Cal State Fullerton’s Center for Internships and Community Engagement continues the Titans of Community Engagement video series, which highlights high-impact service-learning opportunities across campus.
The third video in the series centers on the course Applying Sociology in the Community. This service-learning course includes a collaboration between students, faculty and several local nonprofit organizations including Giving Children Hope, an organization that supports children and families by breaking their cycle of need and guiding them toward success and self-sustainability.
Taught by Jessica Spence Moss, lecturer in sociology, students in the course learn a range of sociological concepts, which they then apply to what they see in the community setting. These students become more informed about the challenges faced by families in underserved communities and support relief efforts such as food distribution events and holiday drives. They learn to evaluate their preconceptions and experience through a theoretical lens, gaining a deeper understanding of the structural factors that shape the socioeconomic conditions in communities.
Through Giving Children Hope, students contribute to the distribution of more than one million meals to families each year. They help create a welcoming atmosphere and a sense of community that is vital to the success of the program.
“This is the class that I think everyone should take to see that they do have an opportunity to contribute,” said Moss.
To learn more about Applying Sociology in the Community, contact Moss at jmoss@fullerton.edu. Visit the Giving Children Hope website to learn more about the organization.