Assignment Instructions/ Description
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to give students the opportunity to learn more about a population or a social justice issue of interest, through volunteering. The professor encourages students to pick an opportunity that they are most interested in, rather than an opportunity that is most convenient for the purposes of deep learning.
General Assignment Requirements
Papers should be typed, double-spaced, and be written in APA format. When using information from external sources or individuals, students should use in-text citations and a reference page. Papers will be graded on quality, thoroughness, and depth of critical thought and reflection. Students are expected to include information from lectures and readings, as appropriate, within the paper. Papers will be about 4-6 pages without including the reference or cover pages. Length is NOT graded, so students should focus more on the quality of content then paper length.
Specific Assignment Instructions
Step 1: Choose a volunteer opportunity with a local agency, group, or organization that provides needed services to vulnerable populations. This opportunity must be through an agency (ie. the university, a local food pantry, a mental health agency, an environmental cleanup group, or other social justice agency in the area that uses volunteers) rather than a self-designed or individual opportunity (ie. helping a next-door neighbor or a family member). Volunteering opportunities should be about 3 to 4 hours in duration to give you an idea of what that agency, group, or organization does to help others.
Step 2: Engage in the volunteering opportunity. While you are there or beforehand collect information on the agency, group, or organization. Questions you should answer include:
What is the name of the agency/ group/ organization, what is their mission statement or what are the goals?Who is the population that is served by the agency? About how many individuals/ groups/ or areas are helped annually?Make sure to observe and record the activities that you engage in over the course of volunteering.Step 3: Once you have completed your volunteering take some time to reflect on your experience. What did you do? What did you learn? Did anything surprise you about the experience? What were the needs of the individuals/ community you served? Did you feel that volunteering alone could meet these needs? What was the social justice issue that was being addressed?
Step 4: Write your paper addressing the following areas. Use the headings provided below or similar headings to help with the flow and organization of your writing.
Agency Information
Name of the agency, group, or organization.Mission Statement or goals of the operationOverview of the agency’s purposeThe population (s) that the agency/ group/ organization servesWhy the agency provides services to this population what is the overarching social justice issue that is being addressed?Volunteering Information
What tasks did you perform as a part of your volunteering activities?What were the purposes of these activities? How did you help?What is the role of this agency/ group/ organization in challenging the social justice issue or concern? Critical Thinking About Volunteering
What is one strength of this agency using volunteering to help provide for the population/ area/ community the agency serves?What is one thing that this agency/ group/ organization needs to fully challenge the social justice issue they are working to ameliorate? Assignment #1: Grading Rubric
General
Paper is high quality, written academically, and demonstrates accuracy.
5
Paper uses APA formatting correctly
5
Paper clearly demonstrates an application of ideas and information covered within the class material.
5
Agency Information
Name of the agency, mission statement, and goals.
5
Comprehensive understanding of the agency’s purpose, the population the agency serves, and an understanding of the social justice issue the agency addresses.
5
Volunteering Information
Overview of the tasks that were performed as a part of the volunteering experience.
5
Understanding of the purpose of these activities and how they helped.
5
Discussion of the role of the agency/group/organization in challenging the identified social justice issue.
5
Critical Thinking About Volunteering
One strength about the volunteering experience in addressing an area of need.
5
One thing the agency/ group/ organization would need to further their work in challenging the social justice issue they are working to address.
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