Each academic year, first year students and their professors work together on a number of innovative and meaningful projects that bring the classroom to life and help others in the local community.  A snapshot of these projects from previous academic years appear below.  For current First Year Seminar (FSP) Class Projects, please click here.

 

FSP Projects: 2010

Incarceration Nation – Professor Michele Tarter

Students in this class not only learn about literature written about prison life and by prisoners, they visit correctional facilities and develop the writing skills of juvenile offenders.  At the start of the semester, FSP students take a tour of the Wagner Correctional Facility-where other TCNJ students and faculty run educational programs for inmates.   Next, teams of students work alongside Bonners at PEI Kids, participating in writing and reflection sessions with juvenile offenders involved in a life-skills program.

God, Morality and Free Will – Professor Rick Kamber

While FSP students in two sections of this class examine interesting philosophical concepts such as moral luck, they also interact with individuals who can place some abstract ideas into some real life context.  Students in this class helped inmates leaving Rahway State Prison complete resumes as well as writing-prompt exercises–both of which created the opportunities for meaningful dialogues about life, opportunities, choices and consequences.    Bonners turned the draft resumes into final products, delivered a workshop on job search strategies, and pulled together packets that could help the inmates find employment once they leave the facility.

Kids and Crime – Professor Bruce Stout

Students in this class examined a variety of topics–including how to prevent young people from getting involved in criminal activities; their CEL projects gave them a chance to actually make a difference and see the impact of crime on real lives.  Students joined Bonners who were running a weekly group at a city elementary and middle school with kids who are at risk–either because they have run into some trouble and/or have relatives who are currently incarcerated.   In addition to helping implement lesson plans, they created one to further develop the tool kit available to other volunteers.

Springsteen as Literature – Professor Lincoln Konkle

FSP students in this class participated in a pilot project during the weekend of November 12th and 13th; the Center’s first immersion weekend project.  They left campus and cut through Freehold (Bruce’s hometown) on their way to Asbury Park, where they visited a number of sites linked to the musician’s music and life.   The next day they worked at the Ocean and Monmouth County FoodBank–given the singer’s involvement in anti-hunger projects–and then ran a writing/enrichment workshop for inner city kids that use lyrics as a way to understand poetry and literature.

Women and the Family in Modern China – Professor Quin Shao

Students in this seminar learned about some of the social problems affecting women in China–and their CEL project allowed them to draw parallels with the plight of some who live in America. The students toured the county’s lead agency fighting against domestic violence–Womanspace–where they completed a direct service project; sorting and storing a massive amount of donated clothing.   The students also helped the Center organize, promote and staff an important issue forum– “Sex Slaves in America: An Evening with Minh Dang”. A “Communities of Light” candle-lighting ceremony was held after the event.

 

FSP Projects: 2009

Vanishing Amazon – Professor Diane Bates

After an in-depth study of the ecology of the Amazonian rainforest, students in this FSP took their knowledge directly to a group of eager fifth graders. Working hands-on with students at the Hedgepeth/Williams Elementary School, TCNJ freshmen helped in the classroom to build terrariums that featured rainforest plants; such as miniature palms and philodendrons.  Later in the semester, the fifth graders visited TCNJ’s campus for a broader study of the implications of the vanishing rainforest.  In “Passport to Amazonia,” a forum that featured activities on Amazonian geography, people, environment and social problems, the fifth graders earned “passport stamps” for activities they completed in each area.

Diversity and its Responses – Professor Sarah Chartock

What does racial and ethnic diversity really look like in the United States?  How have individuals, groups and states responded to diversity in their midst? While examining questions like these, students in this course also debated issues such as whether race is “real” or not and whether assimilation or pluralism is ideal.  In addition, students also learned how racial and ethnic diversity is handled in European nations as well as in Brazil and South Africa. On the practical side, students were divided into groups and assigned to one of three local organizations. At El Centro, which serves Trenton’s Hispanic population, students tutored adult English-language learners. Others assisted at an after-school program at the Hedgepeth/Williams elementary school, while a third group worked with Bonner scholars to assist at Trenton High School’s Bridge to Employment program.  Students kept weekly journals where they reflected upon the connections between their classroom work and what they were seeing firsthand in the community.  For example, how difficult is it for immigrants to assimilate into U.S. society? Or, how is public education carried out in urban versus suburban areas and what misconceptions does the general public have about students in urban schools? Leaders from all three community organizations later visited the class for a panel discussion.

