Discovery Day VII
"The most important thing I learned through participation in Discovery Day was how interested these kids are already about going to college, and how they are already planning to lead brighter lives." - Emerald Culmer-Royster, SSU student
Discovery Day provides Roseland University Prep (RUP) freshman with the opportunity to visit their local university, providing many with their first introduction to higher education. Furthermore, over a hundred Sonoma State University (SSU) service-learners provide the RUP students with an exceptional learning experience while improving their own academic and civic learning.
"A really important part of service-learning is not just turning up and helping, but it's the part where it links to class," explains Dr. Jessica Hobson of the Department of Psychology. She asked students to explain how a famous Aristotle quote ("Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.") related to the experience. SSU service-learner Ryan Galloway responds:
This quote relates to the goals of Discovery Day in that it suggests that education is multidimensional and not a one type of task process without a variety of inter-playing aspects.-- A deeper sense of education involves discussion and analysis that allows for your feelings and perspectives to be questioned and adjusted as you learn and grow.
Not only did SSU students learn from the experience, but RUP students did, too. Something that many RUP students said was that they were surprised to find out just how interested SSU is in having them, and how the admissions requirements really work in their favor. All RUP students who qualify based on the CSU admission requirements are given guaranteed admission into SSU.
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) thanks our collaborators: Roseland University Prep, PSY 302, Interim Dean of Social Sciences John Wingard, Outreach, and SSU President Ruben Armiñana for all of your time, financial assistance, knowledge, and support. The event was such a success that Dr. Hobson has volunteered to take a bigger leadership role in organizing the event next year. We here at the CCE are glad she has found the event as special as we do.