Community Service Students at an Iguana Farm in Costa Rica.

With its history of civic involvement and a commitment to social justice, it's not surprising that one of Alfred University's strengths is service learning.

Service learning is a teaching method that incorporates community service opportunities into the curriculum in a structured, meaningful way.

Service learning courses require a project that constitutes at least 20% of the grade and include

• Research - students research and address and identified need in the community
• Action - students are actively involved in the community project
• Reflection - students participate in class and written assignments that integrate course materials to the community project

The Gary Horowitz Center for Service Learning at Alfred University will be located in Joel's House residence hall during the 2008 - 2009 academic year after which it will move to its own facility. Ten students will live in this special interest house and as a group they will identify a service learning project that they will conduct throughout the year. Learn more about the Horowitz Center >>>

Examples of Service Learning Courses

• Students in Dr. Robert Maiden's gerontology course, "Adult Development and Aging," worked with agencies, including the Allegany County Office for the Aging, Meals-on-Wheels, Adopt-A-Grandparent Program, Caregivers and the Alzheimer's Support Group, as well as nursing homes and hospitals, to first-hand experience in working with the elderly.


• Engineering students in a microscopy class taught area high school students how to use a scanning electron microscope, equipment that at other colleges and universities would be reserved for graduate students only.


• Environmental science students in Dr. Michele Hluchy's research methods class are working with area high schools to implement GLOBE - Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment. They take measurements in the fields of meteorology, hydrology, soil science and land cover/phenology, and report their findings to share with scientists and other GLOBE students around the world.


• Students accompanied Spanish professors Kerry Kautzman and Ariana Huberman to Costa Rica at the conclusion of their course, "Sustainable Futures and Service Learning in Costa Rica." In the classroom, students learned about the history and contemporary culture of Costa Rica, then spent two weeks working on research projects, or in clinics, laboratories and schools that are part of the Monteverde Institute.

Contacts

Jill Ninos, supervisor for the Horowitz Service Learning Center and VISTA Volunteer, Phone: 607.871.2164, Email

Ariana Huberman, faculty contact for Service Learning, Phone: 607.871.2882, Email

Bonnie Dungan, Assistant Director of Residence Life, Phone 607.871.2186, Email