Helping Others While Learning

Vision Statement
The vision of HOWL is to create a community of civic-minded lifelong learners.

Mission Statement
The mission of HOWL is to address community needs and academic goals while instilling students with a sense of community responsibility.

Goals
To be the encouraging agent for service-learning by

• Acting as a liaison between faculty, community partners, and students
• Providing resources for faculty, community members, and students
• Engaging in faculty development
• Creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the campus and community
• Developing a basic organizational plan and a 3-5 year plan
• Implementing an assessment tool and gathering data
• Articulating the opinions and considering the advice of the HOWL Operational Team

Past goals of service-learning initiative

• Establish meaningful, interdisciplinary long-term partnerships with community organizations and agencies that are based on issues or needs-and-assets models
• Visit schools with model programs in service learning to gather information about effective use and administration of service learning
• Sponsor continuing series of substantive conversations on service learning across the spectrum of university life
• Play a leading role in Iowa Campus Compact and maintain memberships in NSEE, ISLP and Campus Compact
• Assist in the enhancement of FAPP to reward faculty for employing service learning pedagogies
• Advise the library on future acquisitions of service learning and experiential education materials
• Inform admissions, financial aid, university communications, student services and residence life on service learning initiatives and partnering opportunities for co-curricular integration

2007 H.O.W.L. $100 Student Award

Buena Vista University’s Service-Learning program, HOWL (Helping Others While Learning), is offering five $100 awards for student essays reflecting upon service-learning projects. The projects could have been completed through courses or through co-curricular experiences (as long as BVU objectives were addressed in some way). The essays must be approximately 500 words, and they are due Wednesday, May 9, by noon. Please consider the following comments and questions:

• Describe your service-learning experience
• How did you get involved in this service-learning experience?
• What does service-learning mean to you?
• How did this experience enrich your learning?
• How did this experience change you?

Submit your essays to Jill Rhea at mailbox 2967 or via email to servicelearn@bvu.edu. Award winners will be notified via email by May 15.

Congratulations to the 2006 HOWL Award Winners!

Amber Jackson
Autumn Golonka
Jen McKasson
Laura Nowatzke
Megan Walz

Each of the recipients submitted an essay on their involvement in service-learning and won $100. Thank you to all of you that entered essays for this award. We hope that you continue in your service-learning endeavors.

Service Learning Has a Life Long Impact by Amber Jackson
Service Starts Within by Autumn Golonka
Out of Chaos, Hope by Jen McKasson
AWOL Mission Trip to Juarez, Mexico by Laura Nowatzke
Caring for Children Through CAST by Megan Walz

Congratulations to the 2005 HOWL Award Winners!

Felisha Miller
Jeremy Peichel
Crystal Redman
Jennifer Rysdam
Juliana Trost

Each of the recipients submitted an essay on their involvement in service-learning and won $100. Thank you to all of you that entered essays for this award. We hope that you continue in your service-learning endeavors.

The Art of Motivation 101 by Felisha Miller
New Voter's Project by Jeremy Peichel
My Gift of Time by Crystal Redman
VITA by Jennifer Rysdam
Tsunami Relief by Juliana Trost

HOWL’s Office is located on the Buena Vista University campus in Dixon-Eilers, office 207F.