Service Learning Project
This course utilizes a problem-based, service-learning approach to familiarize you with the core theories, principles, and skills of public service and community leadership. As such, you will be working on a semester long project that will allow you to apply the skills and knowledge from this course in a real-world context.
For this assignment, you will research and identify a current issue, problem or challenge that is affecting local government. By targeting “local government” it will allow you to focus in on a specific and identifiable item as opposed to the larger scale one at the national or international level. An example would be the large scale issue of “homelessness in America” versus a locally-focused one such as “how the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County are working to serve the homeless population around the University of South Florida”. Being more local and specific will allow for greater depth to the project and a better final result.
And of course, make sure to incorporate what we have read in the textbook as it can relate to the project. For example, you might state something such as, “This action taken by Anytown, USA is a good example of how Guy and Ely present the usage of in Chapter XX of the textbook” or such similar examples. If you find other resources to use to support your papers of course use them too.
One important thing to remember: YOU CANNOT HAVE TOO MUCH INFORMATION OR DETAIL IN YOUR PAPER. I won’t take off points for telling me too much about the problem or the solution(s) or going over the page count, but you can lose points for not telling me enough.
Included in the aspect of the paper is interviewing a local government employee that is either working on the specific
topic you have identified or has knowledge about the issue. Having their input and identifying what they are doing related
to the issue is required for your success in the project.
For this project, you will:
Research and identify a local issue currently seen as a challenge to local government. Local government can be local to the immediate Tampa Bay area or can be local to a community you so choose. For example, if you are from out of state, your subject can be related to that specific community. (i.e., a northern local government may have a challenge of keeping roads clear in the winter to prevent accidents).
You are completely open to identify any such problem that you like. Just keep in mind it has to be something of concern to the local government and has to be something they are working on in some fashion to address. For example, how any city or community is addressing the homeless population would be an example but not why the county hasn’t come out to fix one pothole in front of your house.
I don’t need to approve your topic but if you have any concerns or questions about your topic, please just ask and I can give you some guidance on it.
In a 10+ page (cover sheet\title page and reference pages do NOT count as pages), double-spaced, APA format report, detail what you have identified as a current challenge to a local government. This report should include some of the following but of course more items if you think they are pertinent to the report (Remember, the more detailed the better!) The minimum is 10 pages, not including any title page or reference pages you may have. You can go over 10 pages with no penalty but less than 10 will affect your grade
The first aspect can be identified as the “Definition of the Challenge or Problem”. This includes aspects such as: Clearly defining the problem or challenge under consideration.
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