Curriculum Essentials

INVS 3000: Innovative Approaches to Contemporary Issues Through Service Learning

This course explores creative approaches for solving complex social and environmental issues.  Students analyze the root causes if issues, explore theoretical and historical contexts, and develop understanding of effective and responsible approaches to change.  This course has a requirement of community service.  Approved for Arts and Sciences core curriculum: Contemporary Societies. Recommended: upper-division status.

• Relate to daily life
• Do experiential activities
• Do collective activities
• Encourage critical thinking
• Provide student choice within structured options
• Be interactive
• Have guests and field trips
• Share personal stories
• Generate small group discussion
• Practice student facilitation
• Be creative

Essential Knowledge:

• Understand participatory education
• Examine the root causes of issues impacting contemporary societies, such as peace, population, and 1-2 issues chosen by students
• Analyze the theoretical and historical contexts of change as related to specific social and environmental issues
• Explore how social change as related to specific social and environmental issues occurs.
• Compare and contrast innovative U.S. and international approaches to change (including the arts, technology and education)

Essential Skills:

• Entering communities responsibly (includes doing one's homework, informational interviewing and committing)
• Exiting communities responsibly (includes appreciation, celebration, and evaluation)
• Critical analysis
• Reflection
• Public speaking and presenting
• Nonviolent tactics, such as art
• Education
• Technology

Essential Experiences:

• Community service with a community-based organization addressing issues of peace, population and 1-2 issues chosen by students
• Sense of community in class
• Social and environmental tactic teach-in