Approved Service-Learning Sites

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ACES (Athletes Committed to Educating Students) - www.aces4kids.org
ACES provides after-school programming in several partner schools using a sports-themed curriculum to supplement the skills students are learning in the classroom. Volunteers are needed as tutor/mentors. Several locations in both St Paul and Minneapolis, including one close to campus (Maxfield Elementary School).  Days and times vary.  Contact Tom Basquill at (612)331-3454. 

Arts-US

The mission of ARTS-US, whose offices are located on Concordia's campus, is to develop young leaders in and through the arts.  Arts-Us uses the arts and culture from the African Diaspora to nurture a supportive and enriching environment for Twin Cities urban youth.  Programs are designed to provide a catalyst to help youth, and the adults who parent, educate and advise them, to build assets and skills for artistic appreciation and expression, academic achievement, and community leadership.  Students of any major can get involved in the mentoring/tutoring programs, after-school/weekend/summer arts workshops, the young storytellers program, educator workshops, and office administration.  Contact Anika Ward at 651-641-8864. 

Big Brothers/Big Sisters - www.bigstwincities.org
Become a "big brother" or "big sister" and form a long-term friendship with a child, either through the community-based program or the school-based program.  Minimum one year commitment.  Contact Barb Alfrey at (651)789-2451 or Sarah Tellinghuisen at 651-789-2496.

Center for Victims of Torture - www.cvt.org

The Center for Victims of Torture, a non-profit organization founded in 1985, works locally, nationally, and internationally to heal the wounds of torture on individuals, their families and their communities, and to stop its practice worldwide.  Located by the University of MN.  Call 612-436-4800. 

Concordia Creative Learning Academy
A K-6, multi-age classroom, charter school sponsored by Concordia. CCLA teaches primarily low-income, inner-city children with the intent of providing these students and families a superior education.  Close to campus. Contact Tanya Holub at (651)649-5795.

Dads Make a Difference

The mission of DMAD, whose offices are located on Concordia's campus, is to promote positive involvement of fathers and to educate youth about responsible parenting.  DMAD trains high school teens and young adults to teach a 4-lesson curriculum to middle school youth about the importance of fathers in families, the responsibilities of being a parent, and the importance of making good choices about risky behavior so one doesn?t become a parent too soon.  Students could attend training in October or November and then be scheduled to teach middle school youth in the community or assist with teaching in juvenile detention sites in the metro area.  Contact Jan Hayne at 651-603-6312. 

Dorothy Day Center

Catholic Charities is the Twin Cities' largest private provider of social services, working to strengthen families, reduce poverty, and build communities in the Minneapolis and St Paul metro area.  The organization operates more than 75 programs in 50 locations.  The Dorothy Day Center in downtown St Paul is one of three drop-in centers operated by Catholic Charities.  The centers provide meals and resources to the poor and homeless, including many who struggle with chemical dependency or with physical or mental disabilities.  In recent years, the centers have served an increasing number of women with children.  In addition to meals, they offer employment, housing, and health-related services.  A group of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and friends go to the Dorothy Day Center on the fourth Saturday of every month between September and April to make and serve breakfast to people experiencing homelessness.  To join the crew, sign up at the CU Make a Difference Bulletin Board across from CL 214 or with the Office of Service-Learning.  Meet at the Luther Statue at 7:30am to carpool, or meet at the Dorothy Day Center by 8am.  We are all cleaned up and back at Concordia by 10:30am.  Contact the Office of Service-Learning for Saturday breakfasts.  For other opportunities, contact John Gambino at 651-288-4705.

Episcopal Church Home - www.ehomesmn.org

Episcopal Church Home, located close to campus at 1879 Feronia Ave, provides quality health-care and a home-like atmosphere to the community's growing elderly population.  Areas in which students can volunteer include:  chapel companions, recreation assistants, art and music therapy assistants, coffee shop attendants, card players, musicians and entertainers, dinging room hosts and hostesses, one-to-one visitors, walking companions, personal shoppers, and bingo assistants.  Contact Jean Sandberg at 651-632-8816.

 Farm in the City - www.farminthecity.org

FITC, with offices on Concordia's campus and several off-site locations, has programs for children and youth, environmental arts workshops, community gardening, ESL gardening with Skyline Tower residents, and a market garden program selling some of their produce to area restaurants/grocery stores/farmers' markets.  In 1996, a group of neighborhood residents, artists, educators and parents decided to start a community garden at Dunning Field.  The original focus was on organic gardening and teaching children the relationship between what they ate and their own and their community's health.  In 2000, they also created a labyrinth garden next to the circle gardens on our campus (by the science and music buildings).  Examples of service-learning projects include:  creating brochures and producing a newsletter for FITC, updating a community garden resource guide, assisting art teachers with studio art projects, assisting the program manager with the youth program, carrying out a community design process for a new community garden, and others.  FITC invites students in all fields to work out opportunities.  Contact Patsy Noble at 651-641-8831.

