GU299 Grantham University Week 6 Service Learning Discussion Paper 2

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Peer Review

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Peer review is a skill with practical application. Both the writer and reviewer benefit. Peer review provides the writer with valuable constructive information to strengthen the work, while the reviewer often recognizes strengths and weaknesses in their own writing after reading and responding to a peer.

WEEK 6 ASSIGNMENT:

You were instructed in week 5 to submit a copy of your rough draft to this forum. If you have not done so, please submit a copy as an attachment in a new thread with your name as the subject.

You will also submit two peer reviews to your peers.

REVIEW REQUIREMENTS:

Choose two different peer rough drafts to evaluate – Choose drafts that have not been reviewed yet if available.

Use the peer review rubric to provide constructive feedback, incorporating specific, positive remarks as well as helpful suggestions so your peer can see you genuinely evaluated their rough draft. Peer Review Rubric

You will provide this feedback as an attachment back to the two peer’s rough draft posts.

I will provide 2 drafts to review from different peers.

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Meets or Exceeds Established Assignment Criteria

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An introduction with a clear thesis statement

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Project includes all required topics:

Community Organization, Community Partnerships, Cross-Cultural Challenges, Humanitarian Considerations, Volunteers, Roadblocks, Future Vision, Challenges, and Improvements

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Meets project presentation requirements:

Paper – 5-7 pages

Presentation - 8-10 minutes presentation including visual elements (graphics, pictures, etc.), 150-200 notes per slide, and recorded voice

Speech - 8-10 minutes and a written script of the narrative

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Clearly Presents Well-Reasoned Ideas and Concepts

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Evidence supporting claims cited throughout the project

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Used a minimum of 10 reputable sources

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Quality of Project

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Conclusion

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Provide an overall conclusion and impression of your peer’s paper. What did your peer do right? What could they improve? This should include recommendations and constructive comments to help your peer improve.

