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Abstract

This article focuses on a civic engagement experience, as defined by Ehrlich (2000), between preservice teachers enrolled in a math class and a local community-based partner located in a mid-Atlantic state in rural Appalachia. The mathematics course is one of three required for graduation and it is taught in the Mathematics and Statistics department. The content includes algebra, probability, and statistics for grades K-8. Some of the mathematics lessons include social issues such as water quality and endangered species using real world data, which is the foundation for the two semester project options: 1) research or 2) community engagement. The community engagement option partnered with Literacy in the New River Valley non-profit. They offer an English learning program for families, children and parents, whose native language is not English. They consorted with the local public library selecting children’s books for their tutoring sessions. The author was on a previous research team that examined the most prevalent barriers between higher education institutions and community-based partners in their region that identified potential pitfalls. A process framework, created by Sargent and Waters (2004), provided the pathway to avoid potential some of the barriers. Reflections on the interactions and the experience from the three perspectives are shared: the preservice teachers, the community-based organization volunteers, and the instructor.

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