for you to grow in college, which will in turn help you continue to grow throughout every aspect of the rest of your life. CCV isn't interested in only giving you a great college experience, but also giving you a chance to be a part of changing your world for the better, and a service-learning project is a great way to get that done.
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