One Small BabyStep, One Giant Leap for a Stronger Family

From: http://babystepsidaho.com/success_stories.html

All parents want the best for their children: the best education, the best opportunities, the best health care, and the very best of ourselves. And though we may have high hopes for our children, we may often lose sight of the practical realities of parenting. Just think about the diapers! No one likes them, but we can spend an upwards of $550 on them in the first year of parenting, or around $46 a month. For those mothers living in poverty, this annoyance quickly becomes a burden that only exacerbates the stresses surrounding parenting.

BabySteps is a local community outreach program that aims to help limited-income mothers and families with these problems as a program of Family Advocates and a ministry of Saint Michael’s Episcopal Cathedral. They offer courses and a program shop for any mother and family in need, regardless of denomination or background. I had the pleasure of attending their service-learning orientation, learning more about the work they do for my community and for Boise State students.

Allison Demarest, the director of BabySteps, walked me through the goals of the program, chief among them the creation of a safe and inviting place for families. I sat on a cozy couch, looking across the different toys and books spread across a floor that told me kids were in play not too long ago, just as the classrooms felt inviting and lived in. The classes, taught by a small army of volunteers, range from baby sign language to nutrition, introducing kids to pets and taking the time out of the day to pamper mom. This multidisciplinary approach doesn't aim to teach any one method of parenting as right or wrong; instead, BabySteps hopes to give mothers the information they need to make the choices they want to in and for their new families. There's also a father's group on Thursdays open to any dad, with the program or not, looking to meet other fathers and unwind.

From: http://babystepsidaho.com/what_we_do.html

These classes aren't without incentive as I was shown the points system. Mothers receive points for attending these classes, and extra points for attending with support. Points can also be earned by staying drug free, going to a dental appointment, breastfeeding, and even getting a library card. These points aim to keep mothers both engaged in the program and their community while encouraging healthy choices for their children. These points can then be spent in a store carrying ever-popular and needed diapers, clothing, wipes, strollers, and more. I was amazed to learn that the store is stocked entirely through community donations!

Our service-learning students can work with BabySteps through two classes: KINES140, Personal Health; and PSYC271, Human Relationships. Students help the daily operations of the program by stocking the store, reviewing points, and interacting with mothers. Demarest joked that students would often be holding babies as mothers took a brief respite while shopping for supplies. She also said that, for many students, BabySteps helped show them the variety of things they could do with their degrees while introducing them to the diversity of their community.

BabySteps is always looking for volunteers, not just service-learning students, as well as donations. If you’d like to pitch in, you can contact Allison Demarest by phone at (208) 432-5601, or by email at allisond@familyadvocate.org.

- Daniel Hock, Boise State University Service-Learning Ambassador

Using Art to Build Community

In collaboration with Wingtip Press and the Idaho Historical Museum, students in Jill Fitterer’s, fall semester ART 309-409 Studio in Printmaking course, worked on the Dia de los Muertos Steamroller Event. This event created an opportunity for students, artists, and community members to come together collaboratively though artistic expression. Through their work, students developed a deeper appreciation for community involvement and authentic learning experiences. Boise State University student, Kylee Koenig explained, “This was not just an educational experience that I could have obtained by sitting in a classroom, this Service Learning course created new relationships with community members and educational providers, opening future possibilities for me as a student and a local artist”.

As a part of their collaboration, students from ART 309-409 worked with students from area high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, as well as artists from the community, to create a total of 55 printing blocks.  Blocks were carved with traditional hand tools and electric carving tools. The blocks were then rolled with paint and printed on large sheets of fabric, using a steamroller press. An ART 309-409 student shared, “One of the things I cease to realize from time to time is the way young view the world with such excitement. During the Steamroller event, everything from the blocks, to the ink, and even the prints, were the most brilliant inventions…for that moment - through the eyes of youth.”

The prints were carried in the Dia de los Muertos procession held on November 2^nd, and exhibited around Boise to further showcase the community works. Students were challenged to connect their academic instruction to their experience, “In the process of performing my project responsibilities, creating my work, and participating in class discussions, I was challenged to think critically about the Mexican culture, and find ideas that I could identify with and apply to my own artwork.”

What did the ART 309-409 students learn from this experience? One of the ART 309-409 students explained, “We learned to work together to bring art to the community to make something greater from the sum of its parts”. Students shared their experience through the Service Learning Student Exhibition. Click on the following links to see two examples of ART 309-409 poster submissions. 

