To prepare for college and promising careers, students need to master advanced skills in mathematics. Yet, far too many students finish high school without mastering the challenging mathematics necessary for success in higher education and in our competitive knowledge-based economy. While U.S. fourth graders perform above the international average - as our students successfully acquire basic computation skills-math performance begins to decline in the middle school years, and U.S. students perform significantly below the international average by the end of secondary school.
To address this issue, William Smith student Lindsay Brown, '05, with the support of the CCESL, established an America Counts partnership with the Geneva Middle School during her senior year. Her dedication to helping these students increase their math proficiency and overall confidence was well received by the students, her peer tutors and the Geneva Middle School teachers. Brown utilized her experiences with America Counts for her thesis the year she received a Master's in Teaching from the education department, and the America Counts program remains a popular choice for HWS students with advanced math skills.
If federally work study eligible, tutors are paid minimum wage, otherwise, volunteers are welcome and appreciated! Transportation is provided and tutors choose 2 out of 4 days to work with the middle school students and are supervised by a peer coordinator (a student with previous America Counts experience).
For more information about the America Counts program, visit the US Department of Education Web site.
One of the Center's flagship programs involves Hobart and William Smith students tutoring elementary school children at six schools in three surrounding school districts in our campus chapter of a national program known as America Reads. Students go as a group on a regular schedule to the schools, where they work one on one with first through third-graders on reading skills. Tutors are also given the opportunity to reflect on their experience and relate it to broader literacy and public policy issues.
Tutors need no previous reading education experience; a complete training session is provided before they begin. This is followed up with supplemental training over the course of the semester and continuous support from a "veteran" tutor known as a student coordinator who leads each team. A lesson plan is developed for the student for each session and goals mutually set between the tutor and student for the next session.
Interested HWS students must be willing to commit to the program for a semester, although they are encouraged to make a yearlong commitment.
The “Environmental Explorers” program will pair HWS students with students from Geneva Middle School to learn about environmental issues and try to help the city of Geneva become more “green”. We will be meeting 2 days per week and will also have other events during some weekends and weekdays. You will be expected to attend both sessions and most extra activities if selected. Depending upon availability and level of participation, we are hoping to have some HWS students continue into the spring semester.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches children ages 6 through 18 with mentors in professionally supported one-to-one relationships. HWS runs two versions of this program. First, community-based mentoring in which Bigs and Littles meet for an hour a week in their community to share fun activities, stories and a little bit of themselves. Second, school-based mentoring matches Bigs with their very own middle school "Little". Activities are planned between 2 and 5 p.m. once a week, including field trips and group activities. The focus is on the environment, and projects include restoring wetlands, building habitats, netting birds and working on conservation efforts. For more information please contact hmills@bbbsr.org.
In conjunction with the local Red Cross, CCESL sponsors two blood drives on campus annually; one in October on or near Halloween and the second in Februrary on President's Day. Contact your local Red Cross organization to find local blood drive dates. The Red Cross also provides an opportunity to become involved with Disaster Action Team. Please e-mail serve@hws.edu for more information.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Geneva welcomes individuals who may want to contribute their time to working with our youth. Many opportunities are available in the areas of recreation and sports, arts and crafts, drama, dance, music, leadership development, fundraising, special events, chaperoning, computer literacy training, clerical support and more! For more information, please e-mail serve@hws.edu.
Hobart and William Smith are members of Campus Compact, an association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that promotes the public purpose of higher education through civic engagement, community service and service-learning. It provides rich resources for faculty and administrators in these areas as well as networking opportunities for students. It also sponsors various honors and awards for students and faculty at member institutions, including the Swearer Award, given to students for their outstanding community and public service. HWS was a founding member of the NY Campus Compact in 2001. President Gearan served as co-chair of the first NYCC executive committee for New York Campus Compact, and has served as chair of the National Campus Compact.
All positions will assist in general office functions (phone, typing, filing, copying, etc.) and any work that comes up on a daily basis. In addition, each position will have specific areas of responsibility. Please fill out an application form to apply.
Community Based Research (CBR) projects entail a semester long commitment devoted to the exploration of a vital community issue. Students with exceptional initiative work collaboratively with a community partner and faculty sponsor. Responsibilities vary based upon the specific details within the proposal and will likely include independent research, weekly check-ins with community partner and faculty sponsor, and a concluding presentation or project. CBR projects can count towards a student's major (see course requirements) or as Geneva Collaborative Internship (GCIP 401). Please review the application and contact Katie Flowers in CCESL.
