- Beyond Good Intentions

Catalog description

This class is for students who plan to enter public service or helping professions (such as journalism, education, healthcare, or counseling). This experiential learning course aims to develop narrative competence – the ability to acknowledge, absorb, interpret, and act on the stories and plights of others. Through reading, writing, and regularly volunteering with local organizations, we will work together to improve our abilities to receive and tell stories. We’ll acquire knowledge, tools, and habits of mind that we can use in current and future efforts to help others. We’ll consider how to avoid harming others in the name of helping. And we’ll intentionally cultivate compassion, presence, and self-awareness.