by Taylor Ware “The more I got involved with the service-learning office, the more engaged I became in my education and my community,” said Missouri State Physician's Assistant student, Regan Wilson. Regan is currently a full-time master’s student, busy with plenty of studying and attending clinicals. However, not long ago, he was a cornerstone of the Citizenship and Service-Learning program. From service-learning student to Bonner Leader to graduate assistant, Regan has followed an admirable path. In 2017, Regan learned about service-learning from a presentation given in Human Genetics. He instinctively jumped on the opportunity to participate in the program. That semester he worked in tandem with his close friend, Nick Lantz, to facilitate two after-school programs at Robberson Community School: FENLE and Club Med. Read Nick’s story. FENLE is aimed at younger children while Club Med is for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. At FENLE, Regan and Nick taught the students about healthy choices and played related games. At Club Med, they taught about career options in … [Read more...] about Missouri State grad student reflects back on professional development in service-learning
The Citizenship and Service-Learning office has a long-standing relationship with vision health. In 2013, the office began administering free vision screenings in the community. An estimated 80,000 screenings have taken place over the past 9 years. This program enables service-learning students to get hands-on experience and use high-tech equipment. The program is partnered with the Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Ozarks, where community members who have been flagged for vision issues can receive care. Screenings take place at many locations and events including local daycare facilities and school districts as well as the Salvation Army, Springfield Dream Center, OTC campus, and the annual HOPE Connection event. This semester, the vision screening team can add one more location to its list, the Missouri State campus. As a result of partnering with AmeriCorps this past summer, we are now offering free vision screenings in University Hall and in the Plaster Student Union. A dedicated team of student employees will be stationed at these locations to provide vision … [Read more...] about Service-Learning and AmeriCorps partner to offer free on-campus vision screenings
By Taylor Ware Left to right: Molly Reeves, Kaitlyn Galaydick, Miranda Dougherty, Kathryn Wagner, Alexis Scroggins Integrated Service-Learning is a crucial piece of Missouri State’s public affairs mission. Many faculty have taken it upon themselves to weave service-learning into their courses to further enrich their students’ academic experience. Professor Jennifer Lowenthal-Hershey is a prime example of an instructor using community engagement to fortify their student’s education. Professor Lowenthal-Hershey teaches Critical and Creative Thinking Using Information Technology. In this course, students are encouraged to examine individual and public policy problems via the lens of information technology. Excel, Microsoft, and a variety of research databases are among their utilized tools. The integration of service-learning into ITC 200 has been an incredible shift in creating a more dynamic and engaging course. Students in Professor Lowenthal-Hershey’s class are tasked with a semester-long, group project that constitutes the service-learning aspect of the course. Randomly … [Read more...] about Service-learning students team up to addresses childhood trauma in ITC 200 course