Summer Fellowships for Vocational Exploration Center for Service and Community Engagement Amy Bergstrom | SDAD 5650 December 5, 2014
Summer Fellowships for Vocational ExplorationCenter for Service and Community Engagement
Amy Bergstrom | SDAD 5650December 5, 2014
Roadmap
Seattle University
CSCE
Summer Fellowship
s
Vocational Exploratio
n & Meaning Making
What I Learned
Seattle UniversitySeattle University is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation, and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world.• 2012 Presidential Award for community service• 2013 U.S. News and World Report list of top 25 schools for service-learning• 78% of students take a service-learning class during their Seattle University experience
Center for Service and Community Engagement
Connecting classroom, campus, and community
“When the heart is touched by direct experience, the mind may be challenged to change.” – Peter Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.Student engagement programs are scaffolded, developmental, and integrated
CSCE Student Engagement
Labor of LoveNew Student Immersions
Serve Seattle
Short-term volunteer
Weeklong immersions
Service-learning
Jumpstart Corps member
Just Serve memberWork study
Long-term volunteer
Jumpstart leader
Partners for Action and Community
Just Serve director
Fellowships
Advocacy skills training
2+ years in leadership programs
Awareness Dissonance & Re-evaluation
Integration Long-Term Commitment
Labor of Love
New Student Immersions
Serve Seattle
Short-term volunteer
Weeklong immersions
Service-learning
Jumpstart Corps member
Just Serve member
Work study
Long-term volunteer
Jumpstart leader
Partners for Action and Community
Just Serve director
Advocacy skills training
Fellowships
2+ years in leadership programs
Work Plan ObjectivesDevelop skills in facilitating
group reflection and
dialogue
Develop skills in advising
and supervising
student leadersUnderstand
the organization of a complex
student program
The Fellowship Program
Group dialogue
4 new-student projects
7 internships +one-on-ones
Vocational Exploration
Think back to when you were entering your junior or senior year of college.
How did you understand your vocation? How did you feel about it?
The Fellows’ Goals for the Summer• Better idea of type of organization to work for• Take on more challenging projects• Learn about culture of an organization• Do things wholeheartedly• Balance between discerning future plans for self as
well as learning about organization• Learn new skills• Understand an organization’s role in a larger issue• How professional interests and justice areas intersect• How just relationships come about• Explore a different justice issue
Exploring Vocation Together• Read Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer• Group conversations • One-on-ones
“It’s hard to look at your own life and see a meaningful journey.”
“I began to value the importance of questions rather than answers.”“The meetings turned into moments of relief; we all don’t know what we’re doing.”
“The main thing to take away is that I have a lot left to think about.”
“I learned a lot, but not what I was expecting to learn.”
“What do I want to feel that passionate about?”
Making Meaning of Vocation• Chickering’s (1969*) vectors of identity development• Developing competence• Establishing identity• Developing purpose
• Baxter Magolda’s (2001*) theory of self-authorship• Trusting the inner voice• Building an internal foundation• Securing internal commitments
* As cited in Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010
Making Meaning of Vocation• Schlossberg’s (1995*) transition theory
• Moving in, moving through, moving out
• The 4 S’s• Situation: Trigger, timing, control, role change• Self: Personal characteristics, psychological
resources• Support: Types, functions, measurement• Strategies: Modify, control meaning, manage stress* As cited in Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn,
2010
SDA Learning Outcomes• LO#2: Understanding
students and student issues
• LO#6: Developing and demonstrating skills in leadership and collaboration
• LO#8: Communicating effectively in speech and in writing
What I Take Away• Complex program• Intense relationship-building• Frequent student wrangling• Frustration and so much joy
“I’ve never been so reflective in my life.”
References
Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010).
Studentdevelopment in college: Theory, research, and practice. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.