From mentoring initiatives to internships to academic courses, our staff work hard to provide YOU meaningful community based learning opportunities. We strengthen the community through building, sharing and empowering.
If you would like more information on how to get INVOLVED in service-learning or community-based learning efforts, please see opportunities listed on the Student, Faculty/Staff or Community pages.
There are many opportunities for students to follow their passion of service while at TCU. Below you will find information on our signature programs: Fort Worth Fellows, Public Service Consulting Corps, Academic Service-Learning Courses, Model UN and the TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine partnership.
Community Conversations – Come learn more about Fort Worth neighborhoods. This series will bring speakers to discuss the strengths and challenges of our local communities and will provide ideas for those who want to engage with community partners to bring about positive change. Spring dates TBA.
In order to encourage students to grow as civically engaged leaders and build capacity within non-profit organizations serving the Fort Worth community, the office of Service-Learning and Academic Initiatives, in collaboration with the Center for Career and Professional Development, has created the Public Service Consulting Corps Program. This internship program provides a select group of students the opportunity to take part in a unique internship experience at a local non-profit.
By participating in the program, students will be eligible to apply for a scholarship ( up to $2000) each semester they contribute a minimum of 80 hours to their site. As interns, students will have the opportunity to practice classroom-acquired knowledge, develop their job skills, as well as expand their professional network. As part of the Corps, students will receive support from an on-site supervisor, and they will also meet with a TCU Advisor on campus. Additionally, all Corps members will come together once a month to network, share their experiences, and reflect on their learning.
Students may apply for one or more semesters, depending on their availability and learning objectives. To become a member of the Corps in the Fall semester, students must apply by April 7, interview with TCU staff and potential community sites and be selected by an internship host organization. All selected students will be notified by the end of the Spring semester.
For more information, please contact Dr. Rosangela Boyd, r.boyd@tcu.edu
Corps Member Requirements:
To better prepare students for their roles as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in a global community, the Fort Worth Fellows program seeks to provide students with an introduction to community engagement and public service. To become a member of Fort Worth Fellows, students must apply by April 2. Interviews will take place in April and selected students will be notified by the end of the Spring semester.
Fort Worth Fellows is a unique, cohort based program in which students learn about the social issues impacting Fort Worth, examine strategies to promote social justice, connect with non-profit organizations, community and city leaders, and contribute to social change through advocacy and service.
Attend our mini retreat date TBA
Attend and actively participate in weekly cohort meetings
Meet monthly with Fellows advisers to individualize future involvement and discuss progress
Complete a minimum of 10 hours of service per semester individually or with interest group formed in class
Participate in 2 service events a semester with entire Fellows cohort
Remain in good academic & disciplinary standing
For more information on Fort Worth Fellows, please contact Rosangela Boyd at r.boyd@tcu.edu
Academic Service-Learning is a pedagogy based on the principles of experiential education, which integrates community service with academic study. Faculty, in collaboration with representatives from community organizations, design service projects that enhance student learning and help meet community needs. Through structured reflection, students consider relationships between the service experience, the academic content of the class, and its impact on their personal values and professional goals.
A growing number of departments and programs currently utilize service-learning, some having sought the assistance of Community Engagement in building community partnerships, while others developed projects independently. Our office works continuously to develop a comprehensive list of service-learning courses based on information by faculty members.
Want to learn how to link your college degree to nonprofit careers? Click here!
If you want to find out more about SL courses offered at TCU, contact us at oce@tcu.edu.
The award-winning Model United Nations program at TCU is a joint program of Leadership & Student Involvement and the Department of Political Science. It offers students the opportunity to simulate the workings of the United Nations as representatives of one of the member-states of the UN. In their capacity as delegates to Model UN conferences, students research the policies of their designated country on a variety of topics, including international trade and development, terrorism, international conflict, weapons of mass destruction, human rights, and the environment. Participation in conferences also helps students to improve their negotiating, public speaking and writing skills.
Participation in this program is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about the issues confronting the world in which they live from diverse perspectives. If you have any questions, please contact Eric Cox at e.cox@tcu.edu or visit Department of Political Science.
Meaningful community engagement is critical for the Burnett School of Medicine. Community-oriented partnerships bring together academic institutions, neighborhood organizations, health service providers, businesses, philanthropic supporters and governments in an unprecedented manner to launch joint ventures aimed at addressing critical health care needs. Our office is playing a vital role in developing and strengthening community connections as the Burnett School of Medicine strives to educate Empathetic Scholars.
Already teaching a service-learning course? Receive a service-learning designation! This designation will allow students to search for classes with a service-learning focus and also ensure that we can accurately reflect the amount of community engagement at TCU.
Facilitating Curious Disagreement: How To Support Students’ Engagement in Civil Discourse
In this interactive virtual workshop, we will explore the science behind why curious disagreement is so challenging, build a facilitation toolkit to help support students’ productive engagement across differences, and practice these skills together. This workshop will answer questions like, “Why is it so hard to listen to people I strongly disagree with?” “How can I help students overcome their fears of hard conversations?” “What tools can I use to bring people’s different perspectives to the table?” and more. Open to all, regardless of background of experience.
Facilitator: Shira Hoffer, Executive Director of The Viewpoints Project
RSVP by Feb 4 at https://tinyurl.com/viewpointstcu.
