Criteria for Group Paper (Assignment #4)

(See below for Website Option)

Paper: 12-15 pages, typed, double-spaced, 12-pt. type, standard margins.

This paper should take the form of a report on a social problem in a specific location of metropolitan Detroit, followed by recommendations for addressing the problem and a plan of action. The suggested format is as follows:

I. Background and Statement of the Problem (5-7 pages)

This section should begin with a brief, research-based description of the social problem, in general, as it occurs across the United States. It should then quickly narrow to the problem as it appears in the Detroit area and, specificially, to a local site where it is seen and experienced on a regular basis. Your descriptions should show evidence of at least three types of original research conducted in and around the local site (creative response, media analysis, archival research, interview, oral history, field observation). All sources, including websites, should be properly documented in MLA style and should reference a Works Cited Page at the end of the paper (not included in total page count).

II. Needs Assessment (3-4 pages)

This section describes the site itself (history, location, appearance, mission/goals, daily operations, staff, people served, key programs/initiatives, etc.) and identifies needs, based on original research conducted at the site. Needs should reflect the stated concerns of the people involved, rather than your own ideas about the site as an outsider. Statement of needs should also be directly related to the problem identified in Section I.

III. Project Proposal (2-3 pages)

Describe the service-learning project your group has designed to meet one or more of the needs identified in Section II. Provide evidence that the site would actually benefit from this project and would be interested in sponsoring it. (Talk to key people at the site and use their input to develop and revise your proposal). Project must be feasible for a group of WSU students to conduct in one semester (although you may propose an on-going WSU commitment to the site). The project might be an original response by your group or an adaptation of project(s) conducted elsewhere. If the latter, provide evidence that this project has succeeded in locations similar to the local site. (See attached guidelines for selecting a service-learning site. See also “Clarity, Project and Social Change” and “Investigating Your Community Organization and its Context” on e-reserves to help you explain why your project is feasible at the site you have identified.)

IV. Plan of Action (1-2 pages)

Describe what is needed to complete the project: number of people involved from the site itself, number of student volunteers, number of work hours, projected budget (and who will pay for it) and timeline for completion.

V. Works Cited and Appendices (not included in page requirement)

Appendices might include additional documentation on the site and its needs, background research on the proposed project, letters of interest or support from community members connected to the site, and all consent forms signed in the course of conducting your research.

Website Option: Rather than submitting a paper, you have the option of presenting your research in the form of a website. The website must include all elements of the paper (background and statement of problem, needs assessment, project proposal, plan of action and works cited) with emphasis on visual elements of documentation. May include sound and short video clips, as appropriate, to describe the local site and its needs. Should include links to related websites. Will be graded on visual appeal and useability, as well as verbal persuasiveness in documenting the problem and proposing the project.