Sara M Flowers | Lesley University (original) (raw)

Videos by Sara M Flowers

Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education depart... more Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education department, spoke at the Lycoming County Pennsylvania “Put Your Pardon in the Pipeline” Discussion Tour Saturday February 6, 2021. She presented The theory of Ephebagogy: It’s relevance with to recidivism rates in Lycoming. As part of the larger “We Can’t Wait” PA Statewide Coalition inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail to seek justice in Pennsylvania corrections. Critical to this discussion is the prevalence of emerging adult offenders serving life sentences without parole. Please contact Dr. Flowers at sara.flowers@maine.edu if you are interested in the slide deck and/or transcript.

Doctoral Dissertation by Sara M Flowers

This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one no... more This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one northeast, public university who participated in a structured gap program between their secondary and post-secondary schooling. Data were collected in three phases. Study participants emerged from an initial questionnaire that invited participation from the eligible university population of 3,355 students. Data included survey responses from 100 students, interviews with four respondents, and a case study of one informant. The four student interviews occurred on the university campus in audio recorded, face-to-face appointments. One of the interviewees, Caitlin, became the focus of an instrumental case (Stake, 1994) that reported the factors that led to her gap decision and her experience within the Student Conservation Association. Caitlin’s case was based on her survey responses; interview data; follow-up interview data; and photos, postings, and journal entries from her social network account which she maintained during her gap period and her university experiences. Additional narrative data about Caitlin’s case resulted from interviews with other informants to whom Caitlin provided access. The findings detailed the pivotal events and critical features of structured gap programs, evidence of personal development, and the factors of access and support involved with attending a structured gap year program. Informants gave evidence that structured gap year programming provided them with the opportunities to build resilience, become self-directed, relate to people, find independence, and define their passion. Findings reveal how participation in these programs fosters dispositions indicating greater likelihood that the student will enroll in college and persist toward degrees. The findings also give reason to both high school guidance and college advising programs to consider the role gap programming may serve in addressing the ephebagogical needs of the emerging adult and spur post-secondary institutions to appraise the extent to which they endorse and credential these experiences for young people.

DEVELOPMENT IN THE GAP 61 © Sara Flowers 2015 Unpublished Dissertation "Development in the gap: A... more DEVELOPMENT IN THE GAP 61 © Sara Flowers 2015 Unpublished Dissertation "Development in the gap: A case study of the emerging adult in structured gap programs" CHAPTER THREE: METHODS meant to whittle the respondent population down to the target group. I programmed these

Learning independence" "Moved to a commune and learned to build wooden boats" I designed this stu... more Learning independence" "Moved to a commune and learned to build wooden boats" I designed this study to focus on those having participated in structured gap year programs, but I have noted for future research that when prompted by the term "gap year," many people responded with robust activities that-while not structured by my own definition-held meaning for the survey respondents. I will discuss in chapter five the potential for a similar inquiry into the experiences of those reporting unstructured or work based gap year activities.

Scholarly Papers by Sara M Flowers

Journal of Higher Education Management, 2018

Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his ... more Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his own life making the Virginia Tech incident the most deadly rampage violence incident on a school campus in modern American history. Leadership response in the face of events like this require us to make sense of the event, make decisions, make meaning, account for the event, and learn lessons that minimize future risk (Boin, t’Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2008). What follows is a discussion of how these crisis response principles align with the events of that day, as well as with perspectives of the University of Maine at Augusta administration.

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2018), A higher education response to rampage violence. Journal of Higher Education Management, 33(2), pp 38-46 Retrieved from http://www.aaua.org/journals/pdfs/JHEM_2018_33-2.pdf.

The Scandinavian countries have a model of school called the folk high school that stared in the ... more The Scandinavian countries have a model of school called the folk high school that stared in the 1850s. Today, these are schools accessed by 18-24-year-olds as transitions programs between secondary school and either the work force or high education. The practices of these schools is most closely matched to the United States gap year industry and there may be indicators that this helps our students make more solid gains in their college attendance.

Cite:
Flowers, S.M. (2016). Folkehøjskole: A Scandinavian model can help our students succeed in college. New England Journal of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/folkehojskole-a-scandinavian-model-can-help-our-students-succeed-in-college/.

