Welcome!

Welcome to the Broome Community College Service Learning Program website! The Service Learning Program seeks to provide students with a way to integrate course work with community volunteer experience. Community organizations contribute by creating projects for student volunteers that meet the needs of the organization and the career goals of the student.

This website will serve as a place to connect with other BCC Service Learning students and faculty, learn about upcoming events, find resources and more.  Be sure to also check out the BCC Service Learning Blog and Friend us on Facebook to receive program updates and more!

What is Service Learning?

Service Learning is an experiential form of education that combines academic study, community service, and student reflection. Students select service projects that connect to their coursework, are of personal significance to them, and record their experiences through reflection.

Why Service Learning?

• Career Experience: Service Learning provides students with real life career experience relevant to your particular career path. Interested in becoming a teacher? Design lesson plans and teach students at a school district in Broome County. Whatever your interest the Service Learning Program has a project perfect for you.
  

• Voice: Frequently young adults express feelings of frustration at being disenfranchised in their local communities. Service Learning can help you gain a voice in your local community. By participating in local non-profits you will have an opportunity, not only to be heard, but to make a difference in your community.

• Change the World: If you are unhappy with the state of the world around you Service Learning gives you an opportunity to take an active role in the world around you. Unhappy with the unavailability of after school programs for youth in your neighborhood? With the Service Learning program you can make a difference in the lives of people around you.

How Does the Program Work?

Service Learning students choose a project in coordination with their faculty adviser that engages both their personal and professional interest. Projects should target disadvantaged populations either in Broome County or the home community of the student. Students are expected to complete approximately 25 hours of volunteer work during the course of the semester. Students are evaluated by their faculty adviser and supervisor at their community organization site.

Students can participate in Service Learning as part of a Service Learning Course or as an independent study. For more information on the service learning courses offered please see the Courses page: http://sunybroome.edu/custom/servicelearning/courses/ or contact the Service Learning office.

How Do I Get Involved?

If you are interested in participating in the Service Learning program contact Doug Garnar, Program Director or Sara Doane, Program Coordinator:

Doug Garnar, Service Learning Program Director

Titchener Hall 211B

607-778-5219

Garnar_d@sunybroome.edu

Sara Doane, VISTA Service Learning Coordinator

Titchener Hall 211C

607-778-5084

doanes@sunybroome.edu

Service Learning In the News…

Press and Sun Bulletin Article April 10, 2010

By Sarah Bullock, Staff Writer

Rebecca Greenberg’s spring break choices weren’t between Cancun and Bermuda. They were between hitting her engineering textbooks and volunteering at the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier. She opted to volunteer.

Greenburg, a Broome Community College student, is part of a group of students who decided to beat vacation-at-home boredom by volunteering. Instead of studying or being lazy around the house, these students spent their days helping kids learn karate and painting “dragon eggs” during the Discovery Center’s spring break activities.

“I wanted a change of pace,” Greenburg said. “I’m an engineering student and I spend all my time studying.”

Two Chenango Valley Middle School students also pitched in at the Discovery Center. Matthew Waskie and Adilyne McKinlay weren’t going on vacation and thought volunteering sounded like fun.

“I wanted to do something productive over break,” Waskie said. “If I hadn’t (volunteered), I really wouldn’t be doing anything.”

The volunteer work also will look good on college applications, a fact that hasn’t escaped these ambitious eighth-graders.

Volunteering also will help Maria Hernandez, an early childhood education student at BCC, complete the 10 hours of community service working with children required by the curriculum.

Mela Saysanavong helped paint faces during the Discovery Center’s “Dazzling Dragon Day” with her resume in mind, but will keep volunteering at the Discovery Center because of her experience there. “I’m planning on continuing here,” Saysanavong said. “I like the atmosphere. It’s a pretty cool place.”

This is a story volunteer coordinator Gwendalyn Iversen has heard before. Many volunteers return even if giving back wasn’t originally their first priority, Iversen said. Oftentimes, the return volunteers make a long-term commitment.

Waskie is a perfect example. He originally volunteered as part of part of a summer internship program. Now, he comes all the time and even brought his friend, Iversen said.

Volunteers like Waskie and the other students are invaluable to the Discovery Center. Activities packed into school vacation times couldn’t be run without the help of volunteers. “We’re so short-staffed,” Iversen said. “Having volunteers makes this possible.”

Iversen estimates that 100 Binghamton University students, 40 BCC students and 30 Davis College students volunteer at the Discovery Center every year.

BCC Focus Article

March 25, 2010

The entire full-time Criminal Justice Faculty, and adjuncts teamed up to run in the annual St. Pat’s Binghamton Police / Fire 5-K Race,  held on Saturday, March 13^th in Binghamton.

Chair of the Department- Professor Kathleen McKenna, and full-time Instructor Don Chier and adjunct James Sacco teamed up to represent BCC’s Criminal Justice Department.  Many BCC students also ran in the race.

“We stress the importance of staying physically fit for a career in law enforcement, and it is tough when we as educators do not practice what we preach,” said Wes Warren, Assistant Professor in the Criminal Justice Dept.

Warren, along with BCC’s Criminal Justice Student Association, and Service Learning students worked with the Binghamton Police to ensure runners passed through the intersections safely.

“It was raining on and off throughout the morning.  The students were quite impressed that we put the money where our mouth was.  It shows the dedication and commitment of the faculty here at BCC.”  ”President Drumm’s vision statement includes the goal of making BCC the premier community college.  We certainly put BCC on the map Saturday,” said Warren.