By Taylor Ware
Service-learning relies on community partnerships. James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) is one of many valued not-for-profits that we collaborate with. Their Executive Director, Brent Stock, believes that service-learning fosters crucial learning experiences that students will carry throughout their lives. Brent Stock is a Missouri State graduate from the wildlife conservation and management program. He has an extensive background in not-for-profits and a passion for the outdoors.
At James River Basin Partnership, Brent oversees a small staff and facilitates ongoing projects. Much of his work revolves around grant management and fundraising. These financing efforts support a variety of projects. This includes their work to remedy nonpoint source pollution and their efforts to provide environmental education to the community. They also host many events including river, lake and stream clean ups. Brent and his staff work hard to manage these responsibilities. The integration of service-learning students helps to lighten their load. “Service-learning students allow our project managers to take advantage of certain opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to,” said Brent.
Service-learning students allow our project managers to take advantage of certain opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to
Our community partners strive to offer assignments to our students based on their courses and career aspirations. At James River Basin Partnership, there is a wide variety of tasks students might perform. These include stream sampling, data entry, outreach education, volunteer management and more. Not-for-profits often rely on grant funding which is always changing. And as grants change, so do projects. Brent is happy to provide this opportunity for interested students. “Jobs in this field can be limited, so I want to help them find their way into the local conservation world,” he explained.
Consider Ashley Packwood, a Missouri State graduate and past service-learning student. Ashley was placed with James River Basin Partnership in 2019. She now works as a VISTA Project Supervisor and Outreach Specialist at Stream Teams United. “Brent Stock and the whole staff welcomed me like an old friend and made me feel like part of the team every step of the way. When I walked in on my first day, I couldn’t even tell you what a watershed was. Now, I work for another Missouri Stream Team nonprofit and work with multiple Stream Teams around the state, including JRBP! The James River Basin Partnership is an organization I will support for the rest of my life. At the time, choosing to do service-learning seemed like such a small choice, but it has led to everything I’ve achieved. I cannot express my gratitude for that opportunity enough,” said Ashley.
At the time, choosing to do service-learning seemed like such a small choice, but it has led to everything I’ve achieved
The benefits of service-learning are abundant, and community partners are often the closest observers of these benefits. Brent expressed that connecting with local organizations is always advantageous. Even for students planning to move out of the area, service-learning is a great resume builder and educational tool. Not-for-profits provide the ideal environment because they demonstrate functionality and success while having access to limited resources.
Our community partners benefit from service-learning students, but they also take time to support and train them. Brent feels it is a worthwhile commitment because pouring resources and knowledge into young people is how society progresses. “I make time for these students with the belief that they will make positive changes whether that be during their 40 hours at my organization or at some point in the future elsewhere,” said Brent. He also noted that students often provide a fresh perspective and new ideas that improve their operations.
Taking on a service-learning student is also an opportunity to share your mission with someone new. Brent explained his appreciation for the chance to build a connection with students and bring them closer to a conservation mindset. He feels this is a chance to foster the next generation of people to be stewards of the water. Even if a particular student doesn’t continue in conservation work, they will carry what they learn into whatever they end up doing. That may be teaching, corporate work, political efforts or raising a family.
Our office is thankful for community leaders like Brent that are champions of service-learning. As someone who is responsible for hiring staff, Brent looks for qualities like flexibility, multitasking and worldliness when reviewing applicants. “I think service-learning is one of the best opportunities to grow these skills,” said Brent. He explained that academic success is always great to see, but that individuals with experience outside of the classroom tend to surpass other candidates. Involvement with service-learning demonstrates an ability to step away from a structured environment and push your boundaries. These characteristics are indicative of a more well-rounded and driven person.
We have immense gratitude for the not-for-profits and local organizations that support our programming. Without their cooperation, our students would be unable to access the experiential learning and professional development that accompanies the service-learning method.
Brent’s efforts make a big difference for service-learning students as well as the entire community. If you are interested in becoming a service-learning community partner or student, connect with our office over email at ServiceLearning@MissouriState.edu.