Our Crowdfunding Groups
Thank you for supporting our OSU Marion Pay It Forward Project in the past through our Buckeye Funder Campaign!
Let me tell you what donations did over this past year:
These are just some of the measurable things; however, you also provided students with a unique educational experience, one that again, many said they will never forget. If you want to see more about what some of these students said, watch the video on our new crowdfunding page at https://buckeyefunder.osu.edu/project/8986
Your donation has already positively impacted many lives, and it is an investment that will continue to reap rewards far into the future. I truly appreciate your past gift!
If you would like to continue to support the Pay It Forward Project at The Ohio State University at Marion, please go to our Buckeye Funder website and give whatever you can any time between February 1st and March 2nd. Click here to make a donation.
Thank you for donating to the OSUM Pay It Forward Project in the past, and I hope you will consider supporting us again this year.
Sincerely,
Amy Tibbals
Dear Previous Pay It Forward Donors,
It’s that time of year again! Students at OSU Marion are engaging in the community and getting real world experience by raising money for organizations in Marion. Last year, your donation made a huge difference.
English 2367.01S students awarded: $2,500 to the Heartland Community Action Commission’s United Community Rx program, $1,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County, and $500 to Goodwill of Marion County.
The Community Rx Program’s award of $2500 went to help roughly 17 people without medical insurance buy their medically-necessary prescriptions.
$1000 went to help The Boys and Girls Club to provide a summer enrichment program called Summer Brain Gain. This program helps continue the learning process over the summertime and helps ensure that students do not lose learning over the summer so that they are prepared to enter the next year of school.
$500 went to Goodwill of Marion County for their Work Readiness program. This program provides training, resources and skill-building to help someone obtain employment. They not only provide computer help to build resumes and fill out online applications and practice interviewing, they help someone find the proper clothes and access to transportation to attend an interview.
Isn’t awesome to see what a difference a small group of Buckeyes can make when they come together for a cause?
How Can You Help?
The Pay It Forward Project cannot continue without funds. This is where you can help again. By donating through our crowdfunding campaign, you will make a difference in a student’s education, impact the community, and build a caring citizen.
We’ve raised $2,072 so far and our goal is to raise as much as we can before our deadline. We have only one short week to meet our goal; the deadline is February 28.
When you donate, I promise that your tax-deductible dollars will build my peers' and my “intelligence plus character” all while giving back to the community.
To donate now, please go to our Buckeye Funder crowdfunding web page: https://buckeyefunder.osu.edu/osumpif
Thank you and Go Bucks,
Morgan, Daric, Austin, Bethanie
English 3304, Business and Professional Writing
I promise -- I won't overload you with updates!
However, I was told some people are not able to get to the new campaign through the hyperlink I provided. Here is the new campaign link:
https://buckeyefunder.osu.edu/project/4206
Thank you,
Amy Tibbals
Good morning!
I am pleased to let you know that you have another opportunity to help us sustain the OSU Marion Pay It Forward Project through this years Buckeyefunder crowdfunding campaign. As someone who has donated to this project in the past, you understand the value of keeping this project going for the benefit of OSU students and the local community as well.
Due to an increase in funds from both The United Way of Marion County and our own OSUM Dean Greg Rose, we are trying to raise only $2000 through this year's campaign, which is half of last year's goal.
Students in English 3304, Business and Professional Writing, are having the opportunity to use their professional writing skills to market and run this campaign. They will be providing the updates all throughout the campaign. Students in English 2367.01 will oversee the actual grant process itself which will begin in just a few short weeks.
The money you donate today will help sustain this unique service-learning experience all while making a positive contribution to the Marion community through local non-profit programs. The United Way and our OSUM Dean Rose have increased our funds this year because they see the wide-reaching impact this program has and continues to have on students and the community.
Please consider contributing to our campaign by clicking here. If you are a Buckeye Alum, $75 will still earn your "Sustaining Member" status. Whatever you are able to give will make a difference. Donations must be made by February 28th.
Thank you so much!
Amy Tibbals
As promised, here is the link to OSU Marion's feature story on our Pay It Forward Celebration.
https://osumarion.osu.edu/news/pif16.html
Thanks!
