Thanh Dan, left, Natasha Meed, Pae Say and Maile Vang present on their service work at the Community Engagement Celebration in the Atwood Ballroom. The students did their service learning at the St. Benedict Senior Community.
Gerontology students take what they’re learning in class out into the community every year through service work at area senior agencies.
Students in Rona Karasik’s aging and housing options course each provide 30 or more hours with a senior housing agency on a service learning project.
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The students helped seniors with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recertifications, respite care and household chores, helped provide activities at nursing homes and helped their agencies with marketing and administrating a Bill of Rights for residents.
The program is just one of several gerontology service learning projects, which connected students with 15 different agencies serving seniors this spring.
As students work with these agencies they learn about the types of housing available for seniors and interact with seniors in new ways, said gerontology student Natasha Meed.
These students are doing amazing work for the community through these projects, Karasik said.
“They make a difference throughout the Central Minnesota area,” she said. “Our whole program is community-oriented.”
