Mini-grants awarded for 6 service learning courses

LAWRENCE — The Center for Civic and Social Responsibility (CCSR) has awarded six $500 mini-grants to faculty instructors offering service learning courses in the fall 2015 semester. Recipients represent four areas of study and two campuses.

CCSR’s grant program is dedicated to supporting best practices in service learning and fostering mutually beneficial campus-community partnerships. Recipients use CCSR grant funds for service learning activities that incur costs, such as transportation, focus group incentives and books, among others.

A pilot program in spring 2015 awarded nine grants to 10 faculty members and its success in both the classroom and the community ensured the continuation of the program each semester.

"These mini-grants make service learning projects and efforts possible in ways that might otherwise be cost-prohibitive," said CCSR director John Augusto. "Supporting faculty and community partner collaborations is core to the mission of the CCSR."

Applications for spring 2016 mini-grants will be announced mid-semester and the online applications will be posted on the CCSR website: ccsr.ku.edu.

The Fall 2015 Service Learning Mini Grant Award recipients:

	Angela Blackwell Clinical assistant professor Occupational therapy  Education	Service Learning Course OCTH 422/482 - Analysis and Adaptation of Occupations Community Partner Academy for the Integrated Arts Charter School Course Description Small groups of occupational therapy students will work with classroom teachers to offer Social Emotional Learning programming to the students of the Academy for the Integrated Arts (AFIA). OT students will get hands-on opportunities to implement relevant OT interventions in an authentic context.
	Matt Burke Associate professor Visual art	Service Learning Course ART 300/500 - Social and Sustainable Art Practices Community Partner Local growers and the KU Biological Survey Station Course Description Students will build three bee hives—a specific type of hive called a Sun Hive—with the purpose of placing these functioning hives on farms in the Lawrence area, summer of 2016. The Sun Hive is an alternative structure to the typical box hive. The goal of this project is to determine what advantages and/or disadvantages the Sun Hive offers the growers in pollination of crops. Two Sun Hives will be placed on farms and one hive will remain with the KU Biological Survey Station.
	Tyler Galloway Associate professor design	Service Learning Course VISC 404 - Designing Social Interactions Community Partner United Way of Douglas County Course Description Students will design and propose solutions for a public exhibit at the Lawrence Public Library, working with the United Way to create an educational exhibit covering the topic of poverty in Douglas County.
	Michael Krueger Professor Visual art	Service Learning Course PRNT 224/335 - Relief 1 & 2 Community Partner Van Go Inc. Course Description Students will work in teams with students at Van Go Arts to produce works of art using printmaking processes. The artworks that are made as part of this project will be sold to the public as part of Van Go’s mission to teach entrepreneurship, contribute unique works of art to the Lawrence community at large as well as further their own programs.
	Jomella Watson-Thompson Assistant professor Applied behavioral science	Service Learning Course ABSC 150 - Building Healthy Communities Community Partner Pelathe District Boy Scouts and other community organizations Course Description KU students will work with Boy Scout leaders to engage and directly interact with school-aged youth, bringing programs to disadvantaged families through organizations such as the Douglas County Housing Authority, The Shelter, and/or St. Luke’s A.M.E. The course will promote KU student participation in public life and engage them in the application of community leadership principles through service-learning engagement.
	Andy Wu Research assistant professor Occupational therapy  Education	Service Learning Course OCTH 422/482 - Analysis and Adaptation of Occupations Community Partner Occupational Therapy Teaching Clinic Course Description The objective of the OT Teaching Clinic is to provide client-centered, satisfactory and free occupational therapy services for those throughout the Kansas City area who are under or uninsured. Students will assist in various clinic duties to meet client needs and wants. Working in the OT Teaching Clinic allows students to practice and refine skills for future practice, while serving individuals throughout the community who are in need.