Student Poster 1

Student Poster 2

 - Jill K. Hettinger, Boise State University Service-Learning

Taking the Next Step

Tyler Johnson’s Kinesiology 305—Adapted Physical Education uses Service-Learning to provide education majors a hands-on and authentic experience working with adults with disabilities. Through the application of best practices in a least restrictive environment, students worked with disabled individuals on a range of activities, from food preparation and nutrition, to adaptive physical education. Community partners included local high schools, Trailhead ABC, and the adaptive programs offered through Boise Parks and Recreation. 

The value of the experience is best captured by the poignant reflection of one student, who remarked,

Our hope is that others will realize the many ways that individuals can give back to the community and those with specific needs. We were surprised to find that volunteering one hour a week, we could positively touch someone’s life and gain a sense of personal satisfaction.

Kinesiology 305 not only introduced students to the theories and best practices associated with adaptive education, it also instilled in them the significance, value, and importance of volunteering one’s time in the community. For James Reneau, John Cassels, and Billal Sultani, three students who took the class last fall, Kinesiology brought to light the obstacles facing both physical educators and adults with disabilities in Idaho, and inspired them to take the next step and see what they could do to make a difference. 

James, John, and Billal decided to establish the Boise Community Adapted Education Club after consulting with Dr. Johnson, who now serves as the club’s faculty advisor. Unlike most student clubs, which primarily serve students, the focus of the Adapted Education Club is to serve the community through students. The club’s mission is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities through any and all forms of traditional education. To accomplish that goal, the club partners with organizations working with adults with disabilities. Currently, the club collaborates with the Boise Independent School District’s STEP program, which works with adults 18-21 years of age.

For James, the club provides a “pathway to volunteering.” Getting people out into the community, he says, is “what it’s all about.” The success of the club, he notes, is intricately tied to increasing the number of student volunteers. While the club is always looking to expand the number of organizations with which it partners, the impact of the club hinges on the number of dedicated students willing to devote a few hours a week to serving in the community. However, James acknowledges that it can be difficult to motivate students. For various reasons, students are often reluctant to volunteer, but James points out that even one hour of volunteering a week can have a tremendous impact on the community.

The club is seeking students in all majors, not just those studying education. Physical education is only one part of a larger goal to assist disabled individuals in learning life skills and general knowledge. The STEP program, for example, is looking for students to come in and give 15-30 minute presentations on everything from personal finances to animal care, and everything in between. 

To learn more about the Boise Community Adapted Education Club and find ways to get involved, please contact James Reneau at jamesreneau@u.boisestate.edu.

- Sam Wonacott, Boise State University Service-Learning

                         

Microgravity students make STEM Service-Learning a Priority

Boise State University students make a difference in our community and will represent Boise State University on the national stage.


Dr. Elisa Barney Smith, Barbara Morgan, and Dr. Julia Oxford are guiding ENGR 475 Microgravity University students on a yearlong journey, as students propose, design, fabricate, fly, and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment for NASA’s Reduced Gravity Educational Flight Program. Their chosen topic must align with NASA’s priorities for future research, outlined in NASA’s Strategic Knowledge Gap (SKG) and Critical Technology Developments (CTD) documents. Like research proposals for the National Science Foundation, an important aspect of their research proposal is their outreach plan.

In December, the team learned that they had been chosen by NASA to conduct their research on “Gravitational Effects of Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure and Flow in an Anatomically Representative Model,” at Johnson Space Center. Their flight day is set for June, so there is much to do. This spring semester the students will not only get their experiment ready, complete supporting documentation, and fabricate the physical model used in their experiment; they will be out in the community conducting service-learning. Students in ENGR 475 have developed STEM service-learning opportunities with several community partners throughout the Treasure Valley. Their first service-learning event involved area elementary teachers in a workshop focused on connecting science and engineering to the Common Core State Standards.

In their most recent outreach event, they participated in the STEM Exploration Day at Boise State University. This opportunity engaged these undergraduates in educating the public about their microgravity research and providing opportunities for children and adults to engage with Toys in Space microgravity experiments, and in constructing and launching Stomp Rockets. Additional upcoming outreach activities include: a STEM day with the Girl Scouts, a Mini-Microgravity University Competition at a local elementary school, and a STEM day with young mothers and toddlers at Marian Pritchett School.

This semester is going to be busy as these students carry full academic loads, in addition to their reduced gravity research project. The students are enjoying engaging with the community and have found their experience rewarding on many levels. They will represent Boise State University as one of only 18 university teams selected to participate in NASA’s Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program. These students from Boise State University will conduct research alongside NASA researchers and students from Purdue University, Stanford University, and Texas A & M University, to name a few.

