Community leaders to discuss partnering with Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Approximately 50 community leaders and school administrators from Tippecanoe County will gather Thursday (March 23) for a workshop to discuss future service-learning projects with Purdue.The workshop, called "Listening to Communities," will take place from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Lilly Nature Center at the Celery Bog, 1620 Lindberg Road, West Lafayette. Service-learning weaves volunteer experience with schools and community service agencies in Lafayette-West Lafayette into the Purdue students' classroom curricula.
Victor L. Lechtenberg, Purdue vice provost for engagement, and David Bathe, Ivy Tech Community College chancellor, will deliver presentations on how Purdue and Ivy Tech have expanded their service-learning projects and courses. Representatives from the Tippecanoe School Corp. also will provide an update on service-learning projects in their schools.
"By incorporating volunteer experience into our courses, we want both the students and the community to benefit," Lechtenberg said. "Our students gain from applying the skills they've acquired in the classroom in the 'real' world, and the community benefits from the students' involvement. This workshop is designed to assess what is working well and what opportunities exist for future collaboration."
The presentations will be followed by a group discussion led by William C. Oakes and Kim Wilson, Purdue Community of Service-Learning Faculty Fellows. The group will identify the benefits and challenges of working with Purdue students on service-learning projects.
The workshop will conclude with a brainstorming session on future service-learning partnerships.
More than 150 classes at Purdue feature service-learning requirements, ranging from working with wolves at Wolf Park in Battleground, Ind., to classifying historical documents for the Tippecanoe County Historical Association. Recent projects include students from a variety of disciplines traveling to New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., to assist with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu
Sources: Victor L. Lechtenberg, (765) 494-9095, vll@purdue.edu
William C. Oakes, (765) 494-3892, oakes@purdue.edu
Kim Wilson, (765) 494-1308, kwilson@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: A complete agenda for the workshop is available online.
Related Web site:
Purdue University Office of Engagement
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