North Houston’s community college gives back to the community by combining academic instruction with community service

Senior ladies will soon receive monthly, free “Days of Beauty,” including manicures, hairstyles, and facials from North Harris College cosmetology students. The college’s “Day of Beauty” is just one of several community service efforts offered through the school’s Service Learning Program (SLP).

Funded by AmeriCorp’s Volunteers in Service to America Program (VISTA), SLP combines academic instruction with community service. NHC professors participating in SLP engage students in critical and reflective thinking, relational skills and civic responsibility while assisting citizens in need.

NHC Cosmetology Professor Sharon Matheson recently teamed with Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM) Sixty Plus Program to offer the Day of Beauty to women over 60. Beginning in January, ladies will receive monthly makeovers while students practice technical and relational skills and learn proper service etiquette.

“In addition to learning invaluable workplace skills, students will be introduced to real needs and hopefully develop or enhance their passion for serving the community, particularly those who are less fortunate,” said Tenia Osayande, SLP program coordinator and VISTA volunteer.

Osayande encourages and assists academic instructors in creating SLP programs, which are academically appropriate, self-sustainable, and ongoing. Osayande is eagerly awaiting news on a $12,000 grant from the American Association of Community Colleges, which will provide NHC with service learning materials and a mentor college with experience in SLP.

SLP can be utilized in all academic courses, including math, science, languages, business, sociology, speech and technology.

Other academic programs developing service-learning projects include Associate Professor of Accounting Madeline Brogram’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Her accounting students give tax assistance to people in low-income brackets, senior citizens, and the disabled.

Additionally, Associate Speech Professor Bryan Barrows’ Interpersonal Communications (Speech) students team with the YMCA and churches to speak about fundraising needs and to raise awareness of needs in the community. Similarly, Deborah Harper, NHC’s Parkway Center director has offered her speech classes’ services to the Black United Fund of Texas.

Associate Professor of Speech Diana Cooley’s students are pairing with international students to help integrate them into American society. The international students receive tutoring about Texas and United States culture.

Some students are also teaming with NAM elderly clients to learn their personal histories. Many of the citizens have fascinating histories as war veterans, factory workers, and others who have contributed to society in important ways. Their stories will be recorded and archived on audiotapes at the college’s library, in order to preserve that part of history and culture.

Osayande hopes to involve many more academic instructors in SLPs. One idea is to offer English tutoring to migrant workers through Spanish students. She will continue to encourage professors to include community service work in their curricula.

“As a community college, what are we without our community?” said Osayande. “Our community supports us so much, and we need to give back. We need to help the disadvantaged realize God has given them the resources they need to help themselves, and we need our students to grow in their compassion to help their fellow man.”
 
Osayande became involved in SLP through becoming a VISTA volunteer. Formerly employed in a Human Resources office, she had become disenchanted with the “meaninglessness” of her job and returned to NHC as an education student. There, she learned of the opportunity to serve as a VISTA volunteer and applied to