Service Learning
FLL Experiential & Service Learning
Omaha is a diverse city where a wide variety of languages are spoken and many cultural backgrounds are present. In response, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature sees this as an educational opportunity, and we regularly include service-learning components in our courses. This not only gives students a chance to use and apply the knowledge and language skills that they are learning, but also allows them to connect with the relevant local communities. Many of our projects seek to expand access to information and educational resources specific to non-English speaking communities in Omaha and the state of Nebraska. Students who participate in these projects are able to achieve first-hand knowledge on field-specific practices. These collaborations between students and community partners allow for future career opportunities that will be mutually beneficial.
Fall 2021 Service Learning Projects
Research Methods
In Fall 2021, the graduate students enrolled in Dr. Cecilia Tocaimaza-Hatch's FLNG 8020 partnered with ADL (Anti Defamation League). ADL hosts a walk every November where people are able to visit sights in Omaha that are significant to the civil rights movement. With the COVID pandemic, starting in 2020, ADL looked to provide participants with a virtual alternative for the in-person walk where people could learn about historical places in Omaha online.
Students in FLNG 8020 contributed to this project by researching sites in Omaha that have historical significance to the civil rights movement and designing lesson plans and materials that high school teachers can incorporate into their curriculum. All the materials produced by FLNG 8020 students will be featured in ADL’s site supporting the November walk.
Advanced Spanish Conversation & Spanish Conversation and Pronunciation
Since the state of Nebraska has funds to help small and medium-sized businesses, as well as self-employed workers affected by the pandemic, it is urgent to produce a quantitative and qualitative study that records the adverse effects of the pandemic on those businesses whose owners are Latino, in order to justify that a portion of available state funds can also reach this segment of the population. Thus, Dr. Steven Torres and Dr. Jose Sequeros-Valle's SPAN 4030 & 3030 students participate in a community engagement and research project in South Omaha that will primarily benefit the Latino population. Students work in pairs to complete interviews and surveys to collect data.
Fall 2020 Service Learning Projects
Latin America in Context
Dr. Garcia’s Fall 2020 SPAN 3050: Latin America in Context class included a weekly exploration of simple mindfulness practices which have a positive impact in our levels of happiness, especially during the COVID pandemic before vaccines became available. As part of this Community Outreach Project, students created a YouTube playlist, sharing in Spanish their favorite Practices of Happiness, encouraging Spanish-speaking community members to take simple but effective steps to improve emotional and physical wellbeing.
Prácticas de Felicidad |Practices of Happiness Community Outreach Project