Make a difference through media
Gain hands-on media experience while supporting a cause that’s important to you. The Media School offers opportunities for service learning through classes, alternative break trips and collaborative initiatives.
Courses
Service learning courses combine academic theory with practical experience in a way that deepens understanding and fosters civic engagement. As a student in a service learning course, you will help fulfill a genuine need in the community.
Coursework involves interacting with non-campus groups, such as civic organizations, nonprofits and volunteer groups.
Video Field and Post Production
Produce in-depth public service announcements and informational videos.
Program Graphics and Animation
Produce short, animated public service announcements for client organizations.
Public Relations Campaigns
Create a public relations campaign for a nonprofit organization.
Student work
Living History at Lincoln’s Boyhood Home
Abigail Billing and Helena Shu created this video for the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial on an alternative fall break trip.
Description of the video:
[Video: A John and Doris Pfaff in 1800s-style clothing sit outside. The woman fans herself.]
[Video: relaxed, acoustic music plays.]
[Video: Words appear: Doris and John Pfaff, Living History Farm Volunteers]
John speaks: The historical farm here was set up 1968 by the National Park system to just show people what it's like in 1820
[Video: A horse in front of a log cabin]
John speaks: when the Lincolns were here. So we do different things,
[Video: A cow walks out of a wooden barn]
John speaks: we have different programs — we salt the meat
[Video: Sheep grazing]
John speaks: and smoke it. We feel that process.
[Video: Doris and John sitting]
John speaks: We'd work in the carpenter shop on the straightening horse and show people
[Video: John using the shaving horse to make a tool handle]
John speaks: how to make tools and stuff like that because we don't go to the store and make them ourselves.
[Video: Doris and John sitting]
Doris speaks: I did a little bit of everything. I did some of the cooking in the fireplace,
[Video: Doris using a wooden spinning wheel]
Doris speaks: sewing, spinning.
[Video: Doris pinches newly-spun thread between her fingertips]
Doris speaks: Pretty much whatever. If the cows need to be taken care of,
[Video: Doris and John sitting]
Doris speaks: I'll go out and take care of them, chickens, whatever. About like what they were doing back then.
[Video: A cow grazing]
[Video: Doris and John sitting]
John speaks: I volunteer because I want to share with the kids.
[Video: John using the shaving horse]
John speaks: So sometimes, like when I was doing the gutter,
[Video: John chops a piece of wood with a small axe]
John speaks: I'll have kids help me make the gutter.
[Video: Doris and John sitting]
Doris speaks: I think it's great to be able to give back.
[Video: Doris works on the spinning wheel]
Doris speaks: You know, people anymore,
[Video: Doris presses the foot pedal of the spinning wheel]
Doris speaks: they want to take everything. I think it's important
[Video: Doris and John sitting]
Doris speaks: to be able to give back and to educate
[Video: a man pets a horse]
Doris speaks: our kids and to get them to understand
[Video: A hen]
Doris speaks: what these people actually went through
[Video: a calf and a cow]
Doris speaks: back in that time period because it was not an easy life.
[Words appear: This project was produced by students from The Media School at Indiana University during an Alternative Fall Break program, in collaboration with the staff at Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Student producers: Abigail Billing, Spencer Bowman, Logan Ferise, AJ Salisbury, Helena Shu and Karli VanCleave. Special thanks to Park Rangers Mike Capps and Paula Alexander.]
[Video: The Media School logo against a white background]
[Video: The National Park Service logo with 2018 underneath]
[END OF TRANSCRIPT]
Alternative break trips
Donate your fall or spring break to a community organization. The Media School’s alternative break trips take students off campus to produce media projects for organizations that need them. Media School students have served communities as far away as Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, and as close as Lincoln City, Indiana, through alternative break trips.
Many programs are a part of our National Park Service Learning Program, which sends Media School students to different parks around the country to produce content.
See where students are going this year
Stories of Peace
Stories of Peace is a collaboration between The Media School and the City of Bloomington’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission. Students share positive stories from the Bloomington community and work in small teams to create videos, presentations and other media to highlight the work of local organizations.
Learn more about Stories of PeaceCommunity partners
Bloomington Refugee Support Network
College Internship Program
Girl Scout Troop 02497
The Project School
I loved getting to make videos for the National Park Service at Gulf Islands because I got a hands-on experience making a product, doing research on a historical landmark, going out to the location and hearing how important that park is to nature and America’s beauty.
Ethan Gill, BA’18