Students working at fence row

Students cleared invasive species of plants along a fenceline during the NSO Grinnell Heritage Farm Community Service Event.

 

Community Service Office Mission

 The Community Service Office strives to effect, empower, and mentor socially just and civically responsible change through collaborative curricular and co-curricular service partnerships.

 

Core Values for Service

  • Diversity – Service endeavors should embrace and respect the inherent diversity and cross-cultural nature of service relationships as well as recognize the strengths brought to the table by all parties.
  • Collaboration – Service endeavors should entail egalitarian partnerships and guard against becoming imperialism in the guise of service.
  • Stewardship – Service endeavors should take into account the larger social, economic, and environmental consequences of actions.
  • Excellence – Service endeavors should be contextually responsive, innovative, well researched, and aim toward sustainable positive change.
  • Integrity -- Service endeavors' should be built on principles of honesty and trust and focus on serving the common good.

 

 

Principles of Partnership and Collaboration for Service

  1. Partnerships form to serve a specific purpose and may take on new goals over time.

  2. The relationship between partners is characterized by mutual trust, respect, genuineness, and commitment.

  3. Partners actively strive to understand each other's needs and self-interests, and develop a common language.

  4. The partnership builds upon identified strengths and assets, but also works to address needs and increase capacity or growth of all partners.

  5. The partnership balances power among partners and shares resources among partners.

  6. Principles and processes for the partnership are established with the input and agreement of all partners, especially for decision-making and conflict resolution.

  7. Partners seek to agree upon a mission, values, goals, measurable outcomes and accountability for their partnership.

  8. There is feedback among all stakeholders in the partnership, with the goal of continuously improving the partnership and its outcomes.

  9. Partners share the benefits of the partnership's accomplishments.

  10. Partnerships can dissolve and may need to plan a process for closure.

 

How Might the Community Service Office Help You?

  • Susan Sanning, the College's Community Service Coordinator, is available to help students, faculty & staff find service opportunities in the area and network with others who are interested in similar issues and opportunities.
  • At vairous times each semester the Office invites our community partners and student service organizations to advertise their work and service opportunites on campus.  You will find these groups at the organization fiar at the New Student Orientation, tabling outside the dining hall and at other issue specific events on compus.
  • The Office coordinates the Community Service Federal Work-Study and the Iowa Campus Compact AmeriCorps ICAP programs.  These competitive programs are enable students to earn various forms of compensation for their work in service leadership.
  • The Office serves as a liaison between Grinnell College students, faculty and community organizations who have volunteer or academic service learning needs.
  • The Office works with the Student Governement Association to facilitate new student service groups and organizations on campus.  It also helps students learn how to use the SGA budget request process.  (The SGA Student Service Committee has a substantial budget that students may request monies from for their various service projects.)
  • The Office may help individuals, student groups, classes or other organizations reflect on the service they do.
  • Office staff are available to talk to classes or groups about balancing work, leadership & service; creating & leading sustainable service organizations; the role of social justice when doing service work; service, values & avocational meaning making, etc.
  • The Office has transportation funding for groups of students to travel to local service desitinations that are not within walking distance of campus . 
  • The Office has a digital camera available for students to use to document their service projects. The Office is more than willing to place your photos on our web page!
  • If you need any other help with regard to service just ask -- we might be able to help!