Community Engagement Journals: Your Resource for Making a Difference

August 17, 2010

Lindsey

Towson University, as Maryland’s Metropolitan University, is always on the lookout for ways to reach out and better serve the community. Many Towson University faculty, and in some cases our students, are contributing regularly to journals and publications focused on engaged scholarship, these papers and articles always have something in common—they are focused on research, teaching, and service with our community partners! While it is hard to narrow down the journal selection, here are some noteworthy ones to consider:

  • Metropolitan Universities Journal is published on a quarterly basis to helping institutions stay on top of cutting-edge topics in higher education. Published by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on behalf of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (Headquartered at Towson University). Recognized scholars and administrators who bring diverse institutional perspectives contribute articles toward each issue.
  • Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning (MJCSL) is the premiere national, peer-reviewed journal publishing articles written by faculty and service-learning educators on research, theory, pedagogy, and other issues related to academic (curriculum-based) service-learning in higher education. The MJCSL is currently reviewing articles focused on:

-  University-community partnerships

- Engaged/public scholarship (work which involves and benefits a community AND advances a faculty member’s scholarship or creative work)

- Academic (curriculum-based) service-learning

  • Journal of Higher Education Outreach & Engagement is published by the Institute of Higher Education and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach of the University of Georgia. The Journal is a peer-reviewed publication that welcomes submissions from a broad range of scholars, practitioners, and professionals. Its editorial goals are:

- To serve as a forum to promote the continuing dialogue about the service and outreach mission of the university; and

- To foster understanding of how the service and outreach mission relates to the university’s teaching and research missions as well as the needs of the sponsoring society.

Additional Noteworthy Journals include:

Resources such as Community Engagement Journals, Funding Opportunities, and Conferences can be found on TU in the Community’s Resource page. For more information contact TUintheCommunity@towson.edu.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

“KidsCampus” Thrives at Towson University

July 20, 2010

Lindsey

Imagine being a child stepping onto a college campus for your first time. Everything, from the buildings to the people, is taller than you, and you catch yourself feeling as though you’re in a world that’s bigger than yourself.

When I was in grade school, my class took a field trip to see a play at a college campus. I remember being awe struck by the environment, but most of all, I remember how much I greatly admired the college students who took the time to speak to us after their performance. That day was the first time I knew I wanted to go to college.

Towson University fosters that same positive experience by offering “KidsCampus”, a chance for young students to learn while experiencing the higher education environment. Highlights of “KidsCampus” include:

  • Dance Classes are offered throughout the year, and are taught by Towson University’s nationally recognized Dance Faculty
  • Doc’s Junior Tigers Club is a fun and interactive all-sports group for young Towson Tiger fans. It offers kids the opportunity to attend TU Athletic events as well as meet Tiger student athletes
  • Planetarium Programs allow children to learn about outer space in an interactive and engaging setting

With such great learning opportunities, it is clear that the word “University” implies learning for all ages.

For more information on TU in the Community, visit www.towson.edu/tuinthecommunity, email TUintheCommunity@towson.edu or call 410-704-2678.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

Happy 1st Birthday TUintheCommunity!

June 22, 2010

Lindsey

What did you do the 1st year of your life? Chances are, if you remember anything,  it’s a bit foggy. You probably slept a lot. Maybe you drove your parents crazy by crying in the middle of the night. A lot of positive happened even if you don’t recall, such as the first time you smiled. If you’re lucky, someone kept pictures or a scrapbook so that you can see what your life was like in that first year.

TUintheCommunity, Towson University’s interactive community engagement database, just turned one and we wanted to share all the great things that happened in its first year live. Consider this post to be a part of the TU in the Community scrapbook.

