The Service-Learner
The Voice of Students, Faculty, and Community
V O L U M E
Update from the OASL
V ,
I S S U E
I I
S U M M E R
faculty in the fall and 26 faculty in the
spring. This Institutional Review Board
(IRB) approved research protocol
measures the impact of service-learning
on students.
2 0 1 4
civic and moral responsibility for diverse,
equitable, healthy, and sustainable communities.
Looking back at the 2013-2014 academic
year, the QCC Office of Academic Service The OASL presented in the following three
Learning (OASL) is pleased to report that
sessions at the May 2 CUE Conference,
21 new faculty implemented the service The OASL submitted a chapter, entitled
Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom:
learning pedagogy. Eighty-two faculty
Academic Service-Learning as a PedagogiScaling Up High Impact Practices in the
provided an academic service-learning
cal Tool for Career Development and VoCommunity College; Client Relations: Media
experience to 1891 students who were
cational Training, to Service-Learning at
Production and Real World Experience with
enrolled in 138 different classes. The OASL
the American Community College, a volService Learning; and A Cross-CUNY Collabwelcomed two new disciplines to serviceume edited by Drs. Amy Traver and Zivah
oration to Assess the Impact of Servicelearning–History and Music. The Office
Perel-Katz. The volume discusses the nuLearning on Community College Students.
also thanks the 39 community organizamerous observed benefits of an education  Sixty-eight participants attended OASL’s
tions who partnered with QCC this past
that is based in real-life, community setpartnership-building breakfast at QCC on
year. Read more about service-learning
tings where academic learning is transJune 16 to provide opportunities for comprojects and activities this past year
formed into practical, vocational
munity partners and QCC faculty to develthroughout the newsletter. Other highknowledge.
op projects.
lights include:
 Nine faculty participated in the first semes-  Eleven faculty participated in the Academic
 Faculty participation in the OASL’s
ter of a two-year national grant funded by
Service-Learning Institute on June 19 sponAcross the Disciplines survey continues
the Teagle Foundation, in an effort to help
sored by New York Campus Compact and
to flourish—participation included 23
students develop their commitment to
St. John’s University.
Consistent Growth
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
Service-Learning Students
42
195
462
750
1,013
1,629
1,584
1,891
Faculty Teaching SL Courses
3
9
21
35
45
72
77
82
Community Partners
6
7
28
10
26
38
38
39
Partnership Breakfast Serves Up Learning!
Twenty-four faculty members, representatives of 12 community partners, and
staff from offices throughout the campus attended the OASL’s Partnership
Building Breakfast on June 16, 2014. Community partners and faculty engaged in lively discussion to develop nascent project ideas and brainstorm
new ones, to explore interests, and to strengthen relationships. QCC President Dr. Diane B. Call welcomed attendees and affirmed QCC’s commitment
to service-learning as an effective way to engage students. Service-learning
students recalling their experiences was the highlight of the morning. MiL-R: Dr. Mercedes Franco (Math), Jessica Ratigan-Dunbar,
chael Brewster, Brigett Carvajal, Sergei Dzhumaev,
Dr. Natalie Bronstein (Biology), Kamar McLean, Luying You,
Jazmin Gonzales, Joanna Haffner, Kamar McLean,
Dr. Sharon Ellerton (Biology)
Aliya Nelson, Jessica Ratigan-Dunbar, Mustafah
Steele, Ziyang Tang, Luying You and Catherine Zanca received awards for their exceptional service. The students demonstrated, through their actions and writing, deep personal growth and academic learning as well
as commitment to civic engagement. Students in attendance were presented with a certificate by their professor or community partner representative, who acknowledged their service and
Continued on page 3
Student Brigett Carvajal
PAGE
2
VOLUME
Spotlight: K-12 Partnerships
QCC students engage in service-learning projects at a number of
elementary, middle, and high schools sites. A sampling of Fall
2013 and Spring 2014 projects follows:
Hillcrest High School
Getting Young Minds Excited about College, Prof. Barbara
Rome, Care of Clients III, NU-201, and Dr. Lana Zinger, Health of
the Nation, IS-151
Getting Young Minds Excited about College exposes visiting
high school students to academic and support opportunities at
QCC. Hillcrest students met with QCC’s Admissions and Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) offices followed by
class visits. Prof. Rome’s nursing students guided the high school
students through the Nursing Department’s mock hospital, and
Dr. Zinger’s students engaged the high school students in discussions about health topics including the expanding role of government legislation in citizens’ health. The Hillcrest students
gained awareness of the QCC admission process, the educational opportunities available at QCC for students interested in entering the health care professions, and an overview of health care
issues.