Civic participation on boards of not-for-profits is critical to the functioning of our society and an important component of engaged citizenship. This program gives our students an opportunity to see how an agency governing board functions by serving on one during college. Interested students are given training on "Board Basics" and then placed on boards that request an HWS student. Some of these are the Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce, the Geneva Boys and Girls Club, the Geneva Public Library, Success for Geneva's Children and the United Way of Ontario County. For more information, please email serve@hws.edu.
Fill out a Honorary Board Member Application!
For two months out of the school year, the Colleges' community is in charge of Thursdays with the local community "soup kitchen." Students, sometimes with the help of faculty and staff, plan, prepare, and serve lunch to those in need in the Geneva area, as well as spend time with them over the meal. Students can and do volunteer at other times as well. This is a very popular service and new volunteers are always welcome. For more information, contact Katie Flowers, associate director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning. At the 2007 Commencement, former director Marge Shanahan, was given an Honorary Degree for managing and directing this program for over ten years as well as her dedication to service and her commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people of Geneva.
Community Service House, located at 737 South Main St., is a student cooperative house where the residents have pledged to volunteer weekly with various community agencies as well as sponsor all-campus community service events. These students serve as a resource to other students and clubs on campus and take a major role in Day of Service. The house also serves as a host site for public service activities. To learn more about the house, visit the Office of Residential Education.
Current Community Service House Residents can access the online hours log by clicking here.
The Engaged Citizenship Speakers Forum is intended to bring to campus individuals, particularly graduates of the Colleges, who are making positive contributions to the public good in a variety of fields. The intent is to give our students an opportunity to meet people who are living lives of consequence. Topics for the inaugural year of the program include the environment, children, international issues, poverty, women's issues and gay rights.
As part of the series, a lecture given by Alan Van Capelle, executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda, MP3 format.
First Book-Geneva is part of a national organization whose mission is to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Our Campus Advisory Board (CAB) has several tasks, which include fundraising, granting books to local organizations and raising awareness about illiteracy issues in the community. Since its inception in 2005, First Book-Geneva has granted thousands of books to children in and around Geneva. Please visit First Book-Geneva's Web site for more information about the organization or email geneva_ny@firstbook.org for upcoming meetings and events. Check out the First Book Geneva promotional video, "What Book Got You Hooked?"
These are some of the primary responsibilities of a First Book Campus Advisory Board member:
Since the fall of 2000, the entering classes at HWS have participated in a service-learning project during Orientation. Students will participate in community service at over 40 locations around Geneva. Upon returning to campus, after a brief address by one of the Colleges' faculty concerning the role of public service and active citizenship in a liberal arts education, the students reflect on the activity in their orientation groups with either a faculty member or their orientation leader. This discussion draws together the reading, address, and service experience. Students gain an appreciation for the emphasis placed on community engagement here, experience the connection made between service and learning and get better acquainted with the community. Check out 2007 Project.
An eight-week service and leadership program for approximately
20-25 Middle School students created, staffed, and run by Hobart and
William Smith students. HWS students recruit participants from the
local middle school and then lead them in teambuilding, leadership,
and service activities. In past years the groups participated in a day
of Project Adventure leadership and teambuilding exercises, assisted
in unearthing and righting headstones in historic Washington Street
Cemetery, stripped and waxed floors at the Geneva Food Pantry, raked
leaves with President Gearan for elderly citizens as part of the
public service project during inauguration weekend, cleaned and
landscaped at Lakeview Mental Health, cleaned and moved furniture at
the Boys and Girls Club, and participated in activities with the
residents of Seneca Terrace assisted living center. For more information, please e-mail serve@hws.edu.
With support from the Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, students initiated and completed the process to form a campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. The group regularly helps in the building of houses with the Yates and Ontario County Habitat affiliates. Since its inception, the group has worked to raise money for an "HWS House" in Geneva. Contact habitat@hws.edu or CCESL for more information on how to become involved.
CCESL organizes a gift drive with local social service agencies which historically generates over $5,000 in gifts which are donated to local families in need. Gift collection begins in November and continues through the holiday season.
