Welcome to ACADEMIC ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK. This course will invite you to look at a number of social issues with a new, many-sided view. Before reserving some of your life for ‘service’ to your community, it is important that you begin your understanding of ‘why your community needs service.’ We’ll begin with the broad issue of poverty and its root causes; we’ll talk about communities and families that have issues with unemployment and hunger; we’ll discuss housing and the lack of affordable housing in our community and globally. We will be getting ourselves ready for a service experience that will provide firsthand orientation to some of these social issues.
Course Purpose:
This course is designed to give you, the student, relevant academic background in anticipation of an “alternative spring break of service.” Research shows that there is increased value to a student when a service component (alternative spring break) is accompanied by an academic component (weekly discussion in preparation for the spring break.) This course is also in a category called ‘experiential education’, that is, much of the time in this course will be learning in the community as well as in the classroom.
Course Intended Learning Outcomes and Goals:
- Understand the root causes of social problems, thereby developing an ability to better evaluate situations
- Understand one’s multiple social identities, thereby developing problem solving skills in intra and inter personal learning
- Become familiar with different conceptualizations of citizenship, thereby developing competency in identifying community assets
- Understand individual vs. institutional ‘isms’, thereby developing cross-cultural communication skills
- Understand the social change model of leadership, thereby developing the skills that facilitate the sharing of leadership roles
- Understand the issues of home, homelessness and housing policy, thereby preparing oneself for the Habitat experience
- Learn how citizen groups have effected change in their communities