From the Ballroom to the Street: Exploring American Dance – Professor Karen Deaver

So you think you can dance?  While studying dance history and styles – from ballroom to hip-hop – as well as examining criticism, film and performance, students in this FSP also focused their energies outward. At the Monument Elementary school, TCNJ first year students organized a series of after-school dance workshops for their younger counterparts. The workshops culminated in an all-out dance exposition in which both groups performed previously unknown dances they had been learning and rehearsing throughout the series.  Among the  goals for the TCNJ students was not only to gain a  broader, richer understanding of American  dance,  but  perhaps more importantly,  to discover that learning happens in many ways. While they were teaching and acting as positive role models for the children, they too were learning about their lives and experiences.

This is Your Life on Music – Professor Suzanne L. Hickman

Do we fully realize how deeply music touches us?  Students in this course spent hours in a local nursing home bonding with residents by engaging in various enrichment activities with them—such as arts and crafts—before conducting interviews about the role music has played in their lives. The objective was for students to truly listen to the rich stories from the wise senior citizens of Greenwood House. Using music as a prism, students then wrote individual profiles of residents, capturing their cherished memories of big band performances, favorite songs and first dances. Other residents shared recollections of playing instruments, singing in a choir or participating in other music-related activities.  Toward the semester’s end, students returned to Greenwood House to share their writings and also share music as a group.  The ultimate inspiration for this CEL project is linked to StoryCorps, a national independent, nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening.

Morality, Mind and the Meaning of Life – Professor Pierre Le Morvan

This seminar explored some of the oldest, most profound and fascinating philosophical and religious questions humans have ever pondered. These include: What is death? Is it a separation of soul and body? What is mind? Is it a spirit or a soul? Is there a meaning or a purpose to human life? Do we ourselves create whatever meaning or purpose our lives might have?   On a purely practical level, students had the opportunity to interview individual senior citizens at Greenwood House, a residential elder care facility in nearby Ewing. The interviews focused on the senior citizen’s view on whether life has a meaning or purpose.   Students then created a profile which consisted of a photo of their elderly interviewee along with a summary of key points revealed during the interview. Not only did the profile provide Greenwood House with material to educate other residents and staff about their community members, but the exchange was valuable in itself. Senior citizens benefitted from the intellectual stimulation with an inquisitive young person and the freshmen students also learned much from their wiser elders.

Living in a Virtual World – Professor Janet Mazur

Imagine having no Internet access for 24 hours. Students in this seminar completed a “net fast,” in which they abstained from accessing facebook, their e-mail accounts and any other web-based applications. The purpose was to sensitize them to the needs of a community not far from our wired, pristine campus that has no access. Eventually, students used their knowledge at Trenton’s El Centro to design an interactive program to help Hispanic adults better assimilate to American culture. The program, which El Centro clients can access via a donated computer, provides translations to everyday phrases as well as how-to’s on everything from ordering a pizza to booking a doctor’s appointment.  To initially acquaint themselves with El Centro’s clientele, students also assisted Bonner scholars with the weekly English-language lessons for adults.  All of the above tied in with the course’s ultimate goal – to examine how the Internet continues to shape virtually every aspect of our lives, from how we access music to how we vote, work and connect with loved ones. Perhaps most importantly, students learned firsthand that the “digital divide” affects people not only in far-away third world nations, but also in our own backyards.

Hollywood Before the Code Changed Everything – Professor Nina Ringer

American movies made between 1930 and 1934 were an authentic voice of their era. What happened to that “voice” once the Production Code was put in to place?  As they studied films from this era, students drew connections to contemporary examples of censorship. Likewise, students also connected the Great Depression, which informed all the films made during these years, and the very real economic challenges we are facing now.   To gain real-life insight, students visited the “homeless triangle”: the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, the Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army– where they prepared and served lunches and interacted with the clients. Students later worked on a video blog about their work.  The objective was not only to lend a hand but to understand firsthand the effects of the current recession on the local community, not far from our sheltered campus.