Tag Archives: service-learning

For Students Archive

Students: Volunteer with Meals from the Heartland

Exploring Food Justice and Community Building through Service
Friday, Oct. 30
5:15—7:30 p.m.
Marriott Hotel – Salon D & E

Meals from the Heartland is a nonprofit, largely volunteer-based organization that brings diverse communities—such as businesses, schools, individuals, organizations, churches, and families—together in an effort to provide food to the hungry around the world. They’ve packaged more than 50 million meals since they began in 2007. Join us in this hands-on experience to package meals for the hungry, and learn more about global service-learning. This event will also include light hors d’oeuvres.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

  • Learn about Meals from the Heartland and food justice/food security
  • Send meals all over the world; will pack about 20,000 meals
  • Learn more about global service-learning from a practitioner in the field of international education
  • Opportunity to network with international educators in the Midwest

Please RSVP to Maria Rohach, global learning program coordinator, by Wednesday, Oct. 28, at maria.rohach@drake.edu.

—Submitted by Maria Rohach

Campus Announcements Archive

Faculty & staff: Sign up for interactive workshop

Enhancing Global Experiences Through Critical Reflection and Scholarship

Friday, Oct. 23, 12–4:30 p.m.
Courtside Club Hospitality Suite
The Shivers Basketball Practice Facility

This half-day interactive workshop, led by Patti Clayton, senior scholar, Center for Service and Learning at Indiana University—Purdue University Indianapolis, will focus on critical reflection and partnership strategies to enhance student learning in a global context, as well as discuss how teaching can be an opportunity for research while adding to emerging scholarship in service-learning. Participants will leave with critical reflection activities and ideas for developing their own scholarship as it relates to service-learning. Lunch will be served at noon and the workshop will begin at 12:30 p.m. This event is free to Drake faculty and staff.

12:30–1 p.m.—Establish conceptual frameworks to work within for the day (for SLCE, for GSL/ISL, for integrated design, for scholarship)

Overview of example scholarship related to critical reflection and partnerships

1–2:45—Designing critical reflection

2:45–3—BREAK

3–4:15—Inquiring into learning and partnerships (scholarship)

4:15–4:30—Wrap-up

Register today!

—Submitted by Maria Rohach, Global Learning Program Coordinator

News & Achievements Archive

Office of Community Engagement and Service-Learning welcomes Amanda Martin

The Office of Community Engagement and Service-Learning is excited to welcome Amanda Martin to campus. She will serve as the new AmeriCorps and service-learning programs coordinator. In her role, Amanda will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Iowa Community Health AmeriCorps Program and student-led service-learning programming.

Amanda is a graduate of Iowa State University with a master’s degree in education, student affairs and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Clarke University. Over the past three years Amanda has worked for the Corporation for National & Community Service NCCC Vinton Campus as the member development associate. In her role with NCCC, Amanda trained and advised 25 Service Learning Initiators and supported approximately 400 AmeriCorps NCCC members in preparing for their life after the AmeriCorps experience. Previous to NCCC Amanda served as the associate director of the Volunteer Center of Story County. She has worked with young adults in a number of service and leadership settings, and we are excited to welcome her to the Bulldog family! Amanda’s office will be in Old Main 319—please feel free to stop by to say hello!

—Submitted by Renee Sedlacek, Interim Director of Community Engagement & Service-Learning

For Faculty Archive

Students seeking faculty participation for fundraiser

Dear faculty,

This year is the third annual St. Jude Up ’til Dawn event, an all night team challenge that raises money for the children of St. Jude. Last year we raised more than $31,000, and this year we have set our sights toward an even larger goal of $40,000.

Leading up to our event, we host multiple ramp-up events to encourage students to participate, teach them how to raise money, and educate them about St. Jude and all of the incredible things the organization does day in and day out. This year, we are seeking faculty participation in one of our ramp-up events but would like to gauge interest before getting too in-depth with the planning. We are considering doing either a buzz-off or a golden hair dye (the color representative of childhood cancer) with the faculty member that raises the most money from student donations within a specific time frame.

Our vision for this would be to set a week timeline in which students would donate to a jar in your room. The faculty member that has the most money in his or her jar at the end of the week would then participate in the buzz-off or golden hair dye. We are currently looking to have this event the last week of October. If this is something you would be interested in, please fill out this survey.

Thank you for your time,

Elise Damman and Christine Heath

—Submitted by Jill Batten, Interim Assistant Dean, Student Affairs, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

News & Achievements Archive

Reception for Mandi McReynolds

Please join me in congratulating Mandi McReynolds, director of community engagement and service-learning, as she begins her new role on Sept. 8 leading global community relations for The Principal Financial Group, a strategic community partner with Drake University. A reception will be held for Mandi in Levitt Hall on Sept. 3 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Over the last four years, Mandi has led Drake to integrate service-learning institutionally across all schools and colleges; achieve the coveted Carnegie Foundation Classification for Community Engagement and Presidential Honor Roll for Community Service; and develop countless community relationships with nonprofits, government agencies, and schools, creating a solid foundation for Drake’s future service-learning and community engagement efforts.

As we take the next 60 days to thoughtfully reflect on moving forward, Renee Sedlacek will serve as interim director of community engagement and service-learning.

—Submitted by Shannon Cofield, Senior Advisor for External Affairs

Campus Announcements Archive

Applications open for faculty and staff travel seminar

The Office of Community Engagement and Service Learning is pleased to offer a new professional development opportunity for the first time in 2015–2016, “Best Practices in Global Service-Learning: A learning community and travel seminar for faculty and staff.” The cohort will consist of faculty and staff from a variety of disciplines and departments.

Who should apply:

  • Faculty or staff who have developed a global service-learning course (on campus, as a travel seminar, or at a partner institution)
  • Faculty or staff interested in developing a global service-learning course
  • Faculty or staff involved with experiential learning at Drake

Find more information on learning goals, program components, what’s included, and the application here. 

Questions? Contact Maria Rohach, global learning program coordinator at maria.rohach@drake.edu

—Submitted by Maria Rohach, Global Learning Program Coordinator