Category Archives: Community Based Learning

Entries from community based service learning experiences.

Where’s the River? at the Richmond Folk Festival

No event brings thousands of people right beside the James River like the Richmond Folk Festival. The festival, which is held by the ruins of the Tredegar Mill and across the canal on Brown’s Island, is almost completely surrounded by … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning | Comments Off on Where’s the River? at the Richmond Folk Festival

Where are the geographic boundaries of community drawn?

Last weekend I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Richmond Folk Festival as part of the bucket brigade. One of the main tenants of the folk festival, is that the event is free and open to the public. The … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning | Comments Off on Where are the geographic boundaries of community drawn?

Every Drop in the Bucket Counts: How Does Richmond Define Itself?

With our traffic-cone-colored t-shirts adorned and Home Depot buckets in hand, we were released from the cramped volunteer’s tent, free to roam Brown’s Island at last.  The group of Bucket Brigadiers fanned out across the festival grounds in pairs, collecting … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Every Drop in the Bucket Counts: How Does Richmond Define Itself?

A Wildlife Haven and Industrial Wasteland: Confusion at Dutch Gap

Our entourage of delicate kayaks dot the surface of the water, like gerridae, as we slide around the lagoon.  The view of the Dominion coal plant that looms ominously on the horizon is broken only by the flash of our … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning, Trips, Uncategorized | Comments Off on A Wildlife Haven and Industrial Wasteland: Confusion at Dutch Gap

Folk Festival or State Fair? (Community-Based Service Log)

The Richmond Folk Festival was an amazing experience that I had the privilege of going to for the first time with some moderately cool people- McKenzie, Quinn, and Jack. During my time there, McKenzie and I decided to help minimize … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning | Comments Off on Folk Festival or State Fair? (Community-Based Service Log)

Week 8: Community-Based Service – Building an Empire

As we huddled outside this morning in the frigid air down at Pony Pasture, Ralph White, former park manager of the James River System, told us his story. Beginning with the horror story of how people once viewed the park … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning | Comments Off on Week 8: Community-Based Service – Building an Empire

Doing My Part

All anyone sees on the news is how humanity is destroying the environment. Carbon emissions are rising, we’ve depleted Earth’s natural resources and the always present problem of climate change becomes more and more of a reality. In fact, most … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Doing My Part

Service is more than self

I would never consider myself as someone who is oriented in service. I don’t do service projects that often, most times they are required for something else or part of an itinerary I don’t have control over. Part of it … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning, Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments Off on Service is more than self

Bring the Learning Outside the Classroom

I’ll admit that when I signed up for Earth Lodge I didn’t know there was a community-based learning aspect. Now I mind community service; yay helping people. But I won’t deny that I found the scheduling, transport and other logistics … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning | 1 Comment

Week 4: James River Park System – So Much More to Explore

One of the things that I wish I had done more often last year was get off campus. The city of Richmond has so much to offer and to take advantage of, including the wonderful James River. Over the summer, … Continue reading

Posted in Community Based Learning | Comments Off on Week 4: James River Park System – So Much More to Explore