HousingMN - www.housingminnesota.org

HousingMN is a public education, organizing and public policy advocacy campaign bringing together diverse constituencies to promote and achieve Homes for All by 2012.  The primary purpose of HousingMN campaign is to dramatically increase the preservation and production of affordable housing in Minnesota by raising public awareness, educating policy makers on housing issues, and translating the needs of people affected into community action.  Volunteers can help with everything from reminder calls to policy research.  In 2005-2006, students also had the opportunity to put down their books and spend four days learning about homelessness in the "Let the Outside In" immersion experience over winter break.  Participants experienced "A Day in the Life: understanding urban homelessness" with St Stephen's Shelter, learned from leaders who have made ending homelessness their life's work, talked with people who are currently experiencing homelessness, volunteered at a shelter, communicated with policy-makers, took part in strategic organizing workshops, and took time to reflect and build a community of learners.  

Hubbs Center - hubbs.spps.org

The Hubbs Center provides instruction to adults in many areas - English language, basic reading, writing and math, high school diploma, and GED.  Computer use and the use of technology is also integrated into the curriculum.  Services are available to both native English speakers as well as immigrants and refugees who may be new to the community.  Students can complete service-learning by tutoring one-on-one or as classroom assistants.  Other ideas welcome.  Training required and provided.  Located close to campus (1030 University Ave).  Contact Ruth Rodriguez at 651-290-4728. 

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota - www.immigrantlawcentermn.org

The mission at ILCM is to provide free and low-cost legal services and immigration-related educational services to meet the ever-expanding needs of the immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota.  The Youth Intervention Project, which educates youth on the risks of crime and deportation for immigrants, would be a great way for those studying Spanish to use their skills or for those in education to accrue some classroom experience and teaching hours.  Also great exposure for anyone interested in pursuing law.  There are various other projects and opportunities for students to get involved.  Located close to campus (450 Syndicate St N).  Contact Amanda McRae at 651-641-1011. 

Lexington-Hamline Community Council - www.lexham.org

The Lex-Ham Community Council seeks to improve the quality of life and bring about positive community change in the Lex-Ham neighborhood, where Concordia is located.  This is done through active involvement of neighborhood residents in community projects, programs, and direct action on issues which affect the neighborhood.  Students can assist with block organizing and citizen engagement, office help to research/organize historical files, update fundraising log and compile housing data, work with the council to develop a plan for revitalizing Selby Avenue, or come up with a variety of other projects.  Concordia has been working on a neighborhood oral history project through Prof. Paul Hillmer's history classes.  Contact Jessica Treat at 651-645-3207. 

Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless and X-Committee - www.mnhomelesscoalition.org

The Coalition, which is comprised of more than 150 agencies from throughout the state, has been fighting since 1984 to end homelessness in Minnesota.  Through its community education, legislative advocacy, and technical assistance activities, the Coalition works to prevent homelessness by helping communities to design homeless response systems that meet their needs.  About one-third of the Coalition?s board of directors has experienced homelessness.  The mission is to generate policies, community support, and local resources for housing and services to end homelessness in Minnesota.  Students can volunteer or intern in the areas of organizing, policy research, lobbying, and technical assistance.  The Coalition also sponsors the X-Committee, a group of people who consider themselves of, by, and for the homeless and who are organizing both for political change and for self-reliant projects that improve conditions for the homeless community overall.  Members of the X-Committee have spoken at Concordia convocations during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.  Contact Mike Davey at 612-879-9437. 

MN International Center (MIC) - www.micglobe.org

MIC is a non-partisan organization that promotes understanding and awareness of people and cultures.  Programming includes forums with notable experts, exchange with international professionals, and a schools program.  Additional community-based activities include the Great Decisions discussion group, the opportunity for members to host international students and visitors, and current event updates.  MIC has affiliations with the World Affairs Councils of America, the Foreign Policy Association, and the US State Department, through the National Council for International Visitors.  Located by the University of MN.  Call 612-625-4421. 

On Our Own  

On Our Own is a unique adult foster care facility, a cooperative housing association for adults with learning disabilities, located close to campus (740 Marshall Ave).  The members of On Our Own are self-governing and interdependent, living in various types of housing suitable to their needs and work at forms of employment appropriate to their talents.  On Our Own provides educational opportunities, financial planning assistance, community involvement, and a network of peer support.  The cooperative spirit enables members to become self-sufficient taxpayers and contributing members of society rather than persons dependent upon the welfare system.  Students can develop service-learning projects suited to their own talents and interests as well as the needs and interests of the members of the On Our Own community.  Contact Rosita Meehan at 651-292-1305. 

PLUS Time/Liberty Plaza (Twin Cities Housing Development Corporation)

Liberty Plaza is a 173-unit development located about 2 miles east of Concordia off of Marshall Ave (290 Arundel St).  Close to 500 people including nearly 300 children under the age of 17 live at the development, and over 70% of the households are recent immigrants and refugees.  PLUS Time is an after-school program for children K-5 at Liberty Plaza, entirely volunteer driven and run by Concordia students.  It operates Monday through Friday from 3:30-6pm, and volunteers come to assist in improving the children's math, science, and literacy skills as well as social-behavioral skills by helping them with homework and building rewarding relationships with them.  Other opportunities at Liberty Plaza may be available for students to work with adults, children, youth, and families - such as with English language skills, family literacy, and programming on financial literacy and small business development.  Contact Concordia Prof. Michele Pickel at 651-641-8786 or Liberty Plaza Program Manager Wolde Selameab at 651-292-0211 x 121.