Information about mentoring and opportunities to mentor are available, including:
Will assist with press releases, office publications, web-site update and set up a weekly public service show on WEOS.
The “CESL199” Civic Engagement and Service Learning half-credit courses provide opportunities for students to engage in and reflect upon critical social issues through reading, discussion, and experiential learning. Service-learning is a vital component to each course, allowing students to apply in-class learning while having a positive impact on local, national, and/or global communities. Students are challenged to consider axioms including “to whom much has been given, much is expected,” “what are the civic responsibilities of citizenship?” and “is action the best response to a societal ill?” Email serve@hws.edu for current CESL199 options.
Contact serve@hws.edu or faculty adviser Jack Harris for more information about how to get involved in Relay for Life.
Rotaract is the campus version of Rotary, an international service organization that has chapters across the world (the high school equivalent is Interact). Both Rotary and Rotaract promote service and international understanding. The HWS Rotaract sponsors a number of service activities and works with the Geneva Rotary Club on some of its events. This makes them true "partners in service" and key members of the family of Rotary. Contact serve@hws.edu for more information about how to get involved in Rotaract.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges have developed an affiliation with the National University of Ireland, Galway to provide students with the opportunity to live and study among Irish students at an Irish university. A service learning project, required of all students and linked to the Director's Seminar, provides a unique opportunity for students to work with a local community service agency in Galway. Through reflective journal exercises, the community work allows for a greater understanding of Irish life and culture and chance to meet everyday residents of Galway.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges have developed an affiliation with Trinity College in Wales. Trinity College is known for its commitment to community engagement and this commitment permeates its innovative curriculum. HWS students will have the opportunity to live and take classes alongside Welsh and international classmates. To facilitate engagement with the local community, all students must participate in an academic or extracurricular immersion experience; this may include a credit-bearing internship, a school practicum, or a service-learning project. Many Trinity college courses include such components and can be used to fulfill this requirement.
For more information contact Student Activities.
Don't forget to utilize the Co-curricular transcript to show case your leadership involvements!
Senior Interns are current HWS seniors who serve as one-year members of the Admissions staff. Primary responsibilities include interviewing, staffing local college nights, open houses, and information sessions. Interns help to shape the incoming classes at HWS by supporting significant admission & recruiting initiatives and serving in a very visible role in relation to campus visitors.
Contact: Susan Willard, Admissions
Phone: (315) 781-3865
Voting members are elected from and by their residences and are responsible for the allocation of student funds to finance organizations, activities and projects that benefit Hobart College.
Contact: Hobart Dean's Office, Smith Hall, First Floor
Phone: (315) 781-3300
All students of William Smith are members of Congress, which works to represent and promote women's interests and activities on campus. Every woman is encouraged to attend weekly meeting, which provide an opportunity for women from all classes and interest groups to gather and to discuss and act upon campus issues which they find important. Voting members are elected from and by their residences and are responsible for the allocation of student funds to finance organizations, activities and projects that benefit William Smith students.
Each fall, first-year women participate in small group workshops that are designed to facilitate discussions about issues of safety and acquaintance rape as they exist on the campus. One of the special features of the program is its student-to-student approach; trained upper-class student volunteers help to choose the content and format of the program and are entirely responsible for leading the small group discussions.
America Counts coordinators are veteran tutors who lead their peer tutors during session. Coordinators facilitate the sessions with the tutors and the Geneva Middle School students. Coordinators should feel confident in their math skills and be able to work well with peer tutors, students in the program, and Middle School staff.
Contact: Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning (CCESL)
Phone: (315) 781-3825
Applications: America Reads Application
America Reads Coordinators are veteran tutors who lead their peer tutors during sessions. Coordinators create and facilitate literacy activities for tutor/student pairings, assist in classroom management, and manage program partner relationships as well as bi-weekly timesheets. Coordinators have a sincere interest in helping local children improve reading skills, and an ability to lead their peers effectively. Full position description and application are available on CCESL's website.
Contact: Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning (CCESL)
Phone: (315) 781-3825
Applications: America Reads Page
Tutors typically work with struggling students from specific courses or areas of study. They may work with individual students or small groups on a semester-by-semester basis. Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning or apply online.
