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James Madison University

VA Engage Journal

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Articles 1 - 14 of 14

Full-Text Articles in Education

The Translation Of Inclusion/Acceptance, Accessibility, And Empathy With Online Community Engagement, Jessie C. Feng May 2023

The Translation Of Inclusion/Acceptance, Accessibility, And Empathy With Online Community Engagement, Jessie C. Feng

VA Engage Journal

Service-learning at Virginia Commonwealth University traditionally involves students performing community service to address community needs, coupled with guided reflection for holistic growth. In the spring of 2020 in-person courses were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, necessitating a transition to online classes. This study aimed to determine if online service-learning provided the same benefits as in-person experiences, focusing on students' perceptions of inclusion/acceptance, empathy, and accessibility. Online surveys were administered to students enrolled in service-learning courses during the semester. Results showed reduced levels of support compared to Fall 2019, but increased social activism and awareness. The study noted that remote …

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Sustainability Of Community Engagement At Institutions Of Higher Education: A Look At Compassion Fatigue And The College Student Mental Health Crisis, Katherine A. Chiu, Briana G. Craig, Naomi L. Rabago Jun 2021

Sustainability Of Community Engagement At Institutions Of Higher Education: A Look At Compassion Fatigue And The College Student Mental Health Crisis, Katherine A. Chiu, Briana G. Craig, Naomi L. Rabago

VA Engage Journal

This study investigated one of the many factors contributing to the sustainability of community engagement efforts at institutions of higher education. Extensive literature shows that burnout and compassion fatigue disproportionately affect those in caring roles and helping professions. Moreover, studies have found significant correlations between levels of burnout and compassion fatigue and the likelihood of human error, which directly affects the safety and long-term outcomes of people within their care. However, there is still limited exploration of how these phenomena may manifest, and similarly, cause unintentional harm to vulnerable populations, in the context of student community engagement efforts. This paper …

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Mi Semestre Con La Experiencia Inmigrante: Todos Podríamos Aprender Un Poco, Rachel C. Ziemba Jul 2019

Mi Semestre Con La Experiencia Inmigrante: Todos Podríamos Aprender Un Poco, Rachel C. Ziemba

VA Engage Journal

Mucho del conocimiento común sobre la inmigración en los Estados Unidos se basa en los estereotipos de las comunidades inmigrantes. La falta de entendimiento obstaculiza las vidas de los inmigrantes. Por lo tanto, la educación del público es la única manera de mejorar esta situación y cambiar la actitud social con respeto a los inmigrantes hispanos y latinx. El aprendizaje y uso generalizado del español también ayudará a traer consigo una sociedad norteamericana más receptiva de los inmigrantes. El bilingüismo inglés español es una solución útil y fácil para aumentar la inclusión de los inmigrantes de origen hispano en los …

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Technology Literacy And Senior Citizens: Online Communication, Privacy And Phone Scams, Christine Hilbert Apr 2018

Technology Literacy And Senior Citizens: Online Communication, Privacy And Phone Scams, Christine Hilbert

VA Engage Journal

This article focuses on the impacts of technology integration among the senior citizen population, and sheds light on some of the daily struggles and issues older technology users encounter. It outlines possible solutions to these problems, including plans of action for seniors' adoption of new technologies. A combination of reflection gained through service-learning and insights from academic articles illustrates situations the senior citizen community may encounter that can cause grievances when using technology. The article explores the need for technology based educational programs for the senior citizen.

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Journeying The James: A Study Of A Multidisciplinary Environmental Education Program In The Non-Formal Sector, Ashley A. James Apr 2018

Journeying The James: A Study Of A Multidisciplinary Environmental Education Program In The Non-Formal Sector, Ashley A. James

VA Engage Journal

Because the world is faced with an abundance of environmental problems, environmental education is essential in creating citizens that can solve them. Many studies show that when people are educated about the environment, they become environmental stewards. This paper investigates an experience and place-based environmental education program for high school students by the James River Association, a non-governmental organization in Richmond, Virginia. The study aims to identify whether or not the program meets the goals of environmental education, as well as its own goals. Fifty-four past program participants responded to an internet survey. Descriptive statistics and analysis of qualitative data …

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Developing Information And Communication Technologies For Education In Haiti, Nabeel Janjua, Yan Li, Manoj Thomas Feb 2017

Developing Information And Communication Technologies For Education In Haiti, Nabeel Janjua, Yan Li, Manoj Thomas

VA Engage Journal

This research aims to aid in developing educational technologies for students and teachers in Haiti. The goal of the research project is to increase computer familiarity and literacy. To achieve this objective, a design science and mixed methods approach is developed. The design science approach focuses on building prototype artifacts consisting of software tutorials, computer on a stick, and Internet in a box. The qualitative and quantitative research methods consist of visual comprehension, discussion with students and teachers, data gathering and analysis through census and survey processing systems. Quantitative data is still being analyzed. Both methods may be utilized for …

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Seeing The Possible: My Journey Through Service Learning, Moustafa Nassar, Brigid Belko Feb 2017

Seeing The Possible: My Journey Through Service Learning, Moustafa Nassar, Brigid Belko

VA Engage Journal

As the second year of the Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness draws to a close, our graduating student intern, Moustafa Nassar, critically reflects on his distinct learning experience within his Averett University community and the wider local community to better understand how activism needs to be redefined inside and outside of the college campus. In a discussion of the role experiential learning, in the form of service-learning, volunteer work, and internships, played in his college career, he evaluates his new skills and direction as a result of his experiences.

