Course Description
- Fall 2017
- AFS 283 Community Service
- Prof. Tracey Walters
- SBS S249
- Course Meets 4:00-6:00
The Stony Brook University AFS 283 Community Outreach Mentoring Program, in partnership with Tri Community and Youth Agency, is a mentoring program designed to provide academic support and guidance for “at risk” students from underserved neighborhoods, through group discussions, classroom instruction, guest speakers, and one-on-one mentoring sessions.Through field experience, readings, research, and discussion, students focus on social and educational problems relating primarily to the African-American and Latinx experience. Tri-Community students travel by bus to Stony Brook.
- Prequisites: None
- Satisfies: SBC objective EXP+
Course Learning Objectives
- Develop leadership skills
- Build communication skills
- Hone team building skills
Goals
- Productive, bi-monthly meetings with students.
- Create stimulating programming to hold student interest.
- Make meaningful connections with students.
- Provide ample opportunities for the students to gain knowledge about the college experience at SBU and elsewhere.
Course Requirements
This course requires you to have access to blackboard. We have a number of lessons that require you to participate in discussion boards.
Course Readings
- Rhodes, Jean. Stand By Me: The Risks and Rewards of Mentoring
- Miller, Carol. Mentoring Teens: A Resource Guide
- Sapphire PUSH
- Carlson, Marvin Tyrell
Expected Conduct
- You must attend the mandatory orientation.
- You are required to complete on-line assignments
- You MUST attend at least 4 out of 5 meetings with the mentees. Continuity is key. It is important to show your mentors that you are committed to the program and invested in their success.
- You must record your reflections about your encounters with the students in a journal.
- You are required to read all course material.
- You must meet with your group to complete your curriculum design and debrief after meetings.
- If you encounter a problem while working one-on-one with your mentee, please alert a Peer Leader or Tri community Rep (Martine or Linda Leake).
- For legal purposes, please do not share your personal emails, social media addresses, or telephone numbers with mentees.
- Do not use your electronic devices and try to avoid leaving class for the rest room.
Evaluation
Your grade for this course is based on your attendance (25%), your participation in the curriculum development (25%), your journal (25%), and your participation with the students (25%).
Programming
You will be required to read the assigned texts and complete the on-line assignments.
After orientation, you will spend the first three weeks of the semester being trained. The training will be both on-line and in person.
You will be provided with models from past years and guidance from your professor and Peer Leaders.
After training, you will begin developing the curriculum.
You will be put into a group with one experienced peer leader.
The class meets from 4:00-6:00. The first ten minutes is reserved for your group members to ensure you are prepared for the mentees. Ideally, we’ll spend at least 30 mins at the beginning or ending of each class with students working one-on-one with mentors.
Meeting Dates
- Sept 06: Read Rhodes, HW #1: Stand By Me and *In Person Orientation SBS 249
- Sept 13: On-Line instruction and read Miller: Mentoring Teens HW#2
- Sept 20: *In person class SBS 249
- Sept 27: First meeting with mentees (examples: ice-breakers, determine student readiness, tours one-one-one)
- Oct 04: Mentees Group A (design curriculum)
- Oct 11: On-line Sapphire: PUSH
- Oct 18: Mentees Group B (design curriculum)
- Oct 25: On-line HW#3, Sapphire: PUSH
- Nov 01: Mentee Group A (design curriculum)
- Nov 08: On-Line Carlson Tyrell
- Nov 15: Mentees Group B (design curriculum)
- Nov 22: Mentees Final Day
Homework
- Sept 06: Write a reflection paper on Rhodes approach to mentoring (2 pages)
- Sept 13: Write a response paper summarizing Miller’s objectives for mentoring youth (2 pages)
- Oct 11: Write a reflection paper on Sapphire’s PUSH
- Nov 23: Submit journal
Disability Support Services (DSS)
If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go to the following website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities
Academic Integrity
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Technology & Management, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/
Critical Incident Management
Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures.