An open letter from faculty, Viveca Sulich, Science, fall 2006.

During the fall of 2006, the day classes for Human Biology at Raritan Valley Community College participated in a service learning project in conjunction with the Homeland Security Project.  The course is intended to give students a basic understanding of the human body in health and disease.  This was a perfect fit for the class, since one of the requirements for the course is to research and present a disease of choice to the class.  This project was modified to include a disease as a consequence of terrorism.

The students worked either individually or in groups of up to three.  They researched a disease that has the potential to be introduced by terrorists and one that affects the human body.  Each group and/or individual presented a different disease so the class was exposed to many different diseases.  They were required to create a brochure to educate the public and/or give an oral presentation, preferably a power point presentation, to the class.  The presentations took place throughout the semester, and were correlated as best as possible to a particular body system being covered in class.

Participation in this project benefited both the students and the general public.  Firstly, the students learned a great deal of information pertaining to their researched disease.  Secondly, the class was exposed information about a vast array of diseases with the potential to be a threat to the society.  It was interesting to see the approach of each student, as well as, their choice of disease.  Additionally, this was also a learning experience for me, as the instructor.  I learned about some new threats and interesting information from the brochures and presentations.  Lastly, this research could provide useful information for the community.

Overall, the project was successful.  The students enjoyed listening to the presentations of their peers, and applied themselves in their research to produce useful information for the community.

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