Deepening Your Service
In this fully online course we will practice deepening our existing service in the community. Throughout the course students will learn about and practice the Social Change Model of Leadership. Before class begins students will contact the instructor and develop a service plan with an organization with which they are currently affiliated. In addition, students will form small teams with their classmates. Each team will develop, implement, and evaluate a highly focussed community project. If you are already volunteering somewhere and want to deepen your commitment to social change this course is likely a good fit.
Video Introduction
The Course name changed this term. The description in the video is still relevant.
By the end of this course, students will:
· gain an understanding of the social change model of leadership development and be able to effectively integrate and apply concepts from it in their personal, civic, and professional lives.
· practice and develop necessary skills and attitudes to participate in social change processes with an emphasis on self-awareness and mindfulness
· create, implement, and maintain a personal growth strategy for the purpose of sustaining themselves in service to social change over the long haul.
· identify, articulate, practice and evaluate ways the social change model of leadership development could positively impact social justice issues related to their community service
· improve their use of technology as it relates to online and team based learning and project completion
Individual Service Placements (ISP)
Students will deepen an existing relationship with a nonprofit, political or government organization by serving with them throughout the course for a minimum of 20-25 hours. Each student is responsible for identifying and making initial plans with their ISP before class begins. The ISP is intended to stretch the student into new areas of leadership experience.
The ISP should include the following characteristics:
· Periodic over 4 or more weeks of the term beginning week 2 or 3 of the term.
· Working with others
· Changing or deepening the relationship between the student and the organization. When developing the service-learning plan the students will account for the intentional development of new skills, attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge.
- Allow the student to connect their service to social concerns or social justice topics.
Examples of ISPs:
· A student currently volunteering with an organization could increase their responsibility by becoming a shift lead, being trained for a new volunteer position, or participating in a short term project that covers several weeks of the term.
· A member of a neighborhood who has not yet been active in the Neighborhood Association could complete their service commitment by regularly attending meetings and actively participating on a committee.
· A church member who has only attended Sunday worship up until now could complete their service commitment by agreeing to volunteer with or through the church with other church members.
· An active member of a campus club could change their relationship by taking on a new role as a one-time event organizer whose responsibilities will cover several weeks of the term.
· A student whose child attends a school could become an active member of the PTA or begin helping in the classroom if they have not already been participating in that way.
· A student who is a registered member of a political party could volunteer for the Party in a way they have not yet volunteered.
Small Group Community Project (SGCP)
Groups of 2 or more students will apply the social change model of leadership through the creation of a final project that positively impacts the world. As with the ISP, the SGSP requires all group members to intentionally account for developing new skills, acquiring knowledge, and stretching in their leadership experience. Projects will be highly focused in scope and will take about 10-15 hours to implement and evaluate.
Sample projects might include any of the following:
· Addressing a specific need or request from a classmate’s community partner
· Creating an interactive gathering/workshop that addresses a topic raised in the course
· Leading a volunteer event that incorporates principles of the social change model of leadership.