During the phase of emerging adulthood between the late secondary and early college years, studen... more During the phase of emerging adulthood between the late secondary and early college years, students are in their greatest need of a teaching and learning philosophy that matches their development. Pedagogy is a philosophy of teaching children and andragogy addresses the teaching and learning that happens in adulthood. It is now time to discuss ephebagogy; the teaching and learning that happens for young people in late secondary and early tertiary settings. In this developmental phase students need environments that offer relevance, revelation, responsibility, and relationships. During emerging adulthood and budding citizenship the learners need experiences that are relevant to who they are and who they will become. They need the world revealed to them in ways that brings the outside into the classroom and takes them outside of the classroom. Responsibility for their own learning and the responsibility to choose how learning will happen and how it will be assessed are important to a group coming into their own citizenship. Last, relationships between students, teachers and the world of which they are a part are the social element to make learning stick.

Cite:

Flowers, S. (2014). A philosophy for teaching and learning in emerging adulthood. New Horizons for Learning Journal, 11(1). Retrieved from http://jhepp.library.jhu.edu/ojs/index.php/newhorizons/article/view/343

Conference Presentations by Sara M Flowers

Lycoming County Pennsylvania “Put Your Pardon in the Pipeline” Discussion Tour, 2021

Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education depart... more Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education department, spoke at the Lycoming County Pennsylvania “Put Your Pardon in the Pipeline” Discussion Tour Saturday February 6, 2021. She presented "The theory of ephebagogy: Its relevance to recidivism rates in Lycoming." As part of the larger “We Can’t Wait” PA Statewide Coalition inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail to seek justice in Pennsylvania corrections. Critical to this discussion is the prevalence of emerging adult offenders serving life sentences without parole. Please contact Dr. Flowers at sara.flowers@maine.edu if you are interested in the slide deck and/or transcript.

Cite this:
Flowers, S.M.F. (2021, February 6). The theory of ephebagogy: Its relevance with to recidivism rates in Lycoming. “We Can’t Wait” Pennsylvania Statewide Coalition: Lycoming County, PA.

Thinking Matters Symposium, 2019

One day, a man set his heavy sack down and rested near a traveler who also had a heavy sack at hi... more One day, a man set his heavy sack down and rested near a traveler who also had a heavy sack at his feet. To the other says one, “Oi, I’m tired. I just don’t know what to do with all these hammers.” In response, the other says, “Oi, as am I. I just don’t know what to do with all these nails.” As organizational leaders, how often do we find ourselves so close to a solution? Demand for degreed citizens is on the rise and higher education is changing. Our response to this challenge is a social movement and the way we are going to get through this is with relationships, story, strategy, and action (Ganz, 2010). A higher education administrator sat to lunch at a regional conference next to an experiential educator and said, “Boy, am I puzzled and I just don’t know how to increase our enrollments and impassion my students to engage them in their academic futures.” To this the colleague said, “Boy, me too and I just don’t know how to increase our numbers and inspire my participants to keep going and ride their momentum.” A social movement begins with identifying the untenable situation to which we have a claim. Building the relationships between change agents, telling our stories, creating a strategy, and putting it all into action is how we create the conditions to change lives. Are we sitting next to our solution?

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2019, April). Folkehøjskole, gap year, and first-year experience: Leading for social movements. Paper presented at University of Southern Maine Thinking Matters Symposium, Portland, ME.

Thinking Matters Symposium, 2019

Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his ... more Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his own life making the Virginia Tech incident the most deadly rampage violence incident on a school campus in modern American history. Leadership response in the face of events like this require us to make sense of the event, make decisions, make meaning, account for the event, and learn lessons that minimize future risk (Boin, t’Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2008). What follows is a discussion of how these crisis response principles align with the events of that day, as well as with perspectives of the University of Maine at Augusta administration (Appendix A).

Cite this: Flowers, S.F. (2019, April) A higher education response to rampage violence. Paper presented at the University of Southern Maine Thinking Matters Symposium, Portland, ME

As the quote goes, it is better to build strong children than to repair broken men and women so w... more As the quote goes, it is better to build strong children than to repair broken men and women so we need to address the transitional types of skill building and preparation for the adult and working world that can happen in our organizations. We frequently refer to our work as pedagogy but we fall short of capturing the uniqueness of learners who are not children. In adult education, we use the term andragogy, but there is another layer of learning that happens in between; the citizen building of the Ephebus—the youth.

If our goal is to foster the whole learner, the robustness of programming that involves cultural, social, and out-of-doors education is just as important as the literacy and numeracy of college attendance. In order to build the strong leaders of tomorrow, we must sow seeds of the skills and dispositions necessary for fully-fledged and contributing members of our society.

