Service Learning in the Sewers!

I have had several opportunities to be involved with the Service Learning program and each project has been so different. My first project was working with the BSU Special Ed department with SCORE, a program that supplied mentors for struggling students at the various elementary schools in the area. That was a great experience because I felt like I was providing a very necessary service by providing one on one tutoring for young at risk students. I felt that my contribution would really benefit individual students which in turn, would help the community as a whole. Another opportunity was working with and writing for the Food Bank, so this new project with the Boise Water Treatment facility struck me as very different as we would be supplying a service but not really to individuals or a community member in dire need. I suppose a belief that was challenged from me was that I though all service learning partners were of this nature and was surprised that a public works, or city funded program would be in need of service. It seemed in a different category than the other service projects that were presented to the class to choose from.

I have a great appreciation for the service learning program and how it connects BSU students to the community and gives us opportunities to work with and learn more about the challenges, needs and impact that individuals and groups can have when working together in areas of service. I wondered if every university has this type of program because I had not heard of or participated in this type of service at other colleges I have attended. I have often thought that I would love to work for the Service Learning Center and facilitate these types of programs for students. I love the way students get hands on experience, build partnerships, facilitate learning, and addresses community needs. It was very enlightening to see how each of the groups in our class addressed the needs of their project and community partner. You could tell that they cared about the issue and the people they were working with and trying to help.

I really enjoyed working with the staff of the Boise Watershed to create a video that they could use for the schools to learn about their programs and feel it was a valuable learning project. Cindy Busch, our coordinator, was really great to work with. She was so positive, supportive and appreciative of our work every step along the way. It was a good experience to collaborate with her and resolve differing opinions, discuss choices and preferences and come to a consensus together. This was only the second video production I have worked on so this was a learning experience for me in that regard Our group had a good dynamic and each of us had a unique way to contribute to the project through sharing insights, writing and editing skills and working together cooperatively. That in itself is worth the project as group work is a valuable skill to participate in and develop!

It was fascinating to learn more about the Watershed project; a business that I had never been to, nor did I know how they functioned in educating students and community members. While I was filming students at the center, I was able to see the importance and impact of their facility and programs and better informed about their role in the community. I learned new information about the science and processes behind the water treatment and developed a new appreciation for the field of study. It felt like our project had a useful purpose and would be successful in the role it was designed for – to encourage schools to go to the center and learn more about the important role of water treatment in the community. I overheard several young boys talking about how they thought the water center would be a cool place to work. Any opportunity to connect people to new ideas for job, careers, networking and new information is always beneficial.

While working on this project I started to see the connection to Manovich and the other class readings. I could see how the project was integrated to the content of the class, as we filmed, edited, wrote narratives, revised, and cut our materials down to our final product. Going through the process of making our various rhetoric choices and design and music and filming choices helped me see the connections to the information we disseminated through our class reading. After reading and discussing Manovich and the various class readings about elements of video, film and cinema, it was interesting to see these factors come together in the work we did in creating our video. While we worked, several jokes were made about ‘what would Manovich say here, or what would he do about this?’ I also felt more informed as a citizen through working with and learning about the water plant, as well as benefiting from hearing about the other projects and the process that others in the class were working on.

I think any time we can foster active participation as citizens we contribute to a more caring and involved society and we gain a broader understanding and appreciation for our education and our civic responsibilities. Since authentic learning comes from thinking about what we do and why we do it, our personal and world view is broadened by these opportunities to serve in a meaningful and constructive way. As a future teacher, I appreciate the service learning experiences I have been involved in because I know that I will entering the field of never ending service learning and meaning –making activities for my students.