Amy Tibbals
As promised, I wanted to share some pictures from our Pay It Forward Celebration. Students in English 2367.01S created displays, gave presentations, and finally, awarded the funds. It was a great way to end their semester-long Pay It Forward Grant Project. $500 to Goodwill, $1000 to Boys and Girls Club, and $2500 to Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission's United Community Rx Program.
Thanks again for supporting this amazing service-learning opportunity and helping students give back to the community.
Amy Tibbals
As someone who helped support our crowdfunding campaign to make this year's Pay It Forward grant possible, I wanted to update you with how the students in English 2367.01S decided to award the funds. They worked very hard this semester getting to know each organization and how they help the community. They each had to write an argument paper defending his or her choices for the funding. It then took an hour-long debate to reach a class consensus. Here is what students awarded today at our Pay It Forward Celebration. This year's Pay It Forward Awards are $500 to Goodwill of Marion County for their Work Readiness program. This program helps those who are unemployed learn some basic skills needed for getting a job. They even provide an outfit for interviewing. $1000 goes to Boys and Girls Club of Marion County for their Summer Brain Gain program. This is a new learning/enrichment program that will help kids avoid the typical two months of learning loss that takes place over the summer. The final $2500 goes to the Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission's United Community Rx program. This program helps provide medication at little to no cost to people who are uninsured. They are the only program of its kind in Marion, and they help a lot of people who are released from the hospital with a list of prescriptions but no money to buy them. This is how the $4000 in grant funds were dispersed today at our PIF Celebration. Pics and article to come!
These are the students in this semester's 2367.01S. They are grateful for your support!
This year's English 2367.01S students thank you for your support!
Today they will start their site visits of this year's grant finalists. The exciting grant process has begun for them. We will keep you posted and let you know how this year's $4000 grant funds are dispersed.
We, students in English 3304, would just like to take this time to thank each and every person who donated any amount of money! Every bit helped us raise enough money to reach our goal amount of 4000 dollars! We could not have done any of this without each and every one of you! Thank you all very much for all of your help! And if you could not donate, but you still helped spread the word about our campaign, thank you as well! We just want to thank anyone who helped out in any way! Thanks again! We couldn't have done this without you.
Question: How did the 1000 dollars from the previous Pay It Forward campaign benefit the organization? Can you offer any numbers for how successful the Stride Program has been?
Answer: "The funds received last year helped offset the cost of the annual Stride license. This online program allows all of our members, over 700 in 2015, to improve their reading proficiency. I don't have access to the latest numbers, but annually we see great gains from our members from using this program. The results provided from Stride are used to leverage other grant funds, including those from the United Way."
Question: Besides the possibility of funding, do you see other benefits to participating in the Pay It Forward program?
Answer: "The best part about this program is getting to expose the students to the work we do. Any funding is simply a bonus."
Question: Mr. DeWitt, what in your experience has been one of the most fulfilling parts about working at the Boys and Girls Club at Marion County?
Answer: "One of our biggest goals is to provide our members experiences, many of which our members would never have if it were not for the Club. One of the most recent of these experiences was when I got to take two of our members to the Statehouse in Columbus to participate in a legislative day. The two fourth graders met with our local representatives in their offices, sharing their experiences at the Club, and lobbying for future funding. The highlights according to them was meeting in an office on the 13th floor of the Rhodes Tower, touring the Statehouse, and simply being in downtown Columbus, something neither had done previously."
Question: Why do you feel you deserve the money over some of the other non-profits that are competing for the Pay-It-Forward grant?
Answer: "There are many great organizations doing incredibly important work in the Marion area. The Boys & Girls Club is the leader in youth development in the Marion area, providing nationally proven programs to improve the lives of our members. We work every day to offer hope and opportunity to those that need us most by helping them identify their dreams and providing the tools and training to help them achieve them."
Question: In your opinion what makes the Boys and Girls Club of Marion such an important part of the local community?
Answer: "The answer to this is much the same as the previous question. Our mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Our Club provides a safe place for kids during out-of-school time where they learn the skills they need to achieve their life goals. Without the Club, many of the more than 150 kids a day that we serve would have no where to go after school, putting them in danger of becoming just another statistic."
Question: Do you have any goals for the Boys and Girls Club of Marion that you hope to accomplish this year?
Answer: "We are focused on the continued growth of our Club attendance so that we can continue to help more kids. One particular focus is our middle school population. These are kids that have more and more choice with what they do after school. We are working hard to convince them that coming to the Club is a great option so that we can then teach them the skills they need to become productive, caring, responsible citizens."
