Service-learning provides an opportunity for BSW students to actively apply course concepts in the field. Experiential learning can transform abstract theories that substantiate multidimensional contexts into practical scenarios in the field. Although service-learning courses are encouraged, faculty workload concerns and the need for guided, structured experiences deter many faculty members from participating. Appreciative inquiry, a strategy focused on using strengths to build solutions in agencies, can provide a framework for student assignments that entail student-group work with community agencies and communities. Using this framework, BSW students and instructors can co-create a learning experience through planned and structured interactions with community agencies. An explanation of appreciative inquiry and its utility in the service-learning classroom are presented.
Delaura (Laurie) Hubbs is a licensed professional counselor in private practice specializing in adult relationship issues, trauma recovery, bereavement, and family therapy. With more than 20 years of experience in mental health, she has worked with a variety of issues in community mental health agencies, military services programs, and universities. She served for 7 years as the director of psychology clinical experiences at Marymount University, where she taught graduate-level counseling courses, created and managed the clinical experiences program, and was instrumental in securing the counseling program's CACREP accreditation. Her community involvement includes serving on the editorial board of the Virginia Counselor's Association Journal, working with the Journal for Transpersonal Psychology, and as a board member for the city of Alexandria Delta Task Force for the intervention and prevention of domestic violence.
Although there is a growing presence of college students with disabilities, there are still a number of barriers that need to be addressed. College campuses provide an arena to challenge students' worldviews and bring awareness of challenges to marginalized populations. The present study is an evaluation of a disability awareness workshop for college students to improve knowledge and attitudes about people with disabilities. The workshop included presentations by students with disabilities, professionals who work with people with disabilities, and knowledge-building activities. It was evaluated using a pre-test, post-test comparison group design and was found to improve college students' knowledge and attitudes about people with disabilities. Qualitative analyses further depict attitudes toward people with disabilities. Implications for university initiatives and disability services educators are discussed.
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