Important Information for Fall 2021 Service Learning

 

globe with hands and the mcc pillar logo. says middlesex communtiy college civic & service-learning

 

In the Fall of 2021, the Office of Civic and Service-Learning WILL support in-person service-learning at the discretion of the faculty member and only in situations where the student feels comfortable doing so AND meets all criteria set forth by the community partner with regards to masking, social distancing and vaccination requirements, if applicable.

 

 

Should the student and faculty member agree that in-person service can be completed, students should follow all existing steps to find and secure a site and complete and log at least 22 hours throughout the semester:

  1. Utilize GivePulse to search for a site to complete service at (instructions for using GivePulse can be found under “Student Resources” on the MCC Service-Learning website)
  2. Reach out to desired sites (contact information can be found in the description of the site on GivePulse) to find if they’re seeking in-person volunteers and what their COVID policies are
  3. If student and site agree, student completes a Service-Learning contract and has the faculty member sign off (contract can be found under “Student Resources” on the MCC Service-Learning website)
    1. Once the site has been secured, students should complete the contract, have their professor and the site sign it electronically and email it to civiclearning@middlesex.mass.edu
  4. Student begins service and logs their hours by following instructions in GivePulse guide (found under “Student Resources” on the MCC Service-Learning website)
  5. At the completion of at least 22 hours of service, the student and community partner should complete the Verification of Service-Learning Hours & Student Evaluation (found under “Student Resources” on the MCC Service-Learning website)
    1. Once the evaluation has been signed by all parties, students should email it to civiclearning@middlesex.mass.edu

 

Students in classes that require or offer individual service-learning this semester that do not feel comfortable completing in-person service have two alternative options and should consult their faculty member to determine which option works for their class

  1. Virtual Service-Learning (approximately 22 hours of service per semester)
  • Many community partners have gotten creative with their offerings this year and are seeking virtual volunteers. Students who complete service virtually might
    • Record video lessons for students or teach online classes
    • Create a social media campaign for a local non-profit
    • Complete a research report identifying strengths and areas of growth for an organization
    • Mentor kids or teens online
    • Transcribe audio files or archival materials.
    • Create activity packets, educational materials, or lesson plans
  • Students that are completing virtual service with a site should follow the typical procedures for finding a site
    • Browse GivePulse (https://middlesex.givepulse.com) under "Affiliates" and finding a site that students would like to reach out to check at the about page for a contact and emailing them to see if they are in need of virtual volunteers.
    • Students can also find a site on their own – perhaps one that they’ve volunteered at previously. If the site is not currently on GivePuse, students must complete a GivePulse Site Request form on our website under “Student Resources”
      • New sites must first receive professor approval, must be not-for-profit, must be unpaid service, and should be sites willing to host MCC students in the future
    • Once the site has been secured, students should complete the contract, have their professor and the site sign it electronically and email it to civiclearning@middlesex.mass.edu
    • Once the contract has been submitted, students should complete service, track their hours on GivePulse and have their site supervisor complete an evaluation at the end of the term. A how-to guide on GivePulse and the evaluation form can be found on our website under Student Resources (https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/servicelearning/)
  1. Alternative Assignment
  • Students unable to find a virtual opportunity may, with professor approval, be able to complete an Alternative Assignment to meet learning outcomes. Alternative Assignments should have a component that includes service to or engagement with the community. Some suggestions include recording videos, doing research, creating lesson plans, etc. that we could share it with sites for future use. With everything that’s happened in our world over the past year, it’s a great time to infuse a civic component – students can identify a problem in their community that they would like to see addressed and research the best ways to solve that problem.
  • Students that complete an approved Alternative Assignment do NOT need to complete a contract, track hours or complete an evaluation; instead, they’ll work with their faculty member to assess successful completion. The Office of Civic and Service-Learning would love if these completed assignments were shared with us so that we may offer them to sites in the future!

 

Students needing help finding sites to complete virtual service or faculty with questions regarding the process should email civiclearning@middlsex.mass.edu. Students seeking Alternative Assignments should speak to their faculty member. 

 

Last Modified: 8/8/22