My students and I would like to thank you for supporting our Pay It Forward Campaign. Because of you, a new semester of students will have the opportunity to learn by giving, and the community of Marion will have more help. You have made a difference! You have paid it forward!
Thank you so much for helping us exceed our $4000 goal - five days early!!!
We are grateful for your support, and on behalf of my English 3304 students, English 2356.01S students and myself: THANK YOU!!!
Amy Tibbals
We the students of English 3304 wish to express our deepest gratitude to the McDonalds, Chipotle, and Buffalo Wild Wings in Marion for helping to make our Eat. Play. Give. Event so successful. It’s wonderful to know that they support both the students of OSUM and our local community. The prizes that these three restaurants donated were a wonderful draw for the students and faculty of OSUM and helped us hit our 70% mark!
On February 23, 2016 the event “Eat. Play. Give.” was held at The Ohio State University Marion in Morril Hall. It was held from 11:30-1:30 and then a second session from 3:30-5.
Every student in the business writing class helped out at the event and brought in items for suggested donations. Students brought in cookies, brownies, buckeyes, cake pops, coffee and items such as pencils, pens, coffee cups and others. Students also volunteered their time between classes to work the event.
The grand prize was a raffle with the two first place winners receiving an extra large order of wings (40 wings!) from Buffalo Wild Wings. The third winner of the raffle won a Chipotle gift card worth $15. Jerry Strauss and Christian Peregrina won the BW3s 40 wing certificates, and Emily Hooper won the 2 free entrees from Chipotle.
The “Eat. Play. Give” event raised a lot of awareness for the Pay it Forward Project along with $300 toward our campaign. “Eat. Play. Give.” was a fun day for the students who worked so hard to make this happen and also for the donors who opened their hearts, and their wallets, to show a little giving spirit.
Photos:
Top(Winning raffle tickets and prizes),
Middle(Hannah spinning the prize wheel),
Bottom(Freshman Mark filling out his raffle tickets.)
Take a trip to Morrill Hall, Tuesday, February 23rd from 11:30am – 1:30pm and 3:30pm – 5:00pm. The students of English 3304 will be accepting donations for baked goods, fresh flavored coffee, and chances to win various prizes with 100% of the funds going toward the Pay It Forward Project.
Cure that craving while giving back to the community!
We are very excited to announce the three organizations that will be considered to receive the grant awards from students in English 2367.01S this semester.
The three finalists are Boys and Girls Club of Marion, Goodwill of Marion County, and Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission. This means that for the rest of this semester, the students in English 2367.01S will visit with each organization, get to know more about what each is doing to make a difference in Marion, and then will have to decide among these three how to award the $4000 in grant funds.
Today's first cut was not an easy decision, as students had five very worthwhile applicants. We would like to thank Marion Matters and Let's Read 20 for applying this year, and we hope that they will consider applying again in the future.
We (students in English 3304) are busy baking and preparing for tomorrow's event. If you're going to be on the Marion Campus tomorrow, please stop by our Eat. Play. Give. Event. It will be a great way to help our crowdfunding campaign all while getting something delicious to eat. If you cannot attend and would still like to give, please click here.
We all care so much for this project of giving back that we are having a bake sale! Well, really, it's more than just that -- it will be baked goods, flavored coffee, and games to win prizes all for a suggested donation to our campaign. All the money earned from the event will go towards the Pay it Forward Project. The event will take place Tuesday, February 23rd on the first floor of Morrill Hall on OSU Marion campus. It will be 11:30am-1:30pm and 3:30pm-5pm.
We as students care deeply about this project and hope to raise more money by having this fun event for students and everybody on the OSU Marion campus. It is also a great opportunity for everyone to participate while getting something sweet to eat in return!
Also to show how much we care, here is what some of us, English 3304, students have said when asked why we gave:
“I gave because I want students to have the experience of making positive change by helping the community of Marion. I think it’s important for students to realize that even a small action, like giving $5 can make the difference.” -Brooke Davidson (Sophomore).
“We donated because we think that it is important to support our fellow students in the other class. We also love the opportunity to give back to the community that has made us who we are today!” -Ashley Irvin (Senior) and Cole Miller (Freshman).