Resource Center of the Americas - www.americas.org

Resource Center of the Americas informs, educates, and organizes to promote human rights, economic justice, democratic participation, and cross cultural understanding in the context of globalization in the Americas.  They have a lending library open to the public; Bookstore of the Americas, the largest Spanish-English bookstore in the upper Midwest; Caf? of the Americas, a fair trade cafe; Centro de Derechos Laborales, an immigrant workers' rights project; YO!, youth organizing on sweatshops and child labor; a policy project on labor, globalization and human rights; Spanish, Portuguese and ESL language classes; and lectures and professional development workshops on issues related to globalization, immigration, and general Latin American topics.  Located just a couple miles west off of Lake St/Marshall Ave in Minneapolis.  Call 612-276-0788. 

St Paul Public Libraries Homework Centers - www.stpaul.lib.mn.us/homework/   

The mission of the St Paul Public Library Homework Centers is to provide a safe learning environment with academic support for students in a public library setting.  The Homework Centers seek dedicated and compassionate individuals to tutor all ages in a one-on-one capacity.  The Homework Centers operate on a drop-in basis, so tutors are paired with students as they come in.  Training is provided and hours are flexible.  Lexington Outreach Library branch is located close to campus (1080 University Ave).  Several other library branches have Homework Centers as well.

St Peter Claver Homeless Shelter

The St Peter Claver Homeless Shelter is part of Project Home, a program sponsored by the St Paul Area Council of Churches.  With the assistance of two different churches each month, Project Home offers overflow daily shelter to many families.  The St Peter Claver Parish, located at 375 N Oxford St (close to campus), serves as one of the sites for the Project Home shelters during the months of October and April.  From 5:30pm until 8am the next morning, families are provided with food and safety indoors and together.  Volunteers work in two shifts - 5:30-8:45pm and 8:30pm-7am.  Guests and volunteers spend the night in the gathering room of the St Peter Claver Church basement.  Contact Concordia Prof. Julie Jochum at 651-641-8822.  Contact Sara Liegl at 651-646-8805 x 18 for information about other Project Home shelters. 

Skyline Tower (CommonBond)

The affordable-housing across I-94 from Concordia has 500 units in it.  Built in the early 1970s it was conceived as a convenient, in-town residence for a broad cross-section of the population.  It currently houses over 1000 people, 90% of whom are new Americans.  Most of the immigrants are African, although this is truly an international community - there are estimates that over thirty languages are spoken at Skyline.  Sociologists would call Skyline Tower a "vertical poverty community" because almost all the units are subsidized and most of the residents live at or below the poverty level.  CommonBond, a low-income housing development organization, owns the building and provides a broad range of social services to residents, including youth programs, resident council, computer classes, senior services, ESL classes, in-house social worker and in-house nurse, among others.  Students can work with the youth homework center or computer classes.  Located very close to campus (1247 St Anthony Ave).  Contact Jolene Anderson at 651-999-7523. 

The University YMCA, located nearby at the University of MN (1801 University Ave SE), seeks to develop the ethical leadership capacities of young adults in a context of social justice issues.  They do this by combining cross-cultural and community-based experiences with reflective learning.  The University YMCA serves more than 500 college students and 600 youth each semester.  Students can work with youth through Y-Tutors (classroom and individual tutoring), Y-Force (middle school community service groups), or Y-Buddies (elementary and middle school mentoring, similar to Big Brothers/Big Sisters).  Students can also get involved in the Environmental Backpacking Program (service, education, and trips), the Immersion Program (social justice-focused and student-led alternative break trips over winter, spring, and summer breaks, to various destinations around the US and world), or the Metro Internship Program (a 6-credit University of Minnesota class with corporate and non-profit internships).  Contact Sara Testen for youth programming at 612-676-3790 or Jon DeVries for other programs at 612-676-7714. 

Women's Advocates - www.wadvocates.org

The mission of Women's Advocates is to eliminate violence in the lives of battered women and their children.  The agency's goals are to:  1.  Assist women through shelter, support, information, advocacy, and education to successfully leave violent relationships;   2.  Teach children and youth to use non-violent alternatives when relating to others;  3.  Change community attitudes about domestic violence through information and education.  Located close to campus (588 Grand Ave). 

Youth Express

Youth Express provides youth with an outlet to build positive relationships and participate in opportunities that improve their lives and the communities where they live. Program activities are offered year-round in the areas of education/enrichment, youth leadership, and employment. Located at Dunning Recreation Center - very close to campus! Contact Jim Kelley at (651)659-0613.

*All service-learning placement sites must be approved by the Office of Service-Learning and/or the course instructor.  If students are interested in completing their service-learning at another site not listed above, they should discuss their ideas with their instructor and/or the Service-Learning Coordinator. 

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