UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY-BASED EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FROM THE AGENCY’S PERSPECTIVE LAURA LITTLEPAGE BETH GAZLEY TERESA A. BENNETT INDIANA UNIVERSITY.

UNDERSTANDING COMMUNITY-BASED EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FROM THE AGENCY’S PERSPECTIVE

LAURA LITTLEPAGEBETH GAZLEYTERESA A. BENNETT

INDIANA UNIVERSITY 

State of the research

Little written on role of the community organization as host, teacher, and mentor to students.

Imperial, Perry, & Katula (2007) identified five of 107 SL studies that examined community outcomes.

However, experiential learning in a community setting is more than a form of student learning: Not only a pedagogical tool, but also… An important public policy tool used to promote

student community awareness and civic engagement. A form of volunteerism used by community agencies to

build staff capacity.

Gaps in Research

Challenges (versus benefits) of service learning

Impact on host agencies ASSUMPTION:

REALITY:

“Win-win” situationMcIntyre, Webb & Hite, Marketing Education Review, 2005

“Working with service learners has the potential to be more painful and more beneficial than working with [other] volunteers” Barry Lessow, CEO, Monroe County United Way

Methodology

Survey developed from focus groups and case studies

Peer reviewed and pre-tested Administered to nonprofits in Marion County

(Indianapolis) and Monroe County (Bloomington)

Two phases: phone screener and web survey

Screened for those who involve students Over 50% response rates Caveats

Who is involving students?

Of all nonprofits, 2/3 have worked with students in some capacity

Mutual benefit organizations much less likely to work with students (less than half)

Human services and health organizations much more likely (over 80%)

Why don’t you work with students? Exclusive to members / mission

(34.2%) Have never been approached

(26.3%) No need for college students / not a

great fit (16.5%)

Academic Departments Working with Nonprofits Public Affairs & Policy (including public & nonprofit

management) 26.4% Liberal Arts (including languages, humanities, natural sciences)

24.0% Other 23.6% Business, Marketing, Tourism, related fields 22.4% Medical and Health Professions 18.3% Education17.5% Journalism and Communication17.1% Science, Technology, Computer Science, Engineering11.8% Fine and Performing Arts11.8% Physical Recreation and Education8.9% Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Services2.0%

Colleges and Universities Nonprofits Have Worked With IU Bloomington 94.9% (Monroe County) 28.8% (Marion

County) Ivy Tech 46.8% 20.2% IUPUI 10.1% 54.0% Purdue University 8.9% 20.2% Ball State 5.1% 20.2% CTS 5.1% 4.3% Univ. of Indianapolis 5.1% 28.2% Vincennes University 3.8% 1.8% Butler University 2.5% 31.3% Marian College 1.3% 11.7% Martin University 0.0% 7.4% Other 7.6% 31.9%

What are students doing?

General program volunteers--67% of all NPOs reporting

Interns--55% Involved through a service learning

class--34%

What are service-learners doing?

44% of nonprofits said that service-learners are often or always providing direct service

31% -- projects for the agency 33% -- projects related to the

student’s coursework

How are service learners managed?

Some weak parallels between service-learner management and common management practices for community volunteers:

Agency keeps a record of volunteer hours: 43% for service-learners compared to 73% for community volunteers

Screening, training, orientation or other intake process to place student: 35% vs. 79%

Final report or reflection: 34% vs. 26% Student recognized at volunteer event: 37%

vs. 91% Job description: 27% vs. 72%

What are organizational attitudes about student volunteers? 88% feel to some or a great extent that

their staff is eager to work with students 82% -- student work is as good as the

work that other volunteers provide 70% -- their agency’s mission supports

student civic engagement 51% -- teaching students about my field

is part of my job 42% don’t feel to some or a great extent

that when it comes to involving student volunteers, the college schedule can pose problems for my agency

Organizational attitudes about working with service-learners

43%

37%

59%

36%

46%

34%

38%

12%

7%

29%

10%

8%

6%

21%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I feel informed about the goals of a college course before students begin

I discuss with faculty my agency’s needs before students begin

I understand what service-learning is

I communicate with supervising faculty during project

Faculty supervising projects are knowledgeable about my

organization

My board of directors understands what service-learning is

Managing service-learners requires the same effort as managing other

volunteers

Agree

Strongly Agree

How involved are they with the class?

47 percent have never been asked to attend a class presentation of the results of the project

42 percent have never been asked to attend the class as a guest speaker or visitor

Nonprofits indicated that the following are essential to the success of campus partnerships:

Clear and ongoing communication between agency, students and faculty-- 39%

Faculty and students understand the agency’s mission-- 32%

A match of student skills to agency needs-- 30%

Training and orientation of student volunteers-- 29%

Agencies understand the goals of service-learning-- 27%

The ability to choose the students we work with--26%

What actions might improve their experience?

The item ranked number one was: More faculty involvement, such as joint

curriculum planning, face-to-face pre-semester meetings and orientations for professors and all community partners

Ability to take on more student volunteers

When asked to what extent can their agency take on more volunteers: 32% said they can take on more

community volunteers to a great extent

28 % said they can take on more service-learners to a great extent

26% said they can take on more interns to a great extent

What is the impact of all student involvement?

72% reported that student volunteers of all kinds have increased their agency’s visibility in the community

67% -- student volunteers have continued to volunteer after their volunteer commitment

66% -- improved client services

64% -- increased their agency’s visibility on campus

61% -- helped build campus-community relationships

Conclusion

Nonprofits feel that working with students has an impact, but it does create work for them and relationships between campus and community could be improved.

THANK YOU!

Questions?