Program Overview

The Sharpe Community Scholars Program is designed to strengthen and expand service-learning and community-based research opportunities for undergraduates at the College of William and Mary. However, these are service-learning and community-based research projects with a special William and Mary twist. Beginning with a yearlong experience for first-year students embedded in the College's general education requirements, the Sharpe program provides students with avenues to pursue academic concepts and theories in greater depth, by actively applying these concepts to real world concerns. In addition, students gain practical knowledge of the Williamsburg community, acquire insights into the process of community building and social change, and understand how their individual skills, interests, and talents prepare them to take on meaningful roles in their community. Finally, students have the opportunity to consider critically the role of the university in the community.

The Sharpe Program offers approximately seventy-five students a unique educational setting to learn from one another in classrooms, residence halls, and through public service projects that emphasize the development of problem solving and leadership skills. The creative energy, concern for others, and initiative that characterize William & Mary undergraduates is central to the Sharpe Program. Students accepted into the program select from one of several first semester courses which are the basis for yearlong service-learning projects. With guidance from faculty and staff, students plan and carry out these projects designed to assist nonprofit and government agencies. Projects address community needs in a variety of areas, such as housing, education, planning, and human services, and engage in a wide range of activities, such as program development, community outreach, data gathering, and dissemination of public information.

For instance, a microeconomics course introduces students to how economists analyze problems and view the world. In class discussions, the professor presents local examples to illustrate course concepts and theories. Through community service projects linked to the course, Sharpe students apply these concepts to actual situations in our community, exploring questions such as: what are the economics of recycling and how can municipalities use this knowledge to encourage cost-saving conservation and recycling practices among area businesses and neighborhoods? Alternatively, a freshman seminar challenges students to consider competing notions of citizenship and community. In this example, theories and ideas introduced through class readings are examined in relation to what students actually encounter while working with others to change and improve conditions in our community.

To bridge classroom and volunteer experiences, the program sponsors small group discussions, research methods and project management workshops, and evening forums for academic credit. Invited speakers, films, and case studies challenge students to evaluate various perspectives on public issues and approaches to mobilizing community resources. Through these activities and by working in small groups, students develop close relationships with peers and instructors. From the outset of their William and Mary careers, Sharpe students become familiar with the rich educational resources available both on and off campus, and are exposed to issues of national importance by becoming directly involved with these issues on a local level. Whether engaging in an impromptu hall debate, volunteering, or taking a study-break, students, faculty, and staff affiliated with the Sharpe Program share a common commitment to making a meaningful difference in the Greater Williamsburg community and on campus.