A Covenant of Responsibility and Commitment
Congratulations on taking steps toward creating social and community change through ACTION! Remember that not only is your service vital to the agency you serve, it is also vital to your personal growth and academic learning. The experience you are about to create is yours; please consider the following points as guides for a successful journey:
|
COMPASSION
|
Look into your heart and know that you want to help
people. Value them and treat them with dignity and courtesy. |
|
BE AWARE
|
Get to know the agency’s philosophy, program,
history, staff, and clients. |
|
BE RESPONSIBLE
|
Work in accordance with the agency’s policies. Remember your obligations and maintain your integrity. (Call if you cannot be there.) |
|
SPEAK UP
|
Ask about things you don’t understand. Respond to your doubts and frustrations, offer suggestions, and find solutions while maintaining respect for the agency’s efforts. |
|
LEARN
|
Attend orientation and training; check-in with supervisors; build your knowledge and skills; keep in mind you’re giving and receiving. |
|
CONNECT
|
Take time to reflect, crucially think, and creatively express how your experience relates to your major, career, personal values, community development, and the common good of society. |
|
HONESTY
|
Your actions are your bond. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Thoughts and feelings of fear, guilt, love and hope may emerge — be honest with yourself. |
|
RISK
|
Stretch yourself and be yourself. |
|
LEADERSHIP
|
Consider how to create real organizational and social change. |
-
IF THIS IS A CLASS REQUIREMENT, remember that this experience is about understanding and connecting your classroom instruction and your community learning experience.
-
The CL staff is available to support you and assist you in resolving any issues you may have during your service experience. Please call if you have any questions, concerns, or celebrations you would like to share! You are beginning a time of discovery!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTING ON YOUR EXPERIENCE
We're glad that you have chosen to provide service to your community. By taking the time to reflect on your involvement, you can better understand the experience, appreciate what you and others are doing to make a difference, and learn about how this experience relates to your life. We understand that you are busy, but please take a few moments before your orientation, after each visit, and at the end of the semester to think about the following questions. Please let us know how you are doing.
WHAT?
- What do I expect to get out of this experience (purpose/goals/ideas)?
- What did I observe during my first visit?
- What is the agency's mission? Their goals?
- Are there other agencies in the community that have similar goals?
- What part of my service experience was the most challenging? Surprising?
- How was I of service?
SO WHAT?
- What am I learning about others and myself?
- What impact did today's visit have on me?
- What is the relationship between my community service "world" and my "other" worlds?
- What values,opinions, or decisions have been made or changed through this experience?
- What has surprised me about myself, the agency, friends,
the people I work with?
NOW WHAT?
- Is it important to me to stay involved in the community? Will I continue to be of service?
- How will my efforts working with this agency contribute to social change? To my career?
- What did I learn and how can I use that in my coursework and future career?
