Crime+Stoppers-A+national+approach

Download a PDF of this page ** Crime Stoppers: A national approach ** Jean DeWitt, Director of Community Engagement, University of Houston-Downtown [dewittj@uhd.edu]


 * Keywords:** Crime Stoppers, program description, online course, community partnership


 * Conference track:** Faculty


 * Format:** Poster presentation

The University of Houston-Downtown (UDH) Office of Community Engagement has collaborated with Crime Stoppers of Houston since 2009. This poster presentation provides a description of this collaboration and the model of service-learning utilized.
 * Summary**

Last year, UDH students provided 1,000 hours to help get the Crime Stoppers’ message out. Communication and criminal justice classes incorporated a service-learning component in the pilot program. Faculty members were involved with this initiative along with the Director of Community Engagement and representatives from Crime Stoppers. Students made presentations at Neighborhood Watch programs, churches, and elementary, junior, and senior high schools in their community. The students reached audiences throughout the metropolitan area. They presented on topics such as the Safe School Program, the Safe Child Initiative, domestic violence initiatives, human trafficking, animal cruelty and anti-dog fighting, and identity theft prevention. Students benefitted by applying classroom concepts, by engaging in civic responsibility, and through continuing personal growth. The experience provided a real audience for the students, as opposed to making a presentation in a class of one's peers.

The collaboration has germinated and the process has been refined. Most notably, this service-learning course has been modified for a variety of delivery methods: online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses. I will share the forms and timelines for a 15-week course. In this poster session, I hope to encourage colleagues to adopt this model of service-learning in their communities that have a Crime Stoppers organization.

There were no references provided with this proposal.
 * References**


 * To access materials from this session please click on the file link(s) below:**

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