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History
| Duke’s efforts to provide service-learning opportunities
for undergraduates was initiated by a group of students who created an
organization called LEAPS (Learning Through Experience, Action, Participation,
and Service) in 1996. Their goal was to infuse the Duke curriculum
with courses which would give students “real-life” links to
the concepts they were studying in their textbooks. LEAPS offered to find
appropriate community sites for a few specific courses and to facilitate
reflection sessions for the students in those courses to discuss the issues
and ideas they encountered at their service sites. Within a year, the
founding members of LEAPS realized they needed some professional assistance
to enable the sustainability of their program, and Dr. Elizabeth Kiss,
the former Director of the new Kenan Institute for Ethics, responded to
their appeal and hired Dr. Betsy Alden to work with LEAPS to build a Service-Learning
Program at Duke . |
 The Original LEAPers (1996) |
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Dean of Faculty Dr. William Chafe appointed Dr. Alden to chair the Dean’s Advisory Committee on Service-Learning, providing an institutional base for this new venture. In 1999, realizing the importance of maintaining continuity with our service sites, another staff member was added to the program as the Community Partnerships Coordinator.In 2002, the Kenan Institute and the Hart Leadership Program received a federal FIPSE grant to create a tiered program in Research-Service-Learning which was called Scholarship with a Civic Mision. And in July 2006, Duke’s new Office of Service-Learning was established with full funding from Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. |
Throughout its evolution, Service-Learning at Duke has been enriched by the volunteer corps of students in LEAPS, who are trained as reflection facilitators for the courses, who help to recruit new faculty, and who are valued peer advisors and exemplars of the power of service-learning to enhance and deepen students’ civic commitment. Since its founding, over 6000 students have had the
chance to take 75 different service-learning courses at Duke, and the
program is currently expanding to include research service-learning,
as well, through the Scholarship with a Civic Mission initiative. Founded
on the concept of reciprocity, Service-Learning at Duke strives to bring
theory and practice, schools and communities, thought and action closer
together.Celebrating its 10th Anniversary of
assisting the Service-Learning Program, LEAPS continues to encourage
students and faculty to develop and to sustain a life-long ethic of
service and civic engagement. Following is a list of ten years of LEAPS
Coordinators, many of whose post-Duke journeys are featured on the Profiles
page! |
 LEAPer Catherine Cullen in action |
For more information on the origins of LEAPS, see the Duke Magazine's 1997 article on service-learning at Duke: http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/alumni/dm12/volunteer.html
LEAPS Leadership
1996-2007
| 1996-97 | Glenn Gutterman and Dan Kessler |
| 1997-98 | Tara Kumar and Evan Mandel |
| 1998-99 | Peggy Kane and Brian Kane |
| 1999-2000 | Allison Johnston and Julie Norman |
| 2000-01 | Lily Clark and Lori Nathanson |
| 2001-02 | Brendan Ballard, Laura McDaniel, Biba Nijjar, and Julie Norman |
| 2002-03 | Mandy Anderson, Carolyn Bridenall, Kim Hammersmith, Julie Norman, Chris Paul |
| 2003-04 | Catherine Cullen, Jamie Frank, Chris Paul, Laura Tobolowsky |
| 2004-05 | Jamie Frank |
| 2005-06 | Lissett Babaian, Annick Charlot |
| 2006-07 | Trisha Bailey, Shalini Dave, Sarah Gordon, Susan Patrick |
Home :: About LEAPS :: History :: Links :: LEAPer Profiles :: 10-year Celebration
