Course Meeting Time
Fall 2009
Tuesday/Thursday 4:00pm - 6:30pm

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 course fulfills the Interdisciplinary and U.S. Diversity Gen. Ed. requirements.

Section Description: Mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters
Do you have a little time to make a big difference in the life of a child?  Would you like to learn more about mentoring?  In this course you can do both!  You will study the history of mentoring and consider theories of youth development and best practices in mentoring. You will also critically examine your own assumptions and beliefs in order to better understand your interactions with your Little Brother or Sister and their family.  Through this course, you will develop skills as a mentor and for working in a variety of social service settings. 

Students who are already mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters may enroll in this course. 

How to Sign Up
You cannot register for this course on SPIRE. Course registration is by application only.

Enrollment (including application, interview, and background check) must be completed before the Fall semester begins.  Start the process now by downloading the application and contacting instructor Tom McGuire at Big Brothers Big Sisters at (413) 253-2591 or tmcguire@chd.org. 

Instructor Information
Tom McGuire,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County
(413) 253-2591
tmcguire@chd.org