Focus on Experiential Learning Opportunities in PSO

The session will focus on the practical aspects of coordinating and managing experiential learning opportunities, highlighting best practices, as well as advocating the importance of fostering these opportunities for students. The session also will provide an overview of experiences that currently are offered in PSO.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Learn fundamentals of establishing and managing an experiential learning opportunity at UGA
  • Understand the importance of establishing experiential learning opportunities for students
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the components that make for a meaningful experience

Target Audience: Faculty and staff who manage experiential learning programs or who are interested in learning how to establish a new experience or just want to learn more about student engagement in PSO

Format: Presentation and panel conversation

Presenters:

Shannon Brooks, director, Office of Service-Learning
Shannon has served as the founding director of the Office of Service-Learning since 2005. She provides leadership, support and vision for enhancing UGA’s service-learning initiatives and its community-campus engagement. Prior to leading the OSL, Shannon worked in UGA’s Office of Instructional Support & Development (now the Center for Teaching and Learning) from 2000-2005, and in Cooperative Extension from 1995-2000. Shannon also holds a courtesy faculty appointment in the Department of Art Education in the Lamar Dodd School of Art and is the editor of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement.
Josh Podvin, assistant director for community partnerships, Office of Service-Learning
Josh supports the Engage Georgia platform, coordinates communication and support of community partners, special projects and days of service, and helps promote reciprocity and partnership with the local community. He previously served as the Experience UGA coordinator and worked as the senior coordinator for the Center for Student Organizations and National Student Exchange Program at UGA.
Emily James, horticulture and collection manager, State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Emily has been with the garden since 2014. She oversees the curators and manages the garden spaces in the Heritage and Shade Gardens, as well as the inventories of the garden’s plant collections. She leads a team of UGA students through the Learning by Leading™ program, through which they created visual maps of the garden using ArcGIS mapping software. Emily is passionate about horticulture and dedicated to maintaining and showcasing the beauty of the gardens.
Jeremy Daniel, assistant to the director for strategic initiatives, Carl Vinson Institute of Government
Jeremy provides counsel and recommendations concerning strategic direction, organizational development and performance improvement at the institute. In close coordination with the director, he helps design, implement and evaluate processes that guide and integrate the various efforts of the institute’s divisions into a more meaningful and productive enterprise. He also provides governance and operational leadership for the institute’s portfolio management and data reporting/visualization systems. A UGA employee since February 2014, Jeremy also served as director of the UGA Mentor Program, an award-winning, comprehensive initiative that has fostered 4,500+ mentoring relationships.
Sara Hand, Archway professional, Archway Partnership
Sara is the Archway professional in Colquitt County. She previously served as the Archway program coordinator in Athens and was assistant director of the Georgia Museum of Agriculture at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton. There, she managed human resources, budgeting, special events, marketing, and volunteer coordination. Sara holds a master’s degree in agricultural and environmental education and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication, both from UGA. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Administration at Valdosta State University.
Mona Behl, associate director, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
In this role, Mona provides administrative and financial leadership by directing the unit’s research and fellowship portfolios, building partnerships, and ensuring the quality, relevance, and impact of the unit’s activities in Georgia. Mona also holds public service and academic appointments at UGA and is a non-residential fellow with the American Meteorological Society policy program. Her applied research, education and extension projects focus on building local communities’ adaptive capacities to handle the impacts of extreme weather and climate change and broadening participation in science.
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