Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards
One of the “founding mothers” of the service-learning movement at Duke, Betsy Alden began combining learning and service in the 1980s. Since then, she has done it all: created and taught service-learning courses; forged community partnerships; recruited, inspired, and mentored faculty and students; developed and administered campus service-learning programs; and championed service-learning through publications, lectures, workshops and service on national boards. In the ten years Betsy led the service-learning movement at Duke, service-learning evolved from an obscure pedagogy used by a handful of faculty to a vibrant cross-disciplinary practice.
For Betsy, service-learning is ultimately about building more humane relationships, and is linked to a deeper spiritual sense of vocation. The magic of her work with students, faculty and community partners lies in her ability to connect people both to one another and to the deeper ideals of reciprocity, partnership and a sustained commitment to the community.
The Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Awards recognize one graduating senior, one faculty member and one community partner for their outstanding commitment to the ideals of service-learning.
2012 recipients were recognized at the Duke University Leadership and Service Awards program on April 18th, as well as at other Service-Learning Program and Program in Education events. Each Alden award recipient also receives $250 to further develop his/her community-building and leadership skills.
Eligibility
Graduating seniors, faculty members, and community partners who have participated in at least one service-learning course at Duke are eligible for an Alden Award.
Selection Criteria
Students
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Leadership, initiative, or ongoing commitment to academic service-learning
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Impact of service at Duke or in the local community
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Quality of reflection about the service-learning experience
Faculty
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Meaningful integration of the service experience with course content (structure of the service experience, selection of community partners, use of critical reflection)
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Consideration of, and ongoing commitment to, the needs of community partner(s)
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Impact of community partnership(s) at Duke or in the local community
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Involvement in the service-learning community at Duke
Community Partners
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Ongoing commitment to the academic and personal development of Duke students
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Collaboration with Duke students and faculty members
Nomination Process
Any member of the Duke community or a community partner organization may nominate an eligible student, faculty member, or community partner (individual or organization) for a Betsy Alden Outstanding Service-Learning Award. Nomination instructions for 2012-13 will be posted in January 2013.
2012 Alden Award Recipients
Faculty: Joan Clifford, Spanish Language Program
Joan was nominated by colleagues for service as one of the “madres fundadoras” of service-learning within the Spanish Language Program at Duke. In the words of one nominator, Joan “believes in the ideals of service-learning and has shown a steadfast commitment to the community partners that she has sought out and maintained… never content just to have students in Spanish happen to ‘volunteer’ somewhere where people might speak a word of Spanish, but insisting on the meaningful integration of the service-experience with course content.” We’re also proud to have Joan as a colleague who contributes to scholarly research on and presentation of her work with the Spanish Service-Learning courses.
Community Partner: Denice Johnson, Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership After-School Programs
Ms. Johnson was nominated by colleagues for excellence in doing work in her job description, namely capacity building, acting as a liaison, and developing empowerment strategies with after-school sites, but also for going above and beyond those duties to seek the best opportunities for students served in after-school programs, focusing on serving the whole child through outreach that includes lending sewing materials and skills, donating tickets to local cultural events, and working one-on-one with children in after-school sites.
Graduating senior: Youmna Sherif
Youmna is recognized for “giving more of herself to service-learning related to aging at Duke University” than any other student in Dr. Debby Gold’s 25 years on the Duke Sociology Faculty. Youmna Sherif self-designed a Program II degree focusing on the bio-psycho-social aspects of chronic illness in older adulthood, motivated in part by taking all four of Professor Gold’s service-learning courses: Adulthood and Aging, Death and Dying, Psychosocial Aspects of Human Development, and Aging and Health. Youmna has continued to support these courses by serving as a LEAPS facilitator because she wanted to “actively help people connect their course work to their service experience and help them reflect on their service.” Youmna continues to develop relationships with older adults in Durham through service at Hillcrest Convalescent Center, Meals on Wheels, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and she is the student leader of Duke’s Adopt-a-Grandparent Club, having established strong connections to Durham’s Medicaid funded long-term care facility, Grace Healthcare.
We would like to recognize and applaud all thirteen 2012 student nominees for their leadership, commitment, impact in the community and thoughtful reflections!
Matt Akers
Lauren Myers
Ebonie Simpson
Leslie Andriani
Rebecca Ortega
Ali Taylor
Stefanie Fee
Shilpa Sachdeva
Amanda Truelove
Casey Hicks
Youmna Sherif
Jen Zwilling
Perry Holmes