East Carolina University. Tomorrow starts here.
A P i rat e ’s Guide to
Service A publication of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center
Welcome Back! The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) would like to welcome all students back to ECU for what is shaping up to be a great fall semester. This summer the VSLC staff have been preparing for the return of students by planning for upcoming events and new technological transitions. The Center has already begun the semster with a bang with the completetion of the University Million Meal Event and with the move of all of our database materials to the Banner system. The move to Banner this fall will mark the first time in ECU history that students will be able to register with the VSLC from any computer with internet access! Over the summer the VSLC collaborated with ITCS to create a registration portal that supports ECU’s commitment to conservation and green policies. In addition to saving paper, this new portal will save students and staff time. Students can register directly from their OneStop by following these simple steps: 1. log into OneStop 2. click on Tools, look for Academic Planning 3. under Academic Planning, click on Volunteer and Service-Learning Center link 4. fill out the form and click submit ONCE 5. a confirmation message will appear when the process is complete
Page Two Student Spotlight Tracking Volunteer Hours
2009 University Million Meals Event: Another Success! The second annual University Million Meal Event was held Saturday, August 22, 2009 at the Boys and Girls Club on Firetower Road. Over 650 volunteers made the event an overwhelming success by packaging over 176,000 meals. Million Meals is a project lead by Stop Hunger Now, a not-for-profit international hunger-relief organization based in Raleigh, NC. Stop Hunger Now has served over 65 countries over the past 11 years by hosting large and small meal packaging events across the state. The organization’s mission is to achieve a world without hunger and every year they get closer to this dream by organizing events like Million Meals. This year’s event combined the efforts of NCSU, UNCChapel Hill, UNCW , and ECU. The goal was to reach one million meals through the combined efforts of each community. The goal was met and surpassed with a total of 1,031,776 meals packaged. Next year we hope for an even bigger success! If you are interested in helping to plan for next year or in supporting Stop Hunger Now throughout this year please contact the VSLC.
Page Three Service-Learning at ECU NC-ACTS! Opportunity
Page Four Calendar of VSLC Upcoming Events Fall Service Fair Red Cross Blood Drives
VSLC Student Spotlight
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Student Spotlight: Charina Sumner
As a new addition to “A Pirate’s Guide to Service,” we will be featuring a spotlight section in each newsletter that will highlight students, faculty, and staff who demonstrate a commitment to service. As our first official spotlight, the VSLC would like to introduce Charina Sumner. Charina Sumner is a senior health education and promotion major. She is from Kailua, Hawaii and came to ECU because she was impressed by the hospitality and kindness that greeted her on her initial visit to the campus and to play softball.
East Carolina University
Last spring, Charina was awarded the Conference USA Spirit of Service Award, an award designed to recognize the community service efforts of the conference’s student-athletes, based upon significant community service, good academic standing, and participation in their elected sport.
Ms. Sumner is a dedicated student and athlete but also finds time to give back. She states, “Although being a part of the team takes up the majority of my day, I try to do community service whenever I can.” Over the last three years Charina has participated in numerous service events, such as Parent’s Night Out, Relay for Life, Adapted Sports Day, and Meals on Wheels. In addition to one-time events, Charina is also a dedicated volunteer of the ECU Health and Wellness Program, which she intends to continue with this fall. When asked why she volunteers, Charina replied “I enjoy volunteering. It keeps me busy and allows me to feel like I have done something worth my time and energy. I truly feel like I have touched the hearts and minds of numerous people.” Charina Sumner is an excellent example of how students, even those who are very busy, can become involved in service. The VSLC would like to congratulate Charina for receipt of the Conference USA Spirit of Service Award and for her continued commitment to serving ECU and the surrounding community.
VSLC Service: Tracking Volunteer Hours
The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) offers a rare service to ECU students. Unlike at most public universities, ECU students have the opportunity to have the service hours that they complete to be recorded. Once a student is registered with the VSLC, they can fill out and turn in signed time sheets out lining the service that they performed. Once complete time sheets are turned in, a VSLC staff member enters in the hours for that individual into the Center’s database. Anytime while enrolled at ECU, and up to two years after, a student may request to have his service hours verified and sent to him or to a desired organization or institution. You may ask, why are recorded hours a great service to ECU students? The answer is that service is something that most, if not all, employers, graduate schools, and professional schools look for in candidates. ECU students have the opportunity to have their hours printed and verified by a staff member How wonderful before applying to jobs or schools. Having a detailed record of service could very well be the element it is that that helps a Pirate graduate stand out! nobody Guidelines for Recording Hours: need wait a • Students should uphold the University Honor Code at all times. Hours should be reported honestly and accurately. single moment • Timesheets are for individuals, not groups. before • Your community supervisor must verify and sign your timesheet before it is submitted. starting to • Students must verify and sign their timesheet before it is submitted. improve • Please do not expect other people to turn in your timesheet. Be responsible for recording your hours, the world. so they do not get lost. • Do count hours that you spend doing direct service at a community agency, Anne Frank for example, tutoring, sorting food, etc. • Do count hours you spend doing indirect service on behalf of a community agency, for example, speaking engagements, group meetings, creating documents from home, etc. • Do not count the hours you spend driving to and from a community agency.