Thematic and Technological Approach to the CATW, Prof. Susan
Hock, Composition Workshop, BE-112
Ninth graders and Prof. Hock’s students met at QCC’s Holocaust
Resource Center, where they learned the history of the Holocaust, and met with survivors who told their stories. The ninth
graders and QCC students then collaborated on developing,
revising and completing CATW-style essays on related topics,
communicating through Google Docs. As teachers and editors,
Prof. Hock’s students gained writing experience from a different
perspective.
Holy Martyrs Armenian Day School
Lab Activities in Environmental Science, Dr. Joan
Petersen, Environmental
Science, Bl-480
Students in grades 4
through 6 visited Dr. Petersen’s environmental
sciences lab for enriching
hands-on lab activities.
QCC environmental science students assumed
Students are all smiles after successful leadership roles as they
lab activities
V,
ISSUE
II
designed and guided the elementary school students through four
activities—DNA testing, exploration of fluids through creation of
lava lamps, a microscopic look at water from Oakland Lake, and
dissection of owl pellets.
Divine Wisdom
Poetry Workshop, Dr. Zivah Perel-Katz, English Composition II—
Introduction to
Literature, EN-102
Using visual prompts provided by Dr. Katz, QCC
English students helped
middle school students
expand their understanding of poetic language and
then together created and
presented their poetry.
This project was an exam- Poetry in motion at Divine Wisdom
ple of reciprocity as both
groups gained speaking and listening skills as well as a deeper knowledge of reading, writing and understanding text.
Storytelling as Intangible Cultural Heritage, Dr. Tanya Zhelezcheva,
English Composition II—Introduction to Literature, EN-102
QCC students helped 3rd and 5th
graders understand fables from
around the world by experiencing
the stories as dramatic oral presentations. The project also gave the
young students experience in critiquing and reviewing literature.
Dr. Zhelezcheva noted that the
project was also an opportunity
for her students to develop workplace skills, including presenting
themselves in a professional manner.
Experiencing fables as
oral tradition
Spectroscopy Lab for 8th Graders, Prof. Eva Hampton, Principles of
Physics Laboratory, PH-101
QCC Physics students provided an
exciting opportunity to 8th graders to
work in a college laboratory setting
and to visualize themselves in college. The QCC students assumed
leadership roles as they designed and
led a spectroscopy lab using spectroscopes and color wheels. After the
activity, the visiting 8th graders used
their new science vocabulary to write
lab reports.
Students as teachers
VOLUME
V,
ISSUE
PAGE
II
Queens Satellite High School for
Opportunity
Time Management Workshop, Dr. Wilma Fletcher
Anthony, Introduction to
3
QCC After-School Academy
QCC’s Office of Continuing Education operates the AfterSchool Academy, which provides after-school programs to
elementary school children from PS 98.
Strategies for Healthy Living, Dr. Lana Zinger, Health of the
Nation, IS-151
College, ST-100
Working in pairs, the Satellite students were coached
by the QCC students to
create an inventory of how
they spend their time. The
QCC students shared their Time management in action
knowledge of time management skills they learned in their ST-100 course. Dr. Anthony
observed that the project gave her students a deeper understanding of time management as they negotiate the college
experience.
Holy Child Jesus School
Twelve Angry Jurors, Prof. Arthur
Adair, Actors’ Workshop I and II,
TH-122 and TH-222
Eighth grade students studied the
script of Twelve Angry Men in
class and then attended QCC’s
performance of Twelve Angry
Jurors. The visiting students met
with the QCC student actors after
the performance to share ideas
and reactions to the play, and to
Prof. Adair works with the tour backstage at the QCC Per students
forming Arts Center (QPAC). Interactions between the actors and
their audience deepened both groups’ knowledge of the play.
