Welcome to the OEECE

Welcome to the OEECE Coordinator’s Comments Welcome to the Engaging Leadership News- to promote the “scholarship letter! of service and civic engagement that makes what is The start of our new year has brought us back Volume 1, Issue 2 discovered useful beyond to a post-fall semester topic. On October 10, the academic community.” 2010, The Core Implementation Task Force Although the traditional Spring 2011 presented the Faculty Senate with an opportu- classroom environment can nity to vote on the Experiential Learning Re- provide meaningful experi- quirement (ELR). The ELR would require all ences, experiential learning Kent State students to have engagement in at helps to: least one course-based or non-course-based Coordinator Dr. Tina L. Kandakai experiential learning activity. After falling short by 2 votes, the ELR proposal was revis- Develop disciplinary skills and competencies to ited, modified, and submitted to the Faculty make graduates professionally competitive Senate again on February 14, 2011 and ap- Promote psychosocial development through proved by a vote of 18 to 15. I extend my grati- civic engagement and reflection tude to the Faculty Senate for recognizing the Enhance academic relevance to the real-world potential of the ELR to enhance the Kent State Encourage civic responsibility and leadership student learning experience. and Showcase students‟ skills and talents to the With the concept of experiential learning being public and potential employers relatively new to Kent State, you may ask: What is experiential learning? In simple terms, One of OEECE‟s objectives is to validate linkages IVIC ENGAGEMENT experiential learning is a process of developing among academics, leadership, and civic responsibil- knowledge and skills through engaged experi- ity by developing student engagement opportunities ences. By virtue of experiential education, fac- that enhance the student learning experience. A ulty use the community to expand course-based second objective is to provide support services and teaching and learning, which allows students to resources to facilitate and encourage the creation of develop and apply their knowledge and skills these opportunities. in diverse environments that promote public For information to obtain support for experiential good. learning, visit www.kent.edu/experiential, email A core value of The Office of Experiential [email protected], or call our office at Education and Civic Engagement (OEECE) is 330-672-7876. We Serve Faculty & Staff Community Students 2011 OEECE Showcase 2010 Alternative Spring Break Oxfam Hunger Banquet 2010 Inside this issue: Contact Us Coordinator’s Comments 1 The Office of Experiential Education Community Partner Spotlight 2 and Civic Engagement The FACES of Change at KSU 2 Learning By Doing: Highlighting KSU’s English Department 3 Showcasing Faculty Excellence in Action 4 Moulton Hall 203 Paying it Forward: Grant Recipients at KSU 5 Kent, Ohio 44242 (330) 672-7876 Stark County Hunger Task Force: Philanthropy Recipient 5 [email protected] www.kent.edu/experiential THE OFFICE OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION Faculty& C Associates 6 Engaging Leadership Community Partner Spotlight: Happy Trails Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary Inc. is a non-profit (501c3) organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and provides an adoption program for abused, abandoned, and neglected farm animals such as horses, ponies, pot belly pigs, farm pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, sheep, goats, and cattle. Happy Trails serves the entire state of Ohio and works in cooperation with county humane societies, animal protective leagues, and local and state law enforcement officers. Happy Trails provides the rescued farm animals with medical care, proper nutrition, clean and safe housing, and as much TLC as possible. The organization works in cooperation with a variety of other local and out-of-state rescue groups to network and help find homes for the rescued farm animals. This adoption program allows for the rescued animals to be adopted as family pets only. Once farm animals are accepted by Happy Trails, they are no longer allowed to be placed back into food production nor are they allowed to be bred or used for exploitation in any way. This community organization was chosen for a project by a group of students in Professor David Smeltzer‟s Corporate Video class. This course regularly works with a variety of non-profit organizations to produce promotional video pieces. The students interviewed the staff, conducted a needs-assessment, and created a video piece to promote and educate the public about the mission and efforts of Happy Trails. The results of this project were positive for Happy Trails and the students who created the video. Happy Trails pres- ently uses this video to demonstrate to the public and potential funders the merit of the organization‟s work. Profes- sor Smeltzer‟s students were able to apply their video production skills to raise the level of appreciation for the service this worthy organization provides to the rescued farm animals. Happy Trails was emphatic in its praise of Kent State students Katie Dillon, Kayla Landolph, and Marcus Garrett: “Thank-you -- not only to the Kent State students who worked so dili- gently to convey the message that each organization had to share, but also to the creative and innovative university staff and faculty for designing such an incredible program. I think everyone, including the non-profit representa- tives, learned from this experience. The videos the students produced will impact countless other lives.” To view the video, follow this link: http://happytrailsfarm.org/video_listing.php. Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary, Inc., 5623 New Milford Rd., Ravenna, Ohio 44266. Phone: (330) 296-5914 The FACES of Change at Kent State University The Office of Experiential Education and Civic Engagement (OEECE) was selected to host a Midwest Campus Compact Citizen Scholar Fellows (M3C) Program called Future Advocates of Civic Engagement (FACE) Fellowship Program. At the end of Fall 2010 semester, OEECE re- cruited and interviewed excellent candidates who applied to serve KSU as 2011 FACE Fellows. The strong applicants and limited openings made the FACE Fellowship Program a competitive program. The OEECE is proud to announce seven Kent State students have been selected to serve our campus and community. The 2011 Kent State University FACE Fellows are Sarah Keister, Allison Lotter, Bree‟Ana Melick, Nick Novisky, Jamie Rom, Nichele Scott, and Erin Sherrets. Two of (Picture Above L-R): Jamie Rom, Erin Sherrets, our FACE Fellows, Nichele Scott and Erin Sherrets are serving as FACE peer mentors. Both Bree‟Ana Melick, Nichelle Shuck (Ohio Campus Nichele and Erin will provide leadership to further develop the FACE Fellowship program while Compact VISTA), Sarah Keister, Nick Novisky, and supporting their team of FACE Fellows. Allison Lotter. Not Pictured: Nichele Scott The FACE program creates a close-knit cohort of peer students whose participation in engaged service and learning activities positively impacts local communities and subsequently demon- strates the importance of experiential education and civic engagement to KSU students. FACE Fellows have decided to address community needs through course-based civic engagement as more than half of the FACE Fellows have connected their service with a course they are taking this spring through the Plus-1 Experiential Learning Credit option. Sarah Keister, a FACE Fel- Pictured above (L-R): Nichele Scott and Erin Sherrets low who applied her service through the Plus-1 Credit hour, says, “experiential learning is when students take an aspect of a class that interests them and make it come to life by volunteering their time in the community or doing their own research.” The FACE Fellowship Program directly impacts the relationship between Kent State University and the community by creating an innovative and sustainable approach to serve the community while educating other KSU faculty and students about the significance of the learning experience. “It is important for KSU students because it really helps develop us by becoming more professional, but also gives more of a purpose to what we are learning in the classroom” says Keister. KSU FACE Fellows will serve as AmeriCorps members and will be required to complete their term of service (300 hours) within one calen- dar year. Upon the completion and certification of 300 hours of community service, each FACE Fellow will receive a $1,000 education award from the Corporation of National and Community Service Trust Fund. Page 2 www.kent.edu/experiential ENGAGING LEADERSHIP Learning By Doing: Highlighting KSU’s English Department The Office of Experiential Education and service-learning project and worked hard to students research a possible launch of the Civic Engagement (OEECE) would like raise awareness of and build upon the origi- site on campus. “Research shows that there to recognize three individuals on the Kent nal writing center project. “Not only do we was $1.6 million available to Ohioans that campus who are applying experiential have the Writing Center at Roosevelt, but is not being claimed; the fact that this education in their English Department we‟ve created a class for ninth through much money is not used when there is so classes. twelfth grade students where we will have much need in the state set the foundation writing workshops, and over twenty stu- for how I would use service-learning in my Jeanne Smith is an dents are currently enrolled.” Smith men- class,” she said. “This will definitely be a English professor at tioned that the establishment of the Writing great learning experience for students be- Kent State University Center at Roosevelt has piqued the interest cause they will get real world knowledge and a strong advocate of other schools. “Streetsboro High School and see a purpose for their research. Also, of service-learning. called me and expressed interest in starting it will be an important experience when it She recognizes that a Writing Center there too.

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