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News Release BOISE STATE NEWS RELEASE / June 5, 2009 More than 2,000 Boise State Students Devote Nearly 52,000 Hours to Community Service-Learning Projects More than 2,000 Boise State University students contributed nearly 52,000 hours to Treasure Valley non-profit agencies during the 2008-09 academic year through Boise State’s Service-Learning program. This year’s projects involved students from every college at Boise State. Boise State faculty members integrate Service-Learning into their courses, making community involvement an essential part of the curriculum. Courses with a Service-Learning component provide students with opportunities to apply course concepts to a community issue, then complete a service project with a local organization. Program director Kara Brascia said that students are attracted to Service-Learning because it offers hands-on learning and community networking, as well as a chance to make a difference in the community. Just 11 years old, Boise State’s Service-Learning program is the largest in the state and is growing. Public engagement is a pillar of Boise State’s strategic plan, and since fall 2000 more than 12,000 students have contributed more than 285,000 hours of service to the Treasure Valley through Service-Learning. Students and faculty members were connected with about 70 community agencies this year. Some of their projects included: — Boise State faculty member Peter Wollheim was a student in a graduate class titled, “Counseling Issues with Older Adults,” and found himself participating directly in Service-Learning. “While I was initially resistant to the idea, it opened up a world of amazing experiences for me working with Alzheimer’s patients. It’s something I continue to do on a volunteer basis, but never would have thought of absent this course requirement.” — Students in Carol Sevier’s Engineering 120 introductory class partnered with Living Independence Network Corporation (LINC) to create adaptive devices for people with disabilities. The students worked in teams to design solutions that are not commercially available. “I worked with four fantastic and highly motivated Boise State students who are creating a device that will easily attach to my power wheelchair,” said Dana Gover. “My disability makes it extremely challenging to take good quality pictures with my camera. These students worked really hard to make a dream of mine to come true — to take pictures with my camera that are clear and artistic.” — Rob Anson’s Information Technology Management 490 students worked with the Boise City/Ada County Housing Authority, an agency that has helped provide housing options for low- and moderate-income residents in Ada County for 42 years. The agency needed a document imaging system to scan and convert paperwork to electronic images but didn’t have the manpower to explore its options. Director Lisa Steele has participated in several Service-Learning projects with Boise State. “I was completely blown away by the quality of their work, their professionalism and the thoroughness of their research,” Steele said. — Boise State faculty member Helen Lojek’s English 278 Survey of American Literature students spent time with eighth graders at East Junior High to learn how individuals may be encouraged to engage with literature that enriches their lives, an issue that links junior high and college students. “I was shocked and delighted by the junior high students’ interest and abilities in understanding and communicating about visual information,” said Boise State student Will Oberleitner. “It changed the way I think about work that is meant for younger audiences. I really do appreciate the time that we had with those kids, and feel it will propel us to work more within the community.” A study by the Higher Education Research Institute found that performing community service as part of a course significantly increases a student’s academic performance and commitment to community involvement. Many students who participate stay on with their community agencies long after their courses end to develop career paths, job experience and community contacts. For more information, visit http://servicelearning.boisestate.edu or call (208) 426-1004. -30- Media Contact: Sherry Squires, University Communications, (208) 426-1563, ssquires@boisestate.edu Boise State University is “The New U Rising” with record student enrollment, new academic buildings, additional degree programs and a growing research agenda. Learn more at www.boisestate.edu.
Last reviewed on Thursday, June 11, 2009
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