PS 46 Alley Pond School
Brown Bag Lunches, Prof. Georgina Colalillo, Care of Clients II,
NU-102
Nursing students, in collaboration with PS 46, identified two
important health needs of elementary school children—Healthy
Eating and Sleep. The QCC students researched the topics,
developed a teaching plan, and presented the information to
children during their lunch time. The nursing students applied
principles of child development which they learned in their
nursing class, and they considered the role of nurse as change
agent in the community.
A number of Dr. Zinger’s Health students researched topics on
healthy living habits, created age-appropriate presentations
and led lively discussions with the children.
Enrichment Activities in Physics, Dr. Vazgen Shekoyan,
Principles of Physics, PH-101, and Teaching the Constructivist
Teaching Method, Dr. Anita Ferdenzi, Contemporary Education: Principles and Practices, EDUC-101
Dr. Ferdenzi’s Education students guided the Physics students
on applying the constructivist teaching method in their
presentations to the children. The QCC Physics students then
created hands-on physics activities, actively engaging the children in their learning.
Teaching Yoga Poses, Prof. Susan
Garcia, Yoga, PE-530
Students selected and planned
strategies for teaching yoga poses
to the young children. QCC students were each responsible for
teaching and leading several poses. The experience challenged
QCC students to explain the poses
fully yet simply to their audience.
Yoga after school
Partner Breakfast (continued from page 1)
contributions to the projects. Academic Service-Learning
Project Director Ms. Josephine Pantaleo thanked the partners in attendance for enabling students “to realize the
world outside of this campus.” The energy of the breakfast
is always enhanced by the participation of newcomers to
Academic Service-Learning at QCC. This year these included five new faculty members and two new partners—
Queens Library
and Flushing
High School. We
look forward to
new projects and
new opportunities for student
learning that will
develop from this
Breakfast is serviced
gathering.
PAGE
4
VOLUME
V,
ISSUE
Whom Does Nature Serve? QCC’s 7th Annual Earth Day Celebration
The Office of Academic Service-Learning (OASL) hosted QCC’s
7th Annual Earth Day Celebration on Wednesday, April 23rd in
the Art Gallery Loggia. QCC graduate and OASL staff member
Stacy Pavlou coordinated the event. Several QCC faculty and
their service-learning classes as well QCC’s clubs, programs and
offices contributed to the celebration.
Service-Learning Classes
Dr. Anthony Monahan’s Introduction to Exercise Science students tested participants’ posture and demonstrated activities
encouraging good physical health. Colorful hula hoops, herb
planting, as well as demonstrations of yoga poses by Prof. Sue
Garcia’s Yoga students were outdoor activities that enticed
students to be active and healthy. Dr. Lana Zinger’s Health of
the Nation students explained research connecting plastic bottles and cancer.
Students present their research on antibiotics
Dr. Franca Ferrari’s Speech Communication students presented
on two service-learning projects: a survey of student attitudes
about recycling and materials on public speaking skills created
for inmates at the Otisville Correctional Facility re-entry program.
From the Biology department, Dr. Nidhi Gadura’s students
showed Earth Day attendees how to reduce their carbon footprint and Dr. Areti Tsimounis’s students of Human Physiology
presented information on antibiotic resistance and the problems it can cause.
Mel Rodriguez from the QCC Office of
Environmental Health & Safety encourages
students to recycle more on campus
Clubs, Programs and Offices
Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) demonstrated
how recycled materials can be used artistically; the Biology
Club explored endangered species; the Chemistry Club presented information on how pH affects the environment; Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) offered
ways to “Go Green” and members of the Future Teachers Society practiced their teaching skills with the topic of water conservation.
Battery recycling and recharging station
The QCC Offices of Environmental Health & Safety and Buildings & Grounds presented on recycling efforts at QCC. New
York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) rounded out the
presentations with displays on its continued anti-fracking campaign and the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation’s Draft Energy Plan.