We gave and so can you on Tuesday, February 23rd at our Eat. Play. Give. event! Everyone is welcome! If you cannot attend but would still like to contribute, click here.
The students in English 2367.01S just received this year's grant applications. They are now in the process of deciding which three out of five organizations we will work with for the rest of the semester. See which projects have been submitted and meet the local organizations seeking funding this semester by watching our video.
My name is Adam Murray, and I am a freshman Business major currently attending The Ohio State University at Marion. Today I would like to share with you with 7 reasons why you should consider clicking here and donating today!
1) Your donation will go to not only to benefit the students as a learning opportunity but will also help change the lives of people in need in Marion.
2) A study at the University of California in 1999 and another at the University of Michigan 2002 showed that even after controlling for other outside factors, elderly people who gave to charity did other selfless acts of kindness were two times less likely to die in a span of five years. This means periodically donating could help you live longer!
3) Giving is contagious. Your donation will inspire others to give as well.
4) Studies show that people who give money are happier compared to people who spend money on themselves. It also doesn’t matter how much you give. Regardless of the amount, people still feel happier when they donate.
5) When you give your brain releases endorphins. These endorphins cause a feeling that is commonly referred to as the “Helper’s High.”
6) According to warm glow theory, when you give money to charity, you feel a happy little “warm glow” feeling that comes from helping others.
7) Donating is a way that you can make a difference in the world that we all live in!
Regardless of your reason, donating is a great thing to do, and I urge you to donate just $5 by clicking here today and help us reach our goal to make the world a better place.
When you think of the term pay it forward, does the movie “Pay It Forward” come to mind as beginning of the movement? Well if it does, let me share with you some words spoken 14 years earlier by one of The Ohio State University’s most famous football coaches:
I would like to start out with something I have used with almost every speech and that is, paying forward, paying forward. And that is the thing that you folks with your great education from here can do for the rest of your life.
…Take that attitude toward life, that you're going to pay forward, because so seldom can we pay back because those, your parents and those people will be gone, but you do want to pay. Emerson had something to say about that. He said," You can pay back only seldom." But he said, "You can always pay forward and you must pay line for line, deed for deed, and cent for cent." He said, "Beware of too much good accumulating in your palm or it will fast corrupt." That was Emerson's attitude and no one put it better than he did.
Woody Hayes, OSU Commencement Speech 1986
See, the idea of paying it forward wasn’t the result of some year 2000 movie. No, paying it forward – giving to and helping others - is very much part of the spirit of the Buckeye Nation and of the American fabric. The idea that you have something to offer someone else, whether it is your time, your talent, your finances or even simply, your kindness, plays a key role in becoming the best we can be.
It is this same attitude that I have really wanted to infuse into my classes. I know that whether my students are traditional or non-traditional students, this time that they have in college will help shape who they become and how they will continue to function in the community as citizens. I also know that students become more interested and engaged when they feel like they can actually use what they are learning. The course English 2367.01 is titled Language, Identity, and Culture in the U.S. Experience. My focus is on the American Dream, and I feel that an integral part of living the American Dream is giving back or paying it forward which is why I've incorporated the Pay It Forward Project into the course.
Please give today so that we can continue to build engaged and caring citizens who understand the value of paying it forward to the community. It’s as easy as clicking GIVE NOW.
Thank you!
Amy Tibbals
My name is Zeb Lucas, and I am a freshman at OSUM, currently majoring in Mortuary Science. I work two part-time jobs in order to pay for school, so I completely understand not having the money to spare with all of the expenses of being a student. This is why I would not ask you to donate money without donating myself which is why I gave five dollars to the Pay It Forward Project.
Now, I ask you to do the same, even if it means skipping Starbucks for a day, or packing a lunch instead of getting Chipotle. Please give just five dollars to help us make a difference in the Marion community. We are already 50% of the way funded but need your help to get the other half.
So please, donate today by clicking here and make Marion a better place.
First of all, thanks to all of you who have already supported our Pay It Forward Project Campaign. Your donation shows that you support this unique educational experience, you support OSUM students, and you support helping Marion become better and stronger. I cannot truly express the ripple effect of your donation.
We are so close to reaching 50% of our goal. Today, we're trying to make that extra push to get there. That's why we're calling today Five for Fifty Friday. Giving even $5 will help us reach our goal. If you've been thinking about it but haven't given, or if you thought giving just $5 wouldn't make that much of an impact, think again. Today's your day!