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Running Head: MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY Meals on Wheels America and XYZ University: Service Learning To Benefit Students And The Community Ray Moldovan Grantham University 1 MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 2 Meals on Wheels America and XYZ University: Service Learning To Benefit Students And The Community With the United States population of senior citizens set to outpace young people below the age of 18 by the year 2030, the issue of independent living, food security, and general health and welfare for the nation’s elderly is an ever growing concern (US Census Bureau, 2018). With increased mobility of economic opportunity and families being spread out over potentially great distances, more and more elderly people are finding themselves alone in their homes, often without a reliable support network normally provided by family or friends. Meals on Wheels of America (MOWA) and its affiliates have a long track record of making a positive impact in the lives of elderly residents in communities throughout the United States. With over 5,000 grass roots organizations servicing over 2.4 million senior citizens daily, Meals on Wheels provides valuable opportunities for students to learn and grow in a service-learning environment. Because students engaged in service-learning activities are exposed to a wide array of real-world experiences that relate directly to their academic courses of study, while making positive contributions to the communities in which they live, Meals on Wheels organizations are ideal partners in service-learning for XYZ University. While the name implies delivery of food to those in need, the reality is that volunteers who deliver to seniors actually provide three distinct services. Volunteers deliver food, and while doing so; they provide a friendly visit and have the opportunity to perform a safety check. Some seniors report that their only social interaction may come from their Meals on Wheels volunteer. Simply taking a few minutes to visit with the elderly members of the community provides much needed nourishment to their MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 3 psychological well-being, just as the meals provide for their physical well-being. Because volunteers have ongoing interaction with seniors, they also provide routine safety checks, ensuring that medical help or family members are called as situations dictate (Keeping Seniors At Home, n.d.). By remaining engaged with seniors within the community, the community itself is made stronger by ensuring the health and well-being of some of its more vulnerable members. In addition, the reciprocal contact that occurs through service strengthens the bonds of the generations and creates new opportunities for learning and understanding on both sides (Butts, 2003). While many students acknowledge being more engaged in the learning process, and therefore more invested in the subject of their efforts, mandatory service-learning programs may not always provide the lasting results of continued service envisioned (Dienhart, Maruyama, Snyder, Furco, McKay, Hirt, & Huesman 2016). Despite that, the overall value to the student through service-learning, and even more important, to the receiving organizations remains clear. There are distinct, lasting advantages to be had by the implementation of these programs, that otherwise may never be realized (Vizenor, Souza, & Ertmer, 2016). In addition to the direct work that MOWA engages in with its affiliates and clients, it also works to develop relationships with other community partners, thereby increasing its reach and resource base. In the case of Meals on Wheels America (MOWA) the Japanese automaker, Subaru, is a well-known and notable community partner. Subaru dedicates a portion of their sales to service organizations during special events throughout the year, and for the 50th anniversary of MOWA, the company donated 50 of its Outback SUVs to MOWA programs throughout the United States (Subaru, n.d.). MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 4 Students benefit from collaborating with other community partners because of the diverse opportunity for learning that is available and for the social and business networking that takes place during the service learning term. Students may continue the relationships that they develop over time and use them to find employment after they’ve completed their studies or they may even develop relationships that continue their service to community after the service-learning opportunity is complete. In addition, students may be exposed to wide-ranging elements of business operation through collaborations with community partners during the service-learning process. Project management, marketing, and other professional products are some examples of real-world experience that students may gain (Gable, n.d.). Students may also experience various challenges during their service-learning program. The level of academic rigor may not align with students’ expectations, scheduling conflicts may arise that cause a sense of ‘lost time’ and challenges with respect to cultural or socio-economic factors of the target segment of the community may create conflicts for students to overcome (Bielefeldt, & Canney, 2014), (Peters, 2011). In addition to Subaru, Meals on Wheels enjoys a vast array of partnerships; from the Federal and local governments, to other service organizations like the American Red Cross and Friends Life, the impact and influence of Meals on Wheels stretches far and wide, indeed. Taking Friends Life for example, a non-profit organization that focuses on teens and adults with developmental disabilities; helping them to experience their communities more fully through personal and social experiences. With MOWA, Friends Life has the opportunity to bring