The Utah Campus Compact, a state-wide consortium of university presidents dedicated to improving relationships between higher education and the community, recently awarded a Brigham Young University professor and student, as well as a community partner, for their contributions to service-learning programs at BYU.
Gary Booth, a professor in the Department of Integrated Biology at BYU, incorporates service-learning in his Biology 100 classes. His students are required to participate in projects that address issues of aging, persons with disabilities, conservation and education.
Booth is currently working to acquire a National Science Foundation grant to provide funding for service-learning opportunities in the sciences at BYU.
Kyra Tarbell, a BYU student, currently serves as the program director for the Food and Care Coalition and Service to the World programs at BYU's Center for Service and Learning. She has also volunteered with such programs as Adopt-A-Grandparent, ACCESS, Community Outreach Day, LDS Special Education Institute and BYU's Hunger Banquet.
Besides volunteering at soup kitchens in Salt Lake City, Tarbell has served internationally with volunteer programs in Thailand and Guatemala.
The compact also recently administered a survey with the results that BYU faculty members were among the state leaders in the number of courses offering service-learning opportunities. The survey also showed approximately 7,200 students at BYU are involved in some type of service-learning activity.
Gary Daynes, the associate director of Freshman Academy and coordinator of the Faculty Service-Learning Community of Practice at BYU, said service-learning opportunities allow students to help others while implementing their skills in a real-life situation.
"Students often think service merely means helping those less fortunate," Daynes said. "When you enter into service, you enter into a reciprocal situation."
Each year the compact recognizes a faculty member, student and community partner with the highest award for involvement in service-learning programs.
For more information about the Utah Campus Compact awards or service-learning opportunities, contact Gary Daynes at (801) 422-9392.
Writer: Brian Rust
