Charles Whitaker, Author at Community Engagement Blog

Peace Corps Prep program arrives at Missouri State University

April 29, 2019 by Charles Whitaker

By Lucy Beeler

The Center for Community Engagement is excited to establish the Peace Corps Prep program at Missouri State University. The official partnership between the Peace Corps and the university is designed to prepare students for international development fieldwork and potential Peace Corps Service.

What is Peace Corps?

The Peace Corps was founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. Since that time, the government-run program has sent American volunteers to 141 countries across the globe. Peace Corps volunteers serve within a variety of sectors, including education, health, environment, agriculture, youth in development, and community economic development, meaning there is something for everyone. The Peace Corps mission is to “promote world peace and friendship,” by implementing three goals:

To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

To find out more information about the Peace Corps and various volunteer openings, check out the website.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/

Why is the Peace Corps Prep Program important to Missouri State University?

Missouri State University implements learning in the framework of public affairs. Through the Peace Corps Prep program, students will directly engage in Missouri State’s public affairs mission, which includes pillars of cultural competence, ethical leadership, and community engagement. The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) will serve as a central hub for the program, connecting students with resources and experiences on and off campus. The CCE has a variety of ways to get students involved. Through completing a service-learning course, signing up for service opportunities, going on a Bear Breaks Immersion trip, or participating in Bear Service there are opportunities for all. The CCE’s goal is to help students learn how to become active citizens who have a passion for using their skills in the community.

If you would like to learn more information about MSU’s Peace Corps Prep program, visit www.missouristate.edu/cce/peaceprep.htm, call us at 417-836-5774, or drop by our office located in Plaster Student Union 131.

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Student Spotlight: Amanda Drewel uses robots to teach kids about STEM

December 12, 2018 by Charles Whitaker

For Amanda Drewel, what takes place outside of the classroom can be just as important as what happens at the desk. As a service-learning Bonner Leader, expectations were high. She was on the lookout for a program that would serve her needs as a young professional hoping to get kids excited about STEM fields. Not exactly the breeziest of tasks. But since her placement at Robberson Community School, Amanda has proven to excel in the community as an educator and coordinator with a little help from robots.

Amanda describes the program idea as a recognizable need to empower young learners in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Familiarity with these fields will likely help students find higher paying jobs. This can help mitigate the poverty cycle many of them are in. The robotics program uses LEGO education to encourage an interest in engineering and coding. The children design and build robots that they are then able connect to their Chromebooks. Then, they build a code capable of executing sequenced movement in the robot.

Typically, a lesson begins with a problem or scenario. The first lesson showed two scientists that were getting too hot in the science lab on a hot summer day, so they needed a working fan in order to cool them down. The next step prompted the students to build, design or improve the physical model of the robot using the Legos in their kits. The students connect the robot to their Chromebook using Bluetooth, then creating a code for the robot to follow and carry out. Finally, students can make improvements to the robots and code to achieve varied results.

A junior in the Reading, Foundations and Tech program, Amanda serves a major service-learning role. Being a Bonner Leader at Missouri State means she writes the curriculum, organizes lessons for the week, leads instruction during club, and operates as the primary communicator between CASL and Robberson. That alone not being enough, she also jumps in to help organize leaders and monitor curriculum in other STEAM (STEM + Arts) related after-school clubs at Robberson, including: gardening club, LEGO Land math, and art club.

“I especially have loved how hardworking and interested the girls have been to get to work with robots and improve their engineering and coding skills, it is a passion of mine to empower young women in STEM fields since they are traditionally so male-dominated.”

Despite the responsibility, Amanda is certain to remind us of the other factors that lead to the robotics club’s implementation. She gives credit to SoSE or Society of Science Educators, which has been offering volunteers to help run the club on Friday mornings. With about 40 students in attendance each week, the additional help is welcomed. She also praises grant writing students from John Turner’s Missouri State Grant-writing class, which was successful in obtaining the funding to purchase LEGO Robotics kits and the WeDo 2.0 Software for programming and coding.

