Taking the Learning from Service-learning into the Post-college World

• In Event: 453 - Section on Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Paper Session. Practicing Public Sociology

Abstract

January 2016 marks the tenth year that Virginia Wesleyan College (VWC) has hosted a week-long on-campus emergency homeless shelter during our short Winter Session. This is a student-initiated, student-run project that serves the homeless, raises awareness and dispels myths about homelessness, and reflects VWC’s mission. This research is a qualitative assessment from alumni who, as students, held Shelter Manager roles. The focus is the transferrable-skill development of these former student Managers. Data collection is still underway at this writing and will close in mid-January 2016. Initial analyses suggest that all former Managers think about the Shelter with some regularity and each has continued their involvement with Shelter after graduation. Several report specific examples of on-going impacts of Shelter in their current lives. Reported outcomes include changed stereotypes and broader world views, as well as the development of transferable skills including interpersonal skills, leadership, and teamwork. Research findings provide an assessment of the shelter experience and Manager position specifically, and contribute to the scarcity of literature on long-term outcomes of service learning more broadly.

Authors

• Kathy Shepherd Stolley, Virginia Wesleyan College

• Takeyra Collins, Virginia Wesleyan College