Schools

PSC Receives National Recognition for Service Learning Project


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From left to right, President Dr. Eric Radtke, Board Member Peg Donohue, Adjunct Professor of Political Science Tiffany Bohm, and Board Chair Mark Fazzini. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)

Chicago Heights, IL–(ENEWSPF)– President Barack Obama wasn’t the only winner as a result of the November 2008 election.

Prairie State College (PSC) received national recognition from the National Student/Parent Mock Election for organizing a mock election with sixth grade students at Washington-McKinley School in Chicago Heights.

PSC was one of three institutions in Illinois to receive an award titled, the League of Women Voters Award, for an outstanding mock election project. The National Student/Parent Mock Election is the nation’s largest civic education project and annually holds the world’s largest mock election.

Tiffany Bohm, PSC adjunct professor of political science, organized the project to teach sixth grade students about the importance of voting as part of the college’s service learning initiative. For six weeks, Bohm’s students learned about the voting process. Then they worked with the Washington-McKinley students. The project culminated with a mock presidential election.

“The mock election allowed these young people to be a part of history while learning about democracy and the importance of exercising their right to vote,” said Angela Winters-Harmon, assistant dean of student life and multicultural affairs. “Their experience was an excellent mix of service learning and civic engagement.”

Service learning is a method of teaching and learning that connects classroom lessons with meaningful service to the community. PSC students and faculty participate in several service learning projects throughout the semester. Previous projects have included recording veterans’ stories for the Veterans History Project, volunteering for the Cancer Support Center’s Walk of Hope, and organizing community events through Phi Theta Kappa.


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