“I am so grateful to have such a supportive team here in the CASL office, as well as a very hard working group of volunteers that are willing to give their time to the students at Robberson, I know the kids love all of our volunteers a lot. Kathy Nordyke (Missouri State) and Laura Shulties (Robberson) have also been extremely instrumental in the running of the club and its startup.”

What hits home the most for Amanda is how it’s impacting the lives of area children – most of who would otherwise not have access to this type of learning.

“I think that this club has really helped to empower the students at Robberson to take interest in the areas of STEM and this is really great to see,” she says. “I especially have loved how hardworking and interested the girls have been to get to work with robots and improve their engineering and coding skills, it is a passion of mine to empower young women in STEM fields since they are traditionally so male-dominated.

Robberson is a Title 1 community school in the Northwest area of Springfield, an area struggling with severe poverty and lack of educational opportunities. The operation of the program is new to Missouri State, but LEGO education has been used for a while all over the world. After experiencing the positivity and potential at Robberson first hand, Amanda hopes to see the robotics club implemented in various other after-school clubs and summer camps soon.

“I think that bringing these students the opportunity to work with kits and programs that are not always available to low-income schools is a great thing. Students see this club as a special event and feel encouraged to learn and involve themselves in STEM areas. Often, professions in STEM fields are higher paying and so this club could be a Kickstarter to put students into those fields so that they can find higher paying jobs that could help to remove them and their families from poverty.”

Staff at the CCE are thrilled to see Amanda embrace a leadership role and apply her passions in a way that’s also an educational experience for her. She is applying the ideal of active citizenship and the university’s public affairs mission in a way that better prepares for her own career aspirations. Amanda offers a prime example to other Missouri State students that service-learning and community engagement are effective methods for building paths toward a career while still attending college.

The Center for Community Engagement is really into community. We fulfill Missouri State’s public affairs mission with programming, faculty support and meaningful opportunities for students. For more information visit https://www.missouristate.edu/cce/.

We’re really into chatting, too. Here’s where to find us:

Twitter | Facebook | cce@missouristate.edu

Departmental collaboration the key to community education event

November 26, 2018 by Charles Whitaker

During the fall semester 2018, the office of Citizenship & Service-Learning partnered with the Springfield Dream Center, The Fairbanks/Northwest Project, and Dr. Alex Jean-Charles and Dr. Ann Marie Daehn’s service-learning students to host a brand-new program called “Around the World in 80 Days.”

“Around the World in 80 Days” developed out of Dr. Ann Marie Daehn’s service-learning courses MUS 293,393 and 493 and Dr. Alex Jean-Charles EDC 345 Multi-cultural Education and Diversity class and in partnership with the CASL office. In these classes, students discussed ideas for giving back to the community with culture. Service-learning director, Dr. Kathy Nordyke was more than happy to help build this vision of using multiple departments to create a community educational event. Ultimately, education students from CFD 560/660 Family Engagement course and Professor Sarah Murray’s BMS 340 Nutrition Education students, along with a host of students from French, Sociology, Biology, Management, Psychology, First-Year Programs and the Honor’s College also joined in with Music and Education students to support and develop this program.

The plan to create an event that would offer an experiential learning opportunity to Missouri State students while also teaching local children different aspects of diverse cultures was a success. These cultures and locations were imaginatively recreated by structuring a series of globe-hopping booths, visualized with beautiful 9-foot-by-6-foot canvas paintings – all of which were made by hand under the direction of Missouri State art student Megan Wood who is a Bonner Leader in the CASL office. The first event took place on November 10, 2018 at the Springfield Dream Center. A number of other CASL Bonner Leaders as well as student volunteers, assisted in the paintings of the backdrops for each country.

For instance, at the India booth, students read a storybook about Diwali – the Hindu festival of light over darkness – to the families and children that attended. They made simple flutes out of straws to represent an instrument in the story that is often used during the celebration.

