Course Meeting Time
Fall 2009
Tuesdays 4:00pm – 7:00pm

Course Description
This course introduces you to the practice of Community Service Learning—including how to engage effectively with a community through its people and organizations and how to learn deeply from that experience.  In this course you will encounter and learn from people who have different experiences, opinions, racial and ethnic and class backgrounds from yourself and you will get to know yourself better. You will develop skills for experiential learning and for taking charge of your own education—including observation, journaling, and learning circles—that you can use during your UMass education and beyond. This is a four-credit course that fulfills the Interdisciplinary and U.S. Diversity Gen. Ed. requirements.

Section Description: Health Disparities
This section will focus on social inequalities which have an impact nationally on the health and wellness of individuals and communities, with a specific focus on communities in Western Massachusetts. Some topics we will cover include teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and violence. These issues will be explored from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Service Details
Students will be required to participate in a minimum of 30 hours of service with a local community organization. Actual time will vary depending on placement and organization needs.

How to Sign Up
You cannot register for this course on SPIRE. Course registration is by application only. Please review and complete the course application and submit it to the Office of Community Service Learning in 610 Goodell Building.

Instructor Information
Gloria DiFulvio
gloria@honors.umass.edu