their focus in line with the seniors that MOWA serves on a daily basis. The contact between the groups benefits both from a social MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 5 developmental perspective and brings two communities together that otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity (Masi, 2017). As in the case of Friends Life, where the program participants volunteer to deliver meals to less-mobile seniors, Meals on Wheels relies on volunteers on a daily basis to keep the mission running. But the mission goes further than just delivering meals. MOWA uses volunteers to help prepare food and in the administration of the organization as well (Why you should volunteer, n.d.). Volunteering supposes a person gives of their time, and engages in a one-way transaction, where the object of the volunteers efforts is the primary beneficiary and no reciprocity takes place. In servicelearning, the servant provides value to the community and the organization, and also gains benefits from those served through greater understanding development of enlightened citizenship, and a higher sense of social justice through engagement with groups that they may not otherwise associate with (Asghar & Rowe, 2017). During the course of the service-learning project, students involved in with MOWA may face barriers to providing effective service. More likely than not, barriers may stem from generational differences. Most of the clients served by MOWA are age 60 and above. This accounts for a significant age-gap between the average MOWA client and service-learner, which may initially present as being an impediment to the service-learning process. On the contrary, the topic of intergenerational study becomes relevant in this context. While most of the research in this subject has to do with intergenerational collaboration in a formal academic environment, with clearly established roles and responsibilities, it is reasonable to envision a service-learner approaching the project with learning in mind. Students may be able to lead the learning MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 6 by exposing clients to new technologies during their visits, in order to better connect seniors with their loved-ones, other community services, or even their primary care providers. Elderly clients have a lifetime of experiences to share with others and students can shape visits that place the client in the role of a teacher. Students may gain new perspective on their own lives in the process. In the end, there will most certainly be an exchange of information and ideas that will serve to enrich the lives of both the student and the client (Whitehouse, 2017). From the perspective of the student, support from the university would ideally take the form of adopting the Age Friendly University model. Developed by the Dublin City University in Ireland and endorsed in partnership by Arizona State University in the United States and Strathclyde University in Scotland, the concept brings in elderly citizens to act as special instructors, mentors, and active participants in the university culture of learning and teaching (Pstross, Corrigan, Knopf, Sung, Talmage, Conroy, & Fowley, 2017). Such a program, while not yet universal, holds a great deal of promise and works effectively to reduce the generational gap, while promoting greater unity among participants. Risks associated with students participating in a service-learning activity with MOWA are no different than what may be encountered on any other day. There is the fact that students will be expected to drive their own vehicles, and they will be operating around new people and in others’ private homes, so from that perspective, there are many opportunities for risk and exposure to the student as well as the client and service organization from injury to interpersonal problems and beyond. Setting that all aside however, from an academic perspective, the risks lie in performance and commitment. While the service-learner is operating within an academic environment, the service being MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 7 performed exists in the “real” world. That means that there are others who will be dependent on the service-learner to follow through on commitments and perform at a competent level (Cyphert, D, 2006). If not, there will be a breakdown in credibility, which may jeopardize future service-learning opportunities the university can offer to its student body. There was no indication in the research that cited an issue with servicelearning efforts and MOWA. While the issue of personal liability between the servicelearner and the client groups serviced by MOWA is clear, poor performance of servicelearners in their tasks results in a reduced level of service that MOWA can provide to its clients. From a social perspective, the issue at hand is that of senior independence and aging with health and dignity. Older Americans face increasing challenges as lifespan increases, and the work that MOWA does promotes greater independence by providing daily, personal visits to their clients. During visits, MOWA volunteers provide nutritionally complete meals for their clients, which supports individual health and increased food security. Volunteers also have the opportunity to observe the clients’ home, noting any hazards that may exist and work to help create safer spaces for their clients. In addition, volunteers get to know their clients and provide much needed social interaction with the homebound elderly residents, which contributes to their overall psychological well-being (Campbell, Godfryd, Buys, & Locher, 2015). A review of the literature indicates that the future of MOWA is not well defined; however, the organization’s own vision and mission statement indicate an on-going commitment to community and serving the elderly population. Of note is the appearance of