LSU Students Promote Community Involvement Through the Office of Strategic Initiatives

BATON ROUGE – This year, LSU students are finding new ways to give back to the Baton Rouge community through the Innovation through Institutional Integration, or I3, Project.

Groups of college students from the LSU Office of Strategic Initiatives, or OSI, and the Gordon Cain Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, Literacy volunteered their time over two semesters to help grade-level students. These initiatives included assisting with science and engineering fair projects and tutoring in math and science in the Baton Rouge area.

Many academic programs at LSU encourage their students to participate in community outreach as a means of personal and professional development.

“In order to be a great leader, you must first learn to be a great servant,” said Isiah Warner, vice chancellor for the Office of Strategic Initiatives and LSU Boyd Professor. “Our programs within OSI are training future leaders in this country.  Therefore, outreach is a necessary component of many of our activities.”

The National Science Foundation, or NSF, I3 Project provides opportunities for LSU students to help with science fair projects at different locations in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas including Baton Rouge Magnet High School and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, or HHMI, Professors High School Program. This experience included meeting weekly with students who desired to participate in regional, state, and national science fairs, and helping them to develop and strengthen their projects.

“My experiences with the science fair were amazing!” said Treva Brown, a chemistry senior from Baton Rouge, La. “Not only did I get to give back to my community, but I was able to share my love of science through demonstrating how fun it can actually be. More importantly, the students were very eager to learn, ready to discover, and excited to share their new discoveries to everyone around them.”

In April, Kamal Brown, who participated in HHMI Professors High School Program, presented a poster at the National Organization of Black Chemist and Chemical Engineers, or NOBCChE, Science Fair Competition in Houston. Kamal is one of the many high school students that attended the national conference as a result of the I3 Program’s initiatives.

In addition to science fair projects, LSU students assisted with math and science tutoring at East Iberville High School – ALEKS Pilot Project; iHope Baton Rouge Desire Street Academy – Think Tank Program; Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School – ALEKS Project; Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School – Big Buddy Program; and the 100 Black Men ACT Prep Program. During these programs, the LSU students tutored grade students, both individually and collectively, in extended-day programs to help strengthen students’ academic abilities and prepare them for standardized national exams.

“Community service is one of the most magnanimous ways to encourage students to be the next generation of leaders,” said Edward Lo, geology freshman from Smyrna, Ga. “During the tutoring program, we mostly helped students by assisting them with a variety of challenging homework problems that range from mathematics to language arts. The most rewarding aspect of tutoring has been the opportunity to talk to and guide young students in hopes of a successful future.”

These after-school enrichment programs intend to provide additional academic assistance, access to positive role models, and learning experiences to children who lack these resources. This is made possible by forming strategic partnerships with community organizations, educators and volunteers who provide a holistic approach to the individuals of the communities they serve. In turn, these tutoring programs have provided effective educational, mentorship and community development to support the advancement of children and families in inner city communities.

“The iHope Think Tank program was able to serve over 30 junior high students with one-on-one specialized tutoring because of the help from LSU's I3 program volunteers,” said Franceria Moore, founder and director of iHope Baton Rouge. “It is my wish that we will be able to continue our partnership with this program because more than anything, the LSU students were a constant reminder to our students that college is possible.”

As for the high school level, the 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge has partnered with the LSU’s Gordon Cain Center for STEM Literacy, more commonly referred to as the Cain Center, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, over the past five years, to provide ACT prep tutoring for students from approximately 14 Baton Rouge high schools.

“As prospective educators, it is important for students to embrace community partners,” said Frank Neubrander, co-director of the Cain Center. “The relationship between the Cain Center and 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge to provide area students ACT tutoring has been extremely productive, both for our students and for the students receiving tutoring.”

ACT Prep tutoring has taken place at high schools that include Belaire, Broadmoor, Capitol, Dutchtown, Glen Oaks, McKinley, Northeast, Plaquemine, Port Allen, Redemptorist, Tara and Hosanna Academy.
“The program has helped a number of students improve their test scores,” said Walter Morgan, chairman for the 100 Black Men ACT Prep Program. “This program has helped students gain admission to various universities and qualify for Louisiana Tuition Opportunity Program for Students [TOPS]. We, at the 100 Black Men, are very appreciative of LSU’s I3 student volunteers for the invaluable assistance they provide by tutoring high school students enrolled in our ACT Prep Program.”

The I3 program is an institutional effort designed to integrate several on-going STEM programs at LSU, especially those housed within the OSI and the Cain Center. The program has five primary tasks, which include (1) consolidating LSU summer programs’ workshops; (2) providing leadership training in academics; (3) providing science and math tutoring; (4) mentoring science and engineering fair projects; and (5) integrating research into education in material engineering and science.

For more information about I3, visit www.i3.lsu.edu.