Course Highlight: PSY 495 Applied Community-Based Psychology

This story was written by Caleb Carwell, a Department of Psychology Peer Ambassador who is majoring in psychology.

Many college students feel that their academic experience lacks real-world application, which might be preventing them from maximizing the academic potential of their courses. Thankfully, NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS) promotes courses that are designed to confront this lack of real-world application directly, and more importantly, the feelings of disengagement that plague many college students’ classroom experiences. They are labeled service-learning courses, and among these is PSY 495: Community-Based Applied Psychology – a service-learning course centered around helping elementary-age students increase their reading and writing literacy using the evidence-based HELPS reading program. 

What is service learning?

NC State defines service-learning as “a teaching pedagogy that brings NC State’s mission to the classroom” (Outreach & Engagement, 2019).  At its core, service-learning is an education model that focuses on strengthening academic learning through civic engagement and by creating authentic relationships between the classroom, its students, and the local community. PSY 495 goes a step beyond this typical understanding of service learning by placing an intentional emphasis on reciprocity, and the co-creation of knowledge through dialogue and transformational relationship building within the community. Focusing on applied experience in this context allows students to find meaningful connections between what they are learning and their personal interests, both as individuals and as developing professionals. 

Created by NC State professor, Dr. John Begeny, PSY 495 was designed to meet the criteria of service-learning with five central goals in mind: a) to allow students to apply what they are learning about psychology in a real-world context, b) to broaden students’ intercultural consciousness and perspectives related to systemic oppression through regular engagement with topics associated with diversity and social justice, c) to enhance students’ understanding of the research, theory, and application of psychology and related disciplines, d) to do something positive for the Raleigh community through consistent engagement with community partners outside of NC State, and e) to improve students’ critical thinking and writing skills. 

What is the HELPS program?

HELPS stands for Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies and is an evidence-based education program designed to improve reading, writing, and mathematical literacy in K-12 students who perform low on these foundational academic skills. Many of these students are economically marginalized, making the free-of-cost HELPS program critical to their academic development. Evidence-based programs, such as HELPS, are backed by empirical research, which sets HELPS apart from many other literacy programs. In PSY 495, students can expect to deliver the reading and writing-oriented HELPS program in a 1-on-1 hybrid setting to elementary students facing reading literacy challenges outside of designated class time. Recent courses have adopted the hybrid format, allowing students more scheduling flexibility through in-person and virtual settings. The in-person sessions will take place across various community partner sites in Wake County, and the virtual sessions are administered using Zoom. 

The author’s experience taking PSY 495:

My most valuable takeaway from PSY 495 was a first-hand impression of the impact that applied psychology can have on local communities. Administering the HELPS program to underserved students, in addition to facilitating a student-led discussion on critical race theory in class, left me with not only a sense of personal fulfillment but also a commitment to social duty that has persisted into my post-graduation plans. Conducting a total of roughly three hours of tutoring per week between two students introduced me to my ability to create authentic relationships with adolescent students, an experience that heavily influenced the development of my career and research interests. All these experiences sharpened my social awareness of issues related to systemic oppression, most notably within the sector of public education. This sense of personal responsibility has been a primary motivating factor in my decision to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology, where I hope to apply my personal skillset to underserved adolescent male populations experiencing mental health challenges.

Why you should take PSY 495:

PSY 495 allows NC State students to engage in a meaningful educational experience by building authentic and transformational relationships with community partners and their elementary-age students. These relationships offer students a sense of personal fulfillment and the opportunity to inform their long-term career interests by developing their professional identities. Working with elementary students is a great way to build a well-rounded perspective for students thinking about pursuing careers in education, social work, and psychology to name a few. Beyond personal interests, the HELPS tutoring sessions are also a form of community engagement that looks great on resumes – for employment and graduate school applications.

Sources:

NC State Office of Outreach & Engagement. (2019, September 27). Community engaged learning institute. Retrieved February 13, 2023 from https://oe.ncsu.edu/community-engaged-learning-institute/#:~:text=Service%2Dlearning%20is%20a%20teaching,preparation%2C%20and%20deepen%20civic%20engagement.