African American Literature and Middle Earth 
A Mentorship Project

Through a collaborative effort with Middle Earth in Somerville, seven RVCC students from "African American Literature" mentored seven African American youth from this community organization. To ensure the continuation of the mentoring program, the students created a Web site demonstrating how a campus/community partnership can nurture future leaders. The College mentors acted as role models by offering Middle Earth youth friendship and guidance and sharing academic/cultural experiences, thus enriching the younger students' lives and creating aspirations for future participation in higher education and its goals. Some of the joint activities involved attending campus classroom lectures, swimming at the RVCC pool, attending shows at the RVCC Planetarium and a community theater, as well as socializing through visits at Middle Earth and email.

Managerial Accounting and Alternatives, Inc. 
Business Education: Community Benefits

Four students enrolled in "Managerial Accounting" at Raritan Valley Community College turned their business skills towards a project that benefited the community in a lasting way. As a group effort, the College students researched, developed and implemented a business plan to help the community organization Alternatives, Inc., acquire a financial database management system to support its new 300 client-housing unit. The students learned that they have the potential to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the community while developing their leadership, teamwork and communication skills.

Trends in Nursing and The New Jersey State Nurses Association 
Nursing, the Community and Legislation

Four students enrolled in "Trends in Nursing" attended a seminar at the New Jersey State Nurses Association regarding the legislative process. As a result of what they learned from the seminar, the students' interest was piqued, motivating them to follow a bill through the legislative process regarding mandatory overtime. Subsequently, they attended a senatorial committee meeting where they witnessed first hand the importance of their participation in the political process, as well as how their support and involvement could make a difference within the community. After reflecting on their experiences, they decided to prepare a document describing this process as well as developing an internship for future nursing students within the Trends Class, in cooperation with the New Jersey State Nurses Association. Through their service-learning, the students are leaving a civic legacy about the legislative process so that future students will be able to learn and benefit.

Managerial Accounting and The American Cancer Society 
A Blending of Business and Community

Five students from "Managerial Accounting" set themselves up as a small business with the goal of raising money for the American Cancer Society by selling flowers. The students' work included setting up a Partnership, Code of Ethics, Strategic Plan, Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Pricing and Credit Policies, Accounting Records and Financial Statements. Even though their competitors were supermarkets and florists, as well as other charities, they felt their product was unique because their customer/doner could make a contribution to a well respected charity and receive something in return—flowers! The funds collected and donated to this organization will continue to help many patients long after the students' volunteer work is finished, demonstrating a unique blending of community, business and legacy.

Community Health Experiences in Nursing, Trends in Nursing and The Somerset Valley Visiting Nurses Association 
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Community Problem-Solving

For two consecutive semesters, twelve Raritan Valley Community College nursing students participated in a collaborative service-learning project with the Somerset Valley Visiting Nurses Association. The students researched and documented the fifty-year history of the SVVNA as part of their academic studies in three different courses— Community Experiences in Nursing, Advanced Community Experiences in Nursing, and Trends in Nursing.

The first phase of the project included interviewing former and present members of the SVVNA including physicians, nurses, administrators, and patients. The students also collected and assembled information from newspaper stories, pictures, and office records that would help tell the fifty-year history of the SVVNA.

In the second phase of the project the students wrote and designed a booklet that highlighted the history of the organization; they also prepared a videotape describing trends in nursing and home health care. The booklet was a special edition to the organization's annual report, celebrating its fifty-year history.

This undertaking is a dynamic example of a true collaborative service-learning project between the College and the community. Most noteworthy is that this type of work is typically not done at a community college level and seldom at the baccalaureate level, due to its complexity and commitment of time and resources.

Raritan Valley Community College
http://www.raritanval.edu/servicelearning/ModelServiceLearningProjects.html
Updated 12/13/2001 by AKT