Students Work on Community-Based Learning Projects in Courses Offered During Spring Semester

Throughout multiple community-based learning projects offered in courses during the spring semester, many University of Scranton faculty and students partnered with area organizations to apply and practice the skills they learned within the classroom for the greater good. In the spring of 2024, some of the partnerships included Lackawanna County Office of Environmental Sustainability, Friends of Lackawanna, the Ecological Economics subcommittee for the University's Laudato Si' program, Scranton Tomorrow, United Neighborhood Centers, and the Catherine McCauley Center. This article highlights a few of the many Community-Based Learning projects students and faculty were a part of last spring.

"Each semester, several faculty and over hundreds of students engage in community-based learning partnerships addressing community identified needs. Faculty, students and community organizations learn and grow alongside each other. They are making a difference in our community," said Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Health and Human Performance Department and the Community-Based Learning Faculty Coordinator at the University.

Students in PSYC 239 - "Environmental and Conservation Psychology," taught by Jessica Nolan, Ph.D., professor of psychology, collaborated with three community partners to apply their acquired knowledge of the tools and principles of community-based social marketing regarding environmental issues. Students working with the Lackawanna County Office of Environmental Sustainability engaged attendees at the County's Earth Day Fair at McDade Park with a recycling game that was designed to educate residents about what can and cannot be recycled in Lackawanna County.

Students working with Friends of Lackawanna designed social media posts designed to increase awareness and solicit donations to support the organization. According to data collected by the students, one of their posts on Facebook received 83 likes, 11 comments, and 137 shares, which is a 324% increase in likes, 281% increase in comments, and a 2034 percent increase in shares compared to previous posts.

Finally, students working with the Ecological Economics subcommittee for the University's Laudato Si' program created a prompt designed to reduce student printing, shown below, and worked with Weinberg Memorial Library staff to post it on library computers. Dr. Nolan says she is most proud of how students applied the psychological concepts they learned about in class: "They harnessed the tools of community-based social marketing to make changes in human behavior that will benefit our local environment."

"Faculty, students and community organizations learn and grow alongside each other. They are making a difference in our community."- Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Health and Human Performance Department and the Community-Based Learning Faculty Coordinator at the University.

Students in ECO 154 - "Principles of Macroeconomics," taught by Aram R. Balagyozyan, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, collaborated with the economic development non-profit Scranton Tomorrow to update their map of businesses in downtown. According to Dr. Balagyozyan, this project not only enhanced students' understanding of macroeconomic principles from the ground up but also provided them with valuable real-world insights and hands-on experience in data collection and analysis which benefited Scranton Tomorrow. Additionally, they developed personal connections with local business owners and gained a better appreciation of the economic dynamics within the community. This map will then be used as a handout that will promote our community's local businesses and inform local Scranton residents, our University community, and visitors alike.

Students in the Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program section of STAT 252 - "Statistics for Business II," taught by Dr. David M. Mahalak, Ph.D., assistant professor of operations and analytics, collaborated with United Neighborhood Centers to analyze client data, in order to help them better understand their consumers' needs. A variety of data visualization, data analysis, and machine learning techniques were applied to uncover patterns and relationships among features such as service programs, income, geographical region, family size, and demographics. Collectively, the students analyzed multiple perspectives and provided the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania with a robust analysis to better understand current needs and future trends.

Students in NURS 140 - "Foundations of Professional Nursing," taught by Dona Rinaldi Carpenter, Ed.D., professor of nursing, collaborated with the Catherine McCauley Center to help provide menstrual products to the agency's clients through their "Period Project." The Period Project helps to combat, and to raise awareness of the growing issue of period poverty, which refers to the plight of not being able to afford menstrual products, and the tough choices that many families must make within their budget.

Four nursing students, Sophia Greco, Chrismonde Napoleon, Mia Livezey, Kaitlyn Shelton, and Elizabeth Connolly, all Class of 2027, gathered over 30 gift bags which contained a week's worth of donated menstrual supplies. They also included a teaching card in each bag which provided information about the menstrual cycle, how to use the period supplies safely, and other self-care information. Additional guidance for this grassroots project was given by the Director of the Catherine McCauley Center, Mary-Pat Ward, and Daysi Carreto, Assistant Director of Community and Civic Engagement at the University. Dr. Rinaldi Carpenter plans to develop and grow the project into the future.

Students in OT 231 - "Neuroanatomy of Function," taught by Chandra Nealon, D.P.T., faculty specialist of occupational therapy, collaborated with United Neighborhood Centers to develop an activity for children to do at UNC's 3rd Annual Pine Brook Family Arts Festival, which took place on April 27 at John Adams Elementary School. The festival was part of UNC's Pine Brook Neighborhood Revitalization Plan, and it included various family-friendly art, music, and educational activities, games, and food, all of which were sponsored by local organizations and agencies including the University; they also promoted community resources.

The sophomore-level OT students split into groups to create activities which applied what they have learned about children's neuroanatomy, specifically focusing on topics such as sensory processing, language, mood and emotions, motor control and coordination, and memory. Students who worked on this project said that it allowed them to practice the development of engaging activities, and practice adjusting and modifying activities to meet the abilities and needs of each child on an individual basis. Students also said that they will take what they have learned in this project throughout their clinicals and overall career.

The Office of Community-Based Learning, founded in 2017, aims at further supporting faculty conducting community-based learning courses and strengthening the ways in which the campus engages with the hopes, concerns, challenges and opportunities facing Northeastern Pennsylvania.

To learn more about Community-Based Learning at The University of Scranton, visit www.scranton.edu/cbl.