Carlson, Sather honored by Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education

Patricia Carlson of the College of Social Work and Paul Sather, director of the Service Learning Academy, were recently honored at the Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education luncheon on Sept. 25."I was shocked and kind of surprised that everyone managed to keep it a secret from me. That was shocking in itself," said Sather, who first learned of his award at the luncheon.

Carlson was awarded the Teaching Commendation in Service-Learning while Sather received the Voyager Award.

"Honestly, I think this award is more of a reflection of the Service Learning Academy," Sather said. "UNO and service learning have come a long way in the last 10 years."

To receive the awards, both Carlson and Sather were nominated by their colleagues and then selected by a panel from the consortium. Sather was picked for the Voyager Award based on his dedication to service learning and history of leadership in the field. Also taken into consideration was his work in advancing principles of effective practice by developing a culture of engagement at UNO, innovation in program growth and sustainability and dedication to advancing the mission and goals of the consortium.

"Service learning is about more than students volunteering," Sather said. "It's students applying the lessons they learn in the classroom to the real world and their community."

Carlson was selected for the Teaching Commendation in Service-Learning based on her long-term efforts in bringing service learning curricula to UNO and her emphasis on working closely with community partners and students.

"We're bringing the classroom into the community," Carlson said. "My favorite part is watching the students' project come to fruition. At the start of the semester they're overwhelmed by the problems they're being asked to solve. Then, at the end of the semester, they realize they did it - they completed their projects and it wasn't actually that hard."

Unlike Sather, Carlson knew beforehand she would be receiving an award from the consortium.

"It was such an honor," Carlson said. "I was very humbled and embarrassed. My colleagues all do such wonderful things and any one of them could have been picked for this award instead of me."

Before joining the School of Social Work in 1993, Carlson had several years of real-world experience in social work and community involvement. She also worked for the State Foster Care Review Board at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Carlson currently teaches classes for the School of Social Work and serves as an undergraduate program coordinator.

Sather also has background in social work. Before becoming the director of the Service-Learning Academy, he served as associate director of the School of Social Work. Sather's commitment to spreading awareness about service learning pedagogy and civic engagement has taken him around the world. He has presented at many national and international conferences, including the International Conference on Improving University Teaching in Bern, Switzerland; the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education in New York City; and the International Conference on Service Learning and Civic Engagement in Galway, Ireland.

The Midwest Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education is comprised of 29 colleges and universities. Since 1993, the consortium has promoted, mobilized and supported the efforts of its members throughout the Midwest in developing and strengthening academic and co-curricular service learning programs in their institutions and communities.