In March, representatives from the MSU-West Plains campus attended the “Beyond the Borders: The Future of Service-Learning” Faculty and Staff Development Conference here at Missouri State University. The conference featured keynote presentations by nationally recognized service-learning scholars, Drs. Rick Battistoni, Patti Clayton, and Jean Strait (see CASL website soon for conference video presentations). The West Plains administrators were so impressed by what they heard, they approached the CASL office requesting guidance on how to expand service-learning on their own campus.

From this conversation, an exciting new partnership was formed. Beginning this summer, CASL staff, along with a graduate assistant (funded by MSU-West Plains), will begin identifying and meeting with community partners, developing databases, assisting with program marketing, setting up processes and procedures, etc. In the fall, a new CASL satellite service-learning office will come on line in West Plains, staffed by a CASL graduate assistant, who will be onsite one to two days per week to accommodate these students. We congratulate Missouri State-West Plains as they strive to promote and engage more students and faculty in service-learning.

On a side note: Dr. Jean Strait (the luncheon keynote from the “Beyond the Borders” conference) will be returning to campus by popular demand. She will be presenting a hands-on service-learning workshop at the FCTL’s Showcase on Teaching and Learning: Engaging 21st Century Learners on August 15.