Service learning - Research Paper Example

and number: Section number: Assignment Service Learning and ID: Semester: Service Learning Project Service learning is a program in which young children and adults are encouraged to use what they learn in the class to solve problems in real-life or other social issues. Students get to practically apply what they have learnt in the classroom to a broader community which promotes active education and also helps to build character among students. Through these projects students get to learn the importance of community work and service, civic responsibilities and thereby strengthen their communities.

Service learning projects can be applied in a variety of settings such as schools, colleges, universities and other community and faith-based organizations (http://www.servicelearning.org/what-is-service-learning). The service learning project which I have researched is “The Pulse of Sussex County” which is an elementary statistics service learning project that was created and implemented by students at the Sussex County Community College. This project gained outstanding success and also paved way for similar projects in other colleges (http://sussex.

edu/wp-content/uploads/Service-Learning-Vol-3-Issue-1-2.pdf) The Pulse of Sussex County service learning project The project, developed by statistics students, involved conducting surveys in the county on a variety of topics and publishing the survey results in a local newspaper. The purpose of the project was to provide students from the mathematics stream to take part in service learning. These students had fewer opportunities to be part of such programs which would provide a platform to learn as well as do service to the community at large.

The project’s main mission was to enable mathematics students to be part of service learning projects and make a contribution towards building their communities. The project was spearheaded by the President of the Sussex County Community College in New Jersey and it operated only within the County. The results of the survey were published in the local New Jersey Herald newspaper. The first committee members of the project included the SCCC President Brad Gottfried, editor of the local newspaper Bruce Tomlinson and the institutional researcher Rob Schmiker and the students of the statistics department of the college.

Together they worked out questionnaires on two topics, the War in Iraq and the New Jersey Bear Hunt and randomly selected residents from the County with listed land lines to be part of the survey. The survey was conducted over the telephone and the data from the survey was analyzed by the department of institutional research and later published in the newspaper along with a summary of the survey results. One of the surveys was on the subject of controlling the black bear population within the county which, at that time, was a widely debated issue.

Since these two surveys there have been 23 different surveys that have been conducted and feedbacks from the county residents have been sought in topics ranging from local economy, property taxes, schools and social services. These surveys are designed to study the quality of life of the county residents and are based on one or two widely debated issues in the region. The opinion of the county residents is obtained and the poll results are analyzed and published. These surveys helped in getting a public perspective about issues prevailing in the community that was helpful in finding amicable solutions to the problems.

It is necessary that every business, educational institute and other organizations need to have social responsibility as in the end they are only working for the welfare of the entire community. They should also encourage their employees to be responsible citizens and contribute effectively towards the society and their fellow citizens. When this change is brought about in business houses it will help in changing the face of the entire community, nation and eventually the whole world. References DeHart. M., & Ham, J.

(2011, September). Statistics in Action: The Story of a Successful Service Learning Project. MathAMATYC Educator, 3(1), 4-9. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/business/smallbusiness/your-questions-on-job-hunting.html?ref=economy National Service –Learning Clearinghouse. (n.d). What is service learning? Retrieved Nov. 3, 2013, from http://www.servicelearning.org/what-is-service-learning