Calendar of Events

Throughout the year, the Office for Excellence in Community-Engaged Learning hosts events to educate the campus community on the pedagogy of Service-Learning, to explore opportunities for partnering with the community in a curricular context, and to celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students. We encourage all members of the Saint Michael’s community to attend and welcome your participation.

FALL EVENTS:

Community-Engaged Learning Presenters Series

This series is designed to provide ongoing opportunities for members of the St. Michael’s College community to hear from and interact with faculty, students, partners, and professional experts working in, with, and for the wider community in an academic context. Enjoy savory refreshments as the presenters share their experiences, insights, and ideas. Learn about the community-engaged work of your fellow students and colleagues on and off campus. Be inspired by new opportunities and collaborations for your research, learning, or teaching.



October 28th ¨ 11:45am –12:50pm ¨ Farrell Room

Going Local...while Abroad: Uniting Academic Study with International Service in Ecuador, Italy, and South Africa

International Service-Learning programs “integrate academic study with substantive volunteer service, creating a powerful dynamic between direct cultural exposure and academic learning.” Four Study Abroad returnees will describe why it was important for them to contribute to their local host culture through service and how it helped them develop a deeper appreciation of the peoples, customs, course themes, and complex social issues they encountered. Featured presenters: Sarah Regan and Evan Dewey (Stellenbosch, South Africa); Katherine Hackett (Quito, Ecuador); and Siobhan Lavery (Siena, Italy). Co-sponsored by the Study Abroad Office



November 9th ¨ 11:45am –12:50pm ¨ Farrell Room

Otherness & Marginalization: Answering the Call of Responsibility for Others through Transformational Service-Learning Experiences in PH 340

At the heart of Professor Katherine Kirby’s 300-level course is the examination of philosopher Emmanuel Levinas’ ethical theory which is based on a way of encountering Otherness (and difference) with “awe and reverence” as an alternative to the fear, intolerance, or indifference that seems to be the human tendency. Professor Kirby and her students will recount their quest to develop a more sensitive, open, and responsible ethical perspective on the suffering of others here at home and in Georgetown, Guyana this past spring.



November 30th ¨ 11:45am –12:50pm ¨ Farrell Room

Exploring Curricular Connections with SMC’s Student Philanthropy Committee, Fix It with Five

Students will present on the history and mission of Fix It with Five, the student-run and student-financed grant program which annually provides a $10,000 grant to a non-profit organization. Committee members will report on their first year challenges and successes as well as their goal of increasing student involvement during the 2010-11 grant review and recipient selection cycle. Faculty, staff, and students are all encouraged to come and explore potential connections between their programs of study and the community partners applying for the grant.