Community Engagement Assignment Instructions

Objective

To gain firsthand experience in civic engagement by either completing community service or attending a local government meeting. The goal is for students to get out of their bubble, interact with or serve their community and deepen your understanding of community dynamics, government processes, and your own civic responsibility. All activities must take place during this semester by the assignment due date. Activities from earlier this year, past years (or childhood) do not count.

Please note that you have a few weeks to create your plan and let me know what you’ll be doing, and then most of the semester to actually complete your meeting or community service. I know everyone has a lot going on, but with a little planning it’s very doable to fit in a two-hour meeting or two hours of service. Start thinking about your plan now so it’s easy to check this off your list!

Step 1: Choose Your Option

You must select one of the following:

Community Service

Complete at least 2 hours with a local, non-profit or government organization. The entire point of this assignment is for students to get out of their bubble, interact with their greater community, and help people or animals that are in need.
Examples: City of Fort Worth Animal Shelter, Salvation Army, a food bank, a homeless shelter, community garden.
✨ Not allowed: 1- church activities (if you want to do a food handout or delivery, it needs to be through a food pantry, meals on wheels, or community organization, but not through a church) , 2- high school, middle school or elementary school events (like student teaching, lesson planning, coaching of sports, tutoring, high five Fridays, etc.) or 3- For profit businesses like nursing homes, retirement facilities, rehab facilities, or hospitals, 4- festivals or community event set up, clean up, or working at booths, etc.
If in doubt, email for approval.

Government Meeting

Attend a city, county, or school board meeting (e.g., City Council, Planning & Zoning, County Commissioners Meeting, school board) in-person. Library meetings will not work for this assignment. It must be a local GOVERNMENT entity. If you have questions, please ask before submitting your plan.
The meeting must involve decision-making (not just recognition/awards). State government entities are not acceptable for this assignment...local government entities only. If you have questions, email me.
Virtual attendance is NOT allowed unless there is a medical or other issue that interferes with your ability to attend the meeting, but keep in mind that all governmental buildings are all ADA compliant so there should not be any issues with this. If you have an issue that you believe requires you to attend a virtual meeting, you MUST get emailed approval from me BEFORE the reporting quiz. You have plenty of time to plan ahead and get this built into your schedule.

Step 2: Prepare

For service: Contact the organization and arrange your hours.
For meetings: Confirm the schedule, time, and location.

Step 3: Participate

If you do Community Service:

Complete at least 2 hours.
Have your supervisor sign the Student Community Service Sign-Off Form which is in Canvas in the CEA module.
Take photos of yourself volunteering — you must be visible in them. If it is not obvious which person you are, please make a note to point out which one is you!!!

If you attend a Government Meeting:

Stay for the full meeting.
Take handwritten notes (minutes) that summarize key discussions and decisions. Google meeting minutes if you do not know what they are!
Submit your notes as photos inside your PowerPoint.
Take pictures of yourself at the meeting and any other pictures inside the meeting room or pictures of the members who will be running the meeting. You need pictures to make the PP interesting. If it is not obvious which person you are, please make a note to point out which one is you!!!

Step 4: Create a Reflection PowerPoint

At least 10 slides with at least 600–700 words minimum total. More is fine!!!
Use complete sentences and paragraphs (no bullet style writing at all).
Organize your slides clearly.
Write using your own voice. I do not want perfection in the writing. Write as if we are hanging out and you are telling me about your experience. It does need to be written using correct English and grammar, so no slang, but I should be able to read it and know that you wrote it in your own words.
No AI tools, Grammarly, or thesaurus programs allowed. Violations = zero, no make-ups.
Address the following prompts:

For Community Service

What organization did you volunteer with and what is the main purpose or mission of that group?
What kinds of tasks did you help with, and who did you meet while you were there? Did anything surprise you or catch your interest?
How did this experience change the way you think about the needs in your community? Are there other local needs you became more aware of?
What challenges did you run into, or what challenges do you think you might have faced if things had gone differently?
What personal takeaways or growth did you gain from this experience? How did you feel during the service, and how did you feel afterward?

For a Government Meeting

1. What kind of meeting was it, and what topics were discussed?
2. Who from the community showed up, and what did you notice about the people who participated?
3. What decisions were made during the meeting, and how do you think those decisions might affect the community?
4. After attending, what new understanding do you have about how local government works behind the scenes?
5. What did you learn about what the officials do and how regular citizens get involved?
6. How did going to this meeting impact you personally, and what stuck with you the most from the experience?

Make it creative! Include pictures, forms, notes, and anything that makes your presentation engaging. Minimal effort = minimal credit.

Step 5: Submission

Submit one PowerPoint file only. Include:
- All slides
- Photos of yourself at the event/service
- Picture of signed service form OR meeting notes
Proofread carefully before uploading, BUT do not use an online tool to do it. This is to be your own work. If you need help proofreading, reach out to someone who can help you, but NO Grammarly (or any other similar tools like it) is allowed.
Use first person (e.g., “I volunteered…” or “I learned…”).
Submit by the due date listed in Canvas.

Grading Criteria

Completeness of service/meeting requirements
Proof of participation
Depth of reflection and critical thinking
Clarity, organization, and grammar
Creativity and presentation quality
Following all guidelines and deadlines
No use of AI of any kind