|
One, two, three, go and away she runs. Two-year-old Annabelle dashes down the hall in the basement of the TCU Recreation Center, giggling as I begin to run after her. She is liberated by the extensive hallways and open exercise rooms where she is free to run. Where are her parents, one a TCU professor, you might ask. They are out to dinner and taking full advantage of free childcare. All around Annabelle there are other children running, playing and watching movies. This fun filled event is Alpha Phi Omega’s bi-annual Professors Night Out and why I am proud to call myself a member. Alpha Phi Omega is a national service fraternity that has been a part of TCU’s campus for more than twenty years. While originally composed solely of males, our chapter now boasts a ratio more similar to TCU’s ratio of males to females. The fraternity is founded on the principles of the Boy Scouts of America with its three cardinal principles being leadership, friendship and service. Alpha Phi Omega functions similarly to most other organizations by having weekly meetings, leadership positions and camaraderie. We also do community service throughout the Fort Worth area each semester and hold weekly fellowship events. |
|
Volume 2, Issue 1 October 8, 2007 |
|
Questions or comments? E-mail us at CISL@tcu.edu. |
|
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Sarah Tomlinson, Alpha Phi Omega President
|
|
The Center for Community Involvement and Service-Learning (CISL) is pleased to share with you another issue of our newsletter. As in previous issues, we chose to offer you a sample of some of the activities our center has been INVOLVED with lately. These articles highlight some of the contributions TCU students, faculty and staff have made to strengthen our community connections and promote learning outcomes. October has been branded “Civic Responsibility Month.” The title fits well with the level of activity at CISL right now. When you get this newsletter, LEAPS will be around the corner. As in previous years, this one day of service event will bring together hundreds of volunteers, including students, faculty and staff, with the common goal of serving our local community. We like to think of LEAPS as an opportunity for students to explore service in a structured, fun and rewarding way. To expand student awareness of other possibilities to engage in community service, we typically follow LEAPS with a Volunteer Fair, during which non-profits community agencies representing various issues and populations display information about their services and volunteer needs. The fair takes place in front of Saddler Hall on October 17. Although it has been designed to foster links between students and community agencies, the fair is also an excellent opportunity for faculty to plant some seeds for future partnerships in Service-Learning. |
|
Director’s Notes |
|
TCU Center for Community Involvement and Service-Learning |
|
Commencing what hopes to be a long-term community partnership between TCU and Near Southside, 28 Junior Neeley Fellows, members of the business school honors program, have began a year-long service-learning project with Samaritan House and Fort Worth South, Inc. The project is part of the Neeley Fellows’ professional development program. During the academic year, students will assist the two non-profit organizations in the revitalization of the Near Southside neighborhood. The Fellows’ required service-learning project addresses the following Neeley Fellows Program goals: · Familiarity of Business World Beyond the Classroom · Significant Contribution to Society · Professional Development The project provides students with challenging tasks, through which they can gain hands-on, real-world business experience in a professional setting through a process that is rewarding to them as well as beneficial to the community. The project educates students to the value and art of collaboration among organizations in order to reach common goals. It involves local institutions and corporations, local and national foundations, local non-profit organizations and the Near Southside community. |
|
April Taylor, a Neeley Fellow, in front of Fort Worth South Inc., completing a project as an introduction to the community. |
|
Alpha Phi Omega Members serving at an event for the Fort Worth Forestry Department |
|
Neeley Fellows Working to Revitalize Near Southside Dr. Beata Jones, Neeley Fellows Program Director |
|
The Go Center at Paschal High School By Terence Kennedy |
|
The Go Center at Paschal High School reopened last week with a group of returning volunteers, some new faces, and a new logo. Eight members from last year’s G-Force returned for another semester at Paschal. Of the eight, only 6 will be working one-on-one with the student’s at Paschal. The other two will do various projects throughout the semester and take on more of a supporting role. The G-Force welcomed four new members into the fold as well as a blast from the past. Among the new faces are Tiffany Haley, a junior nursing major, Trae Dickerson, a freshman pre-med student, Jesse O’Brien, a junior business major, and Kylie Garcia, a freshman business major. Eva Correa, a junior education major, has returned to the G-Force after being part of the initial team in the 2005-2006. In a move to make the members of the G-Force more recognizable, t-shirts were ordered over the summer displaying the new G-Force logo. The logo was designed by Paul Ly, a TCU Alum and formerly of TCU Advancement. While all of the changes are welcomed, one thing that I hope remains the same is our level of success and the commitment of the volunteers. Last year was a great year for the G-Force and the goal is to continue and build on that momentum. |
|
Neeley Fellows Working to Revitalize Near Southside Dr. Beata Jones, Neeley Fellows Program Director |
|
