UNCE: Service-learning conference planned for April 20

Community partners, University students, faculty, staff and the general public are invited to join the Nevada conversation on Service-Learning and Community

The University of Nevada, Reno campus community, community partners and the general public are invited to join the Nevada conversation on service-learning and community engagement during the University’s first Service Learning "Mini" Conference, to be held Friday, April 20, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., in the Harry Reid Engineering Lab, Room 109/110 on the University of Nevada, Reno campus.

Sponsored by Cooperative Extension and the UNR Service-Learning Council, the conference is free and registration is required by April 18; interested attendees may also register on site if space is available.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, most colleges and universities today incorporate service-learning into their curricula, and the U.S. Department of Education is currently making volunteerism and other forms of civic engagement a cornerstone of its higher-education agenda. While the total number of students who participate in service-learning is unknown, the Corporation for National and Community Service reports 1.2 million students and 22,000 community organizations are involved in programs through grants from USDE, which is the largest funder of such programs nationwide.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to increasing service-learning opportunities and is a member of Campus Compact, a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents - representing some 6 million students - who support fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. As the only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact promotes public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps campuses forge effective community partnerships, and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum.

The Service-Learning "Mini" Conference will assist University faculty, staff, administrators, graduate students, undergraduates, educational and community partners and the general public to:

• Apply new ideas for reinvigorating teaching, enhancing learning and serving community needs
• Explore ways to engage and excite students and provide real-world experiences
• Develop strong partnerships between the University and community
• Win raffle prizes from Wolf Pack Athletics, the Wolf Shop University bookstore, and other local vendors
• Enjoy light refreshments, network with colleagues and learn how easy yet powerful service-learning can be!

The conference is FREE and open to the public; registration is required by April 18, 2012.

To register by email: Please include Service-Learning Conference in the subject line and provide your name, organization/department, email address and contact phone number, and send to Colleen Lumpkin at lumpkinc@unce.unr.edu.

To register by phone: Contact Colleen Lumpkin at (775) 336-0255 with your full information (above); or leave a message with your information and reference the Service-Learning Conference.

Interested attendees may register on site if space is available.

For more information about the conference and the UNR Service-Learning Council, please contact Marlene Rebori, Ph.D., Community Engagement Specialist, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, at (775) 784-4848 or email reborim@unce.unr.edu.

http://www.unce.unr.edu/news/article.asp?ID=1692