Student Leadership Opportunities
Smith students take on leadership roles in the CCC in a variety of ways, including:
CSO Executive Board
Being a member of the CSO Executive Board offers students a voice in the scope and direction of community service projects throughout the year. Board members impact the community directly and gain life-long, invaluable leadership and project management skills. Every year the board is re-selected from Smith student applicants who are passionate about community outreach and feel committed to making a difference in their world. Board members get the opportunity to learn the basics of operating a small, nonprofit organization, must attend weekly one-hour board meetings and spend two hours per week in the office. A board position is a one-year commitment. Each chairperson is responsible for specific events and community programs.
CCC STRIDE Fellows
CCC STRIDE Fellows assume leadership roles in community service projects, assist faculty and CCC staff in community-based learning courses and research projects, and work in a wide variety of outreach programs for children, teachers and families. They also serve as liaisons to local schools and community organizations, attend meetings in the community and help the center staff and faculty to identify and implement projects with community partners.
Community Fellows Program
With support from Massachusetts Campus Compact and the Corporation for National and Community Service, CCC launched a Community Fellows program in academic year 2011-12. Five Smith student-leaders will receive Education Awards for their work with community partners. These fellows will contribute significant hours of work to their community partner, and will collaborate with their host organization and the CCC to support and facilitate increased Smith student involvement.
Non-Academic Year Involvement
With busy schedules, other students choose to get involved in CCC programs during school breaks, as Urban Education Fellows and Science Teaching Fellows in schools during January, as interns each June and July in the Summer Science and Engineering Program for high school girls, or as Praxis interns working with a community organization throughout the summer.
January Science Teaching Fellowship Program
The January Science Teaching Fellowship program, funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, offers Smith undergraduates an opportunity to try their hand at science teaching in local schools.
Selected fellows work in teams of two with a local teacher to research, develop and then teach a science lesson or activity to local schoolchildren. During the latter half of the fall semester, fellows are supported by the science center outreach coordinator and science faculty, and participate in a number of lecture/discussion/demonstration sessions on pedagogy and science instruction. Fellows then spend an intensive week in January observing classes, continuing to learn about science instruction, developing, practicing, and then delivering their lesson.
Undergraduates have worked in grades K-8 classrooms in the Northampton Public Schools and at the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech, delivering a diverse set of lessons in earth and space science, the biological sciences, engineering, physics, and chemistry.
Urban Education Initiative
The Urban Education Initiative is an innovative service learning program that brings Smith students to partner elementary, middle and high schools in New York City, Chicago, Boston and nearby Springfield.
These Smith undergraduates, who are not necessarily planning careers in education, spend three weeks in January at one of the partner schools providing one-on-one tutoring, assisting in classrooms and helping students who are applying to college. The goal of this program is to encourage Smith students to become leaders in this important field by enhancing their understanding of the theoretical, practical and human issues facing urban youth and city schools.
Urban Education Fellows work under the guidance of faculty and the educational outreach office staff, attend fall semester orientation sessions and weekly discussion sessions throughout January. Smith students have the option of earning credit through conducting follow-up special studies projects in spring semester.
To learn more contact the program directors Sam Intrator, Lucy Mule, Gail Scordilis or Allison Reid (see Contact Us for contact information).
