International Conference Brings Together University Faculty and Staff

May 12, 2011 - PRLog -- INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Campus Compact (ICC) is partnering with the Indiana University-Purdue University—Indianapolis (IUPUI) Center for Service and Learning to host “Connecting Campuses with Communities” May 16-20, 2011 in Indianapolis.  This event is a two-part educational program designed to strengthen service learning on campuses. Service learning is an engaged pedagogy where faulty use service experiences and reflection activities to help students reach learning objectives and meet a community identified need.

Building off the success of the 2009 IUPUI Center for Service and Learning’s Research Academy—a three day institute aimed to help faculty strengthen their scholarship and research related to service learning and community engagement, ICC introduced the Service Learning Institute in 2010 in response to the ongoing need for faculty to develop high quality service learning courses that address community identified needs as well as ensure academic rigor and learning in the classroom.  Together, the Service Learning Institute and the Research Academy provide an opportunity for participants from to come together for 3-5 days of learning and networking focused on service learning course development and community based research.

“Connecting Campuses with Communities” will begin with the ICC Service Learning Institute, May 16 – May 18, 2011.  The Service Learning Institute is a opportunity for higher education service learning instructors or staff who support service learning curriculum design to learn how to build or refine a service learning course through the development of learning outcomes and quality service learning experiences, as well as craft meaningful assignments and reflection and assessment activities. Through this hands-on experience, attendees will participate in a combination of large group presentations and small group work sessions to develop their own service learning course or faculty development program. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to share promising practices, generate new ideas, enhance reflection, assessment, and partnerships, and build a network of service learning practitioners.

”Although faculty have been using service learning pedagogies in their classrooms for over 20 years, every year we have new faculty looking to learn more about connecting their learning objectives with real world experiences that also benefit our communities. Through this three day Service Learning Institute faculty are able to learn from one another and develop courses that do all of this.”  said Dr. Maggie Stevens, ICC Executive Director

The IUPUI Research Academy will round out “Connecting Campuses with Communities” from May 18-May 20, 2011.  The IUPUI Research Academy is an interactive workshop designed to help participants develop a variety of research skills. This will include sessions focused on using relevant literature tools to develop a strong research question and information about varied research methods. Participants will attend a series of workshops and work groups in which they will learn how to strengthen research on service learning; how to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning; how to support program directors in building research capacity on their campuses; receive consultation and feedback on research proposals; and build a network of service learning scholars.

Dr. Robert Bringle, Director of the Center for Service and Learning at IUPUI said “Getting educators and staff together who want to develop, improve, and study service-learning is always exciting. This year’s event also will focus on helping staff develop strategies that they can take back to their campuses to increase faculty, student, and staff involvement. Creating more opportunities for educationally-meaningful service will prepare students to give back to their communities across their lives and careers.”

Indiana Campus Compact supports higher education’s efforts to develop students into well-informed, engaged citizens. By providing programs, services, and resources, ICC serves as a catalyst for campuses and communities to improve people’s lives through service-learning and civic engagement initiatives. For more information, please visit www.indianacampuscompact.org.  

The Center for Service and Learning at IUPU strives to create programming that involves students, faculty and staff in educationally meaningful service activities that mutually benefit the campus and community. Since opening in 1993, The Center has gained national recognition for its commitment to and scholarship on service learning and civic engagement. For more information please visit http://csl.iupui.edu.

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As the only state-wide higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based community engagement, Indiana Campus Compact helps member campuses forge effective community partnerships through resources, grants, networking, and training.