By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer
Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in global engagement, public service and hands-on cultural experiences in a one credit hour course. PPS 1101, called Learning for the World, provides an engaged learning credit for students who seek to go above and beyond the classroom.
The course is not discipline-specific, but “student-specific,” Dr. Tammy Adair, senior lecturer of biology and course instructor, said. Though the course is open for any student to register, the Office of Engaged Learning sends out calls to professors for recommendations in order to select students with interests and ambitions that the course specifically tackles. Many of the students who take it are nominated.
“We rely on nominations to identify students who are interested in opportunities like study abroad, undergraduate research or community service,” Adair said.
However, keeping the course open also avoids exclusivity and encourages interested students to participate, Adair said.
In the course, students must complete 10 hours of volunteer service in an English as a Second Language program. They will go into institutions such as McLennan Community College and La Puerta Waco to teach English to those who are learning it as their second language. Both students and professors who have taken part in the course have seen it make meaningful impacts on themselves and those being served, Adair said.
“Some things that the Office of Engaged Learning is very passionate about is helping our students understand that we don’t have answers to give to the community. It’s not like we’re solving all their problems,” Adair said.
She said the important thing that students learn how to do is listen to their community partners and consider whatever needs they identify and be proactive towards that cause.
“This is an identified need in our Waco community,” she said. “We have a lot of English as a second language speakers who have a variety of needs for knowing English, whether that’s trying to get a job, a citizenship or just communicate more effectively with their community.”
The program is enjoyable and fulfilling because students get to simply have conversations with their partners and often form meaningful relationships, she said.
Adair and three other professors help lead the course, including Dr. Mona Choucair, senior lecturer of English; Dr. Jennifer Good, resident faculty fellow of modern languages and cultures; and Dr. Andrew Hogue, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. They attended the 2024 Conference on Global Learning in Washington D.C. in November to introduce Learning for the World –– an innovative student experience that enhances skills such as cultural humility and global understanding for future leaders.
Franklin, Tenn., senior Ella Whatley took the course during the second semester of her sophomore year. She said the experience formed the rest of her undergraduate experience because she got to work with people from all over the world who came from many different cultures.
“Taking Learning for the World early in my college career has helped me be able to volunteer for my entire time here at Baylor and has given me valuable connections,” Whatley said.
Whatley said this course is what inspired her to apply for a full time Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Mexico.
“It was definitely something that catalyzed my journey at Baylor,” she said.
Adair said she is really excited to be a part of this program and to see how it helps students develop their future paths, and that the unique design of the course really highlights the mission of the Office of Engaged Learning.
“It’s exciting to see students realize that what they are learning is not just for their development, but that they could use those gifts to serve the world and serve their communities,” she said. “It’s not just about learning content. It’s about thinking through opportunities, meeting people who can help with your questions and navigating what your future might look like.”
