Service-Learning Examples

Professor: Leslie Gruesbeck
Course: Art History II
-In the spring of 2010, students received part of a grant from the LA Campus Compact to create a multy-paneled mural with a group of at-risk kids from LP Vaughn Elementary School. At the end of the project, the piece will be installed at the school.

Professor: Dr. Michelle Morris
Course: EPSY 3010, 3020, 3030
-In the spring 2009, students collected school supplies for children helped by CASA.  In the fall 2009, they collected Christmas presents for children.  Several students were also certified to become advocates for CASA.

Professor: Steve Gruesbeck
Course: Psychology 2450: Personal Adjustment and Development
-In the spring of 2009, students participated in a Habitat for Humanity home building project.  The experience was helpful to students as they studied concepts and phenomena relevant to the field of psychology including, but not limited to, resiliency, self-efficacy, altruism, multi-cultural sensitivity, and other psychosocial factors.

Professor: Paul Nagel
Course: EDUC 4430
-Project Citizen is a learning process where students identify the problem, develop alternative solutions, and propose their solution to various leaders.  There projects can be small scale within NSU, Natchitoches or on a larger scale such as the state of Louisiana.

Professor: Dr. Gerra Perkins
"Combating Truancy: A Prevention and Remediation Focus for the N.O. Recovery School District"
-The Goal of this project was to provide school counselors in the New Orleans Recovery School District with the resources and materials to help parents and students understand the importance of school attendance.  Approximately 60 students in the Counseling program at NSU helped design a two-pronged approach (prevention and remediation) that targeted students and parents and addressed the issue of truancy at the elementary, middle and high school grade levels.  Students' decision making, probelm-solving, creative/critical thinking skills were enhanced; and products and resources were created that target truancy in the New Orlenas Recovery School District. 

Professor: Dr. Michael Cundall, Jr.
"NSU Tutors Reaching Near and Far"
-NSU tutors consists of undergraduates from all major fields of study for the provision of free tutoring, mentoring and related services to at least 40 at-risk youth to foster students' literacy, numeracy and social skills.  The goal is to reach and work with at-risk students in the local and outlying school districts in hopes of building strong community relationships that will stengthen students' academic skills, with tutoring being available four days a week for two hours each.  The proposed grant expands the current program's efforts and goals and extends its reach and impact through weekend events and increased accessibility for students outside the area.