Connecting students to knowledge
and its application
Southern Utah University
Lynn White, Ph.D.
Stress & Pain
Volunteer Service Project
To recognize real-life applications of the course content and (hopefully) nurture self-esteem and a sense of purpose/meaning in life, students choosing this option will complete 20 hours volunteering on site for one of the following organizations in and around Cedar City. They will keep a journal of their work and contributions, articulate connections between their service and course content, and submit a reflection at the end of the semester.
Getting started!
Go to the "List of Volunteer Opportunities" and explore those that interest you most. Not all of them have a "volunteer" page on their website, but all of them have a contact name and/or number. Find out what volunteer opportunities exist. These MUST ALIGN WITH THE COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES. Also, make sure you are physically and mentally suited for the position. Once you have decided on a place, you will need to complete the volunteer service agreement. Your site supervisor will need to sign it before you submit this to me on Canvas.
Is this project right for me?
This project can be immensely rewarding, especially if you choose something that you care about. It is, however, slightly less structured than the other two projects, and you have to be self-motivated to follow through. Depending on which opportunity you choose, you may need to provide your own transportation to and from the site and assume associated expenses (e.g., gas money, bus fare).
Once you have begun your service
After each time you volunteer, you will need to write in a journal. Jot down what you did and any connections to what you are learning about in Stress & Pain. Important: Leave space after each journal entry because relevant course content might only appear later in the semester. Also include in your journal entries how specific events/experiences that day affected your self-view and any of the 6 different dimensions of wellness (as applicable). Each journal entry should be roughly 300-400 words in length. Not a novel, but enough detail that I will be able to get a good sense of what you did and the benefits you derived from that. This journal will need to be turned into Canvas toward the end of the semester.
After your 20 hours of service
Once you have completed your 20 hours and by the due date, you will submit a 1-2 page summary of your experience. Here, you will
1. describe what you did and how you bettered the lives of humans and/or non-human animals (25% of the grade)
2. explain how specific concepts in Stress & Pain were relevant to and/or were used during your service hours (50% of the grade).
3. describe how this experience benefited/changed your self-view, self-esteem, sense of purpose or meaning in life, and any other biopsychosocial benefits (25% of the grade)