Scott/Ross Center for Community Service: Summary Report
2006-2007 Academic Year
The 2006-2007 academic year was a truly remarkable one for the Scott/Ross Center for
Community Service. At a special celebration of its twentieth year, Campus Compact,
which promotes civic engagement in higher education, recognized the selection of
Simmons for the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll at the
“distinctive” level; we were the only university in Boston to be recognized at this high
level. More than 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students were engaged in
community service last year, including more than 500 who were engaged in 34 service
learning courses. In the summer of 2007, the Center also sponsored programs for more
than 200 neighborhood children and adolescents on our campus.
Many of our achievements last year can be summarized in four broad categories:
1. Undergraduate Service Learning
In late August, Susanna Flug was appointed as the new Associate Director for
Undergraduate Service Learning. Under her outstanding leadership in this area the
College offered 29 undergraduate service learning classes in 10 departments, involving
more than 500 students and 25 faculty and staff. (See Table I below). Students in these
29 classes worked with over 40 community partners, serving a range of programs,
organizations, and schools around Greater Boston and contributing many more than the
8,034 hours that were required. We also offered a number of new projectbased/embedded courses, including a class on the achievement gap that partnered with
Simmons College Upward Bound, for which Professor Daren Graves received a
MACC/RICC Curriculum Innovation Fellowship Grant. Another new course on public
speaking partnered Simmons students with Homes for Families, a group that works to
end root causes of homelessness through public speaking/public policy work with
homeless and formerly homeless parents. Students completed research and crafted
speeches based on the organization’s needs, with input and feedback from their staff
and parent advocates.
Last year, we also continued to expand the Student Service Learning Assistant (SSLA)
program. Five students took on these leadership roles, receiving service learning
training from the S/RC so that they could support specific faculty with the placement and
reflection elements of their service learning courses. The S/RC staff and these students
organized a workshop that described our SSLA program at a national conference on
“Students as Colleagues” in November 2006.
The Center also received six grants and awards for undergraduate service learning:
 Alumnae Association of Simmons College: Two Centennial Grants (Boston
Immersion ASB and Student Service Learning Group)
 The Clowes Fund (funding for one MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA and partnership
with the YMCA International Learning Center)
 MACC/RICC Curriculum Innovation Fellowship Grant (For Daren Graves)



LMA Gateway Program (MASCO partnership with John D. O’Bryant High School)
MACC Student College Access Fellow Program
TD BankNorth Charitable Foundation (For Management/Pat Clarke’s service
learning project which offers a financial literacy fair to ESL students from the ILC)
Other highlights included:
 A Community Service/Service Learning Fair each semester that brought together
more than 30 community partners and 125 students, faculty, and staff.
 The expansion of our community partners to include new organizations, allowing
us to answer the calls for more service learning options in community organizing
and other areas of interest.
 Creating and executing the first Colleges of the Fenway Boston Immersion
Alternative Spring Break, which gave students the opportunity to spend their
spring break in Boston to learn about, connect with, and take positive action in
the community. The program combined daily tutoring with youth programs in the
afternoons and daytime meetings with civic and community leaders as well as
explorations of the city.
 Playing an active role as an institutional member in the Mission Hill Youth
Collaborative, a group of 10 youth-serving agencies that reach over 2,000 youth
in the Mission Hill neighborhood, which spurred new partnerships for service
learning classes and the Boston Immersion.
Table I: Undergraduate Service Learning Courses (* Multiple sections per semester)
Course
Faculty
Semester(s)
Comm 124: Media, Messages, and Society
Comm 181: Public Speaking & Group Discussion
Comm 390: Studio 5, A Communications Workplace
Econ 100: Principles of Microeconomics
Econ 101: Principles of Macroeconomics
Educ 156: Schools in an Era of Change
Educ 156: Schools in an Era of Change
Hons 303: HIV/AIDS, The Intersection of Science/Society
spring
spring
fall & spring
fall* & spring
spring
fall
fall & spring
spring
Hons MCC: Economics, Education & Democracy
IDS 228: Service Learning In Nicaragua
MCC: Achievement Gap or Resource Gap
MCC: Equal Education, A Reality?