Service-Learning at ECU
East Carolina University
What is Service-Learning? Service-learning (S-L) is a method of instruction that combines organized service and purposeful reflection to deepen students understanding of course content. Service-learning students leave their classrooms and textbooks behind to engage with their communities and bring learning to life! Students apply the skills and theories they’ve learned in the classroom to solve the real-life problems facing their communities today. In service-learning, students don’t just memorize course material, they put it to work for good! Why Service-Learning? Professors know that learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom. Because textbooks do not magically come to life, professors use service-learning to help students practice and question information they digest during more traditional learning acticites. By participating in service-learning, students have the chance to: • apply skills and knowledge • make real decisions that positively impact the sur rounding community • experience and embrace diversity • gain deeper understandings of oneself and society • develop as a leader • develop the ability to analyze information and ideas carefully and logically from multiple perspectives • improve one’s ability to write, read, listen and speak effectively How you learn? In a traditional course the instructor will use lectures, course readings, tests, and written assignments. There is a clear distinction between the student and the instructor as the expert. In a service-learning course, the student is active in creating knowledge and determining course outcomes. Service is achieved by service in the community and through reflection in the classroom. See also the most recent publication of Service-Learning Quarterly or contact Jessica Gagne Cloutier at 328-2735 or at orgagnej@ecu.edu with questions about courses being offered this fall.
What is NC-ACTS!
Campus Opportunities
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 3
Don’t Miss This Oppor tunity Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do service AND to get money for school at the same time? Well, for some qualifying North Carolina students this is a possibility through a program called NC-ACTS!
NC-ACTS! is an Americorps program that stands for North Carolina - Activating Citizenship Through Service! The program began in 2004 and is sponsored by North Carolina Campus Compact, a coalition of 42 college and
university presidents collaborating to increase campus-wide participation in community and public service. Participating students must complete 300 service hours in one academic year, in partnership with schools and community-based organizations. The three primary areas that NC-ACTS! students serve are: education, human services, and volunteer recruitment. After completing the 300 hour commitment, students are eligible for an educational award of $1,000 which can be applied towards outstanding student loans or the cost of attendance at a college or university. This year ECU has 25 allotted spaces for NC-ACTS! students. In past years, the spaces have been filled by students participating in unpaid internships, students working as peer counselors in the VSLC, and students dedicated to a particular community partner or organization in Greenville or the surrounding areas. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in the NC-ACTS! Program for the 2009-2010 academic year, please contact Kimberly Caudle at 328-2735 or at caudlek@ecu.edu.
A Pirate’s Guide to Service Page 4
Calendar of VSLC Upcoming Events Fall Service Fair: Wednesday, September 16 from 12:30-3:00 p.m. Alternative Fall Break Trip: Saturday, October 10 – Wednesday, October 13. Make-A-Difference Day: Saturday, October 24 NCCC Student Conference: Friday, November 6 – Saturday, November 7. For more information, http://org.elon.edu/nccc/
Fall Service Fair 2009 Every semester the VSLC sponsors a service fair on campus as a resource for students to meet community partners. The purpose of the fair is to allow for informal conversations between community partners and potential volunteers. The service fairs permit students to meet and learn about community partners and the resources they offer before going to perform service hours. These fairs, in many cases, prevent the need for cold-calling and give students more peace-ofmind when selecting an organization. This Fall’s Service Fair will be held Wednesday, September 16 in the Bate Building lobby from 12:30-3:00 p.m. The fair already has 16 confirmed attendees and is shaping up to be a successful gathering. The confirmed Community Partners for the Service Fair are: American Red Cross - Blood Services Aseracare Hospice Carolina Pregnancy Center Community Homecare and Hospice Council on Aging ECU READS Food Bank of Central and Eastern Carolina Girl Scouts Go Science NC Folic Acid Campaign/March of Dimes Pamlico-Tar River Foundation Police Athletic League Real Crisis Center STARS/SONS TOP Soccer United Hospice - Farmville
ECU Sponsored Blood Drives East Carolina University is a huge supporter of the American Red Cross. The university has a long tradition of assisting in the collection and donation of blood to support the organization and the surrounding community. Last year ECU broke their individual record for the amount of donations for a single academic year with 2,930 pints of blood being collected on campus. This year ECU’s partnership with the American Red Cross continues and the goal is to have another record breaking year with 3,000 pints total being collected on campus. If you are interested in donating blood please attend one of the fall semester scheduled dates listed below. If you would like a more complete list of dates and sponsors or if you have questions about dates and times please visit our Web site at www.ecu.edu/vslc.
Upcoming Blood Drive Dates: September Wed. 9/16 Thurs. 9/17 Tues. 9/22 Wed. 9/23 Thurs. 9/24 Tues. 9/29 Wed. 9/30
October Thurs. 10/8 Tues. 10/20 Wed. 10/21 Thurs. 10/ 29
November Tues. 11/3 Thurs. 11/5 Thurs. 11/12 Tues. 11/17 Thurs. 11/19 December Thurs. 12/3
Volunteer and Service-Learning Center Old Cafeteria Complex 252-328-2735 (phone) 252-328-0139 (fax) www.ecu.edu/vslc vslc@ecu.edu Judy Baker, Institutional and Community Development Consultant Kimberly Caudle, AmeriCorps*VISTA Jessica Gagne Cloutier, Service-Learning Coordinator Michael Loeffelman, Volunteer Coordinator Shawn Moore, Community Partner Coordinator
September Edition 2009