To make your donation, it's as easy as clicking Give Now.
Thanks from Amy Tibbals and the students in English 3304 and English 2367.01S!
Last year the OSUM students in English 2367.01S awarded the 2015 Pay it Forward grant to three local organizations that are dedicated to making Marion a better place. The three winners were Marion Matters, the Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission, and the Boys and Girls Club of Marion.
The students awarded $2000 to Marion Matters for their “Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting’-By World” program that helps put an end to the cycle of generational poverty.The purpose of the organization is to mobilize caring community members working to create pathways out of poverty through education and support. Marion Matters helps people with the issue of poverty by providing a class called Getting Ahead, which helps out by creating a unique plan to move out of poverty, while also helping to carry out the plan.
The students gave the Ohio Heartland Community Action Commission $1000 for their United Community Prescription program that helps people in Marion that are in financial trouble get their medications for free or a reduced price.Their mission is to foster and promote planning services and developmental efforts for a coordinated attack upon conditions of poverty affecting inhabitants of the area.
The remaining $1000 from the grant was given to the Boys and Girls Club of Marion for their Stride Program, which helps children improve their reading and math skills. The mission of the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County provides a fun, educational, and safe place for kids to learn and grow.
For additional information regarding the 2015 Pay it Forward Project and the three winners please visit the links below.
http://osumarion.osu.edu/news/%E2%80%8Bbeyond-the-classroom.html
https://www.facebook.com/MarionMattersohio
If you haven't given to our campaign, please give now.
The Pay it Forward campaign not only provides an opportunity for students to give, but also Ohio State staff and faculty as well! I recently caught up with Dave Claborn who was one of the first people to invest in this campaign. I simply asked him why he feels that giving is so important. He responded by saying “I support the Pay it Forward project because it ties our students and university directly to the needs of our community.” The community of Marion is a place that Dave not only calls his home, but also houses his workspace. He believes in giving back to the community that he is a part of.
Dave also finds it important to support students and their learning. He said, “Pay it Forward helps develop a philanthropic mind-set in our students, creating the kind of solid citizens we like to believe Buckeye Nation is all about.” Dave gave because he believes that Ohio State Marion students have the passion and drive to provide positive change in this community, and that is truly inspiring. He and many other staff members prove their loyalty to the students that they serve daily, but it is investors like Dave that inspire students to reach beyond what they ever thought possible, real change.
You can be like Dave and the others that have already given. You can support our students in this journey to meet the needs of this community. Please consider giving to Ohio State Marion's Pay It Forward Campaign as we strive toward our $4000 goal to provide change for the community that supports us and encourages our education each and every day.
If you'd like to donate, click give now.
Thank you!
Dave Claborn
When you give to support the Pay It Forward Project, your dollars have twice the impact of simply giving a donation to a non-profit. First, the funds help students learn about the difficulty and importance of being responsible with money. They are tasked with finding the best way to use the grant funds to make a difference in Marion.
As Aristotle said, ""To give away money is an easy matter ... and in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it, and how large and when, for what purpose and how, is neither in every man's power nor an easy matter."
Students understand exactly what he meant by this because they realize that having enough money to give everyone what they ask for is not in their power, and it quickly becomes apparent that deciding which organization to fund is difficult because all are doing such important work in the community.
This shows that when you donate, you're supporting students' education first and then of course, the money is put back into the community to make a difference. As I mentioned, students take this task very seriously, so you can rest assured that the dollars you invest are awarded to local non-profits after a very thorough decision process.
This proves that your investment in Pay It Forward makes twice the impact of a regular donation. If you haven't given yet, please, help by giving now.
Thank you,
Amy Tibbals
1. What is the Pay It Forward Project?
The Pay It Forward project is a program here at Ohio State Marion where students get to go through a process to evaluate and ultimately pick what non-profit organizations in Marion to donate $4,000 to how they choose.
2. What is your previous experience with this project?
Previously in the class we learned how evaluate the different organizations to see who was best qualified to get the donations. This gave me so much experience on the business side of donating a large amount of money. Rather than just going off of your initial feelings or your own opinion we learned so much about how to professionally decide and the best way to help the most people. We got to meet quite a few people who dedicate their lives to helping people.