To learn more about these students' academic journey, please visit the Boise State University Microgravity Research Team's website at http://bsumicrogravityteam2014.blogspot.com/

- Jill K. Hettinger, Boise State University Service-Learning

Using Service-Learning to Engage Students from Diverse Backgrounds in STEM

Biochemistry professor Ken Cornell championed efforts to involve Boise State University students in service-learning with traditionally under-served populations in STEM, through a partnership with TRIO. TRIO held its annual Student Leadership Conference on the Boise State University campus, October 4-5th. Boise State University professors saw the Student Leadership Conference as an opportunity to engage their students in service-learning and expose TRIO students to high quality STEM experiences.  

Dr. Ken Cornell’s CHEM 431 - Biochemistry Lab students developed activities for TRIO students to engage in learning about medical drug resistance and development research. A student from Dr. Cheryl Jorcyk’s BIOL 441 - Molecular Biology of Cancer class organized a lab experience investigating the molecular biology of cancer. The labs engaged TRIO students in laboratory science research that they would not have otherwise been exposed to until college. Seventy-five TRIO students participated in each of the three labs led by Boise State University students.


Mason Kreamer, from Dr. Cheryl Jorcyk’s class reflected on his service experience, “My service-learning activity with the TRIO students was an amazing experience. The students were great and were really interested in the biology of cancer. I learned a lot and it was a great way for me to gain some teaching experience. I would recommend service-learning to other Boise State University students”.

This model of STEM service-learning provides genuine learning for both Boise State University students who participated in the selection and delivery of the labs and the TRIO students who engaged in rich science experiences. Boise State University students deepened their understanding of the content as they prepared to demonstrated their understanding to the TRIO students, causing them to reflect and reassess their own understanding. This process creates a deeper understanding of the content  As students engage in service-learning they are giving back to their community, while extending what they are learning in the classroom. For these reasons, the National Science Foundation has endorsed service-learning a high impact practice.

-Jill K. Hettinger, Boise State University Service-Learning

"Sync"ed Partnerships

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the ladies at the Assistance League of Boise. During my visit with them, I took a tour of their Operation School Bell sight. Operation School Bell is an incredible philanthropy that touches over 3,520 Ada County elementary school children per year. From September through November the goal of the Assistance League’s Operation School Bell philanthropy is to dress every elementary school child in need within Ada County. The money earned through the Assistance League’s thrift store is used to purchase new clothes. Some of the clothing products come from large scale distributors nationally, while others are purchased from local retailers, such as the Bronco Shop.

My role at the Assistance League was to help make their vision, of engaging students in an educational experience while they are waiting to "shop", a reality. The challenge in making their vision a reality was in getting an army of volunteers trained to implement the lessons.  The Assistance League contacted two other community organizations that work with Boise State Service-Learning to help make their vision a reality, Foothills Learning Center and Boise Watershed. Each of these community organizations designed a lesson that could be easily implemented by Boise State Service-Learning students.  Boise State Service-Learning students from Environmental Studies 121 signed-up to share their understanding of the environment while engaging students in thinking about the water cycle and recycling.

   

The challenge then became making this vision come to life with a unified understanding of the lessons.  To create this unified understanding, I filmed the delivery of each of the lesson plans, edited the film, and uploaded the videos to the Assistance Leagues' OrgSync portal. Students who missed the orientation could then view those videos, as well as students who just want a review the material.

The Assistance League can now decide if they are going to grow their library of activities, by adding more lessons each year, or continue to use the same lessons with training just one click away. This form of training may become a great alternative to getting service-learning students off and running quicker.

 -Jill K. Hettinger, Boise State University Service-Learning

Taking the Last Flight Challenge by Investigating Sustainable Development

BIOL/GEOSC/GENSCI/ENVSTD 297 - Investigations into Sustainable Development

Spring semester was a whirl wind of great service opportunities, thought provoking case studies, great guest speakers, and connections to the campus read, The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw.  Students took part in service-learning through a survey model allowing them to participate in a range of sustainability efforts throughout the Treasure Valley.

