Jodi Hallsten teaches students civic engagement

Jodi Hallsten has worked for the School of Communication for the past 10 years. During her time at Illinois State University, she has taught her students the required materials of the class, but has also applied class concepts to real life situations by involving her students in civic engagement. Hallsten said that she thinks it is important for students to understand why they should help in the community rather than just feel obligated to do so for a class.

“Sometimes the community projects get really big and other times they’re smaller, but they’re all meaningful just the same,” Hallsten said. “When I teach COM 128, for example, I have my students create and execute a campus-wide informational campaign on a topic related to our course. In my COM 223 course, the students are required to volunteer for an organization and then set up a fundraising activity. The students have held bowling tournaments, bake sales and car washes to raise money for the organization they chose.”

In one particular case, a group of students raised over $3,000 for 500 families through the Salvation Army. The organization, Feed the Children, sent videographers to take footage of the students fundraising, and it was then used as a nationwide infomercial for the organization. “The event felt larger than life,” Hallsten said. “I’ve never been more proud of my students.”

It is important to Hallsten that the students be impacted by their involvement, which she feels is shown in the journals the students write at the end of the semester. “I have found that students discover or re-discover how rewarding service can be,” she said. “They also learn about the different needs communities have, which not only makes them grateful for what they've been given, but also leads us to engage in the discussions regarding the critical issues surrounding why there is such need in a community.”

Outside the classroom, Hallsten is involved with civic engagement as well. She is part of the Sunrise Rotary and participates in a majority of their civic activities. Hallsten is also on the board for the Arthritis Foundation.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, and the good things in my life,” Hallsten said. “I feel like I need to give back – I’m obligated to give back – because of the good fortune in my life.”

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