BCC Faculty Sponsor: Colin Adams
SOC-105 Intro to Sociology
Bridging the Gap
393 River Street, North Adams, MA (413) 663-7987
298 West Street, PIttsfield, MA (413) 442-0624
Work with at risk youth after school program (ages 11-17) at the Salvation Army offices in North Adams and Pittsfield. All interested students must interview with program director and pass a CORI check. 2 students needed in Pittsfield, 1 student needed in North Adams
- Offered in Pittsfield on Monday & Wednesday, and North Adams on Tuesday & Thursdays.
- Mandatory court ordered program for youth ages 11-17, male and female.
- 15 – 20 youth in program at any one 12 week session.
- Help instruct/teach and assist with program lessons and activities
- Assist in control of environment and kids.
- Other possible positions: Tutor youth in reading and math, lead a Book Club, teach students to cook/bake.
Program Schedule:
3 – 3:30 pm : Arrivals, relax and snack.
3:30 – 5 pm : Activities, speakers, gym play, dinner prep.
5 – 5:30 pm : Dinner
5:30 – 6 : Wrap up
*Summer hours begin June 30th (11:00 am-2:00 pm)
Re-Connect Center
North Street, Pittsfield
Tutor and mentor at-risk high school students . Assist students with online learning program and provide support to keep students on-track.
Monday-Friday – morning session (8am-10:15) and afternoon session (11am-1:45pm)
(CORI required)
School-Based: Tutoring, Mentoring and After School Programs
(Student range in ages from 6 to 18 years old), (M-F, 8 am – 5:00 pm)
(CORI required)
Pittsfield Public Schools
(Must do a CORI Check through Colleen Kelly @ the Pittsfield Public Schools Administration Center – 269 First St. Pittsfield, Phone Number (413) 499-9512.)
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Crosby Elementary School– 517 West Street, Pittsfield
– Tutor in classrooms during the school day.
– After School Tutoring/Homework Help: 3:15-4:15
– Special Topic After School Programs: 4:00-5:30
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Williams Elementary School – 50 Bushey St, Pittsfield
– Tutor ELA in classrooms during school day.
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Pittsfield High School – 300 East Street, Pittsfield
– English Language Learners Program – Tutor students who need help with English Language skills in classrooms during the school day
North Adams Public Schools
- Greylock Elementary School
- Brayton Elementary School
- Sullivan Elementary School
(Arrangements made between students and School Community Coordinator, depending on student schedule and school’s availability.)
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Muddy Brook Elementary School – Great Barrington
- Tutor and mentor youth in classroom setting during the school day or after school
Harvest Table
Location: First United Methodist Church, 55 Fenn Street, Pittsfield.
- Help the Head Cook and other volunteers cook and serve a free community to over 70 people meal at the Harvest Table at the First United Methodist Church.
- Tuesdays from 3-6pm.
Pittsfield Health Department
Project Supervisor: Gina Armstrong, Director of Public Health
- 1. Description of agency mission and functions (Example: services available, population served, other relevant information)
The mission of the Health Department, under the guidance of the Board of Health, is to assess and address the needs of the Pittsfield community in order to protect and improve the health and quality of life of its residents and work force. This is carried out by the implementation of disease prevention programs, health promotion, community health, public outreach, education, and empowerment, as well as promulgation and enforcement of the Health Department, City, State, and Federal Regulations.
Services
The responsibilities of the Health Department include permitting and inspecting businesses that provide services to the public to ensure compliance with state and local sanitary codes. The types of businesses are, including but not limited to, the following:
- Body art practitioners and establishments
- Camp grounds
- Facilities selling tobacco products
- Hotel/motels
- Mobile home parks
- Nursing homes (kitchens only)
- Public and semi-public swimming pools
- Recreational camps for children
- Restaurants and other food handling facilities
- Tanning facilities
The Health Department also performs inspections of housing units for compliance with regulations regarding minimum standards for habitation. The Department also responds to complaints of public health nuisances; witnesses percolation tests and soil evaluations; inspects subsurface sewage disposal systems; collects water samples from public and semi-public swimming pools and beaches; and investigates both food borne and water borne illnesses. Permitting funeral directors and issuing burial permits are also duties of the Health Department.