Guiding our investigations were the three pillars of sustainable development: society, economy, and the environment. Everything we learned, evaluated, or took part in was connected back to these three pillars through reflection and class discussion. Students’ reflections were poignant and thoughtful. One student reflected, 

“The Lake Lowell case study provides a great example as to why conservation is so complex. Just like in The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw, it's not as simple as having good guys who want to save the environment and bad guys who want to destroy it, which I feel is a common misconception. Social and economic issues are equally important environmental impacts when it comes to conservation issues. The Lake Lowell case represents the current messy style of many environmental issues where everyone talks about what they personally want or need, without taking the whole system into account. I noticed this in The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw, as well, the government wants one thing, the zoo lady wants something else so it's just all out war from there. In order to come up with effective solutions to environmental issues, people need to view the system as a whole and work on new answers to problems rather than just choosing a winner or a loser. Build the dam and kill the macaws or don't build it and no one can have power, neither of those are good options”.

As we looked at local and global issues we began to see more similarities than differences. The survey model of service-learning enhanced our learning and helped us to make these local to global connections, from a variety of perspectives. Our community partners included: Foothills Learning Center Community Education -KidWind Project on Wind Energy; Idaho Fish and Game Planting Native Plants and Monitoring Wood Duck Boxes; USDA Rangeland Resources Research on Microclimates; BLM Triangulation of Riparian Vegetation and Water Quality Data; and Idaho Bird Observatory.

The semesters service-learning was kicked off with wood duck box monitoring with Idaho Fish and Game. During this experience we learned that the wood duck, like the scarlet macaw, is a cavity nester whose nesting habitat has been disrupted by the dam building here in the United States. Students felt a large sense of accomplishment after helping the community partners with their various sustainable development efforts.  Students also felt a strong sense of value in working with K-12 students in the KidWind Project because they felt it important to excite the next generation about STEM fields and the importance of sustainable development.

Highlights of the semester ranged from our invitation to dinner with Bruce Barcott, to the many service learning opportunities in the field and participation in a mock US Fish and Wildlife Services committee to determine if the scarlet macaw should be listed as endangered.

Investigations into Sustainable Development will be offered again Fall 2013. 

 -Jill K. Hettinger, Boise State University Service-Learning

Service Learning, Literacy, and Boise State

Service Learning, Literacy, and Boise State

For homework this semester, a group of Boise State English 101 students spent some quality time showing elementary students at Garfield Elementary School how to say “friend” and write letters in Arabic, Chinese, Persian, and other languages.

This “homework” assignment is part of Emily Simnitt’s cross-cultural English 101 class, a section of First Year Composition that partners with Service Learning to give students experience  in analysis, critical thinking, and writing in a context outside of the classroom. As part of Service Learning, Simnitt’s students exchanged letters with first, second, and third graders in an afterschool tutoring program at Garfield run by Boise State.

On the last day of the program, members of Simnitt’s class visited the Southeast Boise elementary school, bringing the last set of letters and meeting one-on-one with the children to share experiences learning to read and write.

The letter exchange was the culmination of a semester-long exploration of literacy. Simnitt’s students first explored literacy by working with Read to Me!, an Idaho Library Commission project that provides materials to parents of young children to help them prepare those children to begin school and to learn to read. The program had identified the need to translate these early literacy materials into Arabic and other languages to serve a growing population in the area.

The Boise State Service Learning Program matched the project with the Simnitt’s literacy-themed class of cross-cultural students, who speak 12 languages and come from all over the world, from Saudia Arabia, Kuwait, China, Peru, Iran, England, South Africa, Rwanda, and the US.

Drawing on the collective knowledge of the class about literacy, language, and culture, students translated the documents into their native languages and spent class time exploring and writing about literacy barriers and their own experiences learning to read and write in their native languages and English.

The class concluded that making reading fun for children is one way to improve literacy. To enact this solution, the Boise State students began the letter exchange with the young readers in the tutoring program at Garfield, also run by Boise State’s Service Learning Program.

“This project engaged my students with reading and writing for multiple audiences, a key component of First Year Writing,” says Simnitt. “At the same time, my students were able to use their unique skills to address a need in the community and have the opportunity to be role models to children who are just beginning to be readers and writers. Partnering with Boise State’s Service Learning Program this semester has provided so many great opportunities for my students to learn and to serve!”

What some English 101 students said about the project:

•   “My favorite part of the of the READ TO ME! project was translating. It was fun doing an official translation and sharing our stories about our process of translating.” 

•   “It gave me a lot of knowledge about reading and how to make readers understand much better by using good words to explain.”

•   “Our work will help parents understand how they can teach their children and make them good readers in the future.”

•   “I learned new vocabulary playing games with the kids at Garfield. That was something I did not expect.”

•   “The kids were great. I hadn’t spent much time with kids before. I enjoyed getting to know them.”