The Gephardt Institute for Public Service at WUSTL has announced faculty scholars receiving Innovation Grants for Community-Based Teaching and Learning.
Community-based teaching and learning, also known as service-learning, is a pedagogy that is growing across all disciplines. These courses are distinguished by: learning activities in service to an organization or community; course content and assignments connected to the service; and faculty oversight.
The grants provide faculty members with financial support for curriculum development and implementation. Faculty scholars join previous grant recipients in a cohort that meets to discuss common challenges and share successful strategies in community-based teaching and learning.
The Gephardt Institute also offers technical expertise to faculty in key areas of community-based teaching and learning such as assignments reflecting on service, evaluation methods and tools for working effectively with community partners.
Faculty Scholars for 2012-2013 are:
Andrew Colopy, assistant visiting professor of architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. In “Confluence,” students will design and build an avian observatory for the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary near West Alton, Mo.
Raelene Crandall, PhD, postdoctoral researcher of biology in Arts & Sciences. Students in “Freshman Seminar: Controversies in Conservation Biology” will tackle a local conservation issue of their choice through a variety of established partnerships.
Jack Kirkland, associate professor in the Brown School. The grant will support students’ work on community building around social economic development in East St. Louis with local residents and experts through the course “Building Up Low-income Communities with Residents, Professionals and Experts to Become Socially Sustainable.”
William Scott Krummenacher, PhD, postdoctoral research associate of political science in Arts & Sciences. Through “Topics in Politics: Environmental Justice,” students will work on projects addressing environmental injustice in collaboration with Great Rivers Greenway.
Albert Mitchell, lecturer of architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Students in “Applied Design” will be matched with entrepreneurs in The Regional Entrepreneurs Exchange (T-REx) technology incubator to apply their design skills to address specific challenges facing start-up organizations.
Christine Berg, PhD, assistant professor of occupational therapy and neurology in the School of Medicine, and Adam Pearson, clinical specialist/occupational therapist in the School of Medicine. The “Applied Clinical Practice: Job and Volunteer Training Project” course is designed to provide master’s-level occupational therapy students with entry-level community health program development, analysis and implementation experience at The Bridge day shelter.
Henry Webber, executive vice chancellor for administration, senior lecturer in the Brown School and adjunct professor in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. Students in “Applied Projects in Community Development” will create proposals for large-scale, transit- oriented development at the Delmar Loop MetroLink Station or for economic development in North St. Louis alongside the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance.
For more information about community-based teaching and learning at Washington University, visit www.gephardtinstitute.wustl.edu/CBTL.