As a reading tutor volunteer, El Camino College child development major Wendy Rodriguez looks forward to planning lessons and assisting young students in her community. She works one-on-one with a student who made significant progress in reading and comprehension, a definite highlight of her experience. And while Rodriguez's student was gaining new skills and knowledge, she was too.
"Not only did my student learn from me, but I also learned from him," said Rodriguez, who participated in the Reading Partners tutoring program at William Green Elementary School in Lawndale. "I learned how to find new ways to support my students and help them focus during the lesson plan."
Rodriguez gained career experience while helping others through the service learning program at ECC, a component of the college's Human Development Department. Research shows that these courses help students develop the qualities needed to reach education and career goals and that students who take such courses are more successful in their college classes. The courses connect academics with volunteer participation in nonprofit community organizations. Students can help with tutoring, assist in after-school programs, volunteer at senior centers, community centers, food banks and animal rescues, or participate in any other volunteer activity in a structured setting.
The El Camino College service learning program also helps students determine a major and set a career path.
"I was undecided about my major, but after volunteering, it made me sure that I wanted to help kids who needed it," said Rodriguez. "This opportunity also helped me achieve my own academic goals because if I was able to help a student achieve his goals, I had no excuse to not achieve my own. Thankfully, by pushing myself the same way I would push my student to do his best, I passed all my classes with As, and I felt so proud being able to meet my goals."
Each year, students in El Camino College's Human Development Department volunteer more than 5,000 hours in approximately 30 community organizations. They focus on areas related to food and housing scarcity; children, education, and youth groups; animals and the environment; and seniors and wellness. Since 2007, El Camino College students have volunteered more than 50,000 hours to ECC and the South Bay community.
"Service learning is a powerful catalyst for change as our students discover new career paths, work shoulder-to-shoulder with dedicated leaders in our community, and discover the significant impact they can have as they serve the community," said Kristie Daniel-DiGregorio, a professor in the Human Development Department who was among the first to incorporate service learning into her teaching in 2007. "Our college can be proud of how students in the Human Development Department support the college mission to 'make a positive difference in people's lives.'"
Service learning can include different assignments, but they all share the common goal to apply the concepts of the course to a real-life situation, gain personal insights, and provide valuable service to benefit the community. Some of the organizations ECC partners with include: Reading Partners, Lawndale Garden Education Program, Mychal's Learning Place, Milestone Hospice, Lovejoy Foundation, Gardena Retirement Center, and ECC's Warrior Pantry and blood drive efforts.
Keyana Clark-Henderson is a computer engineering student who volunteers with the El Camino College Warrior Pantry. This on-campus resource assists ECC students facing food and housing insecurities by providing supplemental nutritious food and toiletries, and connects students to various resources. Clark-Henderson said getting to know ECC students and others helping at the pantry are the best parts of her volunteer work. In addition, she sees crossover benefits among her volunteer activities and academics.
"My major is computer engineering, so there will be projects that require partnering with others," she added. "Since the pantry requires communication to keep it organized, it helped me familiarize myself with the act of asking for help and relying on others to accomplish a common task. Volunteering at the pantry improved my self-esteem and interdependence. As a reserved person, I was hesitant to talk with students, but by including me into their conversations, my co-workers helped me open up, which helped me enjoy the best part of the pantry: a place where students feel welcomed and can engage in friendly conversations."