New community learning center to change the way EMU serves the Harrisonburg area

As part of the new First Year Seminar, curriculum, more than 100 first-year students will go forth into Harrisonburg next week to serve with organizations ranging from the Virginia Mennonite Central Committee, MCC, Relief Sale to the Black's Run Greenway.

If Deanna Durham has anything to say about it, these students will be experiencing service as they never have before. Durham is the new coordinator of EMU's Community Learning Center, replacing the hole left by former coordinator Rick Casteneda. The CLC, funded by the Lilly Grant, will help connect EMU to service opportunities beyond campus.

The Community Learning Goals are, "To link academic learning with intentional service experience in the local community; to promote an understanding of the rich diversity that is shared by our local community; to challenge students to explore a variety of vocational settings; and to develop a life-long commitment to social justice and community involvement."

The FYS activity is to "open students to the rich and wonderful diversity here in Harrisonburg, and to work at building relationships with the wider community," said Durham.

"I see this office as a bridge," said Durham, explaining that the CLC will coordinate service opportunities for individual students and faculty as well as whole classes like FYS.

She has already worked with Associate Professor of Spanish Moira Rogers, Professor of French Carroll Yoder, and Assistant Professor of Communications Jerry Holsopple to integrate community service into their classes.

Yoder has been connecting with Durham to set up research projects for students in his college writing class, as part of a new curriculum which has students develop long-term, real-world research projects.

"I asked Deanna for her list of stuff, and that gave me some ideas," said Yoder, "and there were a couple situations where I consulted with Deanna, and we'll work together on that." He added that Durham's connections within the community have been particularly helpful.

Durham hopes that the CLC will be able to give EMU a new perspective on service, to see it as a learning opportunity as well as a response to God's call to serve others. She aims to make the community's needs first priority, she says, rather than trying to arrange service activities based upon what is convenient for EMU.

CLC is meant to set up a "feedback loop" between volunteers on campus and the organizations to which CLC directs them. Volunteers will process and write about their experiences; service agencies will keep CLC up-to-date regarding their programming plans and their work with EMU volunteers, as well as meeting specific standards for orienting and working with the volunteers CLC refers.

Durham is well acquainted with her field, having received a Masters of Social Work from Howard University and having worked at community development and teaching. She comes to EMU from a position as assistant director at JMU's Center for Service-Learning, that institution's extension of the national service-learning network.

The national movement is one that is becoming more popular every day. Many colleges and universities are starting to require a service compenent for their general education curriculum. EMU has joined the movement.

Starting next week, Weather Vane will run a regular feature in this section highlighting service opportunities available through the CLC. Persons interested in working with CLC or looking for volunteer openings may e-mail Deanna Durham at deanna.durham@emu.edu or call campus extension 4912.