We know that “academics” and “education” have nuanced differences and there are principles and models that will help us to understand the opportunities that our programs can offer. Too often, we hear youth criticized and young people accused of ill preparedness for the adult and working world. All the while, schools chip away at the non-academic programming that is precisely the sort of education that young people need in order to bloom. Mapping out the practices of ephebagogical teaching stands to impact teaching and learning in, secondary levels, post-secondary, and transitional development programs.

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2018). Leading the budding citizen and emerging adult. Presented at the Association for Experiential Education + Gap Year Association International Conference: Orlando, FL.

As part of the initiative to make gap years more accessible for more students, the GYA surveyed s... more As part of the initiative to make gap years more accessible for more students, the GYA surveyed schools in 2013 to learn more about admissions policies and how those include information about taking a gap year and how to defer admissions in order to make a gap year happen. The 2018 update allows us to look closely at the trends in higher education admissions and have a discussion about what it looks like to have a 'gap-friendly' institutional admissions procedure. This poster addresses the project history, emerging themes, results, and the current state of the project.

With overwhelming evidence that a planful and structured gap year bears fruit in student development, there is still a body of literature supporting 'academic momentum.' We agree that momentum is important to human development and student success. Because we believe that momentum from one developmental experience to another is important, partnerships between gap year programs and higher education admissions is critical for bridging those transitions. The significance of inspiring 'gap-friendly' higher education institutions means that more students and their families can consider a gap year as part of their goals and vision.

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2018). Gap Year Association higher education admission and deferral policies project. Poster presented at the 2018 Association for Experiential Education + Gap Year Association International Conference: Orlando, FL.

We frequently refer to our work as pedagogy but we fall short of capturing the uniqueness of lear... more We frequently refer to our work as pedagogy but we fall short of capturing the uniqueness of learners who are not children. In adult education, we use the term andragogy, but there is another layer of learning that happens in between; the citizen building of the Ephebus—the youth. Our chief duty in TRIO is to advance the goals of students who will be college graduates. We invest in the most vulnerable among us as an act of social justice and—indicated by the various arms of TRIO—we are interested in the transition and the planful movement through phases of education. As the quote goes, it is better to build strong children than to repair broken men and women so we need to address the transitional types of skill building and preparation for the adult and working world that can happen in our institutions. We know that “academics” and “education” have nuanced differences and there are principles and models that will help us to understand the opportunities that programs like TRIO can offer. If our goal is to foster the whole learner, the robustness of programming that involves cultural, social, and out-of-doors education is as important as the literacy and numeracy of college attendance. The principles of ephebagogy embody this belief that students need responsibility, relevance, revelation, and relationship in order to be successful in their development toward adulthood. In order to build the strong leaders of tomorrow, we must sow the seeds of skills and dispositions necessary for fully-fledged and contributing members of our society. Participants will learn about the 4 R’s of ephebagogy and engage in discussion about the teaching, environment, and outcomes for leading the budding citizen and emerging adult.

Cite this:
Flowers, S.M.F. (2018 April 4). Ephebagogy: Leading the budding citizen and emerging adult. Presented at the New England Education Opportunity Association 42nd Annual Conference: Stowe, Vermont.

Ephebagogy is a term that sheds more light on the teaching and learning implications for students... more Ephebagogy is a term that sheds more light on the teaching and learning implications for students who are between 18 and 24 years old. Because colleges and universities are the primary placement for this age group, it is important for higher education leaders to ask questions about how policies and praxis address the developmental features of the emerging adult. Because a primary feature of the emerging adult is semi-autonomy, parents and guardians still have influence on students regardless of the degree to which the student exercises this autonomy. To collaborate for effectively toward the goal of student success, this presentation asks, “Do parents have a role in the institution’s ephebagogical practices?”

Flowers, S.M.F. (2017, June). Do parents have a role in the institution's ephebagogical practices? Presented at the American Association of University Administrators 2017 Leadership Seminar; New Orleans, Louisiana.

