SMCM faculty and staff are encouraged to get involved and give back to the St. Mary’s and Southern Maryland community. We know many of you already engage in community service, whether professionally or personally. If you do, please let us know about it! We want to track SMCM’s positive impact on the community.
- If you are looking for a way to volunteer, review our list of one-time and ongoing opportunities.
- Each September, OCOE hosts a Volunteerism Day event where you can meet staff and volunteers from local nonprofits and learn about volunteering with them.
- You might also consider sitting on a local board or committee, or offering to serve as a guest speaker/lecturer at a community meeting or event. If you are interested, reach out to us.
- If you would like to be part of the SMCM Speakers Bureau, fill out this form.
- Be sure to participate in the MLK Day of Service and Bay to Bay Service Days.
Staff
The Staff Senate organizes service activities and donation drives, and recognizes staff community service contributions. To find out more, visit the Staff Senate website.
Faculty
OCOE serves as a resource for faculty interested in developing community-based learning (CBL) courses. Faculty members should reach out to us at the beginning stages of planning. We can connect you with community organizations, review your project plans, and help ensure your course meets the standard for CBL.
- What is community-based learning?
- Previously referred to as service learning, community-based learning (CBL) refers to experiential (out-of-classroom, reflective) courses which have a specific focus on community service, i.e., work that addresses an identified need in the local community.
- CBL is consistent with SMCM’s strategic plan emphasis on expanding opportunities for students to be engaged in mutually beneficial partnerships within St. Mary’s County and the Southern Maryland region.
- CBL courses must include reciprocal community partners. They should contain 30% or more coursework that relates to civic engagement and demonstrate collaborative and meaningful engagement with community partners.
Some examples of current CBL courses at SMCM include Community Arts, Writing the Word in the World, Spanish in the Community, Coastal Community Resilience, Spanish in the Community, and Community-Based Plays.
For more information on community engagement and community-based learning, refer to the Carnegie Foundation website.