Community Builders - Leadership Institute
Community Builders is an ongoing collaborative experiential learning project, under the auspices of the Leadership Institute and Education Department, in which Wartburg College students work with youth and senior citizens to meet the mutually reciprocal needs of all those involved. The purpose of this project is to use the assets of community members with different backgrounds and skills to build and strengthen the community they share.

Increasing Literacy in Children
A partnership has been created hinged on a Residence Life service project. Suitemates have partnered with various elementaries to help and support struggling students. Each of the suitemates will work one-on-one for eight hours a month with an elementary student to provide academic assistance and general support throughout the course of the school year.

Professional Development for Educators
Numerous opportunities have been organized to provide speakers and workshops specifically suited to the needs of local educators. Nationally recognized speakers such as Michael Furdyk and Richard Hector have been brought to campus to provide information, support, and resources to help teachers grow personally and professionally.

CCE Fellows Program
This program recognizes and supports first generation and low income students. On a yearly basis, Community Fellows complete 300 hours of community-based experiential education at a site related to their declared area of interest.

School Partnership Programs
A variety of programs and relationships have been developed to meet the needs of local school districts and their faculty and students.

Nationally Recognized Speakers
A variety of speakers are invited to campus to work directly with local educators and their students in an effort to improve the field of education. These opportunities are offered to local partners at no cost to them. Recent speakers who have visited campus include Michael Furdyk and Richard Hecter.

Workshops
Workshops have also been facilitated and supported to help educators keep up-to-date with the latest research and current affairs in the field of education.

“First in the Nation” Initiative
Wartburg College, in collaboration with Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H., launched an initiative called Engaging Students: First in the Nation. The two year project focuses on engaging students and communities in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary during the 2008 presidential election cycle.

Other Partnerships
Every semester numerous school districts, principals, and teachers request Wartburg students to assist them and their students in a variety of ways. The majority of the requests involve one-on-one tutoring or skill assistance, but other requests are received such as those needing assistance in monitoring and facilitating an after-school program or providing assistance with program development.

We try to fulfill each one of these requests by contacting students and organizations that have the resources and time to assist. We are able to directly help many of the requests but do not have the resources or people to satisfy every need of the school districts. This academic year we were able to provide tutors and extra assistance for students at St. Paul’s Lutheran school, Washington Irving Elementary School, Southeast Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, Clarksville Elementary, and Waverly Preschool and Childcare.

For more information about school partnerships:
Bill Soesbe | bill.soesbe@wartburg.edu | School Programs Coordinator | Phone: 319-352-8695