Michelle Bandla, Interim Director
145 Marano Campus Center • 312-2151
www.oswego.edu/experience
The Center for Experiential Learning offers students an opportunity to earn academic credit for experiential learning in a variety of businesses, non-profit organizations, and community agencies. Students earn college credit, gain valuable experience outside of the classroom, and link academic content and theory to the real world. Experiential learning opportunities are available throughout New York State, at selected sites throughout the U.S., and in international locations. Opportunities within the Center for Experiential Learning give students the opportunity to: (1) learn the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to be effective in the workplace, (2) put theory into practice, (3) gain transferable skills, (4) explore various career opportunities, (5) network with experts in the field, (6) build a resume and portfolio of successful professional experience for future employment, (7) learn about the world of work first-hand, (8) grow professionally and personally, (9) explore a career pathway. Students also value our project-based and service-learning courses with an emphasis on active, community-engaged learning. These credit-bearing courses help students understand the value of civic engagement in our democracy while exploring the many roles they can assume in college and later in life.
Professional Skills Preparatory
Through this course students will examine, define and equip themselves with the critical skills and workplace competencies employers’ desire in successful candidates for employment. These professional skills assist students in obtaining valuable volunteer/community service/service learning, internships, co-ops and jobs, and give job candidates a competitive advantage in the workplace.
Leadership In Your Field
Leadership in your field is a 3-credit course designed as a means of earning academic credit based on leadership, social ethics, and professional development. Through reading assignments, class discussion, reflection, interaction in the community and advisement, students will develop time management plans, self awareness, and self marketing materials to guide the development of progression in the workplace. Students will be required to have a community field experience and assignments. Course credit is available through the Center for Experiential Learning
Internship Program
The Internship Program is an academic experience designed to provide undergraduate students with a wide variety of opportunities to assist them in clarifying career goals while enhancing their employment potential after graduation. The program is open to junior and senior students who meet standards established by the college. Students may earn college credit by demonstrating that significant learning has occurred through involvement in a supervised planned work experience. This is a three way partnership between the student, faculty sponsor and professional supervisor.
Cooperative Education Program
Undergraduate Cooperative Education is a work-integrated learning experience and a mutually beneficial partnership between a student, the institution, and an employer. At SUNY Oswego, Cooperative Education opportunities, co-ops, are full-time paid, work experiences that are transcripted but do not earn credit or have tuition liability. The co-op employer designation will appear on the student’s transcript. Employers offer college students opportunities for co-op positions for many majors and are available throughout the academic calendar year.
Service Learning
Service Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that engages students in service through mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships with community partners. These credit-bearing opportunities enrich the learning experience, integrate reflection, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Course credit is available through the Center for Experiential Learning or the academic department.
Mentor-Scholar Program
The Mentor-Scholar program provides at-risk middle and high school students from local school districts with trained and supported volunteer mentors to help students improve academically and socially. The Mentor-Scholar program strives to build mentees’ self-confidence and self-efficacy, and to give them the tools to be effective students. Another purpose is to provide an opportunity for SUNY Oswego undergraduates to help improve their community and to gain knowledge useful in their future careers and lives.
Via one-on-one relationships, mentors will provide both academic tutoring as well as the motivation necessary for each mentee to achieve their personal potential. While working on academic assignments, mentors will help mentees develop study skills and interpersonal skills necessary for later school success. Mentors will assist mentees in creating academic goals, and provide the necessary social support to see that they achieve them. Mentoring occurs at different times Monday through Thursday on site, in individual classrooms. In addition to weekly or bi-weekly sessions, mentors and mentees will participate in social activities to help mentees’ connect with and aspire to higher education.
Each mentor contributes over forty hours of one-on-one support to their student annually and mentors are encouraged to ‘loop’ with students for up to three years to assist with academic transitions (such as middle school and high school) and to ensure long-term success. Since the program’s inception, hundreds of mentors have contributed thousands of hours of one-on-one support to at-risk students in various school districts. When asked what she likes best about the program one student commented, “I am helped individually and I feel I can tell her anything.” In addition to improving educational outcomes for students, 90% of mentors who participated in the program reported that their awareness of the local community has been raised.
The Mentor-Scholar program provides SUNY Oswego students with an opportunity to work alongside teachers, school district staff and community members, learning and participating with them to make their community a better place. Among the benefits to SUNY Oswego students, mentors report that they have developed patience, flexibility, communication skills, and a greater awareness of differences as a result of participating in the program. Ultimately, this kind of immersion of college students has the potential to build bonds with the community that can affect their choice to work and live in the area after graduation perhaps stimulating the economy in ways so as to alleviate the economic issues that are at the root of educational inequity in Oswego.
SUNY Oswego undergraduates interested in joining the Mentor-Scholar program must complete an application and interview. Mentors must also enroll in GST 311, 1-credit service-learning course for the fall and spring semesters. Coursework includes an on-site building orientation to help mentors understand the cultural and demographic uniqueness of the population with which they are working. Mentors will also attend four small-group discussion classes during each semester. The classes provide an opportunity for mentors to read and engage in scholarly discussion about topics pertaining to mentoring, and enable them to receive support from peers as well as the Project Coordinator.
A select group of undergraduate team leaders enroll in GST 312, a 2-credit per semester service learning course. Team Leaders have weekly discussion classes as well as facilitate activities of Mentor-Scholar sites.
Oswego Children’s Project
The Oswego Children’s Project is an elementary school based program that works with pre at-risk children in the Oswego City School District through the implementation of play techniques. It is a two semester internship for juniors and seniors. Students start the OCP Program in the fall semester and return for a second semester in the spring. Students earn general studies credit for their two semester commitment.
RISE
Research and Individualized Student Experiences provides a broad range of opportunities for students in every discipline to broaden their experience, apply the skills learned in the classroom, and find their passion. The Council on Undergraduate Research defines “undergraduate research” as: “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline”. Participation in scholarly and creative activities is appropriate at any stage of your academic career, whether you are a freshman or a senior, and offers many rewards. Right now is the best time to get involved. The advantages to getting involved early are that it will afford you the time to complete more complex projects and develop the skills necessary to tackle more advanced positions.
Research and Individualized Student Experiences enable you to go beyond the classroom setting and gain a deeper understanding of your field. Activities out of the classroom will enable you to grow personally and professionally giving you critical experience that will lead to your success in your career. Interaction with faculty and the excitement of first-hand experience is invaluable to your growth and will be recognized as you proceed to the next stage of your career. These experiences give you a chance to do something that no one has ever done before.
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