A service learning experience can be considered as a replacement of a traditional student project and term paper.  The service learning assignment centers around your interactions with a local professional on work relevant to aquatic ecology.  A minimum of 15 hours is required which will be comprised by your participation on a research or monitoring project spearheaded by the professional sponsor.   The SL partners represent agencies such as CA Fish & Game, USDA Forest Service, The San Joaquin River Stewardship Program, and many others.



Why service learning?  I know from my own hiring and selection of students for research positions that nothing stands out in an application like prior experience.  However, the obvious “Catch-22” of this situation is frustrating for people without experience outside the classroom.  The service learning experience in this course should:



   • Provide you with at least some experience in and exposure to a professional setting in the aquatic sciences

   • Allow you to make the very important links between course material and it’s implementation by professionals outside an  

    academic setting, an opportunity which is all too absent from traditional teaching

   • Establish important contacts with professionals in the community, which could greatly improve your placement prospects

    following graduation.  An additional indirect benefit is to increase community awareness of the resources  

    represented by CSU-Fresno students.
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This course emphasizes methodologies and approaches which will largely be delivered through a lecture and laboratory component.  Although I will attempt to relate course material to ‘applied’ aspects of the discipline, a service learning component will more effectively link course exercises and goals with application to professional settings.



FUNDING:
This website was developed under the auspices of a grant from the California State University (CSU) system.  Southern California Edison (SCE) funded the program to involve students from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors in community service activities that allow students to master the skills and knowledge of their majors while also addressing community challenges.

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The program, ECO LED – Energizing Career Opportunities through Local Education and Development –funded eight service-learning courses in STEM disciplines in order to involve 150-200 CSU students in academic-based community service.  Service learning integrates meaningful community service with academic instruction and reflection, allowing students to apply their STEM disciplinary knowledge for the common good and to strengthen communities.