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Michael Landram, Ph.D.

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 EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY BASED LEARNING

  This award is given to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in community-based learning (CBL) pedagogy as demonstrated by meaningful integration with course or program content that incorporates integration of theory with practice, direct engagement with community members, and personal and critical academic reflection. The recipient has a thorough understanding and appreciation of community issues and prioritizes developing ongoing commitment to reciprocal, collaborative relationships with community partners. This award is a special recognition of the faculty member’s efforts to incorporate and advocate for CBL and to enhance The ÐÓ°ÉÔ­°æ’s contribution to the common good.  The recipient of this year’s CBL award is Dr. Michael Landram.

Michael is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance and has been a member of the faculty since 2015.  For over 8 years, Michael has developed and maintained a community partnership with the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Scranton. Through this partnership, senior students in the Kinesiology Program here at Scranton engage in meaningful learning experiences while helping older adults served by the JCC to meet their physical activity needs. During this CBL experience, students are matched with a JCC participant. An individualized physical activity programs is then designed for each participant based on their fitness assessment, a needs-based analysis, and their physical activity goals. Over the course of 12 weeks each semester, students, along with their faculty mentor, evaluate and monitor individual physical activity sessions and review and modify goals as appropriate. Dr. Landram ensures that the JCC’s and older adults needs are met. This project serves 50-60 of our students each year and 35-40 adult participants from the JCC, providing at least 1000 contact hours per year.

Dr. Landram also incorporates meaningful opportunities for student and participant reflection during pre-seminar training sessions as well as during the physical activity sessions themselves. Students are required to complete a senior essay which asks them to reflect on Jesuit values and the Jesuit mission of social justice and how these relate to their future roles as health care professionals. This CBL project encourages education of the whole person- cura personalis and provides the opportunity for students to work with individuals and organizations that are structured to meet the needs of community older adults.

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