Civic Engagement at FHSU

FHSU Departmental Activities      Submit your activities
Photos of Other Activities   
Home Horticulture students build flower boxes at St. John's Rest Home and spruce up Humane Society Animal Shelter grounds
home horticulture class
home horticulture student raking leaves   home horticulture students pruning trees
home horticulture student raking   home horticulture students working at Humane Society
home horticulture students mulching   home horticulture students loading supplies
home horticulture students building flower box   home horticulture students planting
home horticulture students loading truck  
home horticulture students building flower box   home horticulture students fertilizing

FHSU Student Teachers Receive Grants

Fort Hays State University's College of Education and Technology is entering into a new program as part of the UCAN Serve AmeriCorps grant with the Colorado Campus Compact.

CCC provides a partnership through service learning and civic engagement programs in support of the civic mission of higher education. FHSU was able to get involved through the Kansas Campus Compact.

"The project hopes to channel student service into high-need schools and to attract qualified teachers to those sites," said Dr. Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education and Technology.

UCAN Serve, originally designed in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah, is a part-time education award that identifies student teaching as a community service in low-achieving, poor, rural and struggling schools. Kansas schools were invited to participate, and approximately 100 participants were allotted. When other Kansas schools didn't fill the allocation, FHSU was able to invite additional students.

Mike Karl, director of field experiences for the Office of Professional Services, is coordinating the project for FHSU. He said the university has been trying to get student teachers into more diverse settings.

"What is so valuable about this service award is that with our increasing commitment to diversity, students often encounter additional expenses when we place them farther away," said Karl.

This spring, 28 students will receive awards based on hours of service: 300 hours of service equates to an education stipend of $1,000. Hours, activities and reflections are kept in a logbook throughout the time of service.

Mercer said that with the amount of hours students have to put in for student teaching anyway, they easily meet the requirements.

Karl said about one-third of the 87 student teachers received an award. Distribution is equally balanced between elementary and secondary education majors. If each student completes the requirements, a total of $28,000 will be given to FHSU student teachers.

The students involved were trained prior to the beginning of the semester by members of the Colorado and Kansas Campus Compacts and will begin their service after successfully completing a background check.

This spring the program is in a pilot stage, with CCC as a mentor for Kansas. The Kansas Campus Compact hopes to eventually secure its own UCAN Serve grant.

"It is our hope that this is not a one-time experience," said Mercer, "but that it is successful this year and that the grant money continues so it's something we can continue to offer to candidates."

Mercer also said that because student teachers are not allowed to be paid during their experience, this grant provides financial assistance that can be used toward educational expenses, including tuition or even future education classes.

"We have long been advocates of the fact that we're adding to a classroom every time a student has the opportunity to walk in," said Mercer. "This grant is just another way that's recognized."

Students involved are listed by hometown and classification.

ANTHONY: Kiley Olds, senior.
ARGONIA: Ken Simon, special student.
BENNINGTON: Meaghan Kilgore, senior.
CYPRESS, Texas: Kirby McDowell, senior.
GARDEN PLAIN: Jennifer Meyer, senior.
HAYS: Chris Bonham, senior; Mike Howell, senior; Julie Masden, senior; Andrew Moland, senior; Nicole Moody, senior; Adam Otte, special student; Mary Rooney, special student; Craig Stramel, senior and Alex Teopfer, senior.
LINDSBORG: Mark Sandbo, senior.
MARYSVILLE: Jessica Blumer, senior.
NATOMA: Kelsey Beisner, senior.
NESS CITY: Brent Kerr, senior.
NIXA, Mo.: Dustin Martin, senior.
OAKLEY: Kelly Joseph, senior.
OSBORNE: David Hindeman, senior and Krisa Ubelaker, senior.
PRATT: Jenna Polok, senior and Megan Ricke, senior.
ROZEL: Carol Stephenson, special student.
SALINA: Aaron Davidson, senior.
STRATTON: Thomas Hornung, special student.

On behalf of the University Service-Learning Committee, I would like to congratulate the following faculty members on receiving FHSU service-learning course project development funds for the Fall 2007 semester. Thank you for your work in the area of service-learning.

*Jean Gleichsner, Department of Agriculture
*Linda Hyatt, Department of Special Education
*Sue Jacobs, Department of Teacher Education
*Karrie Simpson-Voth, Department of Art

Applications for spring 2008 service-learning course development funds are now being accepted. Below you will find information in regard to the process. Information will also be available at the come and go Campus-Community Service Fair on Tuesday, September 18 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom. The spring 2008 deadline for applications is November 2, 2007.

Jill Arensdorf, S-LC Chair

Department of Agriculture
Dr. Robert Stephenson
Students from the Agronomic Crop Production class – AGRI 426 presented information on Point and Non-Point Source Pollution at the Home & Garden Show in the Hays Mall on Saturday and Sunday March 11 and 12, 2006. The presentation was designed to educate the public on pollution. The students demonstrated an “Enviroscape” which visually shows where pollution can come from and measures which can be taken to reduce it. In addition, the students prepared and displayed information, handed pamphlets, provided the public with a quiz related to pollution, showed how Atrazine can be detected in the soil and ground water and answered questions. The 2-day presentation was part of a Service Learning Grant (Kansas WaterLINK) obtained through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Students included: Drew Acinger (Spring Hill), Doug Colglazier ( Rozel), Jared Myers (Arapahoe, CO), Brent Olson ( Oberlin), Tucker Sexson (Weskan) and Joe Wasinger (Hays).

