0 I. * 4 8B - The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - Thursday, December 5, 2002 The Michigan Daily - Weekend Magazine - I I Community-based classes offer students real world experience By Megan Murray Daily Arts Writer English, chemistry, lunch, Spanish, group meet- ing, library ... does this remind you of your sched- ule? The daily life of a student generally centers around classes, friends, activities and studying. With the pressure and competition at the collegiate level, it is easy for students to get lost in the microcosm of the University and to live in the bubble of college- town Ann Arbor. Yet, the University actually offers a plethora of classes that get the student out of the classroom and involved in the local community. One of the longest running academically accredit- ed service-learning courses in the nation is the University's Project Community, a partnership between the Department of Sociology and the Division of Student Affairs. Since 1973, more than 600 students each year combine a large variety of community service with academic learning. There are many sites and opportunities within Project Community; from service in education, health or prisons to housing or dependency pro- grams. Many programs work solely with specific populations such as children, women, the elderly or disabled. Students can choose an area that is related to their particular acad- emic discipline or com- pletely venture into a new domain to expand T their horizons. EDWAR i D i NS One section of Project Community is a A feminist mentoring pro- gram called "It's GreatA to be a Girl," where "femtors" are trained to work with groups of sixth grade girls to dis- cuss issues such as friendship, harassment_ and body image. "The undergraduate female mentors help these young girls chal- lenge societal scripts and recognize their power as girls to change the world," said Carole Lapidos, director of It's The Ginsberg Center is one Great to be a Girl. "It's important to realize there is a universe outside the University. This program is a good eye opener and reminds students of real issues, rather than just focusing on 'me.' Helping someone else is also a way of helping yourself" Lapidos added. Another educational Project Community class is America Reads, a class dealing with issues in litera- cy by setting up students as tutors to disadvantaged children who are at least one grade level behind in reading. Undergraduate students are trained and taught to develop lessons for their one-on-one ses- sions with a small group of kids throughout the semester. "The aid of these tutors helps the children work on getting exciting about learning. They also encourage taking risks to learn, while simultaneously building self-esteem and establishing a relationship," said Whitney Begeman, America Reads tutor program coordinator. "University students benefit just as much as the tutored children. Getting off campus and involved in the community gives students the opportunity to focus on something different and gain a new per- spective. It also opens their eyes to issues they may never have thought of before," said Begeman. Another area of the sociology program works with Ozone House to focus on housing and homelessnes. The agency is dedicated to improving the lives of runaway and troubled youth with a 24-hour crisis line serviced by trained Universi'ty students dealing with issues ranging from suicide to abuse to home- lessness. "Often the volunteering was intense and difficult, but it was great to be able to have the in-class dis- cussion as a means to process and debrief with other students at an academic level framing the issues. The class served as a support group and made -(the experience more R(, worthwhile," said LSA junior Mia White. According to the Project Community 2 mission, the program is - committed to student involvement in commu- nity service and social action where students grow in social responsi- bility, develop critical thinking skills, assess personal values and come to better under- stand themselves. "For some, the learning environment, BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily which is different from Project Community site. most of the courses at the University, is difficult to adjust to. We have been socialized to learning in a traditional format where students absorb knowledge from profes- sors," said Rackham student Jessica Charbeneau, who also serves as a sociology graduate student instructor. "But, this is-part of the point of Project Community, to expose students to another way of learning and to apply that learning to their experi- ences at site and in their own lives. If students can embrace this format, they will get a lot from the course," Charbeneau added. Another community-based program with multiple sections and opportunities is the Department of Psychology's Project Outreach. It is similar to the sociology programs that engage the student in real hands-on community work designed to meet com- munity needs and a expand the students' I chose the se experiences and with children knowledge. Project Outreach needs, such as was started in 1967D and is the largest pro- Down syndro gram on campus. was something Since its inception, almost 35,000 stu- familiar with a dents have participat- challenge. The ed in Outreach, mak- ing it one of the experience has biggest and oldest in The childi service learning in courses in not only become part o the University, but the country. "Many studentsIL report that Project Outreach is one of the most meaningful educational experiences that they have while at UM," said Jerry Miller, Project Outreach faculty coordinator. "Most students remember their Outreach experi- ences long after leaving here. Also for many stu- dents, the program has significantly influenced their career choices," he added. Sara Katterjohn, an LSA senior, said, "The expe- rience has not been like any other experience I have had at the University. No other class gives you the freedom and agency like it does. It is a structured class, but in a completely unstructured way. There is a set list of requirements and things you must do, yet you have a lot of choices about how you want to accomplish these things." Project Outreach has multiple sections that incor- porate various aspects of the surrounding communi- ty. There are sections working with preschool chil- dren, a big siblings program, placements with juve- nile delinquency and criminal justice issues and a program working with health, illness, and society. Students may elect to take the course more than once or serve as a peer group leader. "I chose the section working with children with special needs, such as autism and Down syndrome, because it was something I was not familiar with and offered a challenge. The volunteer experience has been amazing. The children have become part of my life and I plan on volunteering there after the class ends at semester," said Jenna Naylor, an LSA sopho- more. "It's fulfilling for me to know that I've helped them in some way, that I've had an effect on their lives, no matter how small. Seeing the kids connect with something they've been struggling with is very rewarding," she added. Beyond the effect the courses have on the stu- dents, the community benefits from the University students who volunteer their time and effort. Often solid relationship are formed and students continue ction working with special autism and ne, because it I Was not nd offered a volunteer been amaz- en have f my life." - Jenna Naylor SA sophomore to work at the sites after the class ends. "Our sites have really appreciated having University of Michigan students volunteering with their children or elderly adults. I know that many students have strong connections with the children they work with and these relation- ships are very meaning- ful to these kids; said Hilda Halabu, a psy- chology GSI. "Alsb, outside of these two major programs, the University offers many other classes that bal- ance in-class learning with active service in the community," Halabu added. The Department of Women's Studies offers a class on "Women in Prison" that combines the education aspects of repeated oppressions against this often ignored population along with personal interactions. Students teach these incarcerated women life skils such as healthcare and writing resumes, while alto acting as a support group. "My volunteer experience with the Women in Prison class totally changed my perspective on the criminal justice department and opened my eyes to what goes on behind closed doors. It helped me contradict stereotypes and see the women as peo- ple. These women touched my life in a special way and their capacity for love is profound," said White. "The most important part of education is about experience, when you can personalize the situations and learn on a greater scale. I have learned the most at the University through these community involved classes," she added. Although it is easy for students to get trapped in the day-to-day activities of college life and acade- mics, most students say that their experiences with programs outside the classroom have been positive. "Overall, I believe connecting academic theory with lived experience is key to internalizing knowl- edge and empowering oneself to critically assess the wor we live in - even after graduation day," Charbeneau said. Stephanie Kaplan, an LSA junior, works at a preschool as part of her Project Community class.