Service–Learning Project on Food Security Worth up to 100 pts, commensurate with following the instructions below Due by 11:59pm May 11 Background on Service–LearningAs previously stated by Rosenkranz (2012): “Service-learning is a type of experiential teaching and learning strategy combining classroom instruction and meaningful community service and guided activities for reflection.”“This educational approach has been used frequently in higher education settings, including an array of disciplines such as medicine, theology, public health, physical education, nutrition, psychology, anthropology, and sociology.”“
The benefits for students include positive impacts on social skills, empathy, awareness, understanding, and concern regarding community issues, plus greater confidence and skills to work with diverse populations, increased awareness of community resources, improved motivation, and enhanced knowledge.”All that, plus you can list the service on your resume, and discuss your experiences in future interviews.
The Project Overview You will work independently to learn about food security and provide service to a community organization (agency, group, not-for-profit business, or coalition) that is devoted to reducing the problem of food insecurity among low-income people. You will subsequently compose a structured report that summarizes and reflects your learning and your contribution to the chosen food security organization. You will first identify a food security organization that has been approved* by Professor Rosenkranz. Then, you will gather information from the organization and its personnel, from peer-reviewed literature, from public health surveillance data, and subsequently use that information both to learn and to provide a service to the organization.
A report on all that you did—and what you learned during the semester and the experience—should be included along with your personal reflections. Steps of the Project1.
Identify one or more organizations in your community that work(s) t oward reducing foodinsecurity. Reach out to them by phone, by email, by their “contact us” function on their website, or by visiting them in person. Start early, be resourceful and persistent.
Explain you rassignment, and ask them if there is a way that you could be of service this semester.
Expect toprovide at least 5 hours of service to them by early December, and make sure this is mutuallyagreeable.2.If you have found a place that is interesting to you and willing to let you provide service, learnmore about them. There are at least two ways to find out more about them:
1) see what youcan learn from internet searching and by perusing their website;
2) prepare a list of questionsand then ask someone knowledgeable who works there. Make sure to find out the characteristics of the (low-income) population that they serve, what services they provide to this population, and how the people in that population become eligible for services.
3.Learn more about the population in at least two ways:
1) search online for local, county, state, or national surveillance data that provide demographics and relevant population characteristics and information about their health status and health-related needs;
2) search pubmed.gov for 5‒7 peer-reviewed studies on food (in)security within a population that is as close as possible to the population that is served by your chosen organization.
4.Provide at least 5 hours of service to the organization, document your time, and have it verified or validated by the organization for the final report. Service can include food delivery, food pick-up, food sorting, food packing, food preparation, meal clean-up, general cleaning, clerical work, marketing, fundraising, social media campaigns, or really anything the organization needs that is agreeable to you.
5.Write up a 600+ word description of your service, what you learned before/during/after, and your reflections on the service.
What to Include in the Report (You will need to have a section for each letter below):
A.Include a cover sheet with your name, date, and title of your service–learning project.
B.Provide a statement of the amount of service that you have completed and have an organizational contact person (the volunteer coordinator or work supervisor) sign it, date it, and provide phone number and/or email address. Or, they can write an email, letter, or statement describing your service and sign it (unless just email), along with contact information.
C.Include one or more photographs of you in action serving the organization. You do not need to take a picture that includes clients—this is often an issue that organizations stipulate or clients do not want to be photographed, but the photo just needs you in the service setting to count.
D.Describe what you learned about the organization(s) before and during your service learning (cite references that include government data websites, organization websites, FNDH 600 course notes, your peer-reviewed pubmed articles, other credible sources, etc.).
E.Describe who the organization helps: a description of the clientele and their characteristics (cite references that include websites, course notes, pubmed articles, etc.).
F.Describe how your own service fit into the overall services provided by the organization.
G.Describe how your own service activities with this organization compare to federal nutrition programs (for example, SNAP, WIC, etc.) and related public health nutrition issues (cite references that include websites, course notes, pubmed articles, etc).
H.Describe how your own service activities with this organization fit with what you have learned previously (especially in this class & other university classes) about food security and related public health nutrition issues (cite references that include websites, course notes, pubmed articles, etc).
I.Briefly summarize each of the 5‒7 peer-reviewed studies that you found in your pubmed search, and highlight connections between those studies and your own service–learning experience.
J.Include your personal reactions and thoughtful reflections that demonstrate your learning from the service.
K.References (Cited work): Cite academic resources (particularly peer-reviewed literature, class notes, other credible sources) wherever it is needed for support, and include reference information for works cited (use any reference style, just be consistent).
