Students impacting the world, one project at a time
The concept of providing service to the community is intricately woven into Donnelly’s history. Service Learning is also an important component of our educational model and aligns with our identity as a Catholic institution. We are proud of the engaged, enlightened and involved students who grace our halls. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of service initiatives they’ve participated in over the past academic year: August The Bloch Service Project is an integral part of New Student Orientation, where incoming first-year and transfer students are challenged to make the connection between their academic pursuits and giving back to the local community. Donnelly provided over 150 hours of service to Catholic Charities of NE Kansas, El Centro, Inc.’s Academy for Children and Sisters Servants of Mary during this campus-wide day of service. September Along with medical professionals from the University of Kansas Medical Center, Donnelly’s Practical Nursing students administered over 120 flu shots and provided health screenings for members of our community–free of charge at Donnelly’s Fall 2013 Feel Good Fair. The event also brought together health-related resources and medical providers from the local community to offer individuals and families information on physical, mental and spiritual wellness. October In an effort to encourage kids to keep reading, students in Donnelly’s Preparatory Education Program worked with Communities in Schools of NE Kansas to conduct two Read-Ins at M.E. Pearson Elementary. With financial support from the Kansas Volunteer Commission and Target®, Donnelly students provided free book bags and books to over 500 students. Letters to parents, sharing practical ways to help ensure the academic success of their child(ren) through reading, were also included. November After working with fourth graders from Resurrection Catholic School to learn about the history and celebration of All Saints Day and All Soul’s Day, Donnelly’s Library Club (DLAC) helped the students create objects to adorn the Día de Los Muertos community altar on campus in honor of deceased loved ones. December Donnelly students teamed up with Phoenix Family Housing and created over 160 holiday care packages for the senior residents of Nowlin Hall – a low-income, independent living community for elderly and disabled adults in Kansas City, MO. January To commemorate America’s National Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Donnelly students conducted an after-school activity focusing on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington with middle school students from the Boys & Girls of Club of Wyandotte County. February Donnelly students served breakfast to over 185 people at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church located just down the street from Donnelly’s campus. March Students enrolled in an upper level English for Academic Purposes course were asked to share an aspect of their home country/culture with the third grade classes at M.E. Pearson Elementary School. Donnelly students gave their initial presentations and returned a week later to share foods from their country of origin – emphasizing to local the third graders the wealth of diversity we have in our community. April Members of Donnelly’s Healthy Student Organization led teens from Wyandotte High School to serve at Revolve KC – a bike shop located in downtown Kansas City, KS that encourages healthy lifestyles and affordable, earth-friendly transportation by repairing and selling donated bikes. May For a third year, Donnelly sent a delegation of students and staff members to the heart of Guatemala to serve at the Sangre de Cristo Health Care Project. Along with a partnering delegation from Newman University (Wichita, KS), students and staff worked with locals to construct a latrine, demonstrated healthy oral hygiene habits to kids, and learned about the contamination of local water resources due to invasive mining. YEAR ROUND PROJECTS Fall 2013 Donnelly’s Gateway to College students enrolled in College and Career Success, hosted The Learning Club of KCK – an enrichment program for local elementary and middle school students. Gateway students lead their younger pupils through activities that asked each child to identify a profession they hoped to become when they were older. Spring 2014 As a part of the College’s Earth Day activities, Donnelly’s academic honor society - Phi Theta Kappa - rolled out a plan to provide recycling throughout DC’s campus. Thanks to the students in the honor society and Donnelly’s General Ethics course, receptacles for collecting recyclables are located in hallways, offices, residence halls, and in the College’s Bistro. | THE FOLLOWING FALL 2013/SPRING 2014 COURSES ENGAGED IN SERVICE LEARNING: The Art & Practice of Community Leadership Instructors: Dr. Susan Keim, Carol Marinovich & Pat Brune Chicano Experience Instructor: Donette Alonzo College and Career Success Instructors: Paul Mobiley & Andrea Tucker Elementary Art Methods Johnathan Loesch English Composition I & II Dr. Melissa Lenos Freshmen Seminar Lisa Stoothoff & Andrea Tucker General Chemistry/Chemistry I Joe Multhauf General Ethics Sr. Marie Kathleen Daugherty Introduction to Urban Education Dr. Brenda Harris Leadership Fundamentals II Dr. Susan Keim Listening & Speaking Eric Kolkmeier Medical Surgical Nursing I Maureen Wiederholt Reading & Writing Essentials Yvonne Telep & Lisa Stoothoff |