158l Pivots: Service Learning at the Science, Theatre & Magic Boundary

Randy Weinstein, Villanova University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085

The Peer Interdisciplinary Volunteer Outreach with Theatre and Science (PIVOTS) project addresses the urgent need for enrichment activities that encourage children, especially underrepresented minorities, to pursue science, engineering, and mathematics careers. We present the history of the project, multidisciplinary partnerships fostered, pedagogical innovation, assessment model, and results from the Science & Theatre Magic Program: a service learning summer program of multidisciplinary, magic-themed science exploration, where faculty mentor teens, who in turn create and stage a fantastic day-long adventure that brings younger children from Philadelphia by train to a “School of Magic.” The creation of the magic school gives powerful expression to the youth voice inherent in the service learning paradigm: ownership of the design in the context of meaningful service sparks active learning and results in a memorable science-inspired interactive educational performance bridging across its expansive urban and suburban set to connect the diverse populations of teens and the children served. The PIVOTS project is a new initiative by a team of Villanova University scientists, artists, engineers, and educators in collaboration with civic, corporate, and non-profit organizations.