Our Partnership with University of Illinois
Sixteen student volunteers helping out this fall
This fall marks the fourth consecutive semester of the UUCUC partnership with the College of Education and the College of Social Work to have student volunteers complete service-learning hours to support religious education for children and youth.
The partnership began in Spring 2023, with five undergraduate students enrolled in the
Education 201: Identity and Differences in Education course taught by Dr. Curtis Mason. Students spend at least 20 hours over the course of the semester at the host site. During this first term, three students volunteered in the nursery on Sundays, providing childcare, and two worked as program assistants, assisting Director of Faith Development Kelly Skinner with administrative tasks and special projects.
The Education 201 class examines how students and teachers are socially positioned within their roles, identity categories, and community attachments. The class explores ways of knowing, teaching, and learning related to differences in identity, issues of exclusion/inclusion, and power and privilege. It also draws on lessons learned from community service-learning placements. While the class is a majority of freshmen education students, it also includes sophomores and juniors, as well as those who are dual majors or want to transfer into education.
Last fall, an additional partnership with the College of Social Work began. We worked with seniors and graduate students from
SOCW 461: Professional Practice Seminar/Community Partner & Student Connection to provide a site for their service learning. Service-learning is a significant part of the learning experience for SOCW 461 and is designed to benefit both students and the partnering organization. Course discussions center on the importance of working within and understanding the communities served, as well as applying the nine core social work competencies to the service-learning project.
This year, we offer three service-learning experiences for students from both classes to choose from: a classroom assistant role working with early childhood/elementary children, a classroom assistant role working with middle and high school youth, and a program assistant role. Classroom assistants help on Sundays in the nursery and four other classrooms. They may play, read and discuss stories, help with crafts or activities, and talk with children and youth to help provide engaging learning and social experiences. Program assistants help gather supplies for classes, plan events like Parents' Night Out, perform administrative work like attendance, and create bulletin boards and marketing materials.
Eleven undergrads and two grad students are working with us this fall, including one student who is a former UU youth from the DC area. They have been a tremendous help in supplementing our adult volunteer pool, and without their involvement, we would not be able to fully staff on Sunday mornings. Overall, the students have been impressed by the inclusive and progressive nature of our church.
