Students involved In the 2015/16 academic year almost 120 students from 3 different courses participated in service learning modules as follows: MA Sociology: 5 students on individual projects BA Sociology: 67 students in groups of about 5 or 6 BA Criminology: 119 students in groups of about 5 or 6 Total student numbers: 191 How do we do it? The timeline below provides an indication of the annual cycle of service learning. The Masters students have a slightly different schedule of activities as they work on individual projects and are expected to be much more independent in the planning and execution of their service learning projects. Date August to September Activity NTU staff start to solicit projects form the not for private profit sector and meet with partners to assess the viability of projects. This process continues until November. Steering Group meeting in September prior to the start of the new academic year. October to December November December January Students are prepared for Service through a 10 week lecture series including guest lectures by partner organisations. Students learn about the history & background of service learning, citizenship, community, participatory action research, public sociology/criminology, social inequality in the UK and Nottingham. Final deadline for partner organisation to get proposals to NTU for potential projects Partner organisations come in to NTU to present their projects to students. Students choose 4 projects they would like to work on; staff allocate students to projects and inform students and partners of the outcome (Masters students choose/find their own partner organisations) Partners come in to a workshop and in a 3 way discussion with a group of students and a member of the academic team finalise the project, setting clear interim deadlines, outputs & communication strategy.
Workshops to prepare the students for service: team building, group work theory, project & time management, ground rules. End of January students begin their service period. Workshops and supervision meetings with NTU academics continue alongside the service period. February March Students do progress presentations in class to an audience of their peers, the partners they are working with and the NTU academics. Catch up meetings with all partners to assess progress with projects and address any issues. Steering Group Meeting with partner organisations to address issues mid-way through projects. End of term two. Easter break: students unlikely to be available for service learning activities for 2 weeks. April May Term three starts. Students continue working on projects with partner organisations and in workshops at the university. Celebratory Poster Presentation Event at NTU: students present their projects in poster format to partner organisations and invited guests. Students submit an individual reflective report of their service learning experience and submit the product for the partner organisation. June Steering Group Meeting to evaluate the projects just completed. Assessment As Service Learning operates on 3 different courses and at both undergraduate and postgraduate level the assessments vary. In the coming academic year we are hoping to align the assessment more closely on all courses so that all service learning students are assessed (either formatively or summatively) via: A group presentation reporting on progress so far (with the involvement of partner organisation to give feedback) A public poster presentation event to which partners are invited along with other internal and external guests An individual report reflecting on the learning that has taken place during the service experience A product for partner organisations which will be submitted to the university as well as delivered to the partner.
Who we worked with in 2015/16 Organisation Catch 22 A charity working with troubled and vulnerable people, helping them to steer clear of crime or substance misuse, do the best they can in education or employment and play a full part in their family or community. Community Cohesion Team, Nottingham City Council Part of the local authority, working to build good relationships between diverse communities in the city. Double Impact Services A local charity supporting and promoting recovery for people who have experienced drug and/or alcohol issues Emmanuel House A charity supporting homeless, vulnerable or isolated adults in and around Nottingham. Family Lives A charity supporting parents and families. Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME) Gedling Borough Council A local authority providing a range of public services to the Gedling area in the county of Nottinghamshire Service Learning Project Develop and evaluate activities to be part of the National Citizens Service programme for 16 and 17 year olds. Research project to understand the experiences and awareness of new & emerging communities of hate crime. To build on findings from last year s service learning project, to engage students with Café Sobar, an alcohol free venue in the city and then evaluate the impact of attending the event on attitudes to alcohol. Research to establish the cost of keeping someone homeless. Research to help in the development of the Teen Boundaries programme in secondary schools and youth settings across Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire. Research to identify how issues surrounding animal experimentation can be incorporated into the curriculum. Activities to engage with schools and academies to identify what types of resources they would find most useful and how they should be delivered. Research to explore local residents and communities concerns and priority areas as public sector funding reduces.
Himmah A grass roots charity working on poverty, education & race Mojatu Foundation Limited Transforming individuals and communities by empowering them to tackle social issues affecting them and creating sustainable change. Nottingham MENCAP Charity working with learning disabled people & their families in the city and county Nottingham Citizens A broad based alliance of local faith, education, trade union & other bodies working together for the common good of Nottingham. Nottinghamshire Police Nottingham City Council Public Health, Nottinghamshire Police & Nottinghamshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre Nottingham City Council Public Health Nottingham Trent Students Union (NTSU) POW Nottingham Ltd A non-profit, voluntary organization supporting the rights of sex workers and those at risk of being exploited. Roots Up A community organisation based in Hate Crime Project; interviews with taxi drivers around racially & religiously motivated attacks whilst at work. Secondary research on organisations criticising ant-fgm (female genital mutilation) activities, laws, funding and campaigns. Hate Crime Project; evaluating impact and effectiveness of MENCAP s work around disability hate crime. Engaging with the local Muslim population to explore barriers to their participation in public life in order to inform the national Commission in to Islam, Participation & Public Life. Primary research to establish current satisfaction levels within the Volunteer Police Cadet (VPC) programme. Develop a campaign and communications strategy to disseminate key messages around: consent, keeping yourself and your friends safe, where to access help and advice. Research to explore students attitudes to and knowledge of intimate partner abuse, including control, manipulation and violence in order to inform service provision. Research to explore student engagement in academic representative elections. Research and development to enable POW s online presence to be enhanced. To engage in one-to-one listening conversations with young people in
the Sneinton Market area aiming to connect and empower local people and uplift the economic, environmental and social life of the area. Salaam Shalom Kitchen (SaSh) A joint Muslim-Jewish community kitchen feeding those in need SEND A community project to engage young people and vulnerable adults in creative experiences, inspiring them to raise their aspirations, overcome barriers and realise their potential. Spiral (part of family care) A children s charity working with adoption, safeguarding, domestic abuse and bereavement Superkitchens! A social eating project using surplus food from supermarkets to prepare healthy and cheap food in social settings. Switch Up CIC A local charity working to empower Nottingham's young people, children and young adults to break the cycle of offending and reoffending. the area to find out what they d like to see happening in their area and to engage them in these activities. Desk and primary research to understand how soup kitchens and similar groups work, where they are and how they are funded and operated. Research to explore people s relationship with their community centres and their engagement in community development. And to identify ways of empowering local people to take part in the development of their community as active members rather than passive recipients. Primary and secondary research to understand how childhood bereavement is construed and dealt with from different cultural standpoints. Qualitative and quantitative research to gather evidence of the social impact of Superkitchens. Research in to the impact of Switch Up s work to inform the organisation s future development