For the well-being of the public, the Health Department also provides nursing services for communicable diseases case management, surveillance and investigation, distribution of vaccines and conducting flu clinics. The Pittsfield Board of Health participates in the MIIS (Massachusetts Immunization Information System) as required by M.G.L. c. 111, s.24 M. The Department is also involved in emergency planning and preparedness for the City of Pittsfield.
- 2. Description of service-learning project and responsibilities: (Purpose of the project, specific student responsibilities and tasks to be performed. Value and learning objectives that a student would gain from this SL experience)
- Healthy Pittsfield Initiatives
- Distribute no-smoking signage to owners of public buildings to reduce smoking near entrances (5 hours)
- Tobacco compliance checks to ensure compliance with new cigar pricing/packaging regulations (10 hours)
- Evaluation of Downtown and Morningside walking loops (4 hours)
- Conduct a survey to assess interest in a Walking School Bus program in an elementary school (15 hours)
Purpose and value: Healthy Pittsfield is a partnership of community organizations, healthy advocates and neighborhood leaders who develop and implement projects that encourage a healthy lifestyle. The partnership is led by the Health Department. These projects will give students an opportunity to learn about how public policies and the physical environment impact personal behaviors and health and the process of implementing policy change in Pittsfield. They will engage with the public, business owners and school staff and learn survey and evaluation methods.
- Health Department Services (mid Oct – mid Nov; 15 hours)
- Assist the public health nurse with flu shot clinics (promotion, set up & registration)
- Data entry and submit health insurance claims for flu shot clinics
Purpose and value: Flu vaccine is the best defense against the flu yet many people do not get vaccinated before flu season. Because most people have access to flu shots at local pharmacies or the doctor’s office, the health department’s goal is to increase vaccination rates of city emergency responders and school personnel by making clinics easily available (workforce protection). This outreach project will give students an opportunity to promote the importance of seasonal flu shots, organize details of the clinic, interact with the administrator/nursing staff/public and evaluate effectiveness of the project.
- 3. Public issues addressed by project:
- Building a culture of health
- Decrease tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke
- Create walk & bike friendly neighborhoods to encourage physical activity
- Education and access to prevent communicable disease
- 4. Essential knowledge, skills and qualifications needed to work at this agency:
- Good communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently
- How will students be oriented to this agency:
Students will:
- have an orientation in the department by meeting with the director and various staff individually for an overview of specific positions and services
- receive training by conducting inspections at tobacco retail establishments with health inspectors
- attend partnership meetings to learn more about community organizations, resources, priority health needs and current health promotion initiatives underway
- have introductory & progress meetings with partners involved in the specific SL projects
- Schedule of SL projects (ie. dates, days and hours SL students are needed.)
- flexible M-F 8:30 – 4
SOC-136 Marriage and Family (Online course)
PITTSFIELD PROMISE
Parent Power – at BCC
Co-host two events at BCC to talk with parents about their community and discover their assets. This is a part of a city wide effort build on the strengths in our community. Students will promote, recruit and co-host this event with support from Berkshire United Way. Students will help arrange for child care at these events.
Possible event dates at BCC:
- Monday Oct 20 or Oct 29 (5-6:30 PM)
- Lunch time in October.
SOC-208 Contemporary Social Problems
Pittsfield Community Connections – City of Pittsfield
Pittsfield Community Connection works to reduce youth and gang violence in Pittsfield. The program has two major areas of work. First, it conducts individual interventions by targeting 14-24 year old youth who are high risk of gang involvement. Two Outreach Workers work with these youth and work to provide opportunities, mentoring, and other services. The second pillar includes neighborhood prevention. This targets neighborhoods with the highest level of arrests, unemployment and education truancy. In these neighborhoods Caretaker Councils are formed to enable caretakers to support each other and advocate for needs.
1.) Conduct research related to the impact of programing by neighborhood over time. The Pittsfield Police Department’s online crime data will provide a basis for monitoring the impact of increased city presence and programming in targeted neighborhoods.
Public issues addressed by project: The project works in the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods to confront risk factors that lead to juvenile delinquency.
2.) Participate in the organization of an Entrepreneurship Training for program participants. The program is in the design stage and will soon require significant work to prepare for implementation. By participating in the project students will be exposed to program design and program implementation from the bottom-up.
Public issues addressed by project: The project works in the city’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods to confront risk factors that lead to juvenile delinquency. This program in particular aims to use the incentive of making money as a reason to stay in school and learn other valuable life lessons.