MCC: From Borders to Barrios
Fine, Marlene
Powell, Vonda
Burrows, Sara & Richland, Judith
Biewener, Carole
Aoki, Masato
Cunnion, Maryellen
Oakes, Gary
Chow, Connie
Aoki, Masato and Raymond,
Diane
Gullette, David
Graves, Daren
Oakes, Gary
Cohen, Louise
Mgmt 100: Introduction to Management
Mgmt 224: Socially-Minded Leadership
Mgmt 260: Principles of Finance
Mgmt 260: Principles of Finance
Psyc 235: Developmental Psychology
SJ 220: Working for Social Justice
SJ 222: Organizing for Social Change
Warren, Bruce
Betters- Reed, Bonita
Colaco, Hugh
Guertler, Indra
Livshits, Marina
Ward, Janie
Taylor, Jill
fall
fall
spring
fall & spring
spring
fall* &
spring*
spring
spring
fall
fall
fall
spring
2
Soci 101: Principles of Sociology
Total
London, Steve
fall
29 classes, 19 courses
2. Graduate Community Engagement and Service Learning
This was a record year for graduate student community engagement through service
learning and community service. Under the leadership of Carolyn Grimes, Program
Director for Graduate Community Engagement and Service Learning, more than 80
graduate students were involved in service learning through six courses (see Table II
below). We worked with community partners to pilot programs that they had been
unable to launch due to a lack of resources. Graduate students took on leadership roles
and created new initiatives to fulfill community needs. We secured more than $18,000
in external grant funding to support graduate student civic engagement.
Other significant graduate community engagement initiatives over the past year
included:
 Graduate Education: Service Learning for Teachers K-12
 Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) and the Farragut
School Library Partnership
 School of Social Work (SSW) Continuing Professional Education Course:
Families and Homelessness in conjunction with Homes for Families and Greater
Boston Habitat for Humanity
 AmeriCorp Scholarships for Service awards: 15 (the program provides $1,000
education awards for students who provide 300 hours of service with community
organizations). Students worked with Suffolk County House of Corrections, Aids
Action Committee, Tewksbury State Hospital, Joslin Diabetes Center, Year Up,
Home for Little Wanderers, Girls Scouts, Somerville Mental Health, Lutheran
Social Services, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, Youth Opportunities Upheld
Inc., Mass General Hospital, Wayside, Franciscan Hospital for Children.
 Graduate Student Assistantships: Promising Pals, Boston Cares/Simmons
College Project Leaders Pilot Program, Graduate Service Learning and Civic
Education research, Farragut School Guest readers, Frosty’s Friends.
 SOM‘s Building and Sustaining the Future event held with Big Sisters Association
Table II: Graduate Service Learning Courses and Other Initiatives
Graduate
School
Course
CAS
GEDUC
493
CAS
GEDUC
400 and
401
Program/Course
Title
Topics in Urban
Education
Pre-Practicum
Seminar, Practicum
Seminar
Elementary
Faculty/Administrator
Community Partner
Daren Graves
various BPS schools
Mary Ellen Cunnion,
Ellen Davidson
various Greater Boston
Schools
3
CAS
MCM
464
MCM
454
CAS
MCM
464
CAS
CAS
MCM
481
GSLIS
GSLIS
SHS
PT 736
SHS
PT 750
SOM
SSW
SSW
SSW
staff,
faculty,
grad
students
and
alumnae/i
college
wide
college
wide
C641
Corporate and
Community
Relations
Corporate Image
Communications
for the Volunteer
Manager
Strategic
Communications
and Organizational
Change
Farragut School
Library Partnership
Guest Reader's
Day
Special Topics in
Physical Therapy
Health, Wellness,
and Advocacy
Building and
Sustaining the
Future
Families and
Homelessness and
a Day at Habitat for
Humanity
Scholarships for
Service
Frosty's Friends
Promising Pals
Frosty's Friends
Boston Cares
Leadership
Programs
Kris Danna
Vonda Powell
Kris Danna
Gayle Gifford
Em Claire Knowles
GSLIS and ChLit
students
Fenway Community
Development
Corporation, Boston
Red Sox
Animal Rescue League
of Boston
YMCA International
Learning Center
Homes for Families,
Action for Regional
Equity, Community
Servings, Boston
Chinatown Neighbor
Center, Jumpstart,
Simmons Sustainability
group
Farragut School
Toni Tasker
Farragut school library
Special Olympics,
C.R.E.W.
