Service Learning

Service Learning is designed to connect the college classroom to the larger world. Vol State students work on projects off-campus which are directly tied to studies in a particular class. The service experiences take place at all sorts of community locations including schools, nursing homes, and parks. The projects meet actual needs and are coordinated between Vol State and a community group. Students think, talk or write about what they experienced during the service activity. Students use the skills they have learned in the classroom and apply them to the real-world. It enhances what they are taught and fosters a sense of belonging in the community.

The Faculty Point of View

Communication Faculty member Jennifer Pitts writes a blog about her experiences with Service Learning at Vol State.

Recent Service Learning Activities at Vol State

Vol State students put elementary school math in “Jeopardy”

Vol State instructor Joyce Gaines (left) had her dual enrollment students, Tiffany Barnett (middle) and Dylan Snowden (right) work on a Service Learning project that helped Station Camp Elementary School kids.

It’s an age old problem that Volunteer State Community College students needed to solve: how do you make math exciting for kids? The students got together and came up with “Jeopardy”. Soon the kids at Station Camp Elementary School were cheering for more.

“They went crazy,” said Vol State student Dylan Snowden of Hendersonville. “I had Jeopardy music to go along with the game and every time they would get one right they would just go crazy.”

“Jeopardy” is a popular TV game show that has been running for years. The Vol State students created a Jeopardy-like computer game that has a variety of math questions, or should we say answers, in certain subject areas. The students came up with the idea as part of a class project for a Vol State dual enrollment class at Station Camp High School. Instructor Joyce Gaines designed it as a Service Learning project, where students take things they are learning in the classroom and apply them to help the community. In this case Station Camp Elementary teacher Kellie Mink said she could use help getting her kids revved up about math.

“The computer game that the students created is wonderful,” said Mink. “It has not only kept our students engaged in learning, but has also covered a wide range of our state academic standards.”

Service Learning projects challenge Vol State students to use critical thinking in their course work.

“With a big group project like this it takes a lot of patience and everyone has to do their part,” said Tiffany Barnett of Hendersonville.

“With all the work I wondered if it was worth it. But to see our plan come to execution was really cool,” said Snowden. “It was fun seeing the kids react.”

For more information on Service Learning at Vol State visit www.volstate.edu/ServiceLearning

Fundamentals of Speech Communication in Action

Hauling rocks…from left to right, students April Johnson, Michelle Bond, Rebecca Campbell

A lot of folks on Vol. State’s campus have been asking the question: How is ditch-digging relevant to a Communication class? The answer is Service-Learning. Last semester, seventy students from Jennifer Pitts’ Fundamentals of Communication classes partnered with Friends of Bledsoe Creek State Park in Gallatin, TN, to help Bledsoe Creek State park solve a storm water drainage problem.

One student described the Service-Learning project as “Fundamentals of Speech Communication in action.” Another student said, “When I registered for this class, I figured we would sit in class every day, listen to lectures, and then be forced to speak in front of people we barely knew. Instead, we were given a problem, asked to use our tools of communication to brainstorm effective solutions, and then implement those physically.”

The assignment was two-fold: the “service part” and the “learning part.” Students were required to put in five hours of service at the park. They were not graded on the quality of their service, but they were not eligible to earn points for the “learning part” until they completed the five hour service requirement.

The “service part” of the project was ambitious, challenging, and at times overwhelming. The students focused their efforts on the problem of erosion around a picnic area and flooding of the surrounding sidewalks. Redirecting the flow of water involved digging drainage ditches, removing large rocks, unbending crushed culvert pipes, placing a silt fence, lining ditches with rock, reseeding, and spreading erosion control blankets. The most challenging part of the job included tunneling under a sidewalk to place a drainage pipe.

During the course of researching ways to dig ditches, students became aware of the possible negative environmental effects of their well-intended actions. Students contacted Ensafe, an environmentally conscious engineering and consulting firm, for advice. A week later, students were surprised to receive a $250 donation from the firm. The money provided work gloves for every student, grass seed, straw, silt fencing material, and gas money for students who drove their own vehicles to pick up supplies and donations.

Students met learning objectives of the course by working in groups to solve the problem. Each class had three teams: Service, Support, and Publicity. They researched the problem, gave speeches presenting solutions to the community partner, organized work days and car pools on the class wiki, broadcast public service announcements and organized a party. Each student also reflected on his/her experience through various media: blogs, essays, video/photo journals, cartoons. One student even published an article in a state conservation magazine.

Rather than asking why communication students are digging ditches, perhaps we should ask, “Why not?”

Vol State students take “Get Fit Sumner” message to school

Students Gennifer McDaniel (left); Sara Johnson (middle); and Jennifer Page (right) led the kids through some fun calisthenics and talked to them about eating well and drinking plenty of water.

Health and Physical Education students from Volunteer State Community College brought nutrition and fitness tips to kids at Jack Anderson Elementary in Hendersonville last week. The classroom visits were part of the “Get Fit Sumner” program organized by the Sumner County Health Department, in conjunction with “Get Fit Tennessee” activities.

Vol State Science and Math Expo promises geysers of Diet Coke and hands-on fun

“You'll see a fountain of Diet Coke streaming 20-30 feet into the air.”

Twenty foot geysers of Diet Coke spewing into the air. How is that science? Ask the experts and they'll tell you it's a great demonstration of Henry's Law. It's just one of the many events planned for this year's Science and Math Expo at Volunteer State Community College.

“We use Mentos mints as a nucleation site to quickly release all of the Carbon Dioxide in the Diet Coke,” said Parris Powers, Associate Professor of Chemistry. “It all happens at ultrasonic speed. You'll see a fountain of Diet Coke streaming 20-30 feet into the air.”

The Vol State professors are hoping area kids can beat the current world record, during the Diet Coke- Mentos Challenge. The Science and Math Expo is designed for kids of all ages, and even those adults who enjoy watching science at work.

“We're tying to stimulate interest in science and math for all kids, kindergarten through grade 12,” said Dr. Tim Farris, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy. “But it always ends up being a great experience for parents and grand parents as well. It's also a great service learning project for our Vol State students. They get to show off concepts that they've learned in class.”

There will be 50 activities for kids, including: egg drop design contest, telescopic viewing of the sun, examination of moon rock samples under a microscope, and wildlife rehabilitation demonstrations.

“Kids will get to see the excitement of science. They'll learn how things work and why things happen,” said Farris.

“We have a new science discovery room with cool science stuff,” said Powers. “Kids can just come in, pick it up, and see what it does.”

Faculty from the Math and Science Division put on the Expo, which is an annual event at Volunteer State. It has been growing steadily in the last few years.

“Parents tell me it's really cool,” said Farris. “They appreciate the excitement and enjoyment their kids have. They say 'my son always talks about this, thanks for showing us more'.”

Other Services

Our office also provides services related to Career Placement and Cooperative Education here at Vol State.