The ABCs of JEP

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JEP THE ABC s F

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Conflict is the beginning of consciousness. That was Barbara Seaver Gardner’s take when surrounding neighbors perceived USC as an ivory tower. Reaching out, she founded USC Dornsife’s Joint Educational Project in 1972. Her service-learning program in neighborhood schools has fundamentally changed relations with the surrounding community while empowering youth and USC students. USC Dornsife alumna Jazmin Vidana is among more than 70,000 USC students who have collectively contributed a million hours of service. Vidana remembered making flashcards for a kindergartener who could not grasp the days of the week. So she drew Joel hopscotch squares marked with the days of week. Finally, on the semester’s last day, an excited Joel, his hair spiked up with gel, came running toward Vidana. “I knew today was Friday,” Joel confidently said. “So I asked my mom to spike up my hair for you.” Heartfelt anecdotes are one way to convey the effects of JEP. But here’s a variety of JEP’s programs and people — from A to Z.

All Together Room

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Badge

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On the ground floor of the JEP House, you’ll find the speckled letters “ATR” on a wall of the “All Together Room.” A hub of activity, it is where JEP’s 30 student program assistants act as peer educators and train incoming students. It is a second home, where students come not only to work, but to study or simply socialize — especially in times when a little “family love” is needed.

By Pamela J. Johnson

We don’t need no stinkin’ badges. Or do we? Over the past year, JEP has explored the potential of “digital badges” to engage students who participate in its programs. Digital badges are a 21st-century adaptation of the concept underlying Boy and Girl Scout badges. Learners who demonstrate particular skills and competencies earn digital credentials that can be shared online. Digital badge systems integrate the learning of management systems such as Blackboard. They encourage community building while introducing a way to recognize excellence.

I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY L E T T Y AV I L A F O R U S C D O R N S I F E M AG A Z I N E

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The ABCs of JEP by USC Dornsife Office of Communication - Issuu