3. Who has this project helped in the past?
Well first the obvious people who benefitted from the project were the nonprofits we donated to. But because this program is so amazing a ton of people gained so much beyond just the organizations. We were able to support these organizations, who in turned helped people in the community, who could go on to help their families and children, their children could have better lives… it just is a large chain reaction of helping people! We students gained a lot of experience as well and were exposed to real life problems around us. Helping people helps you in return and makes you feel great!
4. How did you decide who got the donations?
It was a long process! We evaluated all the non profits on paper first, then we discussed and eliminated the ones who were unfortunately not what we were looking for. Next we had representatives come into our class to give us their spiel about what they’re about and try to persuade us to donate to them. We even got to go on a tour of The Boys and Girls Club who were one of the non profit groups that we ended up donating to! Lastly the class had an open debate about who we should donate to and how much. It was such a fun process!
5. What would you do to improve the process this year?
I think the only way we could improve something already amazing is if we were able to get more money. More money means more people helped! I think that the crowdfunding we’re doing is step in the right direction!
As you can see, Pay It Forward is making a huge impact, and the only thing stopping us from doing more is funding.
Please give today by clicking here.
Thank you!
We have raised $725 which is 18% of our goal in the first week. Thank you to everyone who has helped donate to get us this far! Being at $725 though, means that we still have a way to go to reach, and hopefully exceed, our $4,000 goal!
Soon we will be hard at work to determine which non-profit(s) will receive our grant; however, each organization will have to show us how it can make the biggest impact in Marion for the amount of money that it will receive.
What we expect from these organizations is similar to what ask of our donors. We would like for you to help make the biggest difference you can! Together, as a result, Marion will benefit the most it possibly can from each and every penny of your donation!
So please, if you haven't yet, give what you can as we aim to make a positive impact in the community of and to get the most out of your meaningful donation!
Thank you,
The students in English 3304 and English 2367.01!
Students currently in both English 3304 and English 2367.01S have written and sent out emails informing people about and asking for donations to this crowdfunding campaign.
In the Business and Professional Writing course, students had to choose two target audiences and create "ask" emails specific to that target audience. They had to walk through a planning process called PAIBOC which stands for Purpose, Audience, Information, Benefits, Obstacles and Context. This process helps the writer ensure that he or she has included all of the necessary information prior to sending out any piece of writing. If you received an email from a student in English 3304, you may be able to see how this helped shape what was included. You may also notice that the email made a visual impact, or maybe it appealed to your emotions. Whichever the approach, they took time to consider what would make you want to donate to our campaign.
What's even more exciting is that as of Monday 2/7, these students will take over the updates on this site. Everything you see posted from 2/7 until the end will be created by students in English 3304.
In English 2367.01S, students who are about to oversee this semester's grant process had the opportunity to write emails asking for donations so that they understand what it's like to go through the entire cycle of philanthropy. In other words, they get to see what it's like to try to raise money to fund a grant. Then, in a few weeks, they will get to meet this semester's non-profit applicants (so far there are five applicants). They will have to make a first-cut down to only three finalists. Then they will work with these final three organizations for most of the semester to learn what they do, how they help, and why they should be considered for funds. Students will then have the task of deciding how to award funds. They could divide the $4000 among all three organizations or choose to fund only two or one project.
From my perspective as their instructor, these students are getting to see how difficult it is to raise money even though this is for a good cause. They are having to use business-world planning and problem-solving skills for our campaign and for their grade in their courses. Those students who will go on with the grant funding process will also experience how extremely hard it can be to make the funding awards. I have had students tell me they became very emotional when realizing they couldn't help everyone. They see how it would be so wonderful to be able to give everyone everything they've asked for but that it's just not possible in the class nor in the real world.
This is the Pay It Forward Project at work! This is why it's an investment in a unique educational experience that can have ripple effects long after these courses end.
With your help, we can make sure this project continues for more students in future semesters!
Thanks,
Amy Tibbals
In my interview with Nick Sampsel, an OSU student who took English 2367.01 in Spring Semester 2014, I asked him what it was like to write the final research paper for the course. In this paper, students had to make their own individual argument for how the grant funds should be awarded. Each person argued independently in their paper prior to our class debate where the final decision was made.
Listen to Nick talk about this very important research paper.
