Above, <strong>Wayne</strong> <strong>State</strong> students involved in the Habitat for Humanity spring breakproject included, front row from left: Stefanie Siedschlag, Christina Rutten, LauraPeterson, Lisa Lange and Erin Granberg. Second row: Nick Tramp, NessaPeterson, Lark Cunningham and Sister Jeremias Lee. Not pictured is Mark Hammer,advisor (photo by Mark Hammer).At right: Students participating in the plastic recycling project on campus are, fromleft, Brent Janzen, Jared Jansen, Jerry Liewer and Mark Ayers.Service Learning an Important Aspect of ClassesService learning, a teaching/learningmethod that connects meaningfulcommunity service with academic learning,personal growth and civic responsibility, ispart of a growing number of courses at<strong>Wayne</strong> <strong>State</strong> <strong>College</strong>.During the 2000-’01 academic year,service-learning coordinators Dr. JeanKarlen and Jon Kendall worked withfaculty members to plan service-learningprojects for their classes. “Service learninggrew markedly this year with at least 15projects undertaken by 14 facultymembers,” said Karlen. “Eleven facultymembers submitted applications for subgrants to the Nebraska Consortium forService-learning in Higher Education toassist in integrating projects into theirclasses. Whether funded or not, manyfaculty members undertook projects ontheir own.”Service-learning projects includedhuman resource management classes taughtby Dr. Patricia Arneson, in which threegroups of students wrote Personnel PolicyHandbooks for employers in the northeastNebraska area. Students interviewedemployers several times regarding their8policies, desired handbook style, andpresented the completed handbook to them.Another project was headed by Dr.Mark Hammer, associate professor, math/science. Several service-learningexperiences involving resourcesustainability were completed in the firstsemester. Students in EnvironmentalConcerns for General Education providedthe background for initiating a reusable cupprogram and for reducing food waste at thecampus food service. Students alsodeveloped an infrastructure to begin aplastic bottle and white paper recyclingprogram.A third project involved students in Dr.Tami Worner’s Pre-calculus Topics class.The premise for the service-learning projectwas to change a perceived negative attitudetoward mathematics that is often passeddown from parents and teachers to theirchildren and students.To begin to change this attitude, Dr.Worner’s class led mathematical activitiescentered on children’s stories to children inthe <strong>Wayne</strong> Head Start program. Forexample, the story “The Doorbell Rang” byPat Hutchins dealt with dividing a setnumber of cookies among friends. Thedoorbell would ring, bringing more friendsand necessitating dividing the cookiesagain. WSC students replicated thisactivity with the Head Start children,introducing the concept of division.Responses to the above-mentioned andother campus projects have been verypositive, with more activities being plannedfor next year. In addition, <strong>Wayne</strong> <strong>State</strong><strong>College</strong> has been selected as a “LeaderCampus” for a national pilot projectdesigned to promote teaching as aprofession. The program, called the“Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative,” providesan opportunity for college students tobecome part of a mentoring relationshipwith a high school student who has shownan interest in or a talent for teaching.“Service-learning initiatives are animportant part of our <strong>College</strong> mission andgoals,” said Dr. Sheila Stearns, WSCpresident. “Not only do students learnacademic concepts in the classroom; theyalso are given opportunities to use whatthey learn in their classes to help meet theneeds of individuals and communities inour region.”WSC Magazine <strong>Summer</strong> 01810/2/01, 2:48 PM
Graduate Brings History to Life for His Students“This is What ServiceLearning is All About”When WSC graduate Gerald D. “Jerry”Meyer read an article about the late AndrewJackson Higgins in the Omaha World-Herald on June 6, 2000, little did he knowthat it would lead him and his historystudents at Columbus High School on anexcellent adventure in service learning.“It was an article about a Nebraskanative who set thecourse for World WarII,” said Meyer. “Ihad just finished[Stephen] Ambrose’sbook on D-Day andwas very familiar withthe name Higgins--come to find out thatJerry Meyerhe’s from Columbus.”The Higgins boat, ashallow draft boat that Higgins designed andmass-produced during World War II, wascredited by the late Gen. Dwight D.Eisenhower as being a major factor in theAllied victory.“As I watched a program about theHiggins boat on C-SPAN, the idea stuck fora service-learning project,” Meyer said.“Dr. Barb Black really introduced thepractical application of such a learning styleover the course of my master’s program at<strong>Wayne</strong> <strong>State</strong>.” Fellow CHS teacher JanellMustard agreed to participate in the project.Over the summer, Meyer set upguidelines for the program, contactedHiggins’s two daughters to get theirpermission for the project, and asked Gov.Mike Johanns to sign a proclamation makingAugust 28, the birth date of Higgins,“Andrew Jackson Higgins Day” in Nebraska.“The obvious question my students hadwas, ‘If he’s so famous, why don’t we have amemorial for him in Columbus?’ The ideaof a memorial started there,” Meyer said.“At first, they brainstormed and looked atother memorials. They wanted somethingmore unique than a stone and plaque in thepark. They really put a lot of brain power onthe subject.”The classes formed six committees forvarious aspects of the project and assignedchairpersons. A local architectural firmdonated the time and money to create theplans for the memorial.“This was all student-driven,” Meyersaid. “They wanted a memorial that wouldput a ‘star’ on the map next to Columbussaying ‘Birthplace of Andrew JacksonHiggins.’ We capped them out at $100,000for a budget, and off they went to work!They have been active in the communityinterviewing vets, collecting information,fund-raising, appearing on radio shows andmore.”One of the most unique aspects of theproject is the collection of sand samples from51 beaches around the world where theHiggins boat was employed during WorldWar II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. Thestudents on the “sand” committee sent lettersand e-mails around the world asking for helpwith the project. After they received wordback from individuals willing to help, theysent a small container for sand samples alongwith a disposable camera to photograph thebeaches where the Higgins boat landed.A highlight of the year-long project wasa bus trip to New Orleans last March whenstudents, veterans, and WSC assistantprofessor Maureen Carrigg visited the D-DayMuseum and met with Higgins’s daughters.They also visited Higgins’s grave site,becoming the first large group to honorHiggins since his death in 1952. Carrigg ishelping the CHS documentary committeeproduce a documentary entitled, “TheNebraska Noah.”One of the most exciting events cameon May 10 when Gov. Johanns traveled toColumbus High School to receive a briefingon the project by all six committees. Alsopresent for the occasion were a number ofveterans who had served on a Higgins boatduring their military service as well as otherlocal dignitaries.“Meeting the governor was a definitehighlight,” Meyer said. “So much hashappened since he signed that proclamationlast year.” And more is to come. InAugust, a parade and dedication of thememorial are planned for the city’sColumbus Days celebration. The Higginsmemorial will be in Pawnee Park inColumbus.Meyer, who received a master’s degreein education at WSC’s Maycommencement, has an enthusiasticsupporter in Dr. Barb Black. “This isexactly what service-learning is supposed tobe,” she said. “Jerry has done a tremendousjob. His students will take this experiencewith them for the rest of their lives.”Left: Students in Jerry Meyer’shistory classes presented a briefingon the Higgins project to Gov. MikeJohanns at Columbus High Schoolin May. Each of the six committeesgave a report.Below: Area veterans are shownbeaches around the world where theHiggins boat was deployed.<strong>Wayne</strong> <strong>State</strong> Magazine 9WSC Magazine <strong>Summer</strong> 01910/2/01, 2:48 PM