Under the guidance of Community and Faculty Advisors, students are responsible for thinking creatively, developing projects that address community-identified needs and taking initiative to assume shared leadership roles within their teams. Students who want to take on additional leadership roles may apply to serve as a team facilitator or serve as a program representative
“After the in-class presentation at Marie Reed Elementary School, many of the students got the take home message that nutrition and exercise should be important parts of our daily lives. I believe that our team project was a small step forward in preventing the problem of obesity that exists in the Washington, DC community.”
-Sumit Bose, Medical Student, Community of Hope team
How much time is involved for students?
What is required of student participants?
How are students evaluated?
What are the benefits of participating in ISCOPES?
What are the additional leadership opportunities?
How much time is involved for students?
Students are expected to commit at least eight hours per month to ISCOPES work. This includes bi-monthly team meetings as well as on-site activities and/or community events. Although the number of hours may vary from month-to-month according to the needs of the project, all teams are expected to remain dedicated to their project from September to April. ISCOPES is a program requirement for students in some disciplines and a voluntary activity for others; however, all are expected to contribute equal time and energy for the success of the team.
What is required of student participants?
- Actively participate in all ISCOPES events, team meetings, and activities during the project
- Read and review the curriculum prior to the team meeting in which it will be discussed
- Volunteer to lead a discussion on part of the curriculum, ensuring that this information is recalled throughout the course of the year
- Formulate and implement a project based on the needs identified by the community and voiced by the Community Advisor while incorporating the ISCOPES curriculum and insight from team Advisors
- Meet with other team members and the Community and Faculty Advisor individually or as a group, as needed, to successfully implement the project
- Work toward achieving an interdisciplinary group process and provide open and clear feedback to peers if problems arise
- Utilize Blackboard to communicate with team members
- Visit/work in the community, demonstrating respect for community site personnel and clients at all times
- Employ continuous quality improvement principles (CQI) in working toward project goals including developing strategic plan and time line in order to assign tasks appropriately and guarantee project completion
- Interact with ISCOPES staff as needed and participate in meetings with ISCOPES teams and program directors
- Complete assignments as required by the project
How are students evaluated?
All student participants will be evaluated at the conclusion of the year (and semester if requested by an academic program) by their respective team Faculty Advisor in consultation with their Community Advisor. Evaluations are shared with students’ professional programs to demonstrate level and quality of involvement. Each professional program uses the student's evaluation differently either as part of the Dean's Letter or as a percent of a grade (determined by the academic program).
Evaluations are based on both process (team work and participation) at 50% and outcomes (presentation and written assignments) at 50%. The evaluation includes:
• attendance/ punctuality,
• team participation,
• project participation,
• understanding of ISCOPES curriculum,
• participation in presentation(s), and
• sensitivity to the community.
What are the benefits of participating in ISCOPES?
There are both intangible and tangible benefits. A few of the intangible benefits include: connecting with community members, knowing that you actively worked to strengthen the health of our community, meeting colleagues from different disciplines, learning more about DC, applying your academic studies, and making a difference.
As for tangible benefits, all students who are actively engaged and regularly participate in ISCOPES meetings and team efforts will receive a notation on their academic transcript. Moreover, each team will anonymously select one team member as the MVP (most valued player) for the year. MVPs will be announced at the end-of-year presentations.
Students who successfully take on additional leadership roles by serving as a team facilitator or as a program representative will receive a special notation on their transcript and will also receive certificates at the end-of-year presentations.
What are the additional leadership opportunities?
Student Team Facilitators
Student Program Representatives
Student Team Facilitators
ISCOPES is based on a shared leadership model where everyone has an equal voice and acts as both a leader and follower throughout the process. However, teams are still in need of one person to ensure the team is functioning as best as possible. The student team facilitator is that person!
Team facilitators are charged with the opportunity and responsibility of providing consistent support and guidance to their teams. Specific duties include: encouraging everyone’s participation; providing some structure and guidance to the team meetings (meeting agendas); enhancing communication through efforts, such as sending reminder e-mails, taking minutes during meetings, and posting minutes on Blackboard in a timely fashion; ensuring that the curriculum is woven into team discussions; overseeing the delivery of any requested information to the ISCOPES director; and tracking attendance.
The ISCOPES director will provide training and materials to the team facilitators. Trainings will be held at mutually agreeable times. Hence, students interested in utilizing or further developing their own leadership skills should consider applying to serve as a team facilitator. Students who fulfill the obligations of a team facilitator will have their participation and additional leadership role noted on their transcripts, as well as receive certificates at the end-of-year presentations.
Student Program Representatives
Student program representatives from each of the disciplines involved in ISCOPES provide ideas, constructive feedback, and support to the ISCOPES program overall.
Specifically, representatives are involved in serving as liaisons between their academic program, peers and ISCOPES; planning and facilitating major events; recruiting and retaining peer participants; sharing anonymous peer feedback with the director; publicizing ISCOPES; and, assisting with program development. Representatives are selected in September and commit to serving for the duration of the academic year.
The group of representatives meets several times throughout the semester at mutually agreeable times. Students who successfully fulfill the above-stated obligations will have their participation and additional leadership roles noted on their transcripts, as well as receive certificates at the end-of-year presentations.
Printer Friendly