Civic Engagement Projects
American Cancer Society
Project: Raise money for donation to local chapter of American Cancer Society to enable them to fund cutting edge research, provide life-saving education and information, and deliver person-to-person patient services to cancer patients and their families.
Date: Month of November 2006.
Planning: Students found out that the local chapter of the ACS is in Mendota Heights. The students decided to raise money by playing Penny Wars on campus which former students had introduced. Students researched the web sites of the ACS to obtain information.
Marketing: Students decorated containers and placed them in various departments after seeking permission on the east and west side of campus. Posters, table tents, flyers and announcements via email consisted of advertizing on campus. Students visited classrooms. Students provided the campus with an information bulletin board of cancer screening facts and tips. Students created a competition between the east and west campus in regard to announcing which side was in the lead donating pennies.
Event: Three weeks in April 2006.
Results: Initiative, leadership and communication skills within the class were evident as some students assumed the responsibility of visiting class rooms, writing emails, preparing table tents and flyers, and decorating and distributing collection containers.
The $86.00 collected was also donated.
The students were involved in civic engagement to benefit a population of people in need in their community. It was a first time experience for some to volunteer. All students were encouraged to continue to participate in a volunteer capacity in the future. Student also learned different methods of cancer detection that they would be teaching as preventative health care education in the future.