in the community
Public service is the cornerstone of the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar Program. Freshman students are required to completed a service learning component and most students continue this work throughout their undergraduate experience.
“Ultimately, we came to emphasize that public service may be performed in a variety of settings, regardless of career or major, as part of our professional lives or in our personal lives. One does not have to work for government or a non-profit to do public service. We were more interested in instilling the values that drive the desire to serve others, to bring about social change, domestically or internationally.”
Evan sought out a unique service-learning experience that matched his interest in economic policy. Evan served as a Financial Resource Volunteer and an IRS-certified Tax Preparer with the Baltimore CASH Campaign, a nonprofit organization with a mission to build the assets of working families in Baltimore by providing free tax filing services and financial education.
Sarye is driven to eliminate educational inequalities in low-income communities, and she has dedicated much of her time to serving in and learning from the community through service-learning with UMBC’s Shriver Center. Sayre’s service involvement includes the UMBC SUCCESS Program, the UMBC English Language Institute, the Choice Program Education Team, the Refugee Youth Project, and the College Gardens Youth Program.
“Service learning combines service
objectives with learning objectives with the intent that the activity change both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content.”
Learn and Serve America, Corporation for National and Community Service
objectives with learning objectives with the intent that the activity change both the recipient and the provider of the service. This is accomplished by combining service tasks with structured opportunities that link the task to self-reflection, self-discovery, and the acquisition and comprehension of values, skills, and knowledge content.”