Q This Service Learning Assignment is due Friday of Week 7 by 11:59 pm. The main goal of this assignment is to look in "your own backyard" and learn about and connect with your community around an issue that you are interested in or concerned about. Being of service to your community is an important ethic of sustainable communities. We encourage everyone to be a change agent for sustainability in their community, as described here: Change Agent Abilities Required to Help Create a Sustainable Future (Links to an external site.). Description & Importance of Service Learning Service learning is described as an "educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs." Service learning is an important learning approach for sustainability. In this assignment, we want you to think about ways you could serve your community to further goals, help someone in need, and add to your knowledge and experience. This is an opportunity for you to learn about how your community works and what issues are being discussed. Seek ways to serve for an organization you'd like to learn more about in your community. There is rich learning about people and the systems we are working within, dependent upon, and have the power to transform. What are you curious about in your community and how can you learn more about it and analyze it in terms of the social, environmental or economic sustainability issues as all are connected. We've included some options for completing the service learning requirement. Please use the Service Learning Discussion Board if you have any questions or if you have volunteering opportunities to share. Here is a short list of remote volunteering opportunities with organizations that have no minimum time commitments: • Zooniverse: People Powered Research https://www.zooniverse.org/ • Work as a digital volunteer for the Smithsonian: https://www.si.edu/volunteer/DigitalVolunteers • Missing Maps, Putting the World's Vulnerable People on the Map: https://www.missingmaps.org/ Here are a couple of resources for folks in the Corvallis area: • Oregon State Link for students to connect to local service learning opportunitiesLinks to an external site. - it's a limited list • Conservation Volunteer Calendar (Links to an external site.) for folks in the Corvallis area In addition, here are more ideas to consider for online service learning projects. Know your City/Town Council. Look up your city's web page and check out who the leaders are and structure of departments and services. Answer the questions on the assignment through the lens of your community. Frame how this organization handles sustainability issues (where is it posted? which departments are responsible?) When do they meet? For the service portion: • Attend a City Council or other community meeting on Zoom and report back on what was discussed via the 10 questions below. Find out when your City Council meetings are online and discuss the agenda and decisions OR • Write a well thought through letter/email to one of your council members or representatives articulating an issue and some possible solutions. Provide proof of sent email. Find and attend a webinar through a government or nonprofit organization to learn about a sustainability topic in which you'd like to know more about and possibly serve. Attend a live webinar by a government agency or nonprofit about an aspect of sustainability you're interested in. There are so many free webinars these days on all topics. Check out local groups' programming schedules on their websites, Facebook, Instagram, Linked In. I find there are a a steady stream of interesting webinars related to sustainability these days. Reflect on Previous Service Learning Experience Use this opportunity to reflect more deeply on a service learning experience you completed within the last year. You may want to learn more about an organization you are already involved with and reflect more deeply on the mission of the organization and your role in that work. In a non-COVID world, service learning projects may include things like planting trees, working on a community garden, removing invasive species, volunteering at the food bank, making calls for your local non-profit, etc. Since we are in the time of COVID, we have to be creative as to how to do this. If you have any questions about what to do for your service learning project, please use the Service Learning Discussion Board. Written + Creative Mapping Assignment Requirements (worth up to 250 points) The first step, which may take a good hour or two of research online and talking to people, is for you to self-identify a service learning experience with a designated community organization or community project or City/Town Council that means something to you. These online service learning opportunities may be shorter, such as about 1-2 hours for a community meeting on Zoom or a webinar, so the original 4-6 hour work requirement is flexible. Review the assignment options fully and 10 questions below before writing your response. After you research and identify an organization or agency and complete your "service" (such as attending an online City Council Meeting, a webinar, tree planting), reflect on your experience by responding to the following 10 prompts below in one to two paragraphs each. You will have to begin by conducting research on the organization that you volunteer with. The sustainability problem that the organization is working to improve and the root causes underlying the sustainability problem to answer these questions. Question 10 requires you to map the system surrounding the organization you volunteered with and provide a narrative explaining your map. We will focus on systems mapping in Module 6. The organization's website is a great place to start mapping the players and issues of concern. You may want to start by creating a systems map as you review the organization's materials as this will help you to answer each of these following questions. 1. Which organization and/or project did you volunteer with or research or participate in (via webinar) through online resources? Why did you choose this particular organization? 2. What are your learning intentions? In other words, as you think about a community sustainability issue dear to your heart, what do you want to learn and how do you want to be of service? Consider and investigate who is addressing this sustainability issue in your community? 