Olivia Klein 10/6/2013 Client Research Report

The Office of Service-learning

1. The Office of Service-learning looks to promote and support engagement and service to the University, community, and professional disciplines. The goal of Student-learning is to enhance community service learning and research opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. An example of something students participate in would be if they collected trash from their local community as volunteers and analyzed their findings to determine the possible sources of pollution. Students then would share the results with residents of the neighborhood and that is when they are engaging in service-learning. 2. The primary audience of service-learning would be any students looking to engage with their community. Secondary audience would the people of the community to get them involved as well. 3. When developing messages to target different audiences, service-learning takes a different approach of each one. For example, when targeting students, the message will center on the community service hours one can acquire. Since a lot of students need community service hours for their major requirements, this topic really catches the attention of the students. Also, a message directed to the students would highlight the leadership and problem solving skills they can learn. Being involved enhances work-force development for real-life situations. However, a message to the community would be a little different; not that much emphasis on the hours but

what students and faculty would be doing for the community. How service-learning can help and what is involved. 4. PR efforts that the Office of Service-learning utilize are press releases both on print and on the WMU website. 5. For the future, a twitter account and an instagram account would be very helpful to getting the word out about what endeavors service-learning is partaking in. Students can follow the twitter account to receive updates and info about community projects and view pictures taken during the events to see what is was like. 6. PR Goals of service-learning: Objectives- To include more social media to spread information to students, the community and faculty. Also, to get more students, the University and member of the community involved. Strategies- Create social media accounts to reach students and the younger generation on a level they are familiar with. 7. Community members would say that the Office of Service-learning provides great learning opportunities for students future real-life experiences. The community would also say that along with providing service to the community, it is also improving the reputation of the University and builds human capital by expanding and strengthening student experience. These things completely align with the goals of service-learning because enhancing student and community involvement is exactly what service-learning hopes to accomplish. Giving students room to think creatively and innovatively while doing a service to the community.

8. Community members would describe what service-learning does as innovative, creative and helpful. Businesses and agencies have value added through student involvement of these things. The community would say that students are acting on the needs of the community and thinking of new and creative ways to improve the issue. My example earlier stated about trash in a local community is a good sample of what students, faculty and the community do. Students would clean up garbage in a streambed and then brainstorm on how to improve pollution conditions within that community. They would then share that information with members of the community and change begins to happen. Students are thinking innovatively while doing a service to their surroundings. 9. Service-learning would want the community to know of the many, many events and services they have provided to the community. For example, the Service-learning Summit is a meeting where students and faculty come together to discuss involvement with service-learning and to create new ideas on how to improve the community and University. They would want the community to know of their dedication to them and that new ideas are constantly being exchanged in order to better their surroundings. 10. Service-learning guidelines usually suggest about 10-15 hours of service during the semester; however, this varies according to specific learning objectives. Service-learning always includes critical reflection of the work, interactions and learning regarding the service.