MOWA’s work with traditional healthcare organizations, where MOWA claims their efforts serve MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 8 to reduce the burden on higher-cost alternatives to senior care. While this is not a stated path for the future of MOWA, it is a valid position in that the daily costs of the MOWA program of a few dollars a day, pales in comparison to that of managed care facilities or even hospitalization. By focusing on this aspect of MOWA’s benefit to the community, they maintain relevance and even broaden their appeal to legislators and the general public, who may not see the longer-term savings by investing in support systems that keep seniors in their homes (Winterton, Warburton, & Oppenheimer, 2013). Despite the lack of evidence of a concrete growth plan by MOWA, it may be inferred that as long as there is an aging population of Americans in need, MOWA appears motivated to answer the call. Student service-learners can support the future of MOWA by taking on research projects that seek to enhance the literature and illustrate the long-term benefits of supporting mobile meal delivery programs to seniors. An obvious challenge that MOWA faces in realizing their future is defining exactly what that is. Their vision statement defines “An America in which all seniors live nourished lives with independence and dignity.” As previously mentioned, it follows that as long as there are senior citizens living in America, MOWA is committed to serving their needs. While this may be a noble aim, the organization reveals little in the way of planning for growth or expansion of its mission. It may be that the vision and mission of MOWA is so well defined and the focus so clear that they have achieved their optimum position in their operating space, but there is no obvious indication to support that claim. Where student service-learners could help would be in the formation and interviewing of focus groups to determine MOWA’s perceived efficacy among its clients and stakeholders. MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 9 A very real challenge that the organization faces is growing and maintaining its volunteer ranks to serve ever-increasing numbers of older Americans. Service-learners would be especially helpful in developing a marketing plan aimed toward their peer generation to promote long-term volunteerism among a younger demographic. According to O’Dwyer and Timonen (2009), a research team in Ireland, the average age of the volunteers studied was approaching that of the clients they served. The challenge to motivate, attract, and retain volunteers is understood and categorized as intrinsically or externally motivated; self-serving or altruistic (MacNeela, 2008). Student learners can help MOWA by conducting additional research as to the motivations of volunteers and develop programs that leverage those motivations to be used by the service organization in its efforts to attract and retain a broad base of support at the point of execution. Finding room for improvement for an organization such as Meals on Wheels America and its affiliates is no small task. In the first place, the national organization has been in existence in its current form since the 1970s, with its founding dating to the 1950s. The organization is clearly successful. The opportunities for improvement lie with the local organizations themselves. It is up to the sponsoring university and the student service-learners to collaborate with these local branches to determine areas most in need of support. Recalling the work of O’Dwyer and Timonen, volunteer attraction and retention stand out as high return on investment when viewed through the lens of students’ time and effort. By ensuring healthy numbers in the volunteer corps, the Meals on Wheels partner organizations are best situated to touch the greatest number of lives on a regular basis. That, in essence, is the mission of MOWA. MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 10 This analysis has discussed the primary mission of Meals on Wheels of America and its affiliate organizations in relative detail. The work these groups do offer numerous opportunities for positive engagement of college students as they near completion of their undergraduate studies, providing a venue where the student may bring the totality of his or her studies to bear on a meaningful project that benefits both the student, as well as the community in which they live. America’s elderly population is growing and as they enter into their advanced years, support systems to maintain their independence, safety, and dignity are sure to become more and more important. As the number of elderly grow, so to do the opportunities for intergenerational learning and development among both students and clients alike. Through service-learning, students will be exposed to a number of different community partners, furthering the learning experience and giving a great deal of real-world knowledge to tie together the students’ academics and service project. Despite any risks associated with service to MOWA, students are supporting its mission to improve the quality of life for seniors and may even have the opportunity to shape the future of the organization during their service. For these reasons and many others, Meals on Wheels organizations are ideal partners in service-learning for XYZ University MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 11 References Asghar, M., & Rowe, N. (2017). Reciprocity and critical reflection as the key to social justice in service learning: A case study. Innovations in Education & Teaching International, 54(2), 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2016.1273788 Bielefeldt, A. R., & Canney, N. (2014). Impacts of Service-Learning on the Professional Social Responsibility Attitudes of Engineering Students. International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering, 9(2), 47–63. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=118175709&si te=ehost-live&authtype=uid&user=grantham&password=research Butts, D. M. (2003). Intergenerational service learning and volunteering. New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 2003(42), 59–69. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=12406357&site =ehost-live&authtype=uid&user=grantham&password=research Campbell, A. D., Godfryd, A., Buys, D. R., & Locher, J. L. (2015). Does Participation in Home-Delivered Meals Programs Improve Outcomes for Older Adults? Results of a Systematic Review. Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics, 34(2), 124-67. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480596/ Cyphert, D. (2006). Real Clients, Real Management, Real Failure: The Risks and Rewards of Service Learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 69(2), 185– 189. https://doi.org/10.1177/108056990606900207 Dienhart, C., Maruyama, G., Snyder, M., Furco, A., McKay, M. S., Hirt, L., & Huesman, R. (2016). The impacts of mandatory service on students in service-learning MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 12 classes. Journal of Social Psychology, 156(3), 305–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2015.1111856 Gerstenblatt, P., & Gilbert, D. J. (2014). Framing Service Learning in Social Work: An Interdisciplinary Elective Course Embedded within a University–Community Partnership. Social Work Education, 33(8), 1037–1053. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2014.935731 Gable, M. (n.d.). What are the benefits of service-learning? Retrieved from http://mclean.olemiss.edu/service-learning-best-practices/ Keeping Seniors At Home, Where They Want To Be. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/signup/aboutmealsonwheels/ MacNeela, P. (2008). The Give and Take of Volunteering: Motives, Benefits, and Personal Connections among Irish Volunteers. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations, 19(2), 125–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-008-9058-8 Masi, A. (2017, November 07). Service learning spotlight: Meals on wheels. Retrieved from https://friendslife.org/service-learning-spotlight-meals-wheels/ O’Dwyer, C., & Timonen, V. (2009). Doomed to Extinction? The Nature and Future of Volunteering for Meals-on-Wheels Services. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations, 20(1), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-008-9074-8 Peters, K. A. (2011). Including Service Learning in the Undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders Curriculum: Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies for MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY 13 Success. American Journal of Audiology, 20(2), S181–S196. https://doi.org/10.1044/1059-0889(2011/10-0031) Pstross, M., Corrigan, T., Knopf, R., Sung, H., Talmage, C., Conroy, C., & Fowley, C. (2017). The Benefits of Intergenerational Learning in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from Two Age Friendly University Programs. Innovative Higher Education, 42(2), 157–171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-016-9371-x Subaru. (n.d.). Meals on wheels america | Partners and sponsorships | Subaru. Retrieved from https://www.subaru.com/why-subaru/partnerships/meals-on-wheelsamerica.html US Census Bureau. (2018, October 10). Older people projected to outnumber children. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/cb18-41population-projections.html Vizenor, N., Souza, T. J., & Ertmer, J. J. (2016). Benefits of Participating in ServiceLearning, Business-Related Classes: Assessing the Impact on the Community Partners. Journal of Research in Business Education, 58(1), 1–15. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=122574903&sit e=ehost-live&authtype=uid&user=grantham&password=research Whitehouse, P. J. (2017). Learning Among Generations--from Intergenerational to Intergenerative. Generations, 41(3), 68–71. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=125985346&si te=ehost-live&authtype=uid&user=grantham&password=research Why You Should Volunteer. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mowsac.org/whyvolunteer/ MEALS ON WHEELS AMERICA AND XYZ UNIVERSITY Winterton, R., Warburton, J., & Oppenheimer, M. (2013). The future for Meals on Wheels? Reviewing innovative approaches to meal provision for ageing populations. International Journal of Social Welfare, 22(2), 141–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2397.2012.00889.x 14 Running head: GENERAL CAPSTONE EDUCATION ROUGH DRAFT Porsha Lang G00154594 GU299 November 12, 2018 1 GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT 2 General Education Capstone Rough Draft Introduction In recent years, school violence has been on the rise in schools. Violence cases range from simple to sophisticated ones. Simple ones can be in the form of school bullying while complicated ones include students attacking others by deadly weapons (Blosnich & Bossarte, 2011). A good number of students face violence at school and the vice is on the increase. Some of the consequences of such cases have been severe harms and even death. There is a need to address such vices in schools and eliminate them completely. That will help to level the learning environment so that all students will have an equal opportunity to succeed. In service learning, students are given a chance to practice what they learned in class in a real-world environment. Students from XYZ University can use this opportunity to help the organization to solve cases of violence at schools and volunteer as data collectors so as to enhance and develop research that shall offer solutions to the menace of school violence. Service learning can also be utilized by students in the classroom through the analysis of various community problems and the