LEAD California, IARSLCE and GivePulse are proud to announce our next speaker:
Stephanie Brewer, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning - Center for Community Engaged Learning, Michigan State University
Moderator: Diane Doberneck, Ph.D., Director for Faculty and Professional Development, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University
About our Next Speaker:
Dr. Stephanie Brewer is the Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning with the Center for Community Engaged Learning, as well as the Program Director for the Community Engagement Scholars. She works with a team responsible for developing, supporting, and advancing academic community-engaged learning at MSU. She supports faculty, students, and community partners in the creation and facilitation of these opportunities. Stephanie worked for many years as a mental health professional before making her way to the field of higher education. Stephanie holds a BS in Psychology from Central Michigan University, a MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University, and a PhD in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University.
Title: Academic community-engaged learning and student mental health and wellness: Understanding the lived experiences of undergraduate students
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to illuminate the experiences of undergraduate students who participated in academic community-engaged learning, specifically as those experiences related to student mental health and wellness. The data for this qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven undergraduate students. Analysis resulted in the identification of essential components of the student community-engaged learning experience as it relates to their mental health and wellness and included three main themes: Identity (Head), Belonging (Heart), and Agency (Hands). The implications of these findings are many, including pedagogical considerations for community-engaged classrooms, campus-wide considerations for the inclusion of high impact practices, as well as community partner implications. Ultimately, the findings of this study will lead to a better informed and nuanced, macro-level strategy that higher education institutions can use to impact the state of student mental health and wellness broadly.