DEEP Service Magazine Spring/Summer 2014 | Page 27

DEEPCONNECTIONS Dake Fellowships Offer Developmental Pathways for Students to Actively Engage in the Community By Claudia Congemi ’14, Dake Fellow MEASURING ENGAGEMENT ACE is pleased that for the second completion at Green Tech High Charter School for Boys. year, through the generosity of the Dake This survey began as a Community Engaged Teaching and Family and Stewart's Shops, a Learning (CETL) Economics class in the spring of 2013. developmental Dr. Mandal, my classmates, and I pathway for students to helped develop a survey designed “The mission of a Dake Fellowship actively engage in the community to measure the variables involved has been kept open. The mission of in academic success. This survey is to help students identify a a Dake Fellowship is to help was recently implemented in its community challenge, study that students identify a community first round of testing this May. This challenge, and spend a year of full- summer, I will start to analyze and challenge, study that challenge, and spend a year of full-time service post time service post graduation interpret this data for Green Tech graduation working to address that and work to add elements the working to address that challenge challenge in a Capital District analysis such as an index to help in a Capital District community.” community. This also includes the create a better picture of each opportunity to prepare a student's strengths and weaknesses.  community-based research project with the guidance and          consultation of ACE and CURCA. It is our hope that this survey will be successful at          identifying individual factors that help and hinder students This summer, I will be working as the Dake Fellow, with the academic success, and will lead to the development of guidance of Dr. Arindam Mandal in Economics, to holistic ways to work with students at Green Tech. Perhaps implement and analyze a survey to help measure the factors some day the results can be used to help similar schools and that increase the likelihood of academic success and college community partners.   Did You Know? The Office of Academic Community Engagement proudly partners with the Siena College Research Institute (SRI), a vital on-campus resource that works closely with ACE community partners on community-based research questions that help solve important social issues. SRI also conducts the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement as well as the Community Needs Assessment Study. NASCE Blog: Scan the QR code with your smartphone to access the blog post Telling the Story Behind the Hours: Assessing Student Community Engagement Beyond Tracking Hours. MEASURING ENGAGEMENT DEEP Service Magazine | Page 27