Missouri State University students who take on a component service-learning course get to understand their academic coursework better while at the same time work at various local non-profit organizations, schools and government agencies that are making a difference in our community. Each spring and fall semesters, about 80 to 100 students enroll in service-learning and they are involved in many different types of work and projects. Here’s what several of the students who did service-learning in 2015 shared about their experiences: I decided to do service-learning because I love working with children and wanted to tie that in with helping someone. By working at Douglas Head Start, I got to gain some experience working with children while helping the teachers at the same time. I loved my experience here. Children in this age group are so loving and hungry for knowledge. They are more than willing to hear what you have to say and respond to it. As my service-learning was for my nutrition class, I focus my time helping the children to understand that in a couple different ways. … [Read more...] about Service-learning students say…
It’s not every day one gets to interact with wild animals up close and personal. But Wildlife Biology student Katlyn Gardner got to do just that this fall—thanks to her service-learning experience at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield. A Citizenship and Service-Learning (CASL) staff visited her recently during one of her shifts at the zoo to find out more about why she decided to do service-learning and how she has benefited from the exposure. Why did you decide to do service-learning? I knew service-learning would give me an opportunity to work at the Dickerson Park Zoo and I really wanted to do this. Visiting zoos when I was younger got me interested in wildlife biology and I saw this as a perfect way to get my feet wet in the field. How did you secure your placement at Dickerson Park Zoo? I decided to do service-learning quite late in the semester so I spoke with a CASL staff to see if I could still do it. She said yes as long as the zoo was willing to accept me. I called the director and it all worked out. How has your service-learning experience been? It’s been a … [Read more...] about Service-learning spotlight: Katlyn Gardner