Special Olympics,
Boston Healthcare for
the Homeless,
Community Reentry for
WomenC.R.E.W.,Walk
Boston,Tenacity, Girls
LEAP
SOM students
Big Sisters Assoc.
Carol Bonner
Homes for Families,
Habitat for Humanity
Suzanne Sankar
SSW students
various SSW placement
Boston Cares/
SRC and Alumnae
relations
James P. Timilty Middle
School
SRC
Boston Cares
SRC
multiple non profit
organizations
Claire Safran Norton
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3. Tutoring and Mentoring Programs/ Federal Work Study
In the past academic year, the Scott/Ross Center coordinated 10 tutoring/mentoring
programs involving more than 150 tutors/mentors, more than 180 children and
generating in excess of 20,000 hours of work in the community. Tutors participated in
the programs as volunteers, or in conjunction with service learning courses or workstudy positions. In total, the college spent 32% of its federal work-study allotment on
tutoring programs in the community.
These programs provided tutoring and support to children in preschool to high school.
Topics included school readiness, mentoring for girls, college access, homework
assistance, art, science, history, self defense, math, and literacy. The projects involved
more than 14 community organizations, with each program designed to address specific
partner-identified needs.
During the past year we applied for and received an AmeriCorps*VISTA position to
further develop our programs. She focused on strengthening five programs that take
place at the Farragut Elementary School which is located near our campus. Simmons
has worked with that school for more than 12 years, and routinely places more than 60
tutors/mentors in programs at that site. The VISTA assisted us in strengthening
established programs and introduced a new program responding to the school’s request
for enrichment activities around a number of specific topics, including art, science, and
literacy.
In addition to coordinating our own programs, we are campus partners with a number of
city-wide and national organizations that mobilize college students in tutoring and
mentoring programs, including Jumpstart and Strong Women, Strong Girls.
Our programs are led by student coordinators who, with staff support, insure the
continued success of our partnerships. In January of this year, one of our student
leaders was recognized as one of “Six Making A Difference” by the Boston Globe, in
which they highlighted a select group of only six Bostonians who are making a
difference in the city.
Last year, the Center employed more than 150 students in community service Federal
Work-Study (FWS) programs in our tutoring and mentoring programs. Federal
guidelines dictate a minimum of seven percent of total work-study funds must be spent
in community service programs. Last year, the S/RC significantly exceeded these
guidelines with 32% of the College’s total FWS funds spent in these programs, totaling
over 20,000 hours of service. These programs included Afterschool Program at
Simmons; Farragut Afterschool Program; America Counts; America Reads; Jumpstart;
Steps to Success; and Strong Women, Strong Girls.
4. Other Programs
English as a Second Language Programs:
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The Scott/Ross Center has programs at two English as a Second Language
(ESL) sites: the YMCA INternation Learning Center of Greater Boston (ILC), and
Simmons Community ESL. Simmons students, faculty, and staff (including the
Center’s MACC Americorps*VISTA run these programs.
The partnership between Simmons and the ILC has many components.
Primarily, Simmons service learning students and volunteers serve as ESL
tutors; however, students also serve in other capacities. For instance, in the fall
of 2006, Simmons graduate students in a volunteer-management course
assessed and offered suggestions to the ILC as to how they could enhance their
volunteer program. Also, Simmons students, faculty, and staff from an
undergraduate management class have helped to run a personal finance fair.
As a result of the Scott/Ross Center’s partnership with ILC, the Center has been
able to support another ESL program, the Simmons Community ESL program,
which offers ESL courses to UNICCO and Aramark Employees that work out of
Simmons College. Simmons students and staff have volunteered as ESL tutors
and class assistants. This program is also supported by a grant from the
Simmons College Diversity Council.
