……Experiential learning through community engagement Introduction Community Service Project is an experiential learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction, participation, learning and community development. Community Service Project involves students in community development and service activities and applies the experience to personal and academic development. Community Service Project is meant to link the community with the college for mutual benefit. The community will benefit with the focused contribution of the college students for the village/ local development. The college finds an opportunity to develop social sensibility and responsibility among students and emerge as a socially responsible institution.
Objective Community Service Project should be an integral part of the curriculum, as an alternative to the 2 months of Summer Internships / Apprenticeships / On the Job Training, whenever there is an exigency when students cannot pursue their summer internships. The specific objectives are; To sensitize the students to the living conditions of the people who are around them, To help students to realize the stark realities of society. To bring about an attitudinal change in the students and help them to develop societal consciousness, sensibility, responsibility and accountability To make students aware of their inner strength and help them to find new /out of box solutions to social problems. To make students socially responsible citizens who are sensitive to the needs of the disadvantaged sections. To help students to initiate developmental activities in the community in coordination with public and government authorities. To develop a holistic life perspective among the students by making them study culture, traditions, habits, lifestyles, resource utilization, wastages and its management, social problems, public administration system and the roles and responsibilities of different persons across different social systems.
Implementation of Community Service Project
Every student should put in 6 weeks for the Community Service Project during the summer vacation. Each class/section should be assigned with a mentor. Specific Departments could concentrate on their major areas of concern. For example, Dept. of Computer Science can take up activities related to Computer Literacy to different sections of people like - youth, women, housewives, etc A logbook must be maintained by each of the students, where the activities undertaken/involved to be recorded. The logbook has to be countersigned by the concerned mentor/faculty in charge. B.Tech. Civil Engineering JNTUA R23 Regulations
An evaluation to be done based on the active participation of the student and grade could be awarded by the mentor/faculty member. The final evaluation to be reflected in the grade memo of the student. The Community Service Project should be different from the regular programs of NSS/NCC/Green Corps/Red Ribbon Club, etc. Minor project reports should be submitted by each student. An internal Viva shall also be conducted by a committee constituted by the principal of the college. Award of marks shall be made as per the guidelines of Internship/apprentice/ on the job training.
Procedure A group of students or even a single student could be assigned for a particular habitation or village or municipal ward, as far as possible, in the near vicinity of their place of stay, to enable them to commute from their residence and return back by evening or so. The Community Service Project is a twofold one – o First, the student/s could conduct a survey of the habitation, if necessary, in terms of their own domain or subject area. Or it can even be a general survey, incorporating all the different areas. A common survey format could be designed. This should not be viewed as a duplication of work by the Village or Ward volunteers, rather, it could be another primary source of data. o Secondly, the student/s could take up a social activity, concerning their domain or subject area. The different areas, could be like – Agriculture Health Marketing and Cooperation Animal Husbandry Horticulture Fisheries Sericulture Revenue and Survey Natural Disaster Management Irrigation Law & Order Excise and Prohibition Mines and Geology Energy Internet Free Electricity Drinking Water
EXPECTED OUTCOMES BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT TO STUDENTS Learning Outcomes Positive impact on students’ academic learning Improves students’ ability to apply what they have learned in “the real world” B.Tech. Civil Engineering JNTUA R23 Regulations
Positive impact on academic outcomes such as demonstrated complexity of
understanding, problem analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, and cognitive development. Improved ability to understand complexity and ambiguity
Personal Outcomes Greater sense of personal efficacy, personal identity, spiritual growth, and moral development Greater interpersonal development, particularly the ability to work well with others, and build leadership and communication skills. Social Outcomes Reduced stereotypes and greater inter-cultural understanding Improved social responsibility and citizenship skills Greater involvement in community service after graduation Career Development Connections with professionals and community members for learning and career opportunities Greater academic learning, leadership skills, and personal efficacy can lead to greater opportunity. Relationship with the Institution Stronger relationships with faculty Greater satisfaction with college Improved graduation rates
BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT TO FACULTY MEMBERS
Satisfaction with the quality of student learning New avenues for research and publication via new relationships between faculty and community Providing networking opportunities with engaged faculty in other disciplines or institutions A stronger commitment to one’s research.
BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT TO COLLEGES AND
BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT TO COMMUNITY
Satisfaction with student participation Valuable human resources needed to achieve community goals. New energy, enthusiasm and perspectives applied to community work. Enhanced community-university relations. B.Tech. Civil Engineering JNTUA R23 Regulations
SUGGESTIVE LIST OF PROGRAMMES UNDER COMMUNITY SERVICE
PROJECT The following the recommended list of projects for Engineering students. The lists are not exhaustive and open for additions, deletions, and modifications. Colleges are expected to focus on specific local issues for this kind of project. The students are expected to carry out these projects with involvement, commitment, responsibility, and accountability. The mentors of a group of students should take the responsibility of motivating, facilitating, and guiding the students. They have to interact with local leadership and people and appraise the objectives and benefits of this kind of project. The project reports shall be placed in the college website for reference. Systematic, Factual, methodical and honest reporting should be ensured. For Engineering Students 1. Water facilities and drinking water availability 2. Health and hygiene 3. Stress levels and coping mechanisms 4. Health intervention programmes 5. Horticulture 6. Herbal plants 7. Botanical survey 8. Zoological survey 9. Marine products 10. Aqua culture 11. Inland fisheries 12. Animals and species 13. Nutrition 14. Traditional health care methods 15. Food habits 16. Air pollution 17. Water pollution 18. Plantation 19. Soil protection 20. Renewable energy 21. Plant diseases 22. Yoga awareness and practice 23. Health care awareness programmes and their impact 24. Use of chemicals on fruits and vegetables 25. Organic farming 26. Crop rotation 27. Floury culture 28. Access to safe drinking water 29. Geographical survey 30. Geological survey 31. Sericulture 32. Study of species B.Tech. Civil Engineering JNTUA R23 Regulations
33. Food adulteration
34. Incidence of Diabetes and other chronic diseases 35. Human genetics 36. Blood groups and blood levels 37. Internet Usage in Villages 38. Android Phone usage by different people 39. Utilisation of free electricity to farmers and related issues 40. Gender ration in schooling lvel- observation.
Complimenting the community service project the students may be involved to take up some awareness campaigns on social issues/special groups. The suggested list of programs
Programs for School Children
1. Reading Skill Program (Reading Competition) 2. Preparation of Study Materials for the next class. 3. Personality / Leadership Development 4. Career Guidance for X class students 5. Screening Documentary and other educational films 6. Awareness Program on Good Touch and Bad Touch (Sexual abuse) 7. Awareness Program on Socially relevant themes. Programs for Women Empowerment 1. Government Guidelines and Policy Guidelines 2. Women’s Rights 3. Domestic Violence 4. Prevention and Control of Cancer 5. Promotion of Social Entrepreneurship General Camps 1. General Medical camps 2. Eye Camps 3. Dental Camps 4. Importance of protected drinking water 5. ODF awareness camp 6. Swatch Bharath 7. AIDS awareness camp 8. Anti Plastic Awareness 9. Programs on Environment 10. Health and Hygiene 11. Hand wash programmes 12. Commemoration and Celebration of important days Programs for Youth Empowerment 1. Leadership 2. Anti-alcoholism and Drug addiction 3. Anti-tobacco 4. Awareness on Competitive Examinations 5. Personality Development B.Tech. Civil Engineering JNTUA R23 Regulations
Common Programs 1. Awareness on RTI 2. Health intervention programmes 3. Yoga 4. Tree plantation 5. Programs in consonance with the Govt. Departments like – i. Agriculture ii. Health iii. Marketing and Cooperation iv. Animal Husbandry v. Horticulture vi. Fisheries vii. Sericulture viii. Revenue and Survey ix. Natural Disaster Management x. Irrigation xi. Law & Order xii. Excise and Prohibition xiii. Mines and Geology xiv. Energy
Role of Students: Students may not have the expertise to conduct all the programmes on their own. The students then can play a facilitator role. For conducting special camps like Health related, they will be coordinating with the Governmental agencies. As and when required the College faculty themselves act as Resource Persons. Students can work in close association with Non-Governmental Organizations like Lions Club, Rotary Club, etc or with any NGO actively working in that habitation. And also, with the Governmental Departments. If the program is rolled out, the District Administration could be roped in for the successful deployment of the program. An in-house training and induction program could be arranged for the faculty and participating students, to expose them to the methodology of Service Learning.
Timeline for the Community Service Project Activity
Duration: 8 weeks 1. Preliminary Survey (One Week) A preliminary survey including the socio-economic conditions of the allotted habitation to be conducted. B.Tech. Civil Engineering JNTUA R23 Regulations
A survey form based on the type of habitation to be prepared before visiting the habitation with the help of social sciences faculty. (However, a template could be designed for different habitations, rural/urban. The Governmental agencies, like revenue administration, corporation and municipal authorities and village secreteriats could be aligned for the survey.
2. Community Awareness Campaigns (One Week)
Based on the survey and the specific requirements of the habitation, different awareness campaigns and programmesto be conducted, spread over two weeks of time. The list of activities suggested could be taken into consideration.
3. Community Immersion Programme (Three Weeks)
Along with the Community Awareness Programmes, the student batch can also work with any one of the below-listed governmental agencies and work in tandem with them. This community involvement programme will involve the students in exposing themselves to experiential learning about the community and its dynamics. Programs could be in consonance with the Govt. Departments.
4. Community Exit Report (One Week)
During the last week of the Community Service Project, a detailed report of the outcome of the 8 weeks’ works to be drafted and a copy shall be submitted to the local administration. This report will be a basis for the next batch of students visiting that habitation. The same report submitted to the teacher-mentor will be evaluated by the mentor and suitable marks are awarded for onward submission to the University. Throughout the Community Service Project, a daily logbook need to be maintained by the students batch, which should be countersigned by the governmental agency representative and the teacher-mentor, who is required to periodically visit the students and guide them.
