By De’Ja Cleveland

Service Learning is great way to get the student body to participate in community work. Hilbert College Blueprint requires all sophomore students to participate in a Service Learning project, as it is a requirement for graduation.

Various service learning projects are incorporated into a student’s chosen course. One example is the Criminal Law and Justice class taught by Mark Paoni. The class is creating a hurricane relief drive for the victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma as their service learning project for the fall semester. Hilbert College not only does service learning in the community of Hamburg, they also do service learning projects abroad. Rachel Wozniak the Assistant Director for Center

Hilbert College not only does service learning in the community of Hamburg, they also do service learning projects abroad. Rachel Wozniak, the Assistant Director for Center of Career and Community Engagement, gives some insight on what service learning is all about as well as the valuable experience students receive from service learning. Wozniak is also the Service Learning Coordinator for Hilbert College.

Wozniak explains that service learning is important because it “provides students with hands-on experience with what they are learning in the classroom,” and that “service learning exemplifies the Franciscan values.” Service learning helps students to view what is happening in the real world. Wozniak states that “Service learning is mutually beneficial to tie to what the student is learning in the course and benefit the community partner”. The main goal of involving students with service learning is to have them interact with other age groups, diversity, as well as individuals from different backgrounds.

Service learning helps students to be aware of what is happening in the real world. Wozniak states, “Service learning is mutually beneficial to tie to what the student is learning in the course and benefit the community partner.” The main goal of involving students with service learning is to experience diversity and have them interact with people of different ages and backgrounds.

Current Community Partners include:

Ten Lives Club

Unyts

Peaceprints Prison Ministry of WNY

Make-A-Wish of WNY

It Happened to Alexa Foundation

Gateway Longview

Care for Creation, Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph

Resurrection Life Food Pantry

Sadie’s Safe Harbor

OPWDD- Pine Street Day Hab

Compass House

Catholic Charities- Lackawanna Food Pantry

Most Precious Blood Youth Ministry

Buffalo Peace Prints

National Missing and Unidentified Persons System

Cornerstone Manor

Journey’s End

Society of St. Vincent DePaul

Little Portion Friary

Teacher’s Desk

Elderwood @ Hamburg

Ronald McDonald House

As of the fall 2017 semeste, there are 12 courses involved with Service Learning, with 198 students enrolled in the courses.

If you have any questions, you may contact Rachel Wozniak

Email: rwozniak@hilbert.edu

Phone: (716) 926-8929

Office: Fran Hall Rm.104