As a result of TU in the Community’s launch:

  • Community & Families now have one ‘go to’ place to find all of the resources Towson University has to offer. The Community Projects Database allows users to search by location, category, department, and name. A unique contact form and toll free number guarantee a response within 24 hours.
  • Students have access to a searchable database of Service Learning Courses as well as information on finding internships and volunteer opportunities.
  • Faculty & Staff have an easy method of finding and collaborating with colleagues. TU in the Community provides a resource page to find grants, journals, and upcoming conferences. In addition, the website exposes professional research and projects to the outside community including potential partners.
  • Business, Nonprofit & Government Agencies use TU in the Community for BRAC resources and to access consolidated information on recruiting interns and hiring employees from TU.

In its first year, TU in the Community has resulted in:

  • Multiple daily contacts with community members, non-profits, businesses, prospective students, and parents through website. Contacts have resulted in sponsorship opportunities for Athletics, internships and volunteer opportuni­ties for students, business partnership opportunities, faculty research partner­ship opportunities, and relationship building with the greater community.
  • Recognition as a best practice from other higher education institutions both locally and globally.

Key Statistics for TU in the Community’s first year:

  • Over 19,000 unique visits since site launch in April 2009
  • 150 active faculty and staff profiles

With such a great first year, it’s clear that TU in the Community’s second year will only be bigger and better. For more information on TU in the Community, visit www.towson.edu/tuinthecommunity, email TUintheCommunity@towson.edu or call 410-704-2678.

Annual Report

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

Scripps National Spelling Bee here we come!

May 18, 2010
Lindsey

Lindsey

Did you hear the buzz on campus? On March 13, 2010, Towson University, in partnership with Learn It Systems, hosted the annual Baltimore Bee, a regional competition for local students looking to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Robbie Palmisano, a student at Hereford Middle School, won the Baltimore Bee and has been studying for Nationals with help from Towson University’s Nadia Nasr. Nadia, the University Archivist & Digital Projects Librarian for the Albert S. Cook Library, has been meeting with Robbie every week to train for Nationals. During sessions, Nadia reads Robbie words from the list provided by Scripps National, and has him spell them out using Scrabble tiles.  She feels that this helps him visualize the word; therefore giving him a better chance of memorizing it.

I asked Nadia what made her want to coach Robbie and she responded, “I was in a couple of spelling bees myself back in Houston, when I was in middle school and possibly also elementary school. So for me, working with Robbie was part nostalgia and part interest in participating in his preparations… I have really enjoyed working with Robbie, and he has indicated that he also feels it’s a good working relationship.”

Towson University will be rooting for Robbie Palmisano as he heads to the Scripps National Spelling Bee this June. We hope the BUZZ will increase by having a Maryland student as the National winner! For more information about the Baltimore Bee, contact Learn It Systems at 410-769-0000 or info@learn-itsystems.com.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

TU in the Community is ‘Out of this World’

April 19, 2010

Lindsey

Lindsey

“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.” This Lee Brown quote is one of my all time favorites and was the first thing I thought of when viewing the amazing community outreach initiatives that occur each week at Towson University’s Hackerman Academy.

Each week, the Hackerman Academy provides a popular Saturday Morning Science series for the community. The series is so engaging that students want to come learn on their day off from school! Through these sessions, the Hackerman Academy meets its goals of attracting more students into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors while preparing teachers for area schools in these much needed discipline areas. TU students volunteer each week to help make the series possible.

What makes the Hackerman Academy such a success? One answer is by having excellent staff on board.  TU is fortunate to have its own ‘Astronaut in Residence’, Dr. Don Thomas. Following his experience as a NASA Astronaut, Don came to TU to help future students get excited and engaged in the field that he loves. Despite his remarkable background, Don is surprisingly humble and ‘down to earth’. His pure love of STEM related fields and genuine interest in helping students achieve is hard not to admire.

In addition to the Saturday Morning Science series, the Hackerman Academy often invites schools from the community in for special trips and STEM related class sessions. Dr. James Saunders, Director of the Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Bio-Informatics Program, collaborates with Don to strengthen these school and community partnerships.

