Beyond the Classroom Community Engaged Learning
Beyond the Classroom Community Engaged Learning
in beyond the classroom learning experiences
Spartan Days of Service
The Spartan Days of Service returned to in-person volunteering in Fall 2021 with the proper safety precautions. The fall and spring semester Days of Service saw over 400 student participants volunteer with twelve community partners.
Thank you to our partners for both Fall 2021 and Spring 2022!
- Allen Neighborhood Center
- Beekman Therapeutic Riding Center
- Edgewood Village Network Center
- Evergreen Cemetery
- Gardner International Magnet School
- Haven House
- Pattengill Biotechnical Middle School
- Potter Park Zoo
- Riddle Elementary School
- MSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center
- Turner-Dodge House
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
Fall 2021 participants
195Total Hours
871Spring 2022 participants
217Total Hours
1,450Virtual Summer of Service
From June 14 to August 8, 2021, 34 students participated in the Center for Community Engaged Learning's Virtual Summer of Service (VSoS) Challenge. Abigail Machesky, AmeriCorps VISTA with CCEL, led the organization in the second iteration of the VSoS Challenge, which focused on education around the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students were encouraged not only to complete various service projects on their own, but also to attend and reflect on webinars featuring speakers discussing issues related to the UN Goals.
The participants in the 2021 Summer of Service completed 131 total hours of service to the community. In addition to education about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, students also participated in projects based around philanthropy and advocacy.
“It was a great way to start off my virtual volunteering experience,” one student participant said in their reflection. “I learned about the importance of considering all aspects of a curriculum.”
Alternative Spartan Breaks Return to In-Person
Alternative Spartan Breaks (ASB), a registered student organization (RSO), and the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) worked together to research, plan, and collaborate with the University to send eight in-person alternative break experiences during spring 2022. ASB was also able to sustain their partnership with Able Eyes to offer one virtual experience that was created during the pandemic.
ASB was also able to work with the University to gain approval to send students back for the international experience in Central America. This year's experiences were focused on Climate Change, Accessibility for Seniors, Support for LGBTQIA+, Animal Therapy for Persons with Disabilities, and sustaining healthy communities. In total, over sixty students participated in these experiences, twelve of whom were student leaders that gained over 25 hours of leadership training.
“ASB gave me a purpose. It's difficult to know exactly what your purpose is in life, but ASB has helped me find mine,” ASB Vice President Sydney Puda said. “ASB gave me a home. It gave me a place where I feel safe and where I'm able to be myself.”