possible solutions. Therefore, the availability of service learning and the efforts of The Education Trust Organization can help to reduce cases of school violence and support students from poor backgrounds. Community Organization The community organization that I chose is The Education Trust Organization. This organization was established in the year 1980 with a duty to promote the education standards for all students' right from the kindergarten level to colleges and universities. The organization's foremost goal is to seal the gaps in educational accomplishments and more specifically, the GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT 3 young people. The organization is mandated to make policies and advocate for better learning standards. They mostly focus on learners from poor or low income and marginalized groups. They focus on such students because they have a high likelihood of experiencing challenges during their learning time. The organization advances proposals after carrying out thorough research o establish the major challenges facing the students. They then come up with policies that can help to improve the education standards of students and then create public awareness so as to get the support of the government. According to the organization's research, school violence is a vice that is caused by a myriad of issues including, personality problems, drug abuse, violence as portrayed in the media and challenging upbringing (The Education Trust, 2013). Making of new policies is also an effective way of reducing cases of school violence (Shaughnessy, 2017). Community Partnerships The Education Trust Organization collaborates with a variety of community partners with a view of improving the country's education policies. The partners are spread out from the local areas of operation to the national level. With the help of such organizations, it is able to come up with policies that can help solve the problems affecting learning and the learning environment. Local organizations offer tremendous support because they understand the problems that are unique to a given area. For instance, the organization has set out to improve the quality of teachers by partnering with Illinois local partners (Peske& Haycock, 2006). Some partners finance the activities of the organization enabling it to reach more areas and institutions of learning. Most of the organizational partners are in the private sector as well as nongovernmental organizations. GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT 4 Volunteers The main projects of The Education Trust Organization are in schools and thus the major players are the school management and teachers. They volunteer to be part of the organization's projects so as to improve the standards of learning in their schools through skill enhancement. The organization is a nonprofit organization, therefore, it has no mandate to implement any of the policies but they are implemented by teachers by way of volunteering. While carrying out research, the organization also relies on volunteers to gather information that is pertinent to the research (The Education Trust Fund, 2014). Humanitarian Considerations The organization serves mostly students from poor backgrounds and minority groups. Education is a tough journey which takes more than a decade or even two. During such periods, students experience a lot of challenges and difficulties including violence at school and economic hardships. Children from poor families fail to raise school fees, which puts their education in jeopardy. Most students drop out because of such challenges (Haberland and Rogow, 2015). According to Wolf (2015), students who fail to know how to learn when they are at grade three do drop out of schools. Therefore, providing the necessary resources will be a key tool to reduce the chances of school dropouts. For instance, offering free secondary education helps students from humble backgrounds to remain in schools. Cross-Cultural Challenges The Education Trust Organization works I many countries around the world and therefore faces a lot of cultural challenges. For instance, in some countries, there is an increased rate of teenage pregnancies and early marriages which affects the learning of female students. Such GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT 5 students will drop out of school and thus will not engage in any education programs (Haberland and Rogow 2015). There should be a way of avoiding such challenges and students should be at the forefront of fighting such vices. Students should know that education is a pillar of life and that there is no substitute. They should value education and let their parents support their vision. They can be organized in groups where they encourage and support one another to value academics and strive to reach the highest level possible. Roadblocks In academics, there exist numerous roadblocks that may hinder the success of a student. Such roadblocks include a lack of or insignificant willingness to be successful in education, and lack of interest from students and their parents. Other challenges are increased fees to an extent that parents cannot afford it. There are also other expensive materials or resources that are needed by students. Future Vision The major vision of the organization is to breach the education gap between the rich and the poor students. According to Ladson-Billings (2006), students from low-income families have poor academic achievements and minimal opportunities compared to those from rich and well to do families. Therefore, the organization s a blessing to students from poor families because they have a chance to get a better education and thus increase their chances of succeeding in society. The organization also influences the making of policies in the education sector so that such policies can be favorable to children from poor