It is through outreach initiatives like the Hackerman Academy that students, teachers, schools, and communities connect and learn together. Want to have fun and learn at the same time? Check out the Hackerman Academy’s Calendar of Events.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

TU in the Community Promotes a ‘Great’ Cause

March 29, 2010
Lindsey

Lindsey

Each semester, Dr. David Reiss teaches an Electronic Media & Film Course entitled: “Non-Profit Corporate HD Video”. Within the course, students create a 5-7 minute video to benefit a local non-profit organization.  This gives the students firsthand experience at making an effective public relations tool for a worthy cause. The experience captures what a service learning course is all about: learning that benefits students and work that benefits the community.

But what happens to the videos at the end of the semester? I recently had the chance to find out by interviewing Joan Schramm who works as the Publicity Coordinator for MD/DC and Newsletter Editor for the Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League.

Tell me a little about the Mid Atlantic Great Dance Rescue League.

“The [Mid Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League] is an organization for Great Danes located in nine states. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and find homes for abandoned great danes throughout the region.”

How did the organization get connected with Dr. Reiss’ EMF class?

“I saw a notice on Craigslist that this class was looking for local nonprofit organizations to do a video about, so I contacted them. They were very excited about it.”

What role did your staff play in developing video content?

“I was in the video. We had several people in the video. Towson students came out to meet and greet at PetSmart and went to a few people’s houses.”

How have you used the video to benefit your organization?

“We have the video on our website and it’s also on Youtube. We have made copies for the Coordinators in different regions to show at events. “

What are your thoughts on working with Towson University students?

“They were absolutely wonderful!”

Additional comments:

“We were really pleased at how the video came out and all the different areas that they were able to cover. They talked to a Board member, they talked to and filmed one of our foster homes…they talked to the people at the meet and greet and showed their dogs. They did a nice all-around perspective of everything that we do. It was nice that, even though everything was local, the video is not geographically specific so we can use it anywhere.”

As evident from Joan Schramm’s testimony, service-learning courses are mutually beneficial and a great experience for everyone involved. Check out the TU in the Community database for a listing of service-learning courses.

Student produced video for the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

TUintheCommunity Highlights Service-Learning Courses

February 25, 2010
Lindsey

Lindsey

I came to Graduate School at Towson University with the desire to do more for the community while pursuing my academic and professional interests. Lucky for me, last spring, I had the chance to combine the best of all worlds by taking part in a Service-Learning Course.

According to the Service-Learning website, “Service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development.”  Benefits include interpersonal development, connections with community organizations, a stronger relationship between students and faculty, and many more.

TU in the Community, the interactive community engagement database, allows students to search for Service Learning Courses and contact the Professor for information on the prospective course. Currently, Service-Learning Courses from several departments across campus are on the database.

Faculty interested in setting up a Service Learning Course may utilize the full-time AmeriCorps VISTA Service-Learning Coordinator on campus. For 2009-2010, this person is Kate Faris. I asked Kate to describe her role on campus, and she replied “My role as the Service-Learning Coordinator is to create more high quality service-learning relationships between faculty and community organizations.  In doing so I work with community organization to identify opportunities where students may use what they are learning in class to strengthen the organization to better serve the clientele.   Additionally, I work one-on-one with faculty members to help incorporate service-learning into current or new curriculum.”

Faculty also have the opportunity to attend the 2010 Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Conference. Towson University is hosting this conference in partnership with the Baltimore Collegetown Network, Maryland Campus Compact and the Shriver Center at UMBC. Attendees will receive the opportunity to share strategies for success. The Honorable Elijah Cummings will be the keynote speaker for this event and will address the importance of civic engagement and service- learning.

