Attached below is the basic course description for the class. I am taking a community psychology class which requires me to do community service at SCAN Johnson community center on 113th and lexington ave located in manhattan. For this final paper he would like us to write about what I have learned in this course and how this informs my understanding of the struggles of SCAN young people, as well as, the struggle of city college of New York students. He wants me to relate the movies watched (Ghetto Life 101, Boys of Baraka, Introduction to Race matters, and Reign of Error. o basically relating the movies to discussions in class, as well as my community center all together in 1 final paper that much be 5 pages double spaced, Please make sure you read the course description because it explains who my professor likes to talk most about and help.
Course Description: This course will incorporate a Community Service Field Work experience, integrated with assigned readings, classroom discussion, and analysis, culminating in the creation of a student-led Service earning project designed to positively impact declining CCNY retention and graduation rates. The semester Will begin with a sharing of current statistics relating to declining CCNY/CUNY retention/graduation rates, as Nell as, shockingly poor reading/mathematics scores for New York City public school, middle and high school tudents. Student perceptions regarding the root causes of the educational disparities relating to New York's !ailing public education system will be explored. Selected readings to afford a contextual frame will be offered. )lane Ravitch's 'Reign of Error' will be a main frame of reference. Enriching this contextual framework will be wloration of the contemporary challenges confronting public education within largely segregated, inner city iublic schools. Documentary videos/audios, including Ghetto Life 101, Boys of Baraka...etc. will illustrate said hallenges, and allow for classroom analysis and dialogue.
tudents will choose from two possible Community Service assignments: (1) Students can elect to participate it SCAN's 'Reach for The Stars' Saturday Learning Academy, located at the SCAN Johnson Cornerstone (113th itreet and Lexington Avenue). PSY 31500 students will afford PSAT/SPIP Prep instruction, as well as, afford
' ne to one' mentoring to an assigned SCAN 'Reach for The Stars' participant (East Harlem High School
dent). (2) Students can elect to afford 'one to one' mentoring and tutorial support to a SCAN Johnson
er-School program enrollee (8 to 11 years old). Community Service Internships will involve a one day per
ek, three hour per day commitment.
dents will be encouraged to consistently relate Community Service experience, to classroom dialogue, deos, readings and CCNY/LUNY/NYC Board of Education statistics. As this process unfolds, additional nceptual material will be introduced to both broaden students' notions of educational
allenges/disparities, as well as, to afford concrete 'inspiration' to motivate students to both challenge and hieve. Included, herein, will be introduction of the following: (1) CCNY history as an institution of excellence d achievement for a largely new immigrant student population. (2) Dr. Kenneth Clark's groundbreaking Doll
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< Board of Education...self esteem of young people of color...public school