Rooted in Scandinavian tradition that dates back to the 1850s, taking a year off to learn non-aca... more Rooted in Scandinavian tradition that dates back to the 1850s, taking a year off to learn non-academic skills proves to increase the non-cognitive skills of students who are unsure about whether to enter university or pursue other adult opportunities. In helping emerging adults to decide on next steps, it is important for educators to inform families about the benefits of a structured break from academics. While commercial, American gap programs bear tuitions that rival some colleges, it is easy to dismiss the opportunity as something only wealthier families can afford. Join a presentation about the history of folkehøjskole, the opportunities for cost-free American gap, and the stories of four young people who made the most of a structured year off. Included will be a discussion of the implications for students to capture those experiences for credit and reduce their college debt.

Citation: Flowers, S.M.F. (2017, January 5) Scandinavian folkehøjskole and American gap year: What a year off does for college readiness. Presented at Maine Educational Opportunity Association 34th Annual Conference, Orono, Maine.

This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one no... more This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one northeast, public university who participated in a structured gap program between their secondary and post-secondary schooling. Data were collected in three phases. Study participants emerged from an initial questionnaire that invited participation from the eligible university population of 3,355 students. Data included survey responses from 100 students, interviews with four respondents, and a case study of one informant. The four student interviews occurred on the university campus in audio recorded, face-to-face appointments. One of the interviewees, Caitlin, became the focus of an instrumental case (Stake, 1994) that reported the factors that led to her gap decision and her experience within the Student Conservation Association. Caitlin’s case was based on her survey responses; interview data; follow-up interview data; and photos, postings, and journal entries from her social network account which she maintained during her gap period and her university experiences. Additional narrative data about Caitlin’s case resulted from interviews with other informants to whom Caitlin provided access. The findings detailed the pivotal events and critical features of structured gap programs, evidence of personal development, and the factors of access and support involved with attending a structured gap year program. Informants gave evidence that structured gap year programming provided them with the opportunities to build resilience, become self-directed, relate to people, find independence, and define their passion. Findings reveal how participation in these programs fosters dispositions indicating greater likelihood that the student will enroll in college and persist toward degrees. The findings also give reason to both high school guidance and college advising programs to consider the role gap programming may serve in addressing the ephebagogical needs of the emerging adult and spur post-secondary institutions to appraise the extent to which they endorse and credential these experiences for young people.

Cite:
Flowers, S. (2016, March 25). Development in the gap: A case study of the emerging adult in structured gap programs. Paper presented at Harvard Graduate School of Education 21st Annual Student Research Conference, Cambridge, MA.

Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education depart... more Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education department, spoke at the Lycoming County Pennsylvania “Put Your Pardon in the Pipeline” Discussion Tour Saturday February 6, 2021. She presented The theory of Ephebagogy: It’s relevance with to recidivism rates in Lycoming. As part of the larger “We Can’t Wait” PA Statewide Coalition inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail to seek justice in Pennsylvania corrections. Critical to this discussion is the prevalence of emerging adult offenders serving life sentences without parole. Please contact Dr. Flowers at sara.flowers@maine.edu if you are interested in the slide deck and/or transcript.

This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one no... more This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one northeast, public university who participated in a structured gap program between their secondary and post-secondary schooling. Data were collected in three phases. Study participants emerged from an initial questionnaire that invited participation from the eligible university population of 3,355 students. Data included survey responses from 100 students, interviews with four respondents, and a case study of one informant. The four student interviews occurred on the university campus in audio recorded, face-to-face appointments. One of the interviewees, Caitlin, became the focus of an instrumental case (Stake, 1994) that reported the factors that led to her gap decision and her experience within the Student Conservation Association. Caitlin’s case was based on her survey responses; interview data; follow-up interview data; and photos, postings, and journal entries from her social network account which she maintained during her gap period and her university experiences. Additional narrative data about Caitlin’s case resulted from interviews with other informants to whom Caitlin provided access. The findings detailed the pivotal events and critical features of structured gap programs, evidence of personal development, and the factors of access and support involved with attending a structured gap year program. Informants gave evidence that structured gap year programming provided them with the opportunities to build resilience, become self-directed, relate to people, find independence, and define their passion. Findings reveal how participation in these programs fosters dispositions indicating greater likelihood that the student will enroll in college and persist toward degrees. The findings also give reason to both high school guidance and college advising programs to consider the role gap programming may serve in addressing the ephebagogical needs of the emerging adult and spur post-secondary institutions to appraise the extent to which they endorse and credential these experiences for young people.

DEVELOPMENT IN THE GAP 61 © Sara Flowers 2015 Unpublished Dissertation "Development in the gap: A... more DEVELOPMENT IN THE GAP 61 © Sara Flowers 