Alternative Spring Break Programs:

GSLIS/Farragut Library Alternative Spring Break. The Graduate School of
Library and Information Science partners with the David G. Farragut School to
provide assistance in the library of this K – 5 Boston Public School. GSLIS
students, staff, and faculty work with Farragut staff to secure new books for
the library through a children’s book drive, coordinate guest-readers days,
and spend spring break weeding out, sorting, shelving, and processing books
for circulation.

ASB: Habitat for Humanity. For the past five years, Simmons has sent a team
of students on an alternative spring break to work with Habitat for Humanity.
For the past four years the team has gone to the same site, allowing them to
build a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the community. This past year,
two student leaders and a staff advisor recruited a team of students in
October. The team then met weekly until the trip in March. During that time,
students attended training sessions and discussions on a range of topics,
including community issues, working as a team, and diversity.

ASB: Boston Immersion. The Boston Immersion Alternative Spring Break was
offered for the first time during the 2006-2007 academic year. Students
participated in events March 4-9, 2007. The week centered on “Youth
Empowerment in Roxbury and Mission Hill.” In addition to this focus, students
learned about the history and demographics of Boston, Roxbury, and Mission
Hill. Students worked with local youth programs and city officials to learn and
help the community.
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Elementary/middle School College Awareness Programs:
Last year the Director of the Scott/Ross Center, with the assistance of Simmons
students who graduated from the Boston public schools and other urban school
systems, designed and implemented a two-part college awareness program for
inner city youth, and piloted it with the sixth grade classrooms in two Boston
schools.
The first part of the program consisted of two-hour classes taught by the Director
that were based on units developed for sixth grade students. The units
emphasized the different types of colleges and post-secondary school
opportunities and their value, an understanding of financial aid, the factors
colleges consider in accepting students, college life, and academic programs and
courses.
The second part included a day at Simmons that enabled the youth to partner
with a Simmons student while touring the College, sitting in on classes, spending
time in a dormitory, and eating lunch in the College cafeteria. Before leaving, the
Director led summary reflection sessions.
College Access Academy:
Simmons was selected to take part in MACC’s Student College Access Fellow
Program. As part of this program, two student fellows and a faculty member ran a
College Access Academy Program, which helps students prepare for the SATs
and introduces them to a college campus environment. The program consisted of
six Saturday morning SAT prep sessions in mathematics and English language
arts. SAT prep for ELA was taught by a licensed teacher, and the math section
was taught by two students in the MAT program. Lunch sessions gave the
students an opportunity to spend time with Boston Public School alumnae who
matriculate at Simmons. Discussions were based on the college application
process as well as college life. The afternoon session was an informative and
recreational time that allowed the students to unwind. Over the six weeks,
students had the opportunity to spend time in the Holmes Sports Center; receive
a sex education information session by an intern at Our Bodies, Our Selves; tour
dormitories; and watch a financial-aid PowerPoint presentation by a
representative from Access Boston.
The students we served in this program were male and female11th graders who
passed the 10th grade MCAS and planned to take the SATs on May 4th. Each
student filled out a questionnaire (Student Questionnaire in Appendix D) so that
we could get a better understanding of the student population we were serving.
Most students said they knew that colleges they look at GPA and SAT scores
when determining acceptance. All the students said they wanted to know more
about financial aid, scholarships, and the cost of college. Students were
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interested in majoring in psychology, fashion design, accounting, journalism,
architecture, nursing, forensic science, theatre, graphic design, photography, art,
and computer engineering. Most mentioned math as their weakness and English
as their strength.
Promising PALS:
For the fifth year, under the leadership of Carolyn Grimes, we expanded our
partnership with the James P. Timilty Middle School and the Promising Pals
Program. The program matches each middle school student with an adult pal;
they exchange letters and then meet at a breakfast at the school in June. The
Center, working with the Office of Alumnae/i Relations, enlisted over 200
Simmons alumnae, graduate students, staff, and faculty as pals this past year.
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