For Faculty | For Students | For Community Partners

Community Partners

A.

Ancilla Center

1.) In need of students to help paint her stairwell and the walls outside of the elevator. Students have the option to be creative. She wouldn't even mind if students wanted to paint a Silhouette of children playing, to help remind the University students to watch their language, because students are around and sometimes repeat what they hear. This would be sort of a warning zone. She already has the paint; she just needs the manpower and possibly someone to do some caulking.
2.) Another thing that students can do is read stories to the kids. Their ages range from 2 ½ - 5 years of age. Please keep in mind that they have some kids with speech impediments and some other possible special needs, but nothing too extensive.

B.

Big Brothers Big Sisters
Partner is willing for students to do majority of their work in their classrooms and can come to the actual site when needed. This partner in particular wanted to me to stress sending along the student's class curriculum/syllabi to make sure that she is having students engage directly with what they are being taught in the class room.

1.) Will provide students with an opportunity to experience small level non-profit management

2.) Needs students to help with mass mailing and labeling

3.) Needs students to help with their annual spring program Bowl for Kids Sake. Where students could help with various projects. a.) Fundraising, b.) Posting brochures and information pamphlets around the town, c.) Recruiting team captains, d.) Helping make a database of all the teams/ participants, e.) Sending follow-up letters/ thank you letters

4.) Needs students to not only work with QuickBooks and maintain finances, but also to help teach her how to use the software and maintain finances more efficiently.

5.) Students could help with applicant intake/processing

6.) Students would be working in Leavenworth, but will be working with both the Leavenworth office as well as the Atchinson office.

C.

Carnegie Arts Center
More information to come

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA):

1.) The first program deals with the individual contact with the child. Here students time commitment is varied, but is required to meet up with the child at least once. CASA volunteers typically handle just one case at a time and commit to staying on that case until the child is placed in a safe, permanent home. While others may come and go, CASA volunteers provide that one constant that children need in order to thrive. Training is required for this program and is 32 hours total. Half of the hours can be done off site and the other half of the hours must be done in the CASA house and they have to sit in on a case.

2.) The second program that students can work with is the visitation program. Where students would supervise the contact when the parent is allowed to visit with their child. The visitation program has a 8 hour training required. Just like the other projects ½ of the work is an independent study and 1 court observation. The time commitment is varied and pretty flexible with students. The students must meet up with the child at lease once.

Catholic Charities: 
Tax Assistance Program:

1.) Needs students to help with their tax assistance program. Students will have to be in a training program and they will have to pass a written test that can be taken on-line. The sisters have books that students can borrow to study for the test. 

Senior Citizen Outreach:

1.) Need students to help with their friendly visitors program. Students would be responsible for checking on the senior citizens once a day. They are in charge of assisting them or helping them do chores/ doing some shopping for them on occassion.

2.) Also student s maybe ale to work their transitional housing program. Transitional housing case manager should meet with the resident once a month.

City of Leavenworth Parks Department (Operations):
1.) More information to come

City of Leavenworth- Parks and Recreation:
1.) More information to come

E.

EL Centro:
This community partner does not exclusively serve Hispanic populations. But they are mostly in need of bilingual students that could help in the execution of a research project the organization is undergoing. The organization is currently working with Donnelly College and Kansas University, to prove the hypothesis that bilingual students learn better when taught in both of their languages. They do not have a formal volunteer program, but is willing to work with the professor to create a special opportunity for USM Service Learning Students.

1.) They need students to be teacher assistants for their Pre-K program. Where students some students are bilingual and some are just fluent English speakers.

2.) They need someone to help in the reception area

3.) They need students to sit down and read to the children. Please keep in mind that these children are often times bilingual.

4.) They could use to students to help with their GED program that they offer for adults.

5.) Students could help with their home ownership program. Where they teach asset development and so forth. Currently William Jewel s international business class is teaching financial literacy and home ownership.

* Contact Information: Carmen cliimatta@elcentroink.com (913) 677-1120 ex 206
Website: http://www.elcentroinc.com/Locations.aspx?pgnm=Locations.aspx&lang=en-US

H.

Hospice Program:
Please keep in mind that the patients these students will be working with have 6months or less to live and youthful volunteers highly encouraged.