Commencing what hopes to be a long-term community partnership between TCU and Near Southside, 28 Junior Neeley Fellows, members of the business school honors program, have began a year-long service-learning project with Samaritan House and Fort Worth South, Inc. The project is part of the Neeley Fellows’ professional development program. During the academic year, students will assist the two non-profit organizations in the revitalization of the Near Southside neighborhood. The Fellows’ required service-learning project addresses the following Neeley Fellows Program goals: Familiarity of Business World Beyond the Classroom Significant Contribution to Society Professional Development The project provides students with challenging tasks, through which they can gain hands-on, real-world business experience in a professional setting through a process that is rewarding to them as well as beneficial to the community. The project educates students to the value and art of collaboration among organizations in order to reach common goals. It involves local institutions and corporations, local and national foundations, local non-profit organizations and the Near Southside community. Service-learning will create networking opportunities for students through contacts and partnerships with businesses, corporations, non-profit partners, and private property owners. By participating in an extensive collaboration that benefits the entire community, students will develop professionally and personally. They will gain deeper academic expertise, improve their interpersonal, communication and leadership skills as well as learn new business skills. While completing the community-based business tasks, Fellows will have an opportunity to apply skills that they have already learned in the business school, test business theory in practice and integrate the two. For example, they will observe how the organizational management theory they currently study with professor Randy Lewis applies in practice. Then they will write an end-of-semester reflection paper on organizational environment and culture, managing teams, motivation, managing communications, and leadership concepts. "I'm excited about the opportunity to volunteer with the Samaritan House and Fort Worth South. Not only is it rewarding to help others, but I am also getting real world experience by building on the management skills that I am learning in class," says April Taylor. The 28 Neeley Fellows participating in the project have been divided into small teams, with approximately half of the students working for each non-profit organization. The students working with Samaritan House are assisting with a Near Southside Economic Development Project by conducting marketing research and assessing community needs. They will identify the different types of retail already existing in the designated neighborhoods (pharmacy, gas station, etc.), the different types of residential housing (single family house, apartment building, etc.) and they will determine what properties are empty. Students will also organize, conduct and transcribe focus groups, concentrating on residents and retail in Near Southside and draw conclusions for Samaritan House and Fort Worth South, Inc. The students working with Fort Worth South, Inc. will undertake the development of a Near Southside Tree Planting Program. They have been divided into three teams: Entrepreneurs, Designers and Financial Analysts. Entrepreneurs will establish relationships with program partners and secure resources. Designers will prepare detailed planting and maintenance plans. Financial analysts will identify all costs, conduct feasibility analyses, and create a working budget. Two graduate assistants have been assigned to the service-learning project to serve as consultants for the Fellows. They will monitor the progress and communicate with all teams electronically through Yahoo Groups as well as in person, by having consulting sessions. Each of the non-profit organizations has designated liaisons for this project and their CEOs/Presidents also actively participate. Melissa Melcher, one of the Fellows, received a service-learning assistantship in the spring of 2007 from the TCU Center for Community Involvement and Service-Learning to assist with the project management, for which the group is thankful. The Neeley Fellows Program Office would like to thank the two non-profit agencies and particularly Steve Dutton & Marcy Paul of Samaritan House and Paul Paine & Mike Brennan of Fort Worth South, Inc. for providing wonderful opportunities for Fellow students. Through engaging work that makes a difference in the community, we hope to promote social responsibility and develop a sense of stewardship among our students. We also anticipate that the outcome of the student labor will result in tangible civic improvements and recognition for TCU.
|
|
The Go Center at Paschal High School By Terence Kennedy |
|
The Go Center at Paschal High School reopened last week with a group of returning volunteers, some new faces, and a new logo. Eight members from last year’s G-Force returned for another semester at Paschal. Of the eight, six will be working one-on-one with the student’s at Paschal. The other two will do various projects throughout the semester and take on more of a supporting role. The G-Force welcomed four new members into the fold. Among the new faces are Tiffany Haley, a junior nursing major, Trae Dickerson, a freshman pre-med student, Jesse O’Brien, a junior business major, and Kylie Garcia, a freshman business major. Eva Correa, a junior education major, has returned to the G-Force after being part of the initial team in the 2005-2006 school year. In a move to make the members of the G-Force more recognizable, t-shirts were ordered over the summer displaying the new G-Force logo. The logo was designed by a TCU alum. The new logo can also be found on the nametags that the volunteers are wearing while at the Go Center. While all of the changes are welcomed, one thing that I hope remains the same is our level of success and the commitment of the volunteers. Last year was a great year for the G-Force and the goal is to continue and build on that momentum. The Go Center at Paschal High School was established in Fall 2005. Part of the College for Texans campaign, the purpose of the Go Center is to provide students at Paschal High School with access to information about higher education, while reaching out to those who may not have previously considered continuing their education beyond high school. The Go Center is located in the counseling office at Paschal. Volunteers are at the Go Center Monday through Friday from 12:10 to 3:35PM. |
|
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Sarah Tomlinson, Alpha Phi Omega President
|
|
