The University of Arkansas Service Learning Initiative has named the recipients of its annual travel grants and materials grants. The travel grants are awarded to support travel for pre-program domestic […]
The University of Arkansas Service Learning Initiative has named the recipients of its annual travel grants and materials grants. The travel grants are awarded to support travel for pre-program domestic site visits or for domestic academic conference presentation related to a service learning course. The equipment and materials grants are presented to a course instructor who has demonstrated the ability to enrich both course content and the community through the application of service-learning pedagogy.
Below are the recipients.
- Kate Shoulders, associate professor at AECT Department, led the travels of 3 research teams of 3-4 students each (5 site visits total per team) for her service learning course AGED 401V (Undergraduate Researches Improving Student Experiences). The social nature of the problems students are attempting to solve requires on site observation of interaction between the client and the student research teams.
- Kathi Jogan, instructor at ANSC Department, attended the 2018 Conference on Academic Research in Education. Within the context of the Equine Assisted Therapy class, she presented the impact of a service learning course on an undergraduate’s confidence and comfort level working with people with disabilities. Dr. Jogan also received materials grants to buy equipment necessary to be used for formative assessment purposes and to build a bank of video clips that would be used as teaching materials in future classes.
- Laura Herold, clinical assistant professor at HESC Department, attended the 2018 Southern Early Childhood Association Conference and presented her service learning project “The Children’s Pop-up Library.” Discussion with other experts and professionals in the field of early childhood education in this event helps improve her service learning course HDFS 3333 which is offered every fall.
- Luis Restrepo, professor at WLLC Department, led a panel presentation with his Sin Limites team (Restrepo, Castro, Greenwood, and Huaracha) at the 5th National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language. This team has been involved in a service learning course SPAN 4563 (Latino Youth Biliteracy Project) which is offered every semester. This symposium provides information on best practices for engaging Spanish Heritage speakers in community service learning projects that can be incorporated into the course curriculum.
- Rachel Glade, clinical assistant professor at RHRC Department, will attend the 2018 AG Bell Convention which stresses the importance of parent training and a holistic approach to treatment of individuals with speech and language disorders. These objectives align with her newly designated service learning course CDIS 3233 (Introduction to Clinical Practice) that she is teaching this semester.
- Audrey Weymiller, associate professor at Eleanor Mann School of Nursing, purchased music devices necessary for NURS 3402 (Nursing Concepts: Older Adult). Nursing students serve as volunteers for the Music and Memory program at the Veterans Administration Home, Fayetteville, AR. Music and Memory is a non-profit organization whose vision is “to bring personalized music into the lives of the elderly and infirm vastly improving quality of life.”
- Lisa Wood, clinical assistant professor at CSES Department, purchased equipment to conduct microdialysis testing in soil. The service learning course ENSC 3103 (Plants and Environmental Restoration) will be exploring the phytoremediation potential of plants to uptake nitrogen from waters in Lake Keith. There is potential in the hands-on learning that can enhance conceptual learning, and in the strong relationships the students are building with community partners where projects are taking place.
- Shari Moxley, adjunct instructor at HESC Department, purchased the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), one of the premier assessments of cultural competence. It supports course improvement by intentionally embedding cultural competence into an existing service learning course HDFS 3443 (Families in Crisis) in the Honors section.