Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
5/22/03
For immediate release
Contacts:
Nancy Bevin, Life in Iowa, (515) 294-1322, nlbevin@iastate.edu
Lynette Spicer, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515)
294-1327, lspicer@iastate.edu
ISU Students Learning the Art of Living Well in Iowa
AMES, IOWA---Sixty-four college students stepped off the Ames campus this spring to continue their Iowa State University education in 33 Iowa counties through summer community projects. These Life in Iowa students will receive college credit for working on projects designed to involve them in the cultural and natural environment of a host community.
"Life in Iowa introduces undergraduate students to community-based learning for leadership and service in locations throughout Iowa," said Nancy Bevin, Life in Iowa director. "Each student's curriculum is planned according to his or her academic discipline and the location."
Community leaders and ISU faculty mentor students. Their projects are a result of a collaboration of ISU staff, faculty and local resident ideas, incorporated around each student's academic interests.
Ryan Holthaus, an agricultural education major, is interning with the "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" campaign for Practical Farmers of Iowa in Black Hawk County to promote local food markets and help with the local farmers' market. His service learning is with the "Yards for Kids" program through the University of Northern Iowa.
Interior design major Jennifer Norman is interning with branches of the Greenfield Chamber of Commerce assisting with ongoing projects related to building design, facade improvements and historic preservation within the town square of Greenfield and revitalization and community events fundraisers.
Eric Jennings is applying his history major to an internship at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah to coordinate preservation projects, assist staff in preparing the annual facilities audit report on the museum's historic buildings, work with events staff to plan Nordic Fest and participate during the community festival.
"Land grant colleges were created to link learning with regional interests and needs," said Bevin. "Life in Iowa projects are a pure example of land grant college philosophy at work."
Thirty of the students, like Holthaus, Norman and Jennings, have Life in Iowa internships and community service projects. They will live in their host community for 10 weeks and spend up to 40 hours per week addressing locally defined needs through their Life in Iowa projects.
Another 34 students have Life in Iowa community service projects combined with an internship arranged by their ISU department or other summer employment. Megan Enneking, pre-journalism and mass communication major, and Sara Ledford, dietetics major, have service learning projects in Boone this summer. Enneking is a counselor for young girls who have asthma or cystic fibrosis at Camp SuperKids at the Des Moines YMCA camp. Ledford hopes to learn how to assess patients and learn more about her field of study by helping with the Boone Meals on Wheels program. Each student will devote at least 100 hours to his or her Life in Iowa community service project.
Information about the Life in Iowa summer projects is on the Web at http://www.lifelearner.iastate.edu/lifeiniowa.htm.
-30-
ml: state
Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.