Guests included President Diane B. Call and students, faculty
and staff from across QCC, as well community partners, truly
integrating the event into campus life.
Yoga students strike cobra poses under the pergola
II
VOLUME
V,
ISSUE
II
Spotlight on Partners Old and New
PAGE
5
Corona Youth
Music Project
The Corona Youth Music Project (CYMP) is part of “El
Sistema,” a global movement of music for social change.
Children can learn song and musicianship through a
multitude of programs including one-week camps,
workshops, or year-long programs in choir or orchestra. The CYMP also offers
many opportunities for volunteers. The OASL partnered with CYMP for the first
time in spring 2014, with projects involving three music classes:
Prof. Steven Dahlke’s Queensborough Chorus and Pop Choir classes rehearsed musical pieces and performed at
the Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC) with
Prof. Dahlke conducts students from the CYMP,
children from the CYMP. QCC Cardozo High School and QCC
students modeled professional
behavior as musicians and adults for the younger singers, gaining insight into
effective learning and behavior techniques. The young singers from Corona,
aged 8–14, were exposed to a broader realm of singing and were challenged by
the larger performance space. The singers from QCC and CYMP were joined in
the performance by the Benjamin N. Cardozo High School Choirs.
Prof. Robert Anderson’s Digital Recording class created an original documentary
of the collaboration between the QCC vocal ensembles and the CYMP using
skills they learned in class. The videos can be used by CYMP to raise awareness of their work and help with outreach, publicity and
fundraising.
A frame from the students’ video
Community Food Advocates:
Fighting Poverty & Hunger
in New York City
Community Food Advocates (CFA) is a new partner this year with the OASL. The
organization works to expand and improve access to child nutrition programs to
support children’s health and learning capacity, and
increase access to nutritious food for all New Yorkers,
especially the two million living in poverty.
CFA is currently spearheading the coalition-based Lunch 4 Learning campaign, calling for free and
healthy lunch for all New York City public school students to eliminate the poverty stigma associated with
free lunch. Students in Dr. Megan Elias’s Growth of American Civilization I class collected information for
the campaign by interviewing peers at QCC about their previous experiences with school lunches. The
class also developed critical thinking skills by examining the results of the questionnaire and engaging in
discussions on the role of food in society. This campaign scored a victory in June; a pilot program that will
provide free lunch to all public middle-school students beginning in September 2014 was included in the 2014-2015 New York City
budget.
QCC Chinese Academy
The QCC Chinese Academy, an
ongoing service-learning community partner, offers classes to learn how to read, write, listen and speak in
Chinese. The Academy is administered by the QCC Office of Continuing
Education. Each term, some 250 children attend these classes.
This spring, Prof. Chianli Chen’s Chinese Literature I class applied their
literacy skills to translating a popular American children’s book, Miss Nelson is Missing, into Chinese for young students of QCC’s Chinese Academy. The QCC students discussed approaches to the project with one of
the Chinese Academy teachers, acquiring the skills to edit and format a
story to fit the needs of young Chinese learners. They presented their
translation in Chinese characters and Pinyin, and also recorded a spirited
audio version.
One page from the translation of Miss Nelson is Missing Note: Project descriptions were provided by faculty in their service-learning project forms.
PAGE
VOLUME
6
Developing Interdisciplinary Instruments for Critical Reflection
By Dr. Isabella Lizzul, Department of Health, Physical Education and Dance
In the summer of 2012, five QCC faculty
from broadly divergent disciplines (Liz Di
Giorgio, Art and Design; Sebastian Murolo,
Business; Rose-Marie Äikäs, Criminal Justice;
Lana Zinger, Health, Physical Education and
Dance; and Isabella Lizzul, Massage Therapy)
received a QCC-CUNY Pedagogical Research
Challenge Grant through the Office of
Academic Affairs.
The goal of this research project was to
measure the effect of academic servicelearning on student learning and
development, while at the same time creating
a reflection instrument that could be easily
adapted for use by faculty in any discipline.
