NCC Dean of Academic Affairs Pamela R. Edington, Ed.D., will be a keynote speaker at the 17th annual Community College National Center for Community Engagement (CCNCCE) national conference on May 21-23, 2008 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The theme of this year's conference is Recipes for Student Retention Through Service Learning and Civic Engagement.
Dr. Edington's keynote is titled The Joy of Service Learning: An Improved Recipe for Achieving Dreams. Service-Learning is an educational initiative that gives students the opportunity to earn college credits while giving back to the community.
Since joining Norwalk Community College in 2005, Dr. Edington has led the development and implementation of a service learning program as an integral part of NCC's participation in the Achieving the Dream national initiative. Formerly the Dean of Social Science and Human Services at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, she was instrumental in initiating a service learning program at Middlesex in 1992 and in developing the Massachusetts Campus Compact.
Dr. Edington holds an Ed.D. in educational policy, research and administration from the University of Massachusetts, an M.A. in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, and a B.A. in sociology from the College of St. Benedict at St. John’s University.
Service Learning at Norwalk Community College
Norwalk Community College's Service Learning Program debuted in 2007. It provides an option for students to do community service as part of a college course while earning academic credit. Because of the time commitment, students who elect the service learning option are given special accommodations. For example, they may be exempt from writing a research paper or taking the final exam.
NCC provides service learning opportunities in 11 classes. Students are placed in both on-campus and off-campus sites, including an on-campus afterschool program for middle school students, a local senior center, an agency for the homebound elderly, a residential program for homeless families, a program for men with HIV, and more. The students perform a variety of functions, from tutoring children to serving as conversation partners or helping the elderly do their grocery shopping.
The Service Learning Movement
In the 1990s, community colleges had some theory, a limited number of models, and few best practices to inform their development of service learning, Dr. Edington notes. The most successful programs were able to articulate the value of service learning for meeting community needs, diversifying pedagogy, and engaging students in practical experience.
Decades later, community colleges have extensive experience to draw from as they create, improve and expand service learning programs. But more has changed than the models, the community college environment has also been radically altered. To ensure relevance for the 21st century, service learning programs will need to document student success, close achievement gaps and increase student retention.
Dr. Edington's keynote talk at the CCNCCE Conference will pose the following questions:
- What do we know about service learning now that will be effective for the most challenging populations at our colleges?
- How can we create a menu of choices that will support optimum success for students?
- What is the responsibility of service-learning institutions to contribute to the growing culture of evidence on their campuses?