I. Service Learning Experience - Students are expected to contact the volunteer coordinator at a local social service agency, set up an appointment for an interview, and complete at least five hours of face to face contact with an individual or family that is currently receiving assistance.
Student is required to have the agency representative email (on agency letterhead) a Service Letter of Attendance to the online instructor detailing the assigned role/experience and number of hours completed. The Service Letter of Attendance verifies your experience and is 40 points.
Please see more details on this project listed in the document labeled Service Learning Project, found under doc sharing.
II. Paper - Write a summary of your reaction and impressions of the Service Learning experience, include the following aspects of your experience.
Guidelines for Service Learning - Paper
Introduction
Body
Reflect on why you chose your particular service learning agency/population.
If your choice was merely based on availability and convenience, reflect on why you did not gain an experience with a population that you thought you might enjoy or one that you believed would challenge you to get out of your comfort zone.
Reflect on your experience as you became oriented to and familiar with the agency, program policies and procedures.
What were you thinking at this point? What were you feeling?
Describe the person/people you were assigned to work with. I want you to write in a manner that gives the reader a detailed, rich
visual picture not only of the person but of the context where you met (the surroundings).
Each of the meetings that you had ... how did the meeting begin? What did you talk about? Impressions you had? What do you think they were thinking about you? Describe the process of the meeting, in some detail . . . things you said, things they shared, etc. Reflect on how you were feeling in the beginning of the meetings and any changes that you became aware of during or after the meeting.
Describe all the ways you hopefully were helpful to the person. How were they helpful to you? Reflect on your last meeting.
Summarize your experience.
Identify any of the social work functions and/or concepts/values that you utilized and give examples from your interaction. Was your experience positive or negative? Explain in some detail why you feel this way. What did you learn about yourself? Did the experience serve to dispel or have you re-consider certain biases or stereotypes you may have held? What personal beliefs were affirmed through this experience? What did you learn about social work? Are there other aspects of this experience that you found meaningful that you have not yet addressed?