UNH Today

The Carsey School of Public Policy is proud to announce the launch of the Serve & Learn program. The program offers free and discounted credit-bearing, practitioner-based courses to those  in public service whose work has changed in response to COVID-19, or who plan on working in the field. These courses will support them in their work and can jump-start a UNH undergraduate or graduate degree. Public and private sector employment and volunteer work can qualify.

“The Serve & Learn program builds on the Carsey School’s rich history of serving those working in public service whether in government, the nonprofit and private sectors, or as volunteers,” said Michael Ettlinger, director of the Carsey School of Public Policy. “It’s a new way for us to support those professionals, students, and volunteers who are working to help others. We thank Volunteer NH and the New Hampshire Service Year Workforce Commission for making funding available to make this great opportunity possible.”

“The Serve & Learn program builds on the Carsey School’s rich history of serving those working in public service whether in government, the nonprofit and private sectors, or as volunteers. It’s a new way for us to support those professionals, students, and volunteers who are working to help others. We thank Volunteer NH and the New Hampshire Service Year Workforce Commission for making funding available to make this great opportunity possible.”

Carsey’s Serve & Learn courses are structured around concepts of policy response, reflective practice, and equity and engagement, and can be used as a pathway to an undergraduate or graduate degree. The first of these courses will be offered online, free of charge, during UNH’s January term, from Dec. 28 to Jan. 22.

In addition to Public Engagement in Communities – Using an Equity Lens as a Reflective Practitioner, more courses will soon be announced for the spring 2021 semester. These latter courses will either be free or offered at a discount depending on funding availability.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to give back to those who serve others – whether they’re doing so through volunteering, internships, or their day-to-day work,” said Dan Bromberg, director of academic programs at the Carsey School. “We are particularly excited to offer this opportunity to those who have worked with service organizations such as AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, as well as veterans and volunteers from various local, national, and international organizations.”

The 3-credit online January term class will bridge the gap between the practical aspects in COVID-19 preparedness, relief and response efforts and the theories and skills associated with public engagement, equity and dialogue in public spaces. Sections of the course are open as a graduate course those who have already attained their undergraduate degree and to high school graduates as an undergraduate course. Students will learn facilitation strategies for guiding challenging conversations, addressing conflict, and building community coalitions, which they can apply to COVID-19 affected work.

“This class will provide a lot of space for reflection and connecting students’ life experiences to the principles and practices of authentic public engagement,” says Michele Holt-Shannon, the lead instructor for the course, and director and co-founder of NH Listens. “We have a great team of practitioners teaching this course and I know it will be grounded in the day-to-day work of addressing the impact of COVID-19 on our communities and the disparities it has accentuated.”

Qualifying applicants for this free UNH course will have worked in, or intend to work in, public service activities that have been materially changed by COVID-19. Applicants’ efforts can be associated with the business, government or the nonprofit sectors. Qualifying work can range from direct COVID-19 response such as treating COVID-19 patients, to addressing the economic impact including through social service delivery, to addressing the personal and societal impact such as through counseling, to areas where delivery mechanisms have been impacted such as food programs. Qualifying activities may include work related to outreach and communication, product or service development, service delivery and many other efforts.

Registration is now open  on the Serve & Learn webpage where you can find additional details on the January term course and teaching team, qualifications for applying and a link to join a newsletter for people interested in Serve & Learn-related news updates.