Individual Placement
Students are placed individually at any of CGCC's approved agencies to complete 10 to 20 hours of service. Placements are made based on class themes, student interests, and/or career goals. With help from class service-learning assistants, students contact agencies, meet with an agency representative to complete an agency confirmation form which helps the agency and student agree on a service project, completes the service project usually on more than one visit, keeps a reflective journal entry for each visit, has hours logged by an agency representative, and writes a service-learning reflective essay. Individual placements are usually a part of English 102 or teacher education classes.
All teacher education students are individually placed at local schools to fulfill their service-learning requirement. CGCC has service-learning agreements with six of the largest school districts in the East Valley as well as with many charter and private schools.
Class Projects
Some faculty plan several one-day service events and then split their class into groups to participate in the difference events. For a class project, faculty choose a small number of agencies that fit a specific course focus. They schedule the service events on several days within a week or two and then have their students sign up for the events. Usually, the faculty participate in each of the service events along with their students. After the events, the students reflect on their service. Examples of course focuses that have used class projects are: Mentoring the Youth, the Elderly, and Poverty.
One Day Events
The Into the Streets (ITS) model of service learning is a one-day experience for students and faculty. This model allows first time users of service learning to incorporate an experiential learning process into their classroom without managing a large process or committing to an extended service experience. Prior to the event, faculty with service- learning interest are polled for their needs. This allows faculty to plan for the correct agency and service experienced to meet their academic goals.
ITS can be a one day or multiple day event during the semester. The event date is chosen with faculty assistance a semester ahead of time, which allows for planning agencies and learning objectives. The service-learning office begins setting the activities with the agencies two months prior to ITS and works toward planning for the amount of classes and students attending the event. Students begin signing up individually for the event in the Office of Student Life four weeks prior to the event. During the weeks prior to ITS, the faculty prepare the students for the experience. Students are either given a list of agencies that are appropriate for their assignment or allowed to choose from the agencies for the event.
During ITS, students gather on campus in preparation for their service event. They complete an Assumption of Risk form and are given a packet containing CGCC's rationale for service learning, an example reflection sheet, and samples of students' writing capturing their service experience. After a whole-group orientation to the day, students travel in small groups to their service sites where they are given an agency orientation. Students complete meaningful service for the agency and then return to campus and reflect as a group on their experiences. They end their ITS day by sharing their reflections and completing a short evaluation of the day.
The Hunger Banquet
The Hunger Banquet is an event co-sponsored by the Office of Student Life and various faculty. The annual programmed event attempts to give students an experience dealing with hunger and homelessness. Students sign up through their class and are given one of four roles to play at the event: below poverty line, poor, rich and servers. Students are placed in their respective groups and fed a meal that is indicative of their financial circumstance. They are also treated in a like manner. During the event, some students are given new roles to play. Students may lose their wealth and become poor or destitute, and some students will "find a job" and move from the destitute group to the poor group. The event is designed to have the students experience a small part of financial reality. Although it is drastic, the harshness of the groups is needed in the short time period for a meaningful experience.
Dr. Seuss' Birthday
Dr. Seuss' Birthday is an annual event hosted by the Education faculty and the Office of Student Life. Elementary school students come to the campus to participate in CGCC student-led literacy activities. Education students prepare activities as part of their service learning experience. The elementary school students spend an hour and a half on campus participating in activities and having a birthday party for Dr. Seuss.
Book Joy Jamboree
Book Joy Jamboree is an event that is hosted by the Education faculty and the Office of Student Life. Elementary school students earn participation in the event by reading a certain number of books. Their teachers then accompany the students to campus for an afternoon of activities prepared by CGCC education students. The elementary students receive a certificate for their participation and for successfully reading a certain number of books.