In 2006, Leadership Development students under the direction of Dr. Engebretsen began an awareness program to promote bicycling and healthy lifestyles.
Students enrolled in Engebretsen’s 2011 Leadership Development class continue to work toward the goal of increasing biking on campus and in the community, as a means to promote health and environmental benefits. In conjunction with Earth Day activities, Engebretsen’s students will institute a Green Bike Patrol who will hand out wristbands imprinted with this year’s theme is ‘Burn Calories- Not Gas’ to everyone they witness riding a bicycle during the week of April 18-22.. On April 21st a community and campus bike ride will be held, refreshments and fellowship will follow the cycling event.

ENG 443- Young Adult Literature and EDU 409 - Content Area Methods and Materials

Celebrating Language Arts (Spring 2011)

This year, 12 schools from Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota will travel to the Seventh Annual Language Arts Festival hosted by Wayne State College (WSC) on Friday April 8th. The day’s activities will include presentations from several Nebraska poets, interactive workshops, and a poster and writing competition. Approximately 18 WSC students under the direction of Professor Lori Newcomb are working on the Service-Learning project to promote and organize the annual event. Newcomb and her students also provide interactive workshops, as well as evaluate the writing submissions from the 7th through 12th grade students attending the day-long event. Once all the submissions are made, five best stories/poems from each school are selected to be published in an anthology. In addition, students with first-place selections are recognized with a medal, but a fun-filled day is promised for all 250 visiting 7th-12th grade students.
The Nebraska Humanities Council are proud supporters of the annual event to promote youth literacy skills.

FCS 203 - The Pre-School Age Child and EPS 300- Topic: Technology & Society -Connecting Children with Nature project (Spring 2011)

Students enrolled in Greg Worner’s Technology & Society courses and Pam Langlie’s Preschool Age Child courses teamed up to create an outdoor learning and exploration area for children who will attend the WSC Kiddie College for the 2011 summer session and beyond. Currently, Kiddie College students do not have an outdoor area to learn and play in during warm weather. To remedy the situation WSC faculty members and students worked together to design and implement an ‘Outdoor Classroom’ using the exemplar of “Nature Explore,” a program advocated by the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation to re-connect children to nature. The outdoor classroom includes structures and toys designed and created by WSC faculty and students, as well as, instructional learning activities promoting music, art, science, and physical education. Kiddie College students will have a chance to become gardeners, investigate nature, create art projects, and just have fun outside. Langlie’s students also had the opportunity to receive certification in the Exploring Nature program the materials and certification were made possible by The Nebraska Game and Parks Department. A special note of “thanks” goes out to WSC Campus Operations and Maintenance, wrestling club members, Industrial Technology and Science faculty. Project support was provided by the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District and Service-Learning @ WSC.

Around the World in 45 Minutes! (Spring 2011)
The Wayne State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP #299) the nation’s oldest, largest, most selective all-discipline honor society will be collaborating with the Wayne Public Library to promote their eight week summer reading program. The theme of the program this year is “One World, Many Stories,” to generate interest in the summer literacy program the library will host a kick-off event on April 12th aided by PKP members who will organize games and activities for the children during the after-school program. In addition, a Service-Learning co-curricular sub grant proposed by PKP will provide 25 new books and supplies for the reading program. All of the books are related to world culture and will be used for the summer reading program and then be added to the children’s library to replace outdated materials. Click here.

Alternative Spring Break Trip to Texas: An Introduction to Immigration (Spring 2011)

Eight WSC students under the direction on Sister Cynthia Hruby, Catholic Newman Center Advisor, traveled to the La Posada Providencia a temporary shelter for immigrant refugees in San Benito, TX over their mid-term break. The students also visited the International Emergency Shelter for unaccompanied children, the Ozanam homeless shelter, and crossed the border to visit a village in Mexico. While on their journey the students met with various counselors, case workers, attorneys, and worked with refugees. The experience provided a very hands-on perspective according to one of the students, “things learned in books and classroom became real and alive. I was able to integrate the classroom learning with the actual working environment.” Four of the students will present information about the trip at the S-L luncheon. The trip was supported by the WSC Multicultural Center, Catholic Newman Center Benefactors, and Service-Learning @ WSC.

FCS 120 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education - Two sections of Dr. Pam Langlie's course developed early learning activities for community partner Wayne Headstart in cooperation with Michelle Sukup. The program had been moving toward promoting social and emotional development in their young children and several early learning activities were created by each section and implemented by the college students on two different days at Headstart. The project involved 55 class members from the fall FCS 120 sections.

EDU 430 - Literacy Assessment - Marilyn Mudge's students are working with Wakefield Community Schools providing literacy skills assessments to the first, second and third grade Wakefield students and teachers. The students spend individual time with each student, additionally WSC students are pen pals with all of the first grade Wakefield students. The project is in its 9th year!

Assessments include digital recordings that are posted electronically for Wakefield teacher ease in retrieval and review.