The faculty engaged their students in projects with the non-profit organization, Hour
Children, whose mission is to help incarcerated
and formerly incarcerated women and their
children successfully rejoin the community;
reunify with their families; and build healthy,
independent and secure lives.
In collaboration with Hour Children staff,
faculty designed service-learning projects to fit
their course objectives as well as to meet the
organization’s needs. Art students drew portraits of the children to highlight their unique
set of talents and interests, promote a positive
self-image, and encourage them to imagine
and pursue a brighter future. Business students
taught the women how to obtain employment
with local businesses that receive tax breaks for
hiring formerly incarcerated individuals. Criminal Justice students interviewed the women to
hear their experiences of and document their
recommendations for improving the criminal
justice system. Health students presented information to the women on how to feed their
families healthy food on a budget. Massage
therapy students provided a positive experi-
ence of healing touch to women who may
never have experienced it.
With the invaluable assistance of the project’s Research Associate Michael Bradley,
the faculty developed pre- and postreflection prompts grounded in the framework provided by Ash and Clayton (Ash, S.,
and Clayton, P. H. 2009. Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning: The
Power of Critical Reflection in Applied Learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher
Education, Fall, 25-48). The reflection
prompts were designed to assess the impact
of service-learning on three categories of
student development: course content acquisition, personal growth and civic engagement. The students’ reflections were then
scored according to the DEAL Model Critical
Thinking Rubric.
After the scoring was completed and the
data were analyzed, the team was pleased to
discover that students made significant progress across the three categories. The faculty
expect to publish detailed results of the research project in the coming year. The team
will also study the retention rates of students
who took part in the project.
The enthusiasm of the faculty about their
work with Hour Children was influential in
encouraging participating students to learn
actively, think critically, and learn collaboratively. These efforts led to open communication among diverse disciplines and improved
understanding of the shared purpose. The
research project and engagement in a sustainable community/academic partnership
greatly enhanced the empathy, respect, and
trust among the women and children from
Hour Children and the QCC students and
faculty.
V,
ISSUE
II
QCC Office of Academic Service‐Learning (OASL) 222‐05 56th Avenue Humani es Building, Room 246 Bayside, NY 11364 718.281.5612 servicelearning@qcc.cuny.edu www.qcc.cuny.edu/servicelearning Project Director, Josephine Pantaleo Faculty Liaison, Dr. Sharon Ellerton Perkins Project Coordinators, Arlene Kemmerer, Mary Bandziukas, Cris na DiMeo, Diana Silvestri Assistant Copy Editor, Joseph Sedita Support for the development and produc on of this material was provided by a grant under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Educa on Act of 2006 administered by the New York State Educa on Department. Save the Date!
Fall 2014
Fri., August 22, 2:00-4:30 PM or
Tues., August 26, 2:00-4:30 PM,
Oakland
CETL HIP Course Design Workshop
Tues., September 16, 2:00-4:00 PM,
Holocaust Center
Dr. Bob Franco, Kapi’olani Community College, presents on servicelearning and civic engagement
Thurs., October 9, 3:00-5:00 PM or
Fri., October 17, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM,
Holocaust Center
CETL HIP Reflection Workshop
Wed., November 19, 12:002:00 PM, Student Union
I Love Science Day
Sponsored by: Dr. Nidhi Gadura,
Biological Sciences and Geology
Wed., December 10,11:00 AM3:00 PM, Student Union
QCC Health Services Health Fair
BTECH Students Get An Early Start at QCC
The Business Technology Early College High School (BTECH), a new public high school in
Queens Village, will open to a freshman class of 120 students this coming September. Students
will complete a six year program—high school diploma, associate degree from QCC and apprenticeships with the global business software company SAP.
One of BTECH Principal Hoa Tu’s goals for her students is to become familiar with QCC from
the program’s start. QCC faculty from numerous disciplines are already considering possible
service-learning projects their students can implement, including making a presentation, running a workshop, doing a lab activity or practicing researching and writing. For more information on participating with BTECH, please contact the OASL.
Nursing students at 2014 Health Fair