This Student-Originated Studies program is intended for upper-level students with a background in community-based learning, and who have made arrangements to carry out a yearlong focused project within an organized community center, workshop, agency, organization or school setting. Community projects are to be carried out through internships, mentoring situations or apprenticeships that support students’ interest in community development. This program also includes a required weekly program meeting on campus that will facilitate a shared, supportive learning experience and weekly progress journal writing. 

The program is connected to Evergreen's Center for Community-Based Learning and Action (CCBLA), which supports learning about, engaging with and contributing to community life in the region. As such, this program benefits by the rich resource library, staff, internship suggestions and workshops offered through the Center. 

Students in this program will further their understanding of the concept of “community” as they engage their internship, apprenticeship or mentoring situation. The program emphasizes an asset-based model of community understanding advanced by Kretzmann and McKnight (1993). A variety of short readings from that text will become part of the weekly campus meetings. 

The range of academic/community work suited to this program includes: working in an official capacity as an intern with defined duties at a community agency, organization or school; working with one or more community members (elders, mentors, artists, teachers, skilled laborers, community organizers) to learn about a special line of work or skills that enriches the community as a whole; or designing a community action plan or case study aimed at problem solving a particular community challenge or need. 

A combination of internship and academic credit will be awarded in this program. Students may arrange an internship up to 36 hours a week for a 12-credit internship per quarter. Four academic credits will be awarded each quarter for seminar attendance and weekly progress journal writing. Students may distribute their program credits to include less than 12 credits of internship when accompanying research, reading and writing credits associated with their community work are included.

During the academic year, students are required to meet as a whole group in a weekly seminar on Wednesday mornings to share successes and challenges, discuss the larger context of their projects in terms of community asset building and well-being, and discuss occasional assigned short readings that illuminate the essence of community. Students will also organize small interest/support groups to discuss issues related to their specific projects and to collaborate on a presentation at the end of each quarter. Students will submit weekly written progress/reflection reports via forums established on the program Moodle site. Contact faculty member Stephanie Kozick kozicks@evergreen.edu if further information is needed.