One, two, three, go and away she runs. Two-year-old Annabelle dashes down the hall in the basement of the Rickel, giggling as I begin to run after her. She is liberated by the extensive hallways and open exercise rooms where she is free to run. “Where are her parents(one a TCU professor)?” you might ask. They are out to dinner and taking full advantage of free childcare. All around Annabelle are other children running, playing and watching movies. This fun filled event is Alpha Phi Omega’s bi-annual Professors Night Out and why I am proud to call myself a member. Alpha Phi Omega is a national service fraternity that has been a part of TCU’s campus for more than twenty years. While originally composed solely of males, our chapter now boasts a ratio more similar to TCU’s ratio of males to females. The fraternity is founded on the principles of the Boy Scouts of America with its three cardinal principles being leadership, friendship and service. Alpha Phi Omega functions similarly to most other organizations by having weekly meetings, leadership positions and camaraderie. We also do community service throughout the Fort Worth area each semester and hold weekly fellowship events. Overall, the organization has been a perfect fit for me by combining the service I love to do with the fun that is typically associated with college. Besides fun and service, I have also had the opportunity to develop leadership skills that I would not have had otherwise. Within the organization, there are many opportunities for members to attain leadership positions. Last year I was Service Vice President and was responsible for planning all the service projects for the fraternity. Currently, I am serving as President. Overall, I could not have imagined finding a better group of people and a better organization. Alpha Phi Omega is off to a great start this year. At the beginning of every semester, we put together a rush and were pleased to induct 23 pledges into the fraternity this semester. We have begun to make a dent in our goal of 1600 hours of community service this semester. The past few weekends, members have been painting sets at Hangman’s, a haunted house whose proceeds go to charity. We have also had members at the Fort Worth Humane Society walking some of our four-legged friends. Finally, we are looking forward to taking part in the Tillary Park building project, TCU LEAPS, Boo at the Zoo and our bi-annual events: Professor’s Night Out and Blood Drive. |
|
Director’s Notes |
|
The Center for Community Involvement and Service-Learning (CISL) is pleased to share with you another issue of our newsletter. As in previous issues, we chose to offer you a sample of some of the activities our Center has been INVOLVED with lately. These articles highlight some of the contributions TCU students, faculty and staff have made to strengthen our community connections and promote learning outcomes. October has been branded “Civic Responsibility Month.” The title fits well with the level of activity at CISL right now. On October 13, another student-led LEAPS was successfully implemented. As in previous years, this one day of service event brought together hundreds of volunteers, including students, faculty and staff, with the common goal of serving our local community. We like to think of LEAPS as an opportunity for students to explore service in a structured, fun and rewarding way. To expand student awareness of other possibilities to engage in community service, we typically follow LEAPS with a Volunteer Fair, during which non-profit community agencies representing various issues and populations display information about their services and volunteer needs. The fair was held on October 17, with participation from over 20 community agencies. Although it has been designed to foster links between students and community agencies, the fair is also an excellent opportunity for faculty to plant some seeds for future partnerships in Service-Learning. On October 24, College Student for a Day will bring over 70 students from various schools around Fort Worth to TCU to get a taste of college life; paired with TCU students, they will attend classes, visit TCU facilities and spend time with their mentors getting their views on what college life is like. In the Academic Service-Learning arena, we expect another round of outstanding proposals from faculty looking to enhance student learning though engagement in community service. Faculty members seeking seed money to create or re-design a course to make it Service-Learning rich have until October 31 to submit their completed applications (guidelines available on our website – www.sds.tcu.edu/community). But our work does not stop once October comes to a close. On November 2, two Rhode scholars, nationally renowned as Service-Learning experts, Drs. Michael McLain and Joseph Favazza, will lead faculty in reflecting on how to integrate Service-Learning into their teaching to promote experiential learning in their specific disciplines. As a preview to the Friday workshop, Dr. Mary McKinney, Campus Compact Service-Learning Faculty Fellow and winner of a Service-Learning faculty grant in 2006-2007, will lead an introductory session on logistical issues to be considered by faculty contemplating Service-Learning. Registration for the workshops is open and can be easily completed on our website – www.sds.tcu.edu/community. The workshop was made possible thanks to collaboration with the Religion Department which allowed us to receive partial funding from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion. It is also a partnership with the Koehler Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE). As a result of our growing collaboration with CTE, another opportunity for professional development will be available for staff on November 16. Service-Learning is the theme for a Teaching and Learning Conversation, during which a panel of faculty experienced in Service-Learning will present their perspectives on the benefits, challenges and rewards of teaching Service-Learning courses. Before the year is over, another issue of the newsletter will reach you, celebrating our work, but most importantly, the wonderful partnerships that allow us to make a difference in our community while promoting student learning and development, and a supportive atmosphere for faculty and staff committed to putting TCU’s mission into action.
.
|
