December 10, 2008
Contact: Andi Witczak, Center for Service Learning, 785-864-0965
Journalism students help Climate and Energy Project reach constituents
Nancy Jackson, Executive Director of the Climate and Energy Project (CEP), sits among a group of graduate-level journalism students at KU Edwards Campus, listening intently to the communication strategies they’re recommending for her environmental nonprofit.
The recommendations are the result of a service-learning experience for students enrolled in “Communicating Green Initiatives,” developed and taught by Journalism School professional-in-residence Simran Sethi. Service-learning is a teaching strategy by which students experience and reflect on how classroom learning can be applied in a community service setting. For Sethi, students used communication strategies learned in class to address the needs of the Climate and Energy Project (CEP) and reflected on their experience through a class blog (http://mediaenvironment.wordpress.com).
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Simran Sethi (left) of the KU School of Journalism and Nancy Jackson of the Climate and Energy Project look over materials created by Sethi's Fall 2008 service learning class. |
The project began with an overview by CEP to help focus the field research students would undertake. Jackson explained that reaching constituents is CEP’s primary concern. Their aim is to help Midwesterners “use energy wisely, develop renewable energy responsibly, and keep rapid climate change from forever altering the Midwestern way of life.” They wanted to learn whether their messages were effective and how their communications could be improved.
The class divided into 6 groups, addressing constituents closely tied to the Climate and Energy Projects’ messages: health care, agriculture, labor, public policy, faith, and business. Group members interviewed farmers, doctors, clergy, legislators, and others across Kansas. The responses were compiled, analyzed, and passed to CEP as recommendations for how the nonprofit could more effectively reach those same people.
Sethi says, “I opted to make J840 a service-learning course because work on behalf of communities and non-profits has been the most gratifying part of my job as a journalist. Service-learning brought in-class teachings to life and gave students the opportunity to test what they had learned in real-time.”
Jackson echoed this sentiment: “Having a group of serious-minded communications professionals “field test” CEP’s messages proved especially valuable. We got honest feedback that identified key failures and successes that CEP can build on to improve our outreach.”
According to student reflections on the class blog, such practical application from classroom to real world made an enormous impact on the learning experience:
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Students in Simran Sethi's journalism class present their conclusions for the Climate and Energy Project. |
“This course and our work for the CEP project is none like I’ve experienced before….I’ve never learned and absorbed so much in such a short amount of time,” writes Jennifer Wyand.
“Having the opportunity to work on the CEP service-learning project, I’ve been able to explore challenges and the excitement of trying to find the (just) right point-of-entry to engage our assigned constituency,” shares Marisa Bregman of her efforts to speak to and with the labor community.
Practical application, real-life impact, and students’ increased involvement with course and community are exactly the goals of service-learning. The experience of this class will remain with the students beyond the completion of their final presentation, and the outcomes will stay with CEP long after the semester ends.
For student Shawn Goetz, “…this class and our work with CEP have been like taking the road less traveled. It’s like nothing I ever did in college. Sure, I’ve done volunteer work, been active in our church, and the like, but this has been different. Those felt familiar and comfortable. In this, I’ve been forced to crawl outside my comfort zone, which is good for me….It has been a privilege to contribute (in a small way) towards the efforts of CEP.”
The Center for Service Learning was established in 2005 and strives to increase the value and relevance of service learning. By doing so, the Center hopes to promote the interconnectedness of teaching, research, and service and challenge the prevailing conceptions of teacher, learner, classroom, and community.