Phone: (315) 781-3351
E-mail: ctl@hws.edu
Community Based Research (CBR) projects entail a semester long commitment devoted to the exploration of a vital community issue. Students with exceptional initiative work collaboratively with a community partner and faculty sponsor. Responsibilities vary based upon the specific details within the proposal and will likely include independent research, weekly check-ins with community partner and faculty sponsor, and a concluding presentation or project. CBR projects can count towards a student's major (see course requirements) or as Geneva Collaborative Internship (GCIP 401).
Contact: Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning (CCESL)
Phone: (315) 781-3825
Students have federal work study or Colleges work study as part of their financial aid package. Many departments offer on campus opportunities for employment. Position descriptions and related information are available on the Financial Aid website.
Contact: Sean View, Office of Financial Aid
Phone: (315) 781-3155
Jobs: http://www.hws.edu/offices/finaid/jobs.aspx
The House Manager(s) will work with the program to enact the theme of the house and ensure the residents fulfill all of the required activities. The House Manager(s) will live in their theme house for the full academic year.
Contact: Dave Reiner, Residential Education.
Phone: (315) 781-3880
The L2L leadership program utilizes the existing strong student to student connections at WS as the foundation for its peer mentoring program. The purpose of the program is to provide students with opportunities to improve leadership skills by observing others in leadership roles and by acting as role models for others.
Contact: Dean Gunter, William Smith Dean's Office
Phone: (315) 781-3467
Orientation Leaders will help manage the Orientation Mentors; assist with all orientation events by leading discussion groups with incoming students and family members; assist in the preparation of orientation activities and materials; acquaint new students with campus services and building locations; assist with the Matriculation process; provide assistance to help direct new students to a variety of activities; and discuss sensitive issues.
Contact: Robert Pool at Student Activities
Phone: (315) 781-3513
Orientation Mentors will facilitate small group discussions and activities with new students, provide assistance for new students in a variety of activities; setup, execute, breakdown and participate in all orientation events; acquaint new students with campus services and building locations; assist with new student move-in process; and discuss sensitive issues.
Contact: Robert Pool at Student Activities
Phone: (315) 781-3513
Peers Educating Peers are student mentors who work with the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Programs to facilitate interactive programming with HWS students. The peer educators are responsible for presenting the actual social norms to the HWS community. They produce and disseminate information on how to reduce at-risk behaviors associated with health, wellness and alcohol. The non-judgmental, harm reduction approach of the facilitators provides a forum to discuss responsible decision making and choices around day to day living, health, wellness and alcohol consumption. The student peers work in pairs and each present four to eight campus-wide presentations with likely audiences within the residence halls, theme houses, athletes, and student organizations on campus.
Contact: AOD@hws.edu, Alcohol and Other Drug Programs
Phone: (315) 781-3478
Resident Assistants (RAs) are student leaders and paid employees of the Office of Residential Education at Hobart and William Smith. An RA is assigned to each residential area and is responsible for creating a sense of community in the residence hall. In developing such a community, they often address issues of personal counseling, advising, policy enforcement, programming (personal growth, community development, integrating living and learning, and social), etc.
Contact: Residential Education or apply.
Phone: (315) 781-3880
The Charter Class established the big sister/little sister program in 1910 and with it the tradition of William Smith women reaching out and supporting one another.
That tradition is continued today by a number of student organizations that help women make William Smith a vibrant and caring community.
Contact: William Smith Dean's Office, Smith Hall, First Floor
Phone: (315) 781-3467
Teaching Fellows staff departmental study spaces, where they cultivate student understanding of subject-specific discourse and inquiry, model out-of-class engagement and help direct learning. Teaching Fellows are trained to facilitate learning by directing conversation, posing challenging questions, suggesting effective study strategies, providing feedback and directions to additional resources.
Phone: (315) 781-3351
E-mail: ctl@hws.edu
See the program description and application (PDF) to apply.
Founded in 1979, the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) is comprised of student-athletes from each of the 11 College varsity teams. Council members are selected by their respective head coach and the director of athletics.
Writing Colleagues are students that lend support and act as a sounding board for other student writers. They spend a semester attached to a course, often a First Year Seminar, working with each individual student in the course. Writing Colleagues must go through an application process, and then take the Writing Colleague Seminar through Writing and Rhetoric, where they study how to provide writing assistance and diagnose papers, as well as read and write and discuss the art of rhetoric.
Email: Heidi Beach, Writing Colleague Coordinator
Phone: (315) 781-3807
