Student Guide
What Does Service-Learning At BCC Involve?
Generally, a service-learner at BCC completes a minimum of ten hours over the semester with a non-profit agency or organization doing unpaid service work that is related to the specific course material for which the student is doing the service-learning project. The agency or organization that the student serves and from which he or she learns will be determined by community need, when options exist, and the student's preference.
What Is the Timetable for Service-Learning Placements?
Service-Learning placements must be for a minimum of 10 hours within the Spring (January to May), Summer (May to September), or Fall (September to December) semesters.
How Are Service-Learning Placements Arranged and Supervised?
Service-Learning can be offered either as an option that an individual student can select or an assignment for all students in a course, if the instructor feels that this is appropriate. For example, students in English classes might act as writing tutors for middle school students or help them conduct library research using a computer. Students in Reading classes might act as reading tutors for middle school students or for adults learning to read English.
For individual student placements, the student or professor selects a non-profit agency or organization that would be appropriate for the course. The individual student makes arrangements with the agency or organization for an interview at which the supervisor explains any prerequisite background checks or training as well as the work the student will be asked to perform. If the student and agency agree to make a commitment, they complete a BCC Individual Student Placement Contract form.
Group placements can be arranged by the instructor or Service-Learning Coordinator. The instructor or service-learning coordinator selects the agency for student group placements, makes the necessary arrangements, and has the students complete a BCC Student Group Placement Contract form. The onsite supervisor, the student, the BCC instructor teaching the course in which Service-Learning is offered, and the Service-Learning Coordinator sign the completed form. The onsite supervisor monitors the student’s progress in this work activity and, before the end of the semester, signs a BCC Service-Learning Student Evaluation form that confirms that the student has satisfactorily completed the required ten hours of unpaid service. The student completes a Student Evaluation of Service-Learning to indicate his or her satisfaction with the Service-Learning experience.
How Can a Student Or Instructor Find An Appropriate Service-Learning Placement?
You may be in a class where the instructor has already prearranged group service-learning placement opportunities. You may be able to find information about an individual placement at a non-profit agency or organization from your instructor, your own community contacts, the list of BCC Community Partner Placements on this website, or by getting help from the Center for Service-Learning. You may also find a service-learning opportunity through friends, family, or through advertisements for volunteers or interns. Another possibility is to arrange to do extra work in a non-profit organization you already work or volunteer for, as long as the work is unpaid and you do the work in a different position.
How Does the Student Relate the “Real World” Experience With Course Work?
To develop the student’s academic understanding and personal growth that result from this service-learning experience, he or she must also complete a reflection activity (or activities), as determined by the instructor of the course, relating the service-learning experience to the course material. The purposes of the reflection activity are to encourage the student to document his or her volunteer work experiences and lessons learned as well as to serve as a guide for helping the student to intellectually connect his or her “hands on” experiences to some aspect of the conceptual course material. For example, a student in a Child Development Psychology course who is serving as a tutor for an elementary school child could write a research report and give a class presentation showing how his or her work experiences are related to a psychological theory and scholarly literature about how children process and learn new information. The instructor of the course designs and supervises the student’s progress in this reflection activity and, before the end of the semester, signs a BCC Credit Verification form that confirms that the student has satisfactorily completed the required reflection activity.
How Does Service-Learning Enhance Learning In A Specific Course?
Service-Learning enables a student to bring his or her classroom knowledge and skills to a non-profit community agency or organization. In turn, he or she takes back to the classroom the knowledge and skills he or she learns from this “real world” experience.
How Does Service-Learning Augment The Credentials Of The Student?
BCC is the first community college in Massachusetts to provide the notation “Service-Learning Component” on the student’s transcript beneath each course for which he or she successfully completes a service-learning project, and for which the student and instructor have submitted the required paperwork. This volunteer work experience and notation enhance the student’s credibility as an actively engaged learner and marketability both to transfer institutions and employers. Service-Learning also encourages dedication and commitment of the student to his or her community. At present, BCC recognizes the contributions of students who successfully complete service-learning projects with the award of a Service-Learning Certificate of Accomplishment. A capstone Community Leadership course (HONORS 95) and a path for students to become “Students as Colleagues” Community Service Leaders and be recognized at Commencement have also been implemented. Beginning with the Spring 2008 Commencement ceremony, graduating Community Service Leaders will wear a red rope and be publicly recognized for their achievement.
Thank you for considering doing a service-learning project for one of your courses. If you have any questions about how you can get involved in service-learning, please contact Dr. Mary Zahm, Director of Civic Engagement, by e-mail at mary.zahm@bristolcc.edu or at BCC by phone at ext. 2579.