The focal point of my interest is on motivating college students to become more involved in giving back to mankind. This volunteer effort should contribute toward making our society a better place for one and all. It is my perspective that this action could perhaps motivate students also to remain in college to achieve their degrees; thereby, improving retention. Conceivably, this objective could be met through a requirement for participation in extracurricular activities that are already in place at colleges and universities.
Please share your thoughts and viewpoints.
Thank you,
Hazel
Hazel,
ReplyDeleteThank you for beginning this blog. I believe extracurricular activities for students to volunteer and contribute toward their society is a great idea. This time of year is very easy because of all the volunteers needed to get food and gifts to local poor and homeless people. This subject is being talked about more and more in the colleges I teach in. I believe it will be hard to convince students at first because they "have no time". However, making it part of their course work will nudge them into making the decision to become involved and make a difference.
Have you given your students extracuricular activies? What were they, how long did they take, how many students completed the assignment, and what did they think?
Hi Hazel,
ReplyDeleteYou pose an interesting question. I work as the Director of Community & Cultural Affairs at a community college in southern New Jersey. I'm starting to notice many students wanting to get involved in extracurricular activities through Student Government.
This year we're starting our first MLK Day of Service. The goal is to get students involved in service opportunities that will promote change. Many are resistant as this is a holiday. The question I pose is, how can we get students to become more active and see the benefit?
Hi Lucinda,
ReplyDeleteI sincerely appreciate your taking the time to post on my blog for I am quite interested in finding an approach to encourage volunteering among college students as a continuous endeavor. Even though I am aware that higher education promotes student involvement in charitable events, you have provided me first hand validation of this occurrence as a professor in this setting. In this day in time, I find that children, youth, teenagers, and college students all have an overflowing schedule of commitments. I have had many years of coordinating extracurricular activities mostly for students in the public schools and religious affiliations. Sometimes it was easier said than done to coordinate affairs around their afterschool routines. Especially in this manner, the heavy activity levels of college students could offer a way to make a difference in our world by giving to others not necessarily in ways that require a lot of personal time and effort but in a manner that is relevant and meaningful beyond oneself. I agree in order for this project to work productively, this venture in all probability has to have the backings of the sponsors of the extracurricular activities on the college campuses. The questions you have asked are ones that I hope I will be able to answer favorably as I proceed to make this occur in the future.
Again thanks Lucinda for your ‘food for thought’ as I go forth,
Hazel
Hi Torrina,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to hear that college students on your campus are getting involved in extracurricular activities as well as the college initiative to promote service participation to encourage positive change in our world. It is most certainly a milestone that you are starting to honor the recognition of MLK.
I always try to relate a personal need for a positive change when I attempt to motivate others to become active in making a difference in our society. The story below expresses the importance of not waiting for others to do something – one person can make a difference.
I sincerely appreciate your perspective and inquiry.
Hazel
The Starfish Story
Original Story by: Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”
http://www.starrbrite.com/starfish.html
Hazel,
ReplyDeleteAs I was thinking about this issue one of the things I hated most when I got a teacher that wanted us to perform some sot of volunteer activity is when they also include "you find something on your own". This takes so much time and effort for the students. Perhaps if the school or the instructor could have some connections already in place that they work with on a regular basis and give the studetns choices out of those places it would work better. I also believe if the school or instructor worked regularly with the organization that needed the volunteers it would greatly benefit both the organization and the students.
Lucinda,
ReplyDeleteYou have given me food for thought and your suggestions are most appreciated.
Again thanks so much,