3. Provide an overview of the history of this organization and/or project. What is the mission of the organization? How long has it existed? 4. With sound critical thinking, explain how the intention of this project and/or organization relates to the dimensions of sustainability - equity, environment, economy - and where it falls short? 5. Describe sustainability issue(s) that this project or organization or webinar is addressing and how you may be of service to move this forward 6. Reflect on and explain the root causes underlying this sustainability problem. How could one go about addressing these root causes in order to move towards sustainability? 7. Reflect on and describe the potential impacts of this project/organization/webinar on different scales - from individual to community to state to nation to global - where do they make most impact and why? least impact and why? 8. Brainstorm broadly to identify the relevant community organizations and other systems connected to your project - all scales, all beings. This could include both human and non-human communities. 9. Refer to the ACPA’s Presidential Taskforce on Sustainability's document on Change Agent Abilities Required to Help Create a Sustainable Future Change_Agent_Skills-1.pdf Download Change_Agent_Skills-1.pdf http://www.myacpa.org/sites/default/files/Change_Agent_Skills.pdf (Links to an external site.). Which Change Agent Abilities do you think will best support this type of service learning as well as future work you want to do? Reflect on what skills you may want to develop and how you see yourself being a change agent for sustainability in your community and/or with your current or future employer? 10. Refer to questions 4-8 to create a systems map examining the impacts of the organization you explored. We especially want to see representation of the linkages between the social, environmental and economic dimensions of your service learning focus. Refer to Module 6 for an in depth lesson to systems mapping. To earn full points, you must include a visual systems map as well as a 2-3 paragraph written narrative describing the elements and relationships you've chosen to highlight in your systems map. Rubric Service Learning Reflection (1) Service Learning Reflection (1) Criteria Ratings Pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 1. Selection of Volunteering Opportunity 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking. Organization or project identified along with thorough explanation of choice. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Organization or project identified but lacking thorough explanation of choice. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 2. Learning Intentions 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough description of volunteering efforts. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Description of volunteering efforts is lacking in required details. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 3. Overview of Organization 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough description of history of organization 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding History of organization is lacking in required details. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 4. Goals and mission of organization 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough explanation of project goals and connection to mission of organization as well as an explanation of connections to at least one dimension of sustainability. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Explanation is lacking project goals, mission of organization, or connection between the two and/or explanation is lacking connection to at least one dimension of sustainability. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 5. Description of sustainability problem 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough description of sustainability problem, including specific information/data to provide context. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Description lacks specific information and/or does not reflect an understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 6. Explanation of root causes 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough explanation of root causes contributing to sustainability problem. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Explanation does not reflect an understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 7. Explanation of potential impact 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough description of potential impact of similar projects across different scales. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Explanation does not reflect a critical understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 8. Connection to community sustainability 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and provides a thorough description at least two communities connected to your project as well as an explanation of how the efforts of the organization contribute to community sustainability. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Response is lacking in required information and/or does not reflect an understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 9. Reflection on change agent abilities 22 to >17.6 pts Demonstrating Understanding Response demonstrates critical thinking and thoroughly addresses all prompts. 17.6 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Response is lacking in required information and/or does not reflect an understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 22 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 10. A. Systems map 26 to >23.4 pts Demonstrating Understanding Systems map demonstrates critical thinking and addresses impacts in all three dimensions of sustainability. 23.4 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Systems map lacks one or more dimension of sustainability and/or does not reflect an understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 26 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestion 10. B. Systems map narrative 26 to >23.4 pts Demonstrating Understanding Systems map narrative demonstrates critical thinking and addresses impacts in all three dimensions of sustainability. 23.4 to >0.0 pts Developing Understanding Systems map narrative lacks one or more dimension of sustainability and/or does not reflect an understanding of course concepts. 0 pts No points Response missing. 26 pts Total Points: 250 PreviousNext