As taken from The Ohio State University's Office of Service-Learning:
Service-Learning is a form of experiential education characterized by student participation in an organized service activity that:
Currently two courses are involved in service-learning by participating in this crowdfunding campaign. English 3304, Business and Professional Writing students are working in teams, writing and sending fundraising emails, creating updates for the campaign, and developing strategies for increasing donations. Beginning next week, daily updates on this site will be created by student teams.
The current English 2367.01S, Language, Identity and Culture in the U.S. Experience students are also writing and sending fundraising emails to raise funds for next year's course. They will begin their own grant process within the next few weeks. These students are about to experience the Pay It Forward process.
Everything these students are doing for this campaign relates to a learning objective in their English course. In other words, students have an authentic purpose for the work they are doing that impacts not only the grade they receive in the course but future students and the local community. Yes, this is hard work, but it's meaningful work that students appreciate for longer than one semester.
I am not required to incorporate service-learning into my courses. However, let me share with you this powerful perspective on education: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education." Martin Luther King Jr. This is why I believe the Pay It Forward Project is so important and why I am seeking to continue it for many semesters to come.
If you haven't donated yet, please click "give now" to make a contribution.
Thank you,
Amy Tibbals
Students have made a positive and wide-range of impact in the Marion community with the Pay It Forward grant funds. Here are just some of the results of their past grant awards:
1 People without healthcare are able to get their life-saving prescriptions for free or at a reduced rate.
2 Elementary school children who are struggling in the areas of reading and math are getting extra help to improve their levels so that they can succeed in the classroom and pass the Third Grade Guarantee reading test.
3 Adults of all ages who are living in poverty are being given the tools to get not only themselves out of poverty but also to break the cycle of poverty for their children and generations to come.
4. People who are unable to leave their homes and are in need of food are able to have access to hot and cold meal delivery.
5. People needing help with seeking employment and with acquiring job-readiness skills have access to computer help and employment skills training.
These are just a few examples of how students in the Pay It Forward Project have helped the community of Marion. With your help, they will be able to continue to make a positive change in Marion, Ohio.
Please go back to our home screen and donate today!
Thanks,
Amy Tibbals
At the end of each semester, I ask students to reflect on their experience in the class. See how students from this past spring semester's course responded when asked, "What will you take away from this experience?"
"From this experience I take the satisfaction of knowing that we helped great causes and organizations that make this community a better place. I got the reward from meeting exceptional people that are willing to give their time and effort to others that are in need. Another thing I got from this experience is the chance to know more about Marion beyond the Ohio State Campus, something that probably wouldn’t happen on other circumstances. The most important thing that I got from this experience is some knowledge for future decisions that affect people in need, a skill that all professionals should have."
"From this experience, I have gained a philanthropic mindset. I believe I will do what I can to support the community as a future educator, a volunteer, a donor, and a voice for those in need. I learned that helping non-profit organizations and/or simply being generous to those in your community can have a positive impact on society. Helping those in need will provide them explore opportunities they may have given up on or didn’t know they had. Opportunity gives individuals a path to work hard for success. If we give those in need more opportunity, they may find success and happiness, thus they will enjoy the American Dream."
"I feel this class has opened up my eyes to some of the struggles of non-profit organizations and in general grant funding situations. Also I think this class has greatly improved my writing skills, and I can now manage my way through the rest of college and most likely all the way through my future career."
"The main focus of this class for me was learning about the world around us and getting a look at people in need, and people helping those in need. But when we had to write papers and evaluate grant applications, rather than it just being text, it became a personal matter. Getting the firsthand experience and emotions behind all of the organizations and actually meeting the people in charge brought passion into what I was writing."
"I have taken away many things from this entire experience. The opportunity to influence people in your community and help change social issues is right in front of you. If you are passionate and wanting to do community service it is literally right in front of you. This class has taught me to appreciate everything that I have, but to also help out others around you when you can because you never know when you may need something from someone. This experience has been wonderful and has taught me many life lessons."
This is just a random sampling of responses from last spring's English 2367.01S students. I could have given you 24 examples from that class alone, and I could have added over 100 other voices who have had similar things to say about the course. The point is, that students walk away from this course with so much more than I could ever put on a lesson plan. This, I believe, is true education!
Please support the Pay It Forward Project by donating today. It's as simple as clicking "give now" or going to our home page.
Thank you so much!
Amy Tibbals
