The descriptions below highlight the academic civic engagement component of each class. Please check the Academic Catalog for complete course descriptions and prerequisites.
Art
ART 238 Intermediate Photography
Instructor: Meg Ojala
Students worked with youth on the autism spectrum to make photographs and document the activities of the Art and Autism Club. Students and club members collaborated to design and produce a book of photographs that includes photographs by each of the participants in the club. It will also be used as a record of the club for future fund raising and to inform potential participants about the program.
Biology and Environmental Studies
BIO/ES 228 Environmental Health
Instructor: Diane Angell
Students developed and taught curriculum on food, nutrition, healthy eating, plant growth and sustainable agriculture for 3rd graders at Greenvale Park Elementary. Collaborated with students in Research Methods of Psychology who developed and administered surveys to evaluate the impact of the food and nutrition curriculum on 3rd graders. Connected to Food and Nutrition Service-learning Collaborative Grant Project.
Economics
ECON 249 Urban Economics
Instructor: Steve Soderlind
Students examined and presented the economic and social context of a number of local community issues.
Environmental Studies
ES 137 Intro to Environmental Studies
Instructor: John Schade
Students will work in groups to develop simple brochures, PowerPoint presentations, etc thathighlight food items or meals along a supply chain with special consideration of environmental impacts. Connected to Food and Nutrition Service-learning Collaborative grant project.
ES 281 Food and Community Agriculture
Instructor: Elizabeth Hoover
Students completed community projects related to local food movements in collaboration with one or more community partners. Students produced educational materials on the Farm to School program for the Northfield Public Schools Child Nutrition Services and curriculum related to the development of a school garden at St. Dominic School. Connected to Food and Nutrition Service-learning Collaborative Grant Project.
ES 399 Environmental Studies Senior Seminar
Instructor: Paul Jackson
Groups utilized skills and knowledge informed by environmental studies courses to conduct research and complete projects for organizations for groups such as the Rice Creek Concerned Citizens, SEEDS Farm, the City of Northfield and Spring Brook Farm. Connected to Food and Nutrition Service-learning Collaborative Grant Project.
Management
MGMT 250 Marketing
Instructor: Sian Muir
Student teams will develop a strategic marketing plans for various local for profit and nonprofit organizations. Students will present their recommendations to the community partners at the end of the semester.
Political Science
PSCI 350 Immigration and Citizenship
Instructor: Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak
Operating at as a research team, students completed original community-based research on integration and incorporation in Fariabult in collaboration with the Faribault United Way. Students collectively conducted approximately 40 interviews with community leaders and presented findings at a community forum that was attended by over 60 people. See final report, “After the Welcome Center: Renewing Conversations about Immigration & Diversity in Faribault,” that two students wrote as part of a CURI research project following this course project.
Psychology
PSYCH 230 Research Methods
Instructor: Dana Gross
Students learn how psychological research is conceptualized, designed, carried out, interpreted, and disseminated to the public. Use of library resources, ethical guidelines in the conduct of research, and the skills of good scientific writing are emphasized. Students work in small groups on a semester-long project for which they will design and conduct research. One section of the class will partner with the Northfield YMCA on program evaluation and the other section will evaluate healthy eating outcomes of K-12 students associated with the Food and Nutrition Service-learning Collaborative grant project. Food and Nutrition Service-learning Collaborative Grant Project.
PSYCH 336 Neuroscience of Addiction
Instructor: Shelly Dickinson
Students will develop educational materials on the neuroscience of addiction in partnership with the Rice County Chemical Health Coalition. Materials will be geared specifically toward the science of recovery and will be used by area agencies in September, 2011 as part of National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
PSYCH 350 Development in Diverse Families
Instructor: Grace Cho
Students conducted research on adoptive families for the Catalyst Foundation and identified protective factors such as the role of heritage and culture camps in promoting the wellbeing of international adoptees. Student reports were shared with the Catalyst Foundation and utilized for grant-writing and project development.
Social Work
SW 261 Inclusive Practice: Groups, Organizations and Communities
Instructor: Naurine Lennox
Students collaborated with Friends of Lashbrook Park to develop a website and plan a community event.
SW 381 Community Engagement in Social Work
Instructor: Naurine Lennox
Students examined community-based research project as a social work practice of planned change. Students completed community-based research projects for agencies/organizations/departments for a need or benefit that they request.
Sociology and Anthropology
SOAN 373 Ethnographic Research Methods
Instructor: Chris Chiappari
Students had the option to utilize ethnography skills and knowledge to complete community-based research in partnership with community organizations. Groups conducted interviews to complete an environmental scan of the nonprofit sector for the Northfield Area Foundation, an assessment of the economic impact of the arts for the Northfield Arts and Culture Commission and assessed the impact of academic civic engagement courses on student learning for the Center for Experiential Learning. Students learned research, political, civic engagement skills; community-based research experience; and knowledge of Northfield and Rice County.
Statistics
STAT 316 Advance Statistical Modeling
Instructor: Paul Roback
Students analyzed Minnesota Department of Education data on test scores of students in the Faribault School District and presented to members of the Faribault School Board.