For more information on Service-Learning, contact Kate Faris at 410-704-2806 or kfaris@towson.edu.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

TU in the Community Finds a Cause to ‘Root’ For

February 2, 2010
Lindsey

Lindsey

When’s the last time you enjoyed going to the dentist? For many of us, including myself, it is a task that we certainly dread every six months. However, we put ourselves in that chair and go through the examination because of how important oral health is to a person’s overall wellbeing. Imagine if we didn’t have access to dental care? For some of those people that wouldn’t necessarily have dental insurance, Mary Lashley is there to ensure that they receive the oral healthcare that they require.

Mary Lashley

Mary Lashley is known here at Towson University as a Professor in the Nursing Department. Every day, she goes above and beyond her traditional role and aligns herself with TU’s 2010 Strategic Plan to be active and involved in the community. This is a passion she shares with students by taking them off campus and to the Helping Up Mission to participate in an exciting project: An Oral Health Intervention Program for the Homeless: A Community-Academic Partnership.

Collaborating with the University of Maryland Dental School, this exciting initiative has worked since 2006 to offer education, screenings, and easier access to dental care for homeless citizens of Baltimore City. The main goals of the partnership are to: (1) improve clients’ oral function, appearance, and self-confidence so that they may enjoy better health and improved employability; and (2) inspire future health care professionals to work with homeless and underserved populations.

By participating in this wonderful opportunity, Towson University students are getting a unique and worthwhile experience that they can take to benefit them in and outside of the classroom. For more information on the Oral Health Intervention Program, please contact Mary Lashley at mlashley@towson.edu.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

TU in the Community Wants to see that ‘A’!

December 7, 2009
Lindsey

Lindsey

When I was in grade school, I took part in standardized tests that, at the time, I didn’t fully get the point of. I distantly remember planting a lima bean and watching it grow as a part of one test. To this day, I can’t say that I have utilized the lima bean planting experience to my advantage.

In exploring TU in the Community, however, it is inspiring to see an effective method of measuring and improving student achievement exists in four initials: CFIP. The CFIP (Classroom-Focused Improvement Process) is a six-step process which enhances student achievement. The steps are implemented by a group of teachers who meet as teams as a part of their lesson planning cycle. According to the project page, the model was designed to respond to the question, “What do we know from available data about current levels of student performance and how will we respond to these data?” It is through the model that teachers can identify:  class-wide strengths and weaknesses in the state content standards, students in need of intervention and the focus of these interventions, students ready for enrichment and the ways to keep them engaged and motivated, and instructional improvements that will make the next unit more effective than the last one.

The six steps are:

Step 1: Relevant assessments and the terms used in the assessment reports

Step 2: Questions to answer in the data dialogue

Step 3: Major patterns of students’ strengths and needs at the class level (if possible, by using more than one data source)

Step 4: Instructional factors that might have contributed to the patterns of student weaknesses and the steps that team members will take to address these patterns

Step 5: Students who excelled and those who still need assistance and the in-class enrichments and interventions that will be put in place for these students

Step 6: One or two improvements in future instruction that they will implement

View a presentation

For more information on CFIP, contact Ronald Thomas at rathomas@towson.edu or 410-704-5770 or visit http://www.mdk12.org/process/cfip/.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

It’s a Beautiful Day in TU in the Community

November 5, 2009
Lindsey

Lindsey

As a child of the 90’s, I fondly remember Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a fun show with that catchy song including the lyrics: “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”

I couldn’t help but think of that familiar tune when I heard about the Community Ambassador Program with Towson Manor Village. Launched in fall 2009, it’s “designed to implement new approaches to building community in the neighborhoods and assist students with their transition to living off campus through a peer led education program.” Goals of the program include enhancing communication between the University, students living off-campus and neighbors, instilling responsibility, and improving the quality of life in the communities. Students elected as Community Ambassadors live in specific Towson neighborhoods and are trained to help other students make the transition to community living.

With such a positive community program there is no doubt people will be asking “Won’t You Be my Neighbor?”

communityambassadors

Click here to read more about the program.

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Posted by Lindsey Meyer

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