In the Philippines, 1 in 5 children experience chronic malnutrition and hunger every day. This alarming statistic may seem a world away for some Arizonans, but for Sarah Schlabach’s Sociology 101 class, it hits closer to home.
“I want to allow my students to be a part of the social change that they want to see in our world,” says Schlabach. She was able to bring this experience to her students through a service learning project with Feed My Starving Children in Mesa (FMSC).
FMSC is a nonprofit organization that packs non-perishable, highly nutritious meals and ships them to 70 countries worldwide. More than 15 GateWay Community College students participated in a food packing event for children in the Philippines this October. In a two-hour period, the students helped pack more than 30,000 meals.
The project left a lasting impression on Jennifer Stuart, a SOC 101 student.
“I was surprised to learn that one bag of food could feed so many people,” she says. “It just reminded me to be grateful for everything that I have.”
Schlabach, who teaches sociology at GateWay and Chandler-Gilbert Community College, recounts the impact and feelings of empowerment that service learning can have on students.
“A service learning experience allows students to go beyond simply reading descriptions of social issues and instead get a hands-on experience that addresses a social need,” she explains. “They connect what they are learning to issues around them. They were able to help take part in eliminating world hunger that disproportionally affects children in developing nations.”
A crucial component of any service learning project is reflection – a time for students to discuss the experience with their instructor and each other, as well as connect their work back to course curriculum.
In Schlabach’s class, students created research presentations to tie their work at FMSC to key concepts in sociology. They also were required to conduct a literature review to connect academic research to concepts of social justice and world issues.
Stuart felt that the experience helped deepen her understanding and reinforce her connection to her class and community.
“It’s one thing to sit in a lecture class and listen, but being hands-on and reinforcing what you learn in the classroom is an amazing experience,” she says. “Not everyone in this world is happy, or eating, or has a place to live. We can’t cry over not having the newest iPhone or best outfit. Those things aren’t important. What’s important is being able to have the resources to live a happy and healthy life.”
In fact, Stuart was so moved by the experience that she plans to volunteer at FMSC again in her free time.
“This experience gave me chills,” says Stuart. “Everyone was there for a common goal and to work together. I learned a lot about myself this semester, and about things I thought I already knew. And now I want to learn more.”
Story submitted by Jessica Brosilo, Coordinator of Career Services and Service Learning at GateWay. For more information, please reach her at brosilo@gatewaycc.edu.