| Students completing SESP's Certificate in Service Learning program in 2007 presented posters of their Capstone Projects at a reception on June 1. Capstone Projects, which are designed as culminating experiences for second-year students in the two-year program, involve at least 100 hours of community service and a reflective analysis. Program director Bruce Nelson says, "Students work under the supervision of their community partner and are advised by university faculty. These requirements are designed to assure that each student's capstone project increases the capacity of the organization in which they serve." The Service Learning Certificate Program was created to more effectively integrate students' community service with their academic learning. Participating students, descriptions of their projects and sponsoring organizations are as follows: |
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 Nirav Desai and Loren Balhorn, Oakton Elementary School |
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Loren Balhorn and Nirav Desai Creative Enrichment Program, Oakton Elementary School The students worked with Oakton Elementary School in the development of a co-curricular program specifically for 4th- and 5th-grade students performing above average in the classroom. Titled Creative Enrichment, the program emphasizes logical problem solving, critical thinking and cooperative teamwork through a variety of interactive activities. Balhorn and Desai organized and facilitated the running of four sessions of the enrichment program as a trial run this spring. Additionally, they designed a program guide including an overview of the program as whole, best practices in instruction and a full-year course curriculum for future years of instruction. Arrangements have been made with Oakton to have a Northwestern work-study student in place each year to coordinate the program. |
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 Kelly Kirkpatrick, Evanston Community Foundation |
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Kelly Kirkpatrick root2fruit Capacity Building Curriculum, Evanston Community Foundation The Evanston Community Foundation's root2fruit grant initiative seeks to build the capacity of small grassroots organizations serving the Evanston community through a combination of seed money, technical assistance and networking support. The foundation seeks to build a learning community among the grantees through meetings three times a year for a three-year period, during which organizations share successes and struggles, as well as work together to overcome obstacles. Kirkpatrick's capstone project sought to build the capacity of the root2fruit organizations around nine core competencies that they, along with alumni organizations and the root2fruit board, identified as applicable to all of the nonprofits. To accomplish this, she developed a curriculum for the grantee meetings, introducing one of the topic areas for discussion at each meeting and giving each organization a resource book with useful materials. |
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 Shoko Sugai, Sarah Mihalov and Rajni Chandrasekhar, FutureLinks |
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Rajni Chandrasekhar, Shoko Sugai and Sarah Mihalov FutureLinks, Rogers Park Community Council's Club 137 at Sullivan High School FutureLinks was created in order to address a gap in career and college preparedness programming at Sullivan High School in Chicago. Sullivan High School is home to approximately 1,200 students, marked by a 46 percent dropout rate and labeled as a failing Chicago Public School. Of the students who graduate, only about half go to college. In conjunction with Rogers Park Community Council's after-school program at Sullivan, Club 137, FutureLinks was developed as a civic engagement project. Composed of workshops and an evening event, the Meet & Greet, FutureLinks is designed to provoke students to consider different possibilities for the future and to form connections with young adults around Chicago with practical career and college advice to give. |
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 Laura Krain and Katelin Domanski, Youth Summit |
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Laura Krain and Katelin Domanski Youth Summit, City of Evanston The City of Evanston Youth Summit was a one-day event that brought young people together to discuss relevant issues and solutions to youth concerns in the community on May 12. The goals of the summit were to give Evanston youth a voice on the issues that affect them, to provide a forum for youth-driven solutions and action teams, to start a dialogue between young people and community decision makers, and to have FUN! The day was filled with food, raffle prizes and local entertainment groups. Selected by surveying Evanston Township High School students, participants participated in discussions and brainstorming sessions about 10 topics: 1) race and diversity, 2) college, 3) homelessness and poverty, 4) gang alternatives, 5) youth and jobs, 6) community safety/police relations, 7) drug and alcohol awareness, 8) education system, 9) teen social center and 10) sexual health. The outcome of these sessions will guide the new Evanston Youth Council agenda. |
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 Margaret Lewis and Mara Botman, Youth Council, City of Evanston Margaret Lewis and Mara Botman, Youth Council, City of Evanston |
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Margaret Lewis and Mara Botman Youth Council, City of Evanston Lewis and Botman worked with Shelia McCorkle (BS06), a Public Interest Program Fellow with the City of Evanston, on the City's Youth Engagement Initiative. Because of their interest in divesting ownership of city government to youth, they worked on creating a Youth Council in Evanston. Specifically, they sought to define the Council through legislation, to create partnerships within the City of Evanston government and with local business and nonprofits, to research best practices, to develop curriculum, to market the Youth Engagement Initiative, and to implement the Youth Council. Working collaboratively with Evanston youth service organizations, the objective is to incorporate the assets of youth and to involve youth institutionally in city government. |
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 Nikolia Rallis, Literature for Life |
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Nikolia Rallis Literature for Life For this project, Rallis wrote three brochures for Orthodox Christians for Life - Chicago (OCLife) dealing with sanctity of life issues. The brochures are entitled "Abortion," "Chastity" and "Depression." OCLife is an Orthodox Christian group in Chicago that strives to bring the pro-life message to Orthodox Christians. These brochures are for use in the youth chapter of the group, Orthodox Christian Youth for Life, and for all the churches in the metropolitan area. They will be distributed to youth groups starting with sixth grade in order to educate youth about the teachings of the Church on these important issues. |
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 Shara Zaval and Alysa Close-Primus, Center for Independent Futures |
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Shara Zaval and Alyssa Close-Primus CIF Today Newspaper, Center for Independent Futures Center for Independent Futures is a not-for-profit organization that works with disabled adults in the Evanston community to help them realize full and independent lives through such programs as independent housing options, social activities and private tutoring. Saval and Close-Primus started a newspaper, CIF Today, written by the adults who use CIF services and distributed among these adults, the CIF community and Evanston residents. The newspaper gives the writers an opportunity to share their own stories and thus create a greater internal community, as well as connect to the rest of Evanston. Another purpose of CIF Today was to create more awareness of CIF throughout Evanston and possibly attract potential donors, as well as keep those on CIF's mailing list up to date on CIF news through the perspective of those who benefit from the organization. Zaval and Close-Primus completed one issue of CIF Today, and have trained two new editors-in-chiefs who live in CIF residences to plan the next four issues of the paper. |
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| While first-year students in the Certificate in Service Learning program sample a variety of community service organizations through 50 hours of volunteer work, second-year students focus on one service organization to complete the Capstone Project. Students work under the supervision of their community partner and are advised by university faculty. These requirements are designed to assure that each student's capstone project increases the capacity of the organization in which they serve. Prior to the Capstone Project, students selected for the program take three approved service learning courses, including SESP's Introduction to Community Development, and take part in facilitated learning activities. The service learning program is based on the following understandings:
Students interested in applying to the program, which is open to all Northwestern undergraduates, may contact Bruce Nelson at 847/491-5383. Applications are considered during fall quarter. |
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Last Modified: 8/14/09