Teaching in the Community
Liberal Studies students have many opportunities to engage with the wider community, including with schools as part of their program of study. LBST students take SCEM 270-271 “Experimenting in Science” I & II in which they participate in a collaboration with Alma Backyard Farms and St Albert’s elementary school. SCEM students develop and teach hands-on science lessons that connect the real-world experience St. Alberts elementary students are having on the farm and in the outdoor kitchen with science learning in the classroom. SCEM students also write children’s stories that introduce and make comprehensible a particular science concept, such as biogeochemical cycling which focus on a particular cycle.
Liberal Studies majors also work directly with students in "Art for Elementary Educators" (ART 250) through the ARTsmart, service learning program. Liberal Studies students volunteer in teams as artist-mentors in an underserved school, which has no other arts programming. ARTsmart classrooms are places of vital learning where creativity and confidence are nurtured. ARTsmart volunteers make meaningful contributions to K-8 students by providing them with well-planned, standards-based arts education, as well as mentoring and support. The goal of ARTsmart is to create an appetite for exploration and visual literacy, fostering a creative future for both LMU and K-8 students.
Upon entering the School of Education, Liberal Studies students take their literacy and curriculum methodology coursework (EDES 507 & EDES 508) at a local partnership school—Playa Vista Elementary school. Classroom observations occur simultaneously with coursework, showcasing authentic classroom environments and effective teaching strategies in action. In addition, one section of elementary student teaching seminar is held during the school day at the school site as well.
Liberal Studies Capstone
The Liberal Studies Program curriculum includes a Capstone Seminar, LBST 4900, in which students examine global issues in the context of education and educational institutions. Students address critical questions such as: How can education promote responsible local and global citizenship? How can education become a more powerful vehicle for promoting peace, justice, and equity in our world?
In spring 2018, Liberal Studies students embarked on a Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts Global Immersion trip to Costa Rica as part of their Capstone experience. A participating student, Alanna Granados '18, recorded and compiled a video of this memorable learning experience.
View photos from the trip here.
View Alanna's video below.
LBST 4900/Costa Rica Spring 2108
Capstone Project
Throughout LBST 4900, each student does in depth research on a topic of relevance and interest. The course concludes with students producing and presenting their thesis papers and research projects at an end of semester symposium.
Spring 2018 Capstone Students & Topics List