service learning – The Hilltop Monitor https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu The Official Student Publication of William Jewell College Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:54:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cropped-3-32x32.png service learning – The Hilltop Monitor https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu 32 32 Jewell’s biannual Service Learning Fair continues long standing tradition of service https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/jewells-biannual-service-learning-fair-continues-long-standing-tradition-of-service/ https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/jewells-biannual-service-learning-fair-continues-long-standing-tradition-of-service/#respond Sun, 02 Sep 2018 15:39:33 +0000 https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/?p=6139 At the Service Learning Fair on Aug. 31, representatives from nearly 20 nonprofit organizations were hosted in the Yates-Gill College Union – where they attended and offered William Jewell College students a variety of opportunities to serve.

Service learning is unique from generic community service because it enables students to complete work that relates to what they are learning in the classroom. In this manner, both the student and the recipient of the service benefit from the experience.

According to Jewell’s website, encouraging service learning is a priority on campus and an essential aspect of enhancing students’ knowledge, critical thinking and reflection skills.

Students engage with representatives from Kansas City nonprofits at the College’s Fall 2018 Service Learning Fair.

Since 2004 the biannual fair has been organized by Jeff Buscher, College Chaplain and Service Coordinator, who commented that the event takes months of planning.

“I started planning this mid-summer by inviting all of these nonprofit agencies to come,” Buscher said.

The first Service Learning Fair was hosted at Jewell in the 1980s. Since then it has grown in size, especially after the nonprofit leadership major was added at the College. According to Buscher, Jewell graduates working in the nonprofit sector have established ties between the college and their organizations.

Several classes require the completion of service learning, and the College website cites that 72,000 hours of service were completed by members of the Jewell community throughout the 2017-2018 academic year. With close to 900 students, that averages at nearly 100 hours of service per student during the year.

Historically, service has been a part of William Jewell’s culture – originating from its Baptist affiliation.

“[For me] service is how we live out the Christian expression of our history,” Buscher said. “For some, it’s a Christian expression, but for some, it’s just the right thing to do.”

No official date for the next Service Learning Fair has been set, but one will take place near the start of the spring semester. Those who wish to know more about ways they can serve should contact Buscher by email or in person.

Photos by Sofia Arthurs-Schoppe.

]]> https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/jewells-biannual-service-learning-fair-continues-long-standing-tradition-of-service/feed/ 0 Service Learning unites classroom and community https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/service-learning-unites-classroom-and-community/ https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/service-learning-unites-classroom-and-community/#respond Thu, 02 Oct 2014 15:00:10 +0000 https://hilltopmonitor.jewell.edu/?p=2937 Students in the Foreign Language department use skills they learn in the classroom to benefit the community.

With its strong commitment to community service and volunteering, the Foreign Language department service-learning opportunities are no surprise. Unlike typical volunteerism, service-learning incorporates projects into real-life. This allows students to apply the skills that they have acquired in the classroom to the community to see the relevance of their academics in society.

While there are various service-learning projects offered during the school year, most are for the benefit of English Language Learners, particularly Spanish-speakers and children. Dr. Jennifer Colon and Dr. Amaya Amell, both professors of Spanish, require their students to participate in one of these service-learning projects for the duration of their classes. The higher the course level, the more hours that students are expected to volunteer.

Hannah Bruins and Moriah Vanderburg, juniors, direct the Iglesia Camino Vida y Verdad, one of the most popular service-learning programs for the College’s Spanish students, for two years. The program, which aims to assist children with their homework and English competency, has already had volunteers. The waitlist is continuing to grow as more people are requesting to participate.

Moriah Vanderburg, junior, working with local students through the Service Learning program.
Moriah Vanderburg, junior, working with local students through the Service Learning program.

Vanderburg, a Spanish and secondary education major, has benefited from this experience. Besides being able to practice teaching children and seeing the cultural aspect of a language, she has been able to form close bonds with the people with whom she works.

“Some of these kids come from troubled homes, so after helping them with homework, it’s our job to play with them and be good role models,” Vanderburg said. “I get so happy to go every week. It’s a great feeling to be recognized by the children and to have them smile and hug you. We try to help the other volunteers have that same experience and make their hearts for service grow,” Vanderburg said.

While this program has already reached the maximum amount of volunteers, there are many similar projects still available. Students interested in participating in any service-learning activities can visit the College’s homepage at http://www.jewell.edu/servicelearning to access available projects.

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