Sustaining service-based
learning in the classroom
By Laura Hancock
Media and publications writer
lhancock@eou.edu
La Grande, Oregon – There’s another incentive for faculty to promote service-oriented learning in their classrooms at Eastern Oregon University. Four professors will receive financial resources to help them continue projects and specified curriculum. Linda Jerofke, Tonia St. Germain, Susan Whitelock, and Jessica Plattner are the recipients of the Faculty Service Fellows Award for the 2005-2006 academic year.
Tonia St. Germain
The Oregon Civic Solutions Grant from Oregon Campus Compact, one of the largest service-learning support organizations in the nation, is in its second year at EOU. Funds are awarded to professors implementing projects concentrated in the following areas: hunger and food security; K-12 education; and bridging the urban/rural divide.
Jerofke, assistant professor of anthropology, received recognition for her “Haven from Hunger” project, which incorporates community service and student involvement to realize the impact hunger has on a local level.
“The award will allow me to continue the research this summer, include students in the project, and provide gift baskets to the food bank clients as a thank you for participating in the research,” Jerofke said.
Linda Jerofke
Whitelock, an instructor in the English and writing program, has created a college connection with high school students through the EOU Writing Lab. Under Whitelock’s supervision, tutors work with high school English students on the composition, writing, and revision of essays that will be published in a class anthology. The high school students correspond with EOU students via the EOU Online Writing Lab, and at the end of the project they are given the chance to participate in a “backstage tour” at EOU where they meet their tutors in person and get a glimpse of the college experience.
“We begin such projects because we feel we have something to offer others, and we want our students to discover the value of such meaningful work, yet we are often rewarded with gifts we do not expect,” said Whitelock. “Some of my favorite and serendipitous teaching moments this year came out of the EOU/High School Writing Connection project.”
Susan Whitelock
Assistant Professor of Art, Plattner has taken on a public art project incorporating community murals painted by her students. One such mural was recently completed at Third Street Station, a boarding house managed by Road’s End Properties, a service organization and partner with Shelter from the Storm and Community Connections in La Grande. Plattner’s students incorporated the theme of “family” throughout a series of individual murals, brightening up the walls of the main hallway in the building.
Assistant Professor of Gender Studies, Germain’s work involves alleviating violence in schools, identifying students who are at risk, and promoting diversity. EOU Athletes Stopping the Violence, a high school mentor program modeled after a Mentors in Violence Prevention program at Northeastern University, was created in 1993 by Jackson Katz, a leading anti-sexist activist and former all-star football player.
Jessica Plattner
“I am honored to receive the award,” Germain said. “It is an important first step "seed money" in our work to secure a national grant to help prevent campus violence.”
Five Union County public high schools are participating with the program as community partners, and 15 students in the EOU athletic department are receiving specific training for violence prevention.
“We are trying to build sustainable civic service learning programs at EOU that will continue on through an extended period of time,” said Robert Davis, associate professor of English and writing and Director of the Cornerstone Program at EOU.
Davis sees these programs as sustainable service learning opportunities. Jerofke, Germain, Whitelock and Plattner were honored for their efforts during a campus assembly on Tuesday in Huber Auditorium where they received their awards from Davis and President Fatemi. The Cornerstone Program supports student activity in community service, research, internships, mentoring, and international or intercultural experiences. A portion of the money awarded to the faculty came from the Cornerstone budget.
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