families. Service learning is also a great tool where students can act as volunteers in collecting data meant for research to support such students and in decision making. GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT 6 Challenges Despite the fact that the organization has achieved a lot since its inceptions, it has also experienced a variety of challenges including, the existence of a conflict of interest leading to disagreements among members making it incapable of meeting all its objectives and goals (Burki, 2014). Another problem is that there are many students who need help and resources are always not enough to meet the demand. Lastly, manipulating legislators to make encouraging policies is a hard task and the organization has no choice but to abide by the set laws and regulations which may be unfavorable for its activities. Improvements To meet the goals of the organizations and feel any improvements, the organization will have to involve the major stakeholders who are students. Decision making should be solely focused on helping and promoting the welfare of students from poor backgrounds. The ambitions and desires of learners should be given top priority. The organization should also have stakeholders closer so that in case a problem arises, it can solve it in good time. The Education Trust Organization should as well focus on the major goals before the minor ones. Conclusion It is important that The Education Trust Organization, together with students from service learning, work together to address the social vice of school violence and other problems affecting students from poor backgrounds. The paper had various sections starting with community partnerships. In this section, the most important part is to remember the functions of ET including helping children from low-income families. In community partnerships, local partners provide solutions to local problems while other organizations offer the needed resources. GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT 7 Volunteers consist of main teachers who implement the policies of ET and thus help to reduce cases of school violence and improve their quality. Working in different countries has brought about challenges from different places with the main emphasis on the education of the girl child. Students face roadblocks while trying to acquire education such as fees while the organization facing challenges like the inadequacy of resources to meet the needs of the many students. Lastly, the organization should e focused on reducing challenges and increasing its reach so that many students can benefit. To do so, it can also partner with the government to get the needed resources easily. GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT References The Education Trust. (2013). Fast Fact. Violnce continues to claim toomany innocent childrens lifes. TRetrieved from https://edtrust.org/resource/fast-fact-violence-continues-to-claimtoo-many-innocent-childrens-lives/ Shaughnessy, S. (2017). Violence in Schools. 42(1). Retrieved from The Catholic Lawyer. Retrieved from https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://scholar.google.co m/&httpsredir=1&article=2490&context=tcl Blosnich, J., & Bossarte, R. (2011). Low‐Level Violence in Schools: Is There an Association Between School Safety Measures and Peer Victimization? Journal of School Health, 81(2). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1649/315343d7c99d219cd484a13fb9a17ef08551.pdf Burki, T. (2014). 25 years of the Tropical Health and Education Trust. The Lancet 384(7), 2147. Huang, J., Brink, H., & Groot, W. (2011). College Education and Social Trust: An EvidenceBased Study on the Causal Mechanisms. Social Indicators Research 104(2), 289-317. Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt: Understanding Achievement in U.S. Schools. Educational Researcher 35(7), 3-11. Haberland, N., & Rogow, D. (2015). Sexuality education: emerging trends in evidence and practice. Journal of adolescent health, 56(1), S15-S21. 8 GENERAL EDUCATION CAPSTONE ROUGH DRAFT Wolf, L. (2015). The STEM Teacher Drought: Cracks and Disparities in California's Math and Science Teacher Pipeline. Education Trust-West. Peske, H. G., & Haycock, K. (2006). Teaching Inequality. A Report and Recommendations by the Education Trust. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED494820.pdf The Education Trust. (2014). Partners. Retrieved from The Education Trust: https://west.edtrust.org/who-we-are/partners/ 9
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Explanation & Answer

Attached.

1

Student’s name
Professor’s name
Course code
21st October, 2018

2

Student: Porsha Lang
G00154594
GU299

Meets or Exceeds Established Assignment Criteria

An introduction with a clear thesis statement: 8 points awarded
I think the introduction was good but with no background information on the community
organization. The thesis statement is not focused and is too general. Furthermore, we get
introduced to the organization in the thesis statement, with no mention of it or its functions
before. I think the thesis comes out of nowhere; there is no build-up to it as expected.
Project includes all required topics: 10 points awarded
The student gives a clear explanation of the community organization called Education Trust
Organization. The section on community partnerships was well done but did not give distinct
examples of some of these partnerships. The subtitle on humanitarian considerations, volunteers
and cross-cultural challenges are well explained. The student, however, failed to sufficiently
explain the roadblocks in a clear manner. The organization’s future vision and challenges are
well explained. However, the improvements needed to be made are not exceptionally done, a lot
more could be done.
Meets project presentation requirements: 15 p...


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