Building Bridges with Big Brothers Big Sisters: Service-learning Links Between Professional and Civic Engagement Education at a Predominantly Black Institution

Abstract

During spring and fall semesters of 2017, Clayton State University students in corporate communication minor courses collaborated with film production majors to raise awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Atlanta. Through this three-way collaboration, students helped to build tactical communication with the objective of increasing interest among potential volunteers for the organization’s mentoring program. The deliverables included three videos that Big Brothers Big Sisters used in its drive to increase the number of volunteer mentors in the communities for both the organization and Clayton State. This paper examines the importance of community-engaged service-learning for a student population at a minority-serving predominantly Black institution in Morrow, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As part of Clayton State’s broader community engagement initiative, this collaboration is being evaluated using a case study design. Consequently, we examine the interdisciplinary roots of the initiative while positioning professional and civic education as simultaneously achievable. Ultimately the research positions Clayton State as a centrifuge for collaborative experience, which serves this dual purpose.

Community‐engaged learning to broaden the impact of applied ecology: A case study

“…Incorporating time for students to reflect on their experiences helped enhance self‐awareness, sense of community, and civic engagement (Ash et al, 2005). The real‐world skills students developed can be listed on job application materials, making them more desirable to employers (McFarlane‐Alvarez & McDonald, 2020). Student interactions with local residents highlighted that the data they collected were immediately relevant beyond the classroom, which is important as student motivation and persistence in STEM has been shown to be enhanced when students view science as having the potential to benefit their community (Malotky et al, 2020; Puritty et al, 2017).…”

“…Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), in particular, are well suited for community-based participatory approaches. The history, relationship to community, and commitment of faculty and students at HBCUs mirror the focus in community-engagement approaches on partnership, equity, and social justice (McFarlane-Alvarez & McDonald, 2020;Reddix, 2020;Sydnor et al, 2010). The HBCU faculty, and their institutions, tend to develop strategies that incorporate a community focus into faculty responsibilities and students who attend are often motivated to engage in civic responsibility and connect with their cultural roots (Sydnor et al, 2010).…”