Running head: SERVICE LEARNING

Service Learning Proposal

Amy Polzin
Ferris State University
20 April 2014

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Abstract

As an RN to BSN student at Ferris State University, I am required to complete twenty hours of a

service learning project prior to graduating the program. I will accomplish this by facilitating
service learning hours for Delta College nursing leadership students, who are required to
complete eight hours of service learning, at different organizations among the community. A
leadership nursing instructor at Delta College will oversee my efforts in doing this. The
organizations I am anticipating working with at this time include Old Town Christian Ministries
and Under the Rainbow, a resale shop maintained by the Underground Railroad. In completing
this project, I will achieve many of the program objectives for the RN to BSN program outlined
by Ferris State University. At the completion of this project, I will evaluate my own learning and
the effects of my efforts on the community.

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Service Learning Proposal

As a student in the RN to BSN program at Ferris State University (FSU), I am expected

to complete a service learning project prior to the completion of my program. The purpose of
this paper is to present my proposed plan to fulfill my requirement of twenty hours of service
learning. In professional education, the role of service learning is to provide the student with
applied experience in order to further contribute to their education in every area of the nursing
program. Additionally, the act of providing such service to the community supports the moral
and civic values (Ferris State University [FSU], 2010) at the core of the nursing profession
serving others. The goals of service learning, according to FSUs guidelines (2010), are to
initiate a service learning project, which will provide a health-related service to a community in
need (FSU, 2010) to be completed over the course of the RN to BSN program. This will occur
while working closely with the faculty advisor and the course instructor, and an assignment
identifying personal and professional insights (FSU, 2010) resulting from the accomplished
service learning will be a required expectation of the capstone course (FSU, 2010).
Agency Description and Volunteer Role
For my service learning project, the agency I will primarily be working with is Delta
Community College. Delta College has an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program which
requires each student to complete eight hours of service learning during their final (leadership)
semester. I will be working with Beth Zieman, an instructor of the nursing programs leadership
semester, as a facilitator for her leadership students to complete the volunteer hours required of
the ADN program at Delta College. I will seek out opportunities for her students to complete
their service learning hours. The organizations I am considering at this time are the Old Town
Christina Ministries of Saginaw, which hosts a soup kitchen three days per week and a grocery

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giveaway every Saturday, and the Under the Rainbow Resale shop, which is a resale shop run by
the Underground Railroad to benefit victims of domestic violence. I will then get in touch with
each organization, scheduling a date and time for myself and the students to volunteer there.
Once this is set up, I will meet with the students and give them the opportunity to select one of
the organizations to volunteer with. My hope is that having several options for the students to
choose from will provide them with greater flexibility in scheduling and allow them the
opportunity to participate. I will select a deadline for the students to make a decision on when or
if they will participate in this opportunity. Once the deadline has passed, I will inform each
organization of the expected number of students that will be volunteering on the pre-selected
dates. While the students will be meeting their requirements for service learning, I will also be
present for the duration of each volunteer opportunity in order to fulfill my requirements as well.
Achievement of Program Objectives
FSU has six objectives for the RN to BSN program. These include collaborative
leadership, developing a theoretical base for practice by integrating other fields into nursing,
organizing care for a variety of populations, using the most current evidence based practice to
maintain safety, being an advocate for improving health, and maintaining professionalism while
upholding the values of nursing (FSU, 2011). This service learning project will allow me to meet
these outcomes in a variety of ways. By working with students, I will be taking a leadership role
and collaborating care between the students and the community. Working with the soup kitchen
or grocery give away helps feed those less fortunate, which integrates holistic treatments in that
food keeps people nourished and healthy. Helping with the Underground Railroad resale shop
supports victims of violence, promoting safety amongst the community. In providing service to
these people, I will be working with a diverse grouppeople of many different ages, races,

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cultures, etc. In this project, I will maintain a professional attitude while still keeping in mind
the core of nursingserving others.
Description of Activities
The activities I plan to partake in for my project include an initial introductory meeting
with the Delta College leadership students to explain the options for volunteer service. I will
give them a predetermined amount of time to sign up for a day and time to volunteer, and then I
will notify each organization. While working with the Old Town Christian Ministries, myself
and the students will work at the soup kitchen, serving warm meals to the poverty-stricken
residents in the area. We will also work the grocery give away, which occurs on Saturday, in
giving donated goods to needy individuals in the community. In working with the Underground
Railroads Under the Rainbow resale shop, we will spend time working in the shop which
provides goods to victims of domestic violence. In this project, I hope to improve my
organizational and collaborative skills by organizing the entire project and working with the
students, as well as learn about the needs of the community and what it takes to help. This
service will benefit the community by providing a needwarm meals and clothing. These
organizations are always seeking assistance and volunteers, and I hope to provide them with that
and provide this opportunity to the students, who maybe will continue to help serve their
community even when it is not required of them.
Evaluation Plan
I will evaluate my own learning and the effects of my activities on the community by
witnessing the reaction of the individuals who will benefit from these services. I will also assess
the students response to the services they provided and the contributions they feel they made.
Prior to beginning the project, I will make a list of what I am expecting and whatever pre-

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conceived notions I have about what it will be like to serve the community. After the project has
completed, I will refer to my list and evaluate what has changed, what I was wrong about, what I
learned, and what I wasnt expecting.

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References

Delta College, 1961 Delta Road, University Center, Michigan 48710. (989) 686-9000.
Delta.edu.
Ferris State University. (2010). Service learning requirement; Undergraduate (BSN) programs.
Retrieved April 17, 2014, from
https://fsulearn.ferris.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?
course_id=_9020_1&content_id=_507599_1&framesetWrapped=true#
Ferris State University. (2011). BSN program outcomes. Retrieved April 17, 2014, from
http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/alliedhe/Nursing/BSN-program-outcomes.htm
The Old Town Christian Ministries, 600 Gratiot, Saginaw, MI 48603. (989) 249-8696.
http://www.oldtowncoc.com/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=59
Under the Rainbow Resale Shop - Underground Railroad, Inc. 5645 State St, Saginaw, MI
48603. (989) 249-1924. http://www.undergroundrailroadinc.org/rainbow.html