Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies
Service-Learning Courses at CCNY

CCNY faculty have offered a rich array of service-learning courses across CCNY's colleges and programs. Service-Learning courses at CCNY include the following. All are taught by Colin Powell Center-supported Service-learning Faculty Fellows.

Division of Arts and Humanities
Art (ART 15500): Art in Elementary Education
The course provides an introduction to building arts based curriculum for the elementary classroom. For their service-learning assignment, students design and implement weekly arts based workshops for youth at the Children’s Art Carnival in Central Harlem

History (HIST B2430): Case Studies in U.S. Labor History
Provides an in-depth examination of how race, gender, ethnicity, immigration, geographical mobility and regional differences have shaped U.S. labor history.  To gain a contemporary, real-world perspective on these issues, students  engage in fieldwork experiences with local labor union organizations.

Jewish Studies (JWST 1000): Intro to Jewish Life and Religion
Explores Jewish literature and customs of the life cycle in Jewish culture.  Selected topics include Jewish law and ethics; The Yiddish World: Jews of Europe before WW2; The American Jewish Community since 1925; and Jews of Morocco and Eastern Europe.  Students have hands-on experience in the Jewish community through involvement with a variety of social-service organizations throughout New York City. 

Media Arts and Communications/Advertising and Public Relations (MCA 31126): Market Research 
This course partners with the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention in East Harlem. Approaching the Center as a “client,” students create and disseminate questionnaire surveys and conduct focus groups with a cross section of the Center’s target audience.  Research results are intended to delineate the cues that prevent African American and Latino men from undergoing screenings for early detection and prevention of colon and prostate cancers.

Media Arts and Communications/Film & Video Production: Research and Writing the Documentary
Students will master research, writing, and production skills related to the field of documentary filmmaking by working with the Center for Harlem Studies. Student teams will record the stories of Harlem elders and will prepare their footage for an international student film festival.

Media Arts and Communications/Advertising and Public Relations (MCA 46800): Advertising and Public Relations Workshop
Students will advise local business development effort “Hamilton Heights Village” to create a professional communications campaign, from research through execution.

Media Arts and Communications/Advertising & Public Relations: (MCA 362):Public Relations Writing

West Harlem Group Assistance, a non-profit located near the CCNY campus, will serve as a real world client as students learn about effective public relations writing.  Students will examine message dissemination to various audiences and learn how to apply professional business writing techniques as they complete projects that serve the communications needs of the organization.

Music (MUS 152): Music in Elementary Schools;
Students help meet a critical need for music education programming at PS 123 in Harlem by designing and  delivering weekly music lessons to K-6^th grade students.

Division of Social Sciences
Economics: Environmental Entrepreneurship
Students will serve one of four community organizations: Local Development Corporation of the West Bronx, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Harlem Eco-Tours, or Greenproofing. Teams of students will use social entrepreneurship principles to complete a needed project for the organization (e.g. market research, small business development planning).

Economics (Eco 35800): Governmental Regulation and Executive Decision Making
This course surveys the social, legal, political, and ethical responsibilities of a business to both external and internal stakeholders, and examines the different positions regarding the notion of corporate responsibility. Students administer surveys in Harlem to measure resident opinions regarding the local Community Board and its relationship with private housing developers as well as attitudes about the affordable housing crisis in NYC. Community Partners for the projects include Community Board 9 (Harlem) and Neighborhood Housing Services of New York.

Political Science (PSC 355):  Environmental Politics and Policy:  Comparative and Global Perspectives
Provides students with community and classroom-based opportunities to examine environmental politics and policy making from a local, national and global perspective.  Students complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service/field work with a local non-profit organization engaged in environmental policy and/or advocacy work.

Political Science (PSC 254): International Organizations 
Examines the major institutions, organizations and processes that facilitate cooperation, peace, stability and order in the international environment.  We will begin by exploring the role of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international law in promoting these values.  Students have the option of completing a minimum of 20 hours of service with the International Rescue Committee, one of the largest refugee resettlement organizations in the world with headquarters in NYC and local offices around the world.