GEOSCIENCE SERVICE LEARNING AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS, THE COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY AND THE COMMUNITY

Service learning (SL) is a powerful pedagogical tool that integrates experiences outside the classroom with a classroom academic curriculum. Service is used as a tool to advance and deepen the students' knowledge of an academic field of study. Benefits include real-life experience (students), improved community relationships (university), and needed research at little or no cost (community). Student responses to SL courses identify them as an important learning experience.

Organizational and financial (Surdna Foundation) support increase the number, effectiveness and institutional awareness of SL courses. Wesleyan's Center for Community Partnerships (CCP), coordinates activities with the community, including SL courses. Faculty may apply for a grant of up tp $5000 to develop an SL course. Funds are used for summer salary, equipment, and expenses directly related to the course, e.g. travel and supplies. The CCP also provides a forum for faculty to discuss ways to overcome obstacles, share successes, and provide assistance for faculty developing new SL courses.

In Earth and Environmental Sciences, two SL courses have been offered and one is underdevelopment. 1) E&ES 322, Introduction to GIS, has been taught twice as a service-learning course, beginning in spring 2005. The instructor solicited GIS projects from local towns and community groups. The first half of the course introduced students to basic GIS skills and applications to environmental science. During the second half of the course, student groups work in collaboration with local environmental and governmental groups to complete GIS projects. Results are presented through written reports, web pages, data repositories, and community meetings. 2) E&ES 280, Environmental Geochemistry, was taught as a service-learning course for the first time during the fall of 2005. The course focused on evaluating the potential of using methane from a landfill site as a source of energy. Sixty people attended the presentation of the result, also described in a local newspaper article. 3) E&ES 331, Complexities of Community-Based Conservation: Environmental Decision Making, is under development and will be offered fall of 2007. These courses help students to develop skills, provide information to the community, and increase awareness of the importance of earth science.