The annual Service Learning Fair is organized so that representatives from local organizations come and inform people about how they can get involved in particular organizations. This year there were 42 organizations that participated in the event at WCU.
Service learning is a major part of a college curriculum that many students know nothing about. What is service learning? And how can students get involved? These are just a few of the questions that the Center for Service Learning can help answer.
“We organize this event so that students, faculty, and staff members can learn about many different (volunteer) options in one place, and so that the non-profit groups can promote their programs and recruit volunteers on campus,” Jennifer Cooper, the Interim Director for the Center for Service Learning said.
Several students came to the event looking for ways to get involved and learn about local organizations, including Kenya Crocker. Crocker came to “see the opportunities that are available on campus or around the community.” Crocker is no newcomer to service learning. Her and a friend organized ‘Tuesday Night Tutoring” where they helped Hispanic kids with their homework once a week at a local church. Crocker learned a lot while tutoring the students and wants to find more ways to get involved.
Service learning is “really important on our campus for a number of different reasons, it gives students an opportunity to put the things they are learning in class to use in the real world,” said Cooper. Some Natural Resource Management students have been involved with local non-profits working on land management and increasing their environmental education. This type of work goes hand-in-hand with their degree and gives them experience in the workforce.
Students become a member of the community when they volunteer locally and it helps Cullowhee feel more at home. For more information about Service Learning and how you can get involved contact Jennifer Cooper the Center for Service Learning.
