Home > Initiatives > Consulting Corps > 3. Types of civic and community engagement > Alternative spring breaks > Mary Laurel True
Consultant: Mary Laurel True
| Name: | Mary Laurel True |
| Title: | Associate Director |
| Department: | Center for Service, Work and Learning |
| Organization: | Augsburg College |
| Phone: | (612) 330-1775 |
| Fax: | (612) 330-1432 |
| Email: | truem [a] augsburg.edu |
| Address: | 2211 Riverside Ave CB 108 Minneapolis, MN 55454 |
Brief Biography:
I have been in the role of service-learning coordinator for 18 years. I have done almost every aspect of service-learning coordination. I have worked with faculty in 30 different disciplines. I have worked with every almost every kind of community organization imaginable. I still love the work and learn something new about the field every day. My strengths are in the areas of:
- Creating long-term, authentic partnerships
- Working with faculty on development of service-learning components in courses and in general
- Building real and reciprocal relationships with community organizations
- Building institutional civic engagement
- Connecting with peace and justice Issues
- Working with new immigrants and refugees
- Starting a Campus Kitchen Program on your campus
Areas of Expertise
1. Current or Past Roles
- Director or staff of service-learning/civic engagement center
2. Types of Consulting
- Technical assistance
- Interactive presentations
- Discussion / dialogue facilitation
3. Types of civic and community engagement
- Engagement integrated in first-year programs
- Institutional engagement (mobilizing institutional resources to support a civic mission)
- Alternative spring breaks
- Community-based work-study
- Consulting Corps Campus-community partnerships
- Developmental models of engagement integrated in departmental or general education curricula
- Co-curricular service or engagement programs
- Community organizing
- Service-learning or community-based learning courses
4. Related knowledge
- Partnership development
- Scholarship of teaching and learning
- Faculty development
5. Public issues addressed through engagement
- Consulting Corps Health
- Senior / elder issues
- Literacy
- Hunger
- Tutoring
- Public arts / theater
- K-12 education
- Womens issues
6. Types of campuses
- Four-year
7. Academic areas
- Health professions
- Social sciences
- Consulting Corps Education
- Consulting Corps Business / management
- General education
- Arts and design
- Humanities
- Natural sciences
I have always had a drive to serve others and work for the common good. But I never fully realized that I could go beyond volunteerism--that my opinion and hard work could influence policy decisions. My views changed when I sat in the office of one of my legislators in Washington, DC.
-Amanda Coffin, University of Maine at Farmington, Campus Compact student leader