Integrating Critical Reflection and Assessment
Participants will learn how reflection and assessment intersect in community-engaged courses and consider how these elements will be integrated into their specific courses. Additionally, we will explore specific frameworks and activities for facilitating student reflection. Example assignments and assessment resources will be shared for participants to adapt to their courses.
Facilitator: Dr. Star Plaxton-Moore, Director of Community-Engaged Learning and Research, Haas Center for Public Service, Stanford University
Developing and Aligning Student Outcomes, Preparation, and Engagement
Participants will engage with frameworks for developing student learning outcomes and analyze examples from various community-engaged courses. We will also explore how to integrate curricular content and learning activities that support student achievement of outcomes, including possible ways to structure community engagement activities and projects. Additionally, participants will consider how to prepare students for community-engaged learning, laying the groundwork for meaningful and respectful engagement by setting clear expectations, responsibilities, and dispositions.
Facilitator: Dr. Star Plaxton-Moore, Director of Community-Engaged Learning and Research, Haas Center for Public Service, Stanford University
RSVP by March 1st at https://forms.gle/L2Rfr1Y7SpXnjVyP7
Overview: Provide a description for the course, and state how you plan to incorporate service-learning into it. Make sure to explain how the proposed project/activities align with course objectives.
Community Need: Describe the need for the community work as defined by the community agency or partner and how the course/initiative aims to meet that need. Support your statements with information obtained from community partners.
Outcomes: Describe the desired outcomes for the students, staff, and community members involved.
Activities & Timeline: List the activities and timeline for the course, and describe how the service-learning project will be integrated into the schedule. Identify the roles and responsibilities of the primary people involved.
Evaluation: Outline a plan for assessing the educational outcomes for students and the process of gathering information from the community partners.
Budget: Please prepare an itemized budget, indicating the amount requested for different categories (such as supplies, training, travel, printing, etc.) and any in-kind contributions. Make sure to include justification for each line item, tying each proposed expenditure to specific project activities.
*To submit your proposal, please e-mail Dr. Rosangela Boyd at r.boyd@tcu.edu.
Please e-mail Dr. Rosangela Boyd at r.boyd@tcu.edu, she will work with you to tailor a presentation specific to your class or organization’s needs.
Academic Service-Learning is a pedagogy based on the principles of experiential education, which integrates community service with academic study. Faculty, in collaboration with representatives from community organizations, design service projects that enhance student learning and help meet community needs. Through structured reflection, students consider relationships between the service experience, the academic content of the class, and its impact on their personal values and professional goals.
A growing number of departments and programs currently utilize service-learning, some having sought the assistance of Community Engagement in building community partnerships, while others developed projects independently. Our office works continuously to develop a comprehensive list of service-learning courses based on information by faculty members.
The effectiveness of Service-Learning as a teaching approach depends largely on the preparation phase. When designing the course, faculty need to consider several factors from preparation to implementation to evaluation. The following steps are recommended to ensure a successful experience to all constituents:
1. Explore how service-learning fits into your teaching philosophy
2. Determine how service-learning experiences may facilitate learning by drawing connections to course objectives and desired outcomes
3. Gather resources on community needs and ideas for potential projects
4. Identify community partners and build a collaborative relationship
5. Integrate information on service-learning into the course syllabus, review logistical details and make necessary arrangements
6. Plan how students will be oriented to service-learning
7. Decide on strategies to connect service to learning through reflection
8. Set-up evaluation procedures
Already teaching a service-learning course? Receive a service-learning designation! This designation will allow students to search for classes with a service-learning focus and also ensure that we can accurately reflect the amount of community engagement at TCU.
Organizations:
Campus Compact: TCU is a member of Campus Compact which is a national coalition of more than a thousand college and university presidents – representing some six million students – dedicated to promoting community service, civic engagement, and service-learning in higher education.
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC), a program of Learn and Serve America, operates America’s premier website supporting the service-learning efforts of schools, higher education institutions, communities, and tribal nations. Under resources it is possible to find information on effective practices, hot topics, funding sources, toolkits on responding to national disasters, lesson plans and syllabi, and much more.
More on Engagement and Volunteering Information:
www.americorps.gov
www.communityengagedscholarship.info
www.idealist.org
www.peacecorps.gov
www.serviceleader.org
www.volnow.org
www.volunteermatch.org
www.unitedwaytarrant.org
We are connected to numerous non-profit agencies in the Tarrant County area. If you are interested in partnering, please see opportunities listed below and contact Dr. Rosangela Boyd at oce@tcu.edu.
Community Connections Week Fall 2022
We work in partnership with the Center for Career and Professional Development to develop internship opportunities in non-profit organizations. These internships are known as the Public Service Consulting Corps, and will provide a select group of students with a unique opportunity to apply their academic knowledge and critical thinking skills, serve community needs, and develop professional, leadership, and research skills. In partnership with identified community partners, students will have the opportunity to create and implement community (civic) engagement projects on and off campus. Students will participate in training and workshops designed to expose them to a variety of social issues impacting the Fort Worth community, as well as prepare them with the skills needed to become catalysts for social change.
For information on how to become a site for internships, contact us at oce@tcu.edu.
Mar. 9: Host site application due
Mar. 21: Student interest session
April 9-20: Interviews
April 23: Students notified
April 25: On-campus intern training
The Office of Service-Learning and Academic Initiatives offers multiple workshops throughout the year to support faculty and staff development. Fall webinars will be announced in the summer. Please, contact r.boyd@tcu.edu for more information on ongoing opportunities.