Dr. Jean Gleichsner

Agriculture students plant flowers on Main St. Agriculture students at Lincoln Elementary Agriculture students at the garden show in the mall

Students in Home Horticulture purchased two concrete flower planters that were placed on Main Street in Hays. With assistance from the City of Hays Park Department, the class planned and planted all of the planters along Main Street.

Cereal, Fiber and Oil Crops students visited pre- and grade schools in Ellis County to explain how wheat is grown in Kansas and made bread.

At the Home and Garden Show in The Mall, students in Agronomic Crop Insects prepared and displayed posters about good and bad insects. Questions were answered about insect identification and control.

Department of English
Dr. Cheryl Duffy
English students
* Composition I students are engaged in service with students from the Hays Language Institute. The students formed writing teams and collaboratively wrote newsletters.
* Students in Techniques of Teaching English tutored ESL students at the public library and in local schools.
* Students in Theories of Rhetoric and Composition tutored students for Northwest Kansas Juvenile Services and Hays High School — and conducted research for public school teachers.
* Advanced Composition students volunteered at nonprofit agencies and completed writing projects (newsletters, brochures, etc.) for those agencies.
* Graduate students in the class, Workshop in English Pedagogy, interacted with residents at the Sterling House Assisted Living Center and wrote life stories with them.

English students
Students in Sharon Wilson’s ENG 246 Technical and Report Writing have applied their writing skills to solve problems that they have identified in the community. Working in teams, students identified a problem, proposed a solution, organized and carried out that solution, and evaluated the results. Writing tasks included interviews, letters, problem-solution papers, proposals, progress reports, feasibility studies, and reflective essays. The projects themselves ranged from an Adopt-A-Pet Day for the Humane Society to a banana-split-eating-contest to attract college-aged men to learn about opportunities with Big Brothers/Big Sisters.   
Department of Geosciences
Dr. John Heinrichs, associate professor of geosciences, is chair of the Ellis County Wellhead Protection Committee. In that capacity he has provided opportunities for his students to participate in offering public education on water issues; coordinating educational activities for children; and conducting field work to identify environmental threats near water sources.

Through a grant from the Kansas Geological Survey, Dr. Tom Schafer, Dr. Rich Lisichenko and Dr. Ken Neuhauser will be working with the City of Hays Public Works Department to provide the city with information regarding the Proposed Capacity and Expected Life of the Landfill. The geosciences faculty members will be conducting the research along with three graduate students — Jeff Geist, Keith Goentzel and Mark Vishnefske.   
Department of Leadership Studies
Dr. Brent Goertzen
Leadership studies students
* 310 Project: Youth and older singers harmonize at West (inter-generational choir).
* 310 Project: Parking Issues: group is trying to implement a shuttle service for parking issues on campus.
* 310 Project: Dog Pound: group is working with the Humane Society to develop a marketing strategy and work to promote Santa Paws.
* 310 Project: Big Brothers/Big Sisters: group is working to promote BB/BS and the “Bowl for Kids Sake.”
* 310 Project: Youth Leadership: group is working with Jill Stafford to research more youth leadership programs and additional funding for the program.
Leadership studies students
* 310 Project: Army Game: group is working to acquaint high school students with the programs that FHSU offers and also serves as a recruitment window for the Army.
* 310 Project: Foxy Tigers: group is working with community leaders to help influence the community support for the Fox Theatre.

Virtual 310 Project: WIC Program: person is working with others in her community to promote the Women, Infant, and Children program. She wants to increase funding and participation in the organization.   
Department of Psychology
This fall, Psychology Club participated in the "Make a Difference Day" by volunteering at the Humane Society. Members also had a booth at "Mall-o-ween" in the Mall for Halloween.

Students in the Psychology Department completed apprenticeships at agencies such as Dream, Inc., Northwest Kansas Family Shelter, CASA, Compeer, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, First Call for Help, a family clinic in Salina, the Larned State Mental Hospital and the Docking Institute of Public Affairs.

Department of Teacher Education
Teacher education students
Students and interns go to elementary schools to teach math and science to kindergarten students.

Preservice elementary education college interns enrolled in TEEL 377 Internship 1 (Social Studies Methods) participated with Washington Elementary School students and parents to create literacy related activities for use at home. Interns planned the activities, created a master copy to be used as a model, and provided directions for parents and children to create a similar item. Teacher education students
Activities included board games, file folder activities, story retellings, and book creations. In addition to the activities, each child selected a book to take home to enhance their home library. As many of the families are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, these resources will serve as valuable enhancers of the curricular learning and support taking place in the home.   
Department of Technology Studies
Technology Class and Epsilon Pi Tau sponsor Electric car races at Gross Memorial Coliseum and Felten Middle School each fall. Dr. Joe Chretien coordinates the event.
High Plains Electric Car Rally    

Contact Dr. Chapman Rackaway, Campus Coordinator, crackawa@fhsu.edu.