CSL 202 - Intro to Human Services Counseling - Students enrolled in Dr. Keith Willi's Intro to Human Service Counseling course select agencies from a list of partners who provide experience helping children, youth and adults. They often participate in activities that are similar to tasks of para-professionals at the agencies. Thirty two students are completing the service-learning experience this fall. They serve 10-30 hours during the semester. The following partners are participating during fall 2010:

Careage, Rainbow World, The Oaks Retirement Community, Norfolk Veterans Hom, Awana at the Calvary Bible Church, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Journey Christian Church youth group, Tower School, R-Way, Certified Peer Educators at WSC, WSC Multicultural Center, Camp Assurance, Birthright, Agape Pregnancy Services, Faith Regional Health Services, Sunrise Place, Employment Works, Council on Sexual Assualt and Domestic Violence, Norfolk Rescue Mission and First Christian Church youth group.

ENG 321- Literary Editing and ENG 421- Literary Publishing - The Cave Canem Poetry Workshop on Poetics will be held on November 19th, 2010 at the Wayne Public Library and will begin at 10 am and continue until 1 pm. This workshop will feature three Cave Canem fellows facilitating the workshop, Timothy Black, Makalani Bandele and Glenn North. The fellows with work closely with participants on the participants own poetry that will be featured later in a book created by the English 321 and 421 (Literary Editing and Literary Publishing) students from Wayne State College. The Fall (and possibly spring) 2010 Eng 321/421 classes contain 11 students and is taught by Cynthia Black, Managing Editor for the WSC Press. These students will be responsible for monitoring the workshops; advertise, promote and set up the workshop; attain disclosure statements, bios and copyright information for the facilitators, poets and participants; collect, layout and design, printing, binding and distribution of the book; along with record and photograph their activities, the workshop and the following processes after the workshop. The Wayne Public Library, along with the director, Lauran Lofgren, will provide the facility and any needed materials for the workshop.

BUS 208 - Business Communications and BUS 620-Managerial Communications - Students of Laura Dendinger's Business Communications and Managerial Communications classes from the Department of Business and Economics are bringing their skills and service to assist the volunteer board of the Cedar County Historical Society (and Museum). The facility is located in Hartington and serves all of Cedar County. The students are creating marketing tools, an expanded web presence, ideas for fundraisers and events. The work, coordinated by Dr. Dendinger through Karen Bonneau, President of the CCHS will culminate in a presentation, in December, of the resources and materials.

EDU 423 – Development of Social Studies Methods -Wayne State College School of Education and Counseling hosted The Annual Elementary Leadership Conference as Service-Learning Project. The annual Elementary Leadership Conference for students from schools with principals who are members of the Region III Principal's Association was held on October 13th from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The association and Haven House are partners for a service learning project that included students in Sherry Dorman's class (EDU 423). Institutional funding provides support for Service Learning at Wayne State College. Student Council members in the 4th, 5th and 6th grade from several Northeast Nebraska area schools will be attending. The theme for the conference is "Bucket Filling." The conference sessions are designed to help students explore ways to reach out and express love, respect, and appreciation for others.

The event opened at 9:10 a.m. and sessions began at 9:30 a.m. Students heard a presentation from Haven House and then worked on filling bags for child clients of Haven House in the Frey Conference Center of the Student Center. Other sessions included role playing and cyber bullying awareness activities. Lunch and campus tours took place from 11:10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Afternoon sessions began again at 12:20 p.m. The closing session with the presentation of the bags to a representative from Haven House took place at 2 p.m. with students leaving at 2:30 p.m.

~Click here to see KTIV coverage~

SOC 320 - Social Welfare - Students enrolled in Dr. Todd Greene's Social Welfare class joined community partner Tiffany Olson from Goldenrod Hills Community Action agency to promote Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week and collect needed food and clothing donations for local and area pantries. The Service-Learning project began four years ago to meet increased needs of the food pantry and coat closet. Students worked to "Cram the Van" for two consecutive days outside Pamida and Pac n Sav gathering donations from shoppers.

~Click here to see KTIV coverage~

GEO 120 - World Regional Geography (Honors) - Explorers young and old were able to walk across Asia, and they didn't even have to leave Wayne.

On Tuesday evening, Nov. 16, over 100 people from the campus and community dropped by during Open House to see and walk on the map. The next day, nearly 100 local children ranging from grades K-6 were brought in by their teachers (in staggered groups) to experience games/activities led by students from my World Regional Geography Honors class who had been training/preparing to host the little urchins.the campus and community were invited to experience the largest map of the continent ever produced by National Geographic.

"These maps teach geography in a way that nothing else does. It is a physical as well as a mental experience,'' said Dr. Randy Bertolas, professor of geography at Wayne State College and coordinator of the Geographic Educators of Nebraska. "We wanted the whole community to come up to the college and bring the kids, especially small children. The hands-and feet-on experience makes a lasting impression on anyone who loves to learn about the world.''

The brightly colored, smooth vinyl surface accurately illustrates Asia's oceans, seas, rivers, mountains, countries and capitals. The highly accurate and detailed floor map measures 31 feet by 41 feet and weighs 138 pounds, and is designed as a giant game board to introduce students to the diverse geography of Asia.

~Click here to see KTIV coverage~

EVENTS

Wayne State College was named in the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll!

Click here for the full story!

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CONTACT

Lisa Nelson

Service-Learning Coordinator

eMail: linelso1@wsc.edu
(402) 375-7182