Undergraduate Journal of Service Learning & Community-Based Research

Creating Healthier Partnerships in Community Service-Learning: Centering CBO Perspectives

Lauren Meekins — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Community Service-Learning (CSL) is an experiential and high-impact teaching strategy that has been widely adopted across higher education in the United States and throughout the world (Trending Topic: High-Impact Practices, n.d.). CSL’s core tenants require that experiences maintain high academic rigor, include intentional reflection strategies and that the relationship between the university and the community partner are reciprocal (Procario-Foley & Van Cleave, 2016). While there has been a dearth of academic research into both student academic success and reflection strategies through CSL, the literature has arguably neglected exploring best practices for fostering and maintaining healthy relationships between the stakeholders, mainly a college or university and a community-based organization (CBO). There are many writings on best practices for university stakeholders to engage with CBOs, though they are generally grounded in very theoretical ideas of relationships and relationship-building (Cress et al., 2013, 2023; Donahue & Plaxton-Moore, 2018; Yamamura & Koth, 2018). The objective of this paper is to bridge the gap between academic theory, and the reality of working in the nonprofit sector– along with the challenges and triumphs associated with those realities–by bringing the voices of community partners to the forefront. In doing this, this research project attempts to recalibrate the power differential between partners, decentering the university as the ultimate knowledgebearer and recognizing and uplifting the expertise of the community outside the proverbial “Ivory Tower.” I aim to use the frameworks of CSL theory, organizational and nonprofit communication theory, as well as the overall structure of healthy relationships and trust-building to interpret the feedback from interviews conducted with local volunteer managers and executives to develop a clear guide for what makes a healthy relationship from a CBO’s perspective.

Exploring the Need for Community Gardens in Licking County, Ohio

Jacob Eppley — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Across America, millions of households suffer from food insecurity and are unable to provide adequate meals for the family. Through financial and physical constraints such as time and distance to stores, food deserts are formed that severely limit the options available for these food insecure families. In many cases, fresh produce can become an afterthought on the grocery list which results in a lack of consumption of these healthy foods. One viable option for improving access to fresh produce is the use of a community garden where residents have access to freshly grown produce and receive various social benefits. In this research, we worked with Together We Grow Gardens (TWGG) in Licking County, Ohio, to examine factors of financial and physical need for community gardens within the county. We identified areas within the county that showed the most perceived need for a community garden, with TWGG selecting a location for future development. We then demonstrated how these methods can be generalized by expanding to all of Ohio for a county-by-county analysis of where the most perceived need is within each county.

The Bridge Between Intent and Impact: Reflection

Anika Chandrasekaran — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Reflection plays a vital role in Service-learning, ensuring our actions align with our intentions. Without pausing to reflect, we risk losing sight of the original purpose behind our service efforts. I learned this lesson firsthand during my year-long Service-learning courses, mainly while working on an independent project focusing on the lack of effective drug awareness education in U.S. schools. Through required class-based reflection sessions, I developed a clear direction and intention for my project. However, as the project expanded beyond the classroom and began to impact the community, I stopped reflecting on its progress. This oversight nearly led to a significant shift in the project's focus, diverting from its original purpose. It was not until I deliberately took a moment to reflect that I realized the disconnect between my actions and intentions. This reflection allowed me to realign the project with its original goals, emphasizing the importance of ongoing reflection. From this experience, I understood the critical role of reflection. It is not just a box to check off; it is an essential practice for ensuring our service efforts remain purposeful and impactful.

A Renewed Outlook on Healing: Holistic Healing and the Effect It Has on Health Care Today

Sophia Fulbright — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Holistic healing is a crucial part of the healing process, yet so many physicians and patients alike do not realize its full impact. When understood and implicated properly, this approach could change the entire healing process. A survey was created, which targeted physicians working within the healthcare system to unpack their personal views on holistic healing. Interviews were also conducted with patients who provided insight into their experiences surrounding holistic healing. From both, compelling results were received. A direct correlation between the engagement of physicians on the engagement of the patient in their healing process was identified. Even though physicians and patients alike see holistic healing as something incredibly valuable, there is a lack of intentionality when it comes to implementing this form of care within healthcare systems. In conclusion, my research provided results that point to discrepancies within our healthcare systems. This study could be taken a step further by gathering research on how the overall culture of medicine directly affects the physician’s role in the patient’s healing journey. Something as simple as the increased implementation of holistic healing practices in medical schools could initiate change through heightened awareness.

The Future of University Housing: Why Values-Based Residential Living Fosters Belonging Among Undergraduates

Annie Beth Clark, Miu Kazama — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0800

At universities in the United States, fostering a sense of belonging among students is a top priority. Many universities utilize residential communities to increase feelings of connection, belonging, and camaraderie. This study uses an action research paradigm to analyze the particular potency of values-based residential housing for undergraduate students. Theme Housing (i.e. student organizations and clubs living together in apartment-style housing), is an approach to values-based residential living taken by the University of the South, a rural small liberal arts college in Tennessee. In response to several Theme Houses being removed from the campus ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, we drew on qualitative action research methods to understand students’ perceptions of the impact of Theme Housing on campus-wide sense of belonging and the metrics used in the decision to remove Theme Houses. We engaged students as co-researchers in considering community-generated methods of allocating student-themed housing to increase process equity in the future. Drawing on focus group data, we discovered that students cared deeply about the future of housing on campus and its implications for sense of belonging. In focus groups, students shared a variety of practical strategies for leveraging Theme Housing and the housing selection process to improve programming, infrastructure, and relationships that are central to supporting students’ sense of belonging on campus. These student co-researchers mapped pathways for sustaining engagement, including drafting an equitable selection process and longevity plan for Theme Housing. The study concludes with implications for other universities to promote student well-being through values-based residential communities and equitable housing processes.

Letter from the Editor

Amelia Huelskamp — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Happy New Year, from the UJSLCBR!