Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/593580
Opening Doors to Experience and Exploring Ethics "It is one thing to discuss hunger and poverty in the classroom, and an entirely different experience spending several hours at the Maryland Food Bank sorting through a tremendous amount of food to be distributed to local pantries," said Jonathan Schuster, one of 15 students enrolled in Ethics in Literature with Associate Professor of English Rick Leith last spring. He says that taking the course was one of the highlights of his experience at HCC. Service learning integrates academic experience, community service, personal development, and reflection in a way that teaches civic responsibility and strengthens communities. Learning objectives are linked to critical community needs, giving students who pursue service learning courses an opportunity to gain real-world perspectives and skills while making a positive difference in their own communities. Howard Community College's Center for Service Learning is proud to offer students these integrated learning opportunities across multiple academic disciplines. "We spend a lot of time out of the classroom, visiting sites where the students can connect the real world to the issues that they are reading about," said Leith, who teaches the course. "The students quickly realize the impact of volunteerism, and that they really can make a positive difference by giving up just a few hours of their time." Students who enroll in this course explore poetry, short stories, drama, and novels, with a focus on ethical questions 12 Howard Community College