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SSD21: The Importance of Service-Learning in the Virtual Classroom: How Sustainability Could Become an Educational Trend at ACC
Hours: 1
Service-Learning is a form of Experiential Learning that engages students in experiential learning that integrates community service into the curriculum and objectives of a course. These courses are reciprocally beneficial; students work toward addressing community identified needs through service experiences with community partners, while structured in-class reflections aid them in developing a deeper understanding of how disciplinary knowledge connects to and influences the world around them.
Service-Learning as a practice aligns with Austin Community College’s mission to implement high impact practices and increase student engagement. The Office of Experiential Learning’s Service-Learning Program functions to standardize best practices for service-learning across the college through faculty development programs, campus wide events, and support with project implementation. The information and resources in this lib-guide are intended for all faculty, both as an introduction to the practice and as a resource repository for faculty who are ready and trained for service-learning implementation.
Dr. Keen has been implementing a Service-Learning component in her classroom since the Fall of 2020, after completing the Summer Institute for Service-Learning in the Summer of 2020. She has been working with the ACC Office of Energy & Sustainability to implement unique projects for her students, which build on the foundation of sustainability in her Introduction to Environmental Science class.
About the Presenter(s):
Dr. Elena Keen has spent the past 15 years involved in the more intricate details of coastal zone management issues, taking an interdisciplinary approach through law, marine science, and community engagement. She recently completed her Ph.D. in Coastal and Marine System Science at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her dissertation research reviewed offshore oil and gas decommissioning strategies and rigs-to-reefs programs in the Gulf of Mexico, with an emphasis on financial liability and cost estimation. She holds a master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Science from the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where she also became an avid SCUBA diver. As a diver, she was introduced to film and its ability to translate information between marine science and the public, and has since co-founded and hosted numerous film festivals. Prior to her time in the Virgin Islands and Texas, she spent six years working in environmental litigation at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, PC in Washington, D.C. She currently lives in Austin, Texas, and has started her own consulting firm, providing expert assistance on complex coastal zone management matters on a national and international level.
Dr. Keen was a Professor as a Doctoral Student at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, Texas, and she enjoys inspiring students. When she came to Austin, Texas, she connected with Austin Community College to maintain that connection with a learning institution. Because of her background in experiential learning from her time in the Virgin Islands, bringing service-learning into her remote classroom has proved to be successful.
Since 2009 Andy Kim has been the Director of Energy & Sustainability at ACC, with responsibility for a wide range of District’s sustainability efforts, including waste reduction and recycling, sustainable transportation, renewable energy generation and managing District’s carbon footprint, as well as working on the green building projects. During those years, Andy helped ACC to achieve 4 new LEED campuses with Silver and Gold ratings and over 1MW renewable energy portfolio.
Andy has a master’s degree in Architectural Planning & Environment; he is a registered architect, certified energy manager and LEED accredited professional.
Before Andy joined ACC, Andy has had a varied architectural career covering a range of sectors, including one of the first LEED Platinum buildings, Ronald McDonald House of Central Texas in Mueller Development in Austin Texas.
To access the online workshop, go to the workshop schedule on the Summer Software Day webpage and click the "Connect" button next to the workshop on the day of the conference. Click here to view the full list of SSD workshops!
If any accommodations are needed for this workshop, please email facdev@austincc.edu as soon as possible but at least five days before the workshop. Please include the name of the workshop. You will be contacted by a member of our staff to discuss your specific needs. |
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