At SUNY Buffalo State, service-learning courses offer the opportunity to extend learning beyond the walls of the classroom. This form of experiential learning is incorporated into many classes on campus. Faculty in various departments have converted their courses to include community-engaged activities in the curriculum. You can now search for service-learning designated courses on Banner! Choose "SERVICE-LEARNING DESIGNATED" from the "attribute type" dropdown menu on the search page.
Service-learning takes many forms in many different departments with many community partners. Below are some great service-learning snapshots of courses offered at Buffalo State.
Students hold a Global Book Hour that includes reading in small groups, a healthy snack, and an art activity at Wegmans' Amherst Street location. Here, SUNY Buffalo State students are reading One Green Apple by Eve Bunting to children.
Students from these two courses and Lafayette High School's 7th and 9th grade Bridges Program for multilingual immigrant and refugee youth representing at least 15 nations used the Burchfield Penney art installation, "Taking Tea," as a catalyst to connect students in a collaborative service-learning project that explored artistic concepts through critical thinking and kinesthetic activities. Activities culminated in student-developed stories told through dance and costume elements. Watch this service-learning project in action video!
The goal of this course is to educate students in and out of the classroom about the multi-layer challenges related to poverty in America. To better understand the realities of poverty, students complete 20 hours of service with an agency that supports members of the community with services related to housing, food assistance, education, at-risk youth, and the elderly.
Each semester, students organize need-based clothing drives at various locations on and off campus to collect clothes for the refugees residing on the West Side of Buffalo and they set up a retail store setting to hold a clothing giveaway at a community center. The students call this service-learning project “New World, New Wardrobe” to help refugees build a new life in the United States.
In this course, students work with community partners to creatively solve challenges at the organization. In the past, students have worked with their community partner on special events and created developmental games to engage youth in learning math, science, and social studies.
Students work individually to write public relations and marketing materials for community partners. The materials include press releases, brochures, flyers, social media, and newsletter pieces.
In this course, students are provided the opportunity to use course concepts related to health and wellness to educate community members. Students educate youth, families, and elderly on basic ways to live a healthy lifestyle.
In this course, students utilize their video production talents to create short documentaries for community organizations across the city of Buffalo. See more of their documentaries on YouTube.
MST 623 - 480: Digital Museum Collections. Instructor: Professor Noelle Wiedemer
In this course, students survey and practice how museums utilize new technologies to transform internal practices and communication with varied audiences though access to collections, exhibitions, and public programs. Learn more about their unique service-learning project on Spectrum News.
