Dr. Shan Jiang is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture in the School of Design and Community Development and a member of the WVU Service-Learning Faculty Advisory Committee. She has taught several courses required by the Landscape Architecture program. Since 2016, Dr. Shan Jiang has been teaching LARC 261 Planting Design, a service-learning course that she developed to integrate service and community outreach activities into the course content.
 
Over the past several years, she has been involved in 10 service projects with a focus on designing quality public open spaces for local communities to promote health and well-being. Some of the community partners that her class has worked with includes Ronald McDonald House Charity Morgantown, WVU Collegiate Recovery Program (WVU CRP), The Morgantown Board of Parks and Recreation (BOPARC), and Woodburn Community of Morgantown.
 
Dr. Shan Jiang’s service-learning activities have generated great impacts. In Spring 2019, her class reported 423.5 service hours for designing a healing garden for the Serenity Place (the physical facility of WVU CRP), which is equivalent to an $8,935.85 impact value, as reported in the WVU iServe platform.
 
This semester Dr. Shan Jiang’s class faced an unexpected challenge due to the spread of COVID-19 with classes being transitioned to a full online format. However, she has been successful in keeping her students engaged in their service project through online means.
 
Could you give us a short description of your class and the service project your students are involved in this semester? 
My LARC 261 Planting Design class is currently collaborating with the junior class of landscape architecture students through LARC 351/651 Landscape Architectural Design 3, course led by Prof. Peter Butler. My class is conducting planting design for several green public open spaces within the Cowen Township, West Virginia. The client is the Town of Cowen, West Virginia.
 
How has COVID-19 affected your plans for the class? How has your experience been so far with remote service learning?
COVID-19 affected the field trip for the class - we had to cancel our field trips to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden in Pittsburgh. We also experienced unexpected shortage of time to work on this project. As the course instructor, I’m able to adjust my teaching plan that is to break down a large site to smaller areas and smaller design tasks. My students have the flexibility to choose a smaller area according to their personal interests. Eventually, small pieces will add together to fulfill a bigger design goal, and students will have better control over the project in current circumstance. 
 
How are your students reacting to the new class format?
My students have quickly adjusted themselves to the new online teaching format. We are using Zoom to have a virtual studio environment. Students can work within different groups, supported by the Zoom Breakout Room functions, and hopefully get equal support from the professor, TAs, and peers as in a physical studio environment.
 
What's your strategy for keeping your students engaged in their service project?
Through regular zoom meetings, discussions, virtual “pin-up” and critics, each student has the chance to present their design progress through screen-share and verbal communications during the online studio period. Students have multiple channels to learn and communicate through pre-recorded lectures, blackboard discussion, and emails. Students are also encouraged to spend adequate time into this project after class and track their service hours through iServe. 
 
What are the benefits of incorporating service-learning in your course?
Incorporating service-learning in my course aligns with the land-grant mission of WVU and enable students to learn from real-world problems. Students work with real clients and sites; this all adds to a meaningful learning experience. 

Pantry Plus More, a food pantry for schools in Monongalia County, brings meals to students and their families after West Virginia K-12 schools close in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 

The Pantry is normally located within Monongalia County Schools. There, students can gather food, personal hygiene products, school supplies and other resources during the school day. These pantries allow students to put their focus on their school work and not worry about their next meal. 

Throughout the time of West Virginia COVID-19 school closings, volunteers are gathering at Pantry Plus More on Mondays and Thursdays to prepare and deliver food to students and the families who regularly use the Pantry.

During the week of March 16, as many as 360 families received a box of goodies; each with around $30 worth of food. 

Pantry Plus More will continue delivering food to families as long as the COVID-19 school shut down is in effect. As their work continues, Pantry Plus More seeks monetary donations and volunteers to deliver the food to families in Monongalia County. 
 
If you are interested in making a donation to Pantry Plus More see more info here.
 
Those interested in volunteering with Pantry Plus More can register here.

Did you know that you can find remote service opportunities for your students in iServe? The Center for Service and Learning has put an initiative page in iServe for COVID-19 service related opportunities.