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Community-Campus Partnership Effectiveness For Nursing Faculty Curricula In Rural Virginia, Adriana Myers Jan 2014

Community-Campus Partnership Effectiveness For Nursing Faculty Curricula In Rural Virginia, Adriana Myers

VA Engage Journal

Nursing schools state that faculty shortages caused by low faculty salaries are a primary reason for nursing shortages. In a Shenandoah University graduate survey, many nurses wanted to teach but could not leave their higher-paying clinical jobs. Shenandoah University’s Graduate Program in Winchester, VA received funding from the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority to use rural community-campus partnerships to plan a nursing faculty residency program to increase the number of nursing faculty. The program’s planning partners were economic development, business, academic, and philanthropic organization leaders in seven rural planning districts. Community Based Participatory Research was used to assess the effectiveness …

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Beyond The Big House: Making The Transition To Life After Prison, Kelsey Brewster, Paula Sorrentino, Mina Hailemariam Jan 2014

Beyond The Big House: Making The Transition To Life After Prison, Kelsey Brewster, Paula Sorrentino, Mina Hailemariam

VA Engage Journal

As the cost of imprisonment climbs, overcrowding in correctional facilities proves to be a major concern. The Virginia Department of Corrections spends an average of $24,380 per inmate annually (VADOC, 2013). The burden of recidivism puts strain on the state budget due to the steady increase in inmate population. Without proper resources and support, released inmates will likely face health, financial, and social barriers, forcing many to revert back to criminal behavior. There is ample evidence to suggest pre- and post-release programs can reduce criminal behavior and aid offenders in their transition back into society. This article summarizes the current …

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My Community, Their Community Our Community: "Musings" On Development, Grace Leonard Jan 2012

My Community, Their Community Our Community: "Musings" On Development, Grace Leonard

VA Engage Journal

This reflection explores the collision of anthropology and civic engagement, a combination that has come to define my senior research. My fieldwork at educational NGOs in Northern Richmond and Northern Ghana caused me to question the local relevancy of NGO management strategies. How can white, middle class teachers appropriately improve educational outcomes for low-income black students in Richmond? Is compulsory education appropriate training for Ghanaian farmers? Academic theories criticize “development” for furthering power against the oppressed, while the qualitative work of NGOs is quantified to fit the needs of grant writers. I find policy can never prescribe perfectly. In order …

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Case Study: Ngo Staff Implement Educational Goals In Northside Richmond, Grace Leonard Jan 2012

Case Study: Ngo Staff Implement Educational Goals In Northside Richmond, Grace Leonard

VA Engage Journal

The Richmond non-profit organization, Kid's House, complements imperfect educational models with creative and flexible community-based programs. In Northern Richmond, children living in oppressed communities have diminished educational opportunities and outcomes. I use the term "oppressed" to describe these communities because it highlights various political, social, and economic power that has historically been exerted in the process of creating poverty. An NGO's staff is effective in reaching poor students and parents when they are attuned to local social processes. Kid's House teachers negotiate an uneasy existence as mediators between the spheres of structural bureaucracy and local poverty. This ethnographic study culminated …

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Tracking A Lifelong Service Commitment In Alumni Of The College Of William And Mary, Emma C. Merril Jan 2012

Tracking A Lifelong Service Commitment In Alumni Of The College Of William And Mary, Emma C. Merril

VA Engage Journal

In order to better understand the development of a commitment to service, this paper explores the lives of alumni of the College of William and Mary as case studies. It is valuable to students and academic institutions alike to track a student‟s service commitment to see if his or her college experience was able to deepen that commitment. William and Mary is an exemplar in service-learning, which is why its alumni were interviewed and used as case studies. The College of William and Mary has an Office of Civic Engagement (OCE) that has connected students with community partners since 2009 …

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Closing The Achievement Gap: Favoring A Literacy-Based Approach To Solving The Nation's Education Crisis, Timothy M. Siverd Jan 2011

Closing The Achievement Gap: Favoring A Literacy-Based Approach To Solving The Nation's Education Crisis, Timothy M. Siverd

VA Engage Journal

This paper provides an overview of the educational achievement gap, paying particular attention to the gap between white and minority students. Additionally, this paper explores why closing the achievement gap is important, and why it is hard to do. The goal of this paper is to suggest that using a literacy-based method will produce superior results than using STEM-field methods by highlighting a “best practice,” Musick Elementary School in Newark, California.

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Narrowing The Digital Divide: The Young Women Leaders Program Herstory Project, Stephanie Newton, Emily Peters, Victoria Tucker, Christine Quilpa, Edith Lawrence, Clare Vierbuchen Jan 2011

Narrowing The Digital Divide: The Young Women Leaders Program Herstory Project, Stephanie Newton, Emily Peters, Victoria Tucker, Christine Quilpa, Edith Lawrence, Clare Vierbuchen

VA Engage Journal

Research suggests that girls are at especial disadvantage in the field of informational technology and are less likely than boys to take courses or seek out careers in this area. The Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP), a mentoring program at the University of Virginia that pairs at-risk middle school girls with college women for a year of mentoring, developed the YWLP HerStory project to engage middle school girls in informational technology through their development of technology projects focused on psychosocial issues of importance to them. This study reviewed an early version of the YWLP HerStory’s technology curriculum and training for …

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