At another booth, families in attendance were treated to a mini-Italian opera performed by Dr. Daehn’s students, teaching elements of language, music, and emotion in a classical art form.

Spain was also in town, where Professor Alex Jean Charles’ students created a lesson plan to educate the families about the language, culture, and music of Spain through castanet crafting. Families took the opportunity to dance around the gym of the Springfield Dream Center with their castanets.

Additionally, service-learning students from Professor Sarah Murray’s class were there to teach families about food safety and healthy eating, particularly relevant to a population that may not have had the opportunity to learn things the rest of us often don’t think twice about.

In total, there were fourteen countries students had the opportunity to visit through this program. Dr. Nordyke is pleased with the results of the multi-class and community collaboration, saying, “If we can inspire one child, or one person, we have done our job!”

“Anything one person can imagine another person can make real.”

– Jules Verne

Based on the classic novel by Jules Verne, about an adventurer and his friend as they experience different countries and unique cultures. Service-learning was inspired to use the story as a foundation for sharing new and exciting knowledge about diverse cultures across the globe. “Around the World in 80 Days” received positive feedback and comments from families. The Springfield Dream Center also praised the event and hope Missouri State can come back again soon with even more countries and more things to learn. If you missed the “Around the World in 80 Days” event November 10, 2018, please feel free to join us on December 1, 2018, for the next event at the Fairbanks Community Center.

If you have any further questions or are interested in partnering with Missouri State University to host an educational event, please contact the Center for Community Engagement.

cce@missouristate.edu | @MoStateCCE | (417) 836.5774

Around the world with service-learning

November 12, 2018 by Charles Whitaker

On Saturday, at our Around the World in 80 Days cultural educational event, children and families in underprivileged schools in Springfield had the opportunity to experience different cultures this Saturday through art, music, and science projects. Students will make stops in Egypt, China, Italy, Tanzania, and many more locations from around the globe.

Our Bonner Leaders, student workers, and service-learning students spent weeks preparing each station. They used their classroom knowledge and flexed their creativity to create an exciting and meaningful program for all of our visitors.

Another day of the event is scheduled for December 1st.

GA Perspective: Nursing students offered career development opportunities through vision screenings

November 6, 2018 by Charles Whitaker

By Lucy Beeler

Ozark West Elementary happens to be one of the locations we’ve coordinated vision screenings for in the past. This time, everything went smoothly. It allowed me a chance to notice the connections nursing students were making while getting their service-learning hours. They were all talking with the school nurse. They asked about her career and how she successfully worked her way into a position they were considering as well. She explained the history of her education and her experience in pediatrics. It’s unlikely these nurses-in-training expected it from the day, but they appeared to enjoy networking with from a professional in their field, while also earning course credit through service-learning.

Later, at Walnut Grove, we screened all the children within the school. Noticeable at this screening was the teamwork and leadership occurring in the service-learning students. Three nursing students who had not yet done screenings and another student who had participated in previous screenings collaborated in order to get the job done. For instance, while I was organizing kids in the hallway, the student who had more experience was helping the nursing student learn how to operate the SPOT screening camera.

Generally, the best way to learn about the camera is to just screen as much as possible, but the experienced student was teaching the nursing student some of the tips and tricks he had previously learned. It was amazing to see the multi-faceted skill development in our service-learners and the children at the school getting to benefit from it.

While the primary goal is to perform screenings for nurses/administrators of facilities, the vision program also provides a valuable opportunity for students of many disciplines to practice their leadership skills. It’s a total win-win: we are able to offer a service to the community, and the students are placed in a situation by which they can practice their career and leadership skills.

Lucy Beeler is a Graduate Assistant and Vision Screening Program team leader for Citizenship & Service-Learning. She has a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology and is working toward her Master of Public Health.

Learn more about the vision program and other Featured Initiatives involving students on our webpage.