1.) In need of students to do hands on activities, where the students meet and interact with the actual patients

2.) In need of students to go to the nursing homes and visit with the patients there

3.) In need of students to help with their bereaved program

4.) Also in need of students to help in the office. They can help with documentation and general secretarial assistance, more generalized, and helping follow up with patients.

I.

Immaculata High School
1.) More information to come

K.

Kids Connection:

1.) More information to come

521 N 7th St
Leavenworth, KS 66048
(913) 651-6366

KKLO 1410 AM Radio Station:

1.) In need of students to help answer the phones

2.) In need of students to help with the coordination of profit generation from advertisements and to help keep up with donors and potential donors. 

L.

Lansing Correctional Facility:
The following programs will require students to serve as Facilitators or co-facilitators. Students are allowed to teach in groups or by themselves. If you have students that would like to just assist the teachers then that is fine too. All lesson plans are pre-arranged by the facility. Students are required to attend a (4) hour training on a Saturday and to familiarize themselves with the material, which should already be aligned with their classroom curriculum. The classes are only 2- 4 hour a week commitments, for 6-8 weeks. This community partner has agreed to mock their internship model for a special service learning model just for Saint Mary s students. Students only have to be 18 and up to participate. All of the inmates in these programs have about 6- 12 months left on their sentence and will be released back into Leavenworth and surrounding Counties at that time. And please keep in mind that all of these opportunities have a later internship possibility, which can be further discussed.

1.) Re-entry Planning: this course is designed to give participants information about what to expect upon reentry and what to start thinking regarding returning to the community. The focus is on realistic thinking about release, reentry, pre-planning, thinking things through while also confronting fears associated with release.

2.) Offender Workforce Development: this course combines workshops and case management. It will assess employment and educational history, and measure intent, aptitude, abilities, skills and interests. It will also define employer expectations, develop positive character traits, and assist with realistic goal setting and job search. Participants will practice completing applications, resumes and interviewing. It is also designed to help offenders make links with potential employers in the community. (Please keep in mind that with this particular class students in service-learning will only be trained enough to assist the facilitator. They will help the facilitator by give mock interviews, look over resumes, exc.)

3.) Essentials of College Planning: 1- 2 hour workshop. This course will explore career options with a focus on education/experience needed to attain career goals. Financial Aid, entrance exams, applications and school costs are also examined.

4.) Money Management: an eight week course for two hours weekly. This course uses the Growing Your Money curriculum developed by Fannie Mae Foundation. Sections covered include; developing a spending plan, basic banking, understanding credit and obtaining a loan. 

5.) Family Transition: a six week course for one hour weekly. This course will assist those (who will soon be released) learn positive language skills, and how to deal with conflict, in order to communicate more effectively with family and close friends. In addition, the class will reinforce cognitive change and reading/writing.

6.) Family Workshop: this is a two session class for one hour weekly. With the assistance of a facilitator, the inmate and his/her family will discuss issues they expect to face and how they will handle the challenges of reentry.

7.) Triad: this six week course (with the assistance of Lancing Correctional Facility Activity staff) participants will participate in a 3 tiered physical fitness program. The tiers include education, journaling, and lifetime fitness activities. Students will also have an opportunity to research positive activities for post-release participation. This program is designed to teach inmates alternative recreation.

8.) HIV/AIDS: a one hour workshop offered for all first time releases. Offenders learn how HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis affect individuals and communities and how to prevent the spread of the diseases.

9.) Thinking For A Change: a twelve week course for 2 hours weekly. This curriculum uses problem solving as its core as well as cognitive restructuring and social skill interventions.

M.

Midwestern Innocence Project:

Please keep in mind that this particular project is more geared towards students that have an interest in Pre-Law. Due to the work difficulty level the partners have agreed to adopt a special service learning model for Saint Mary students. But this course works best if class is already discussing wrongful convictions.

1.) Students will be responsible for records requests and data entry. This is important, because the partners need help keeping up with both current and potential cases.

R.

Richard Allen Cultural Center:

1.) Needs help creating a website. The owner would like for her website to be attractive and informative. She would like to be able to upload forms to her website and to help the community better understand the mission of her historical museum. The creativity is pretty much left up to the discretion of the class.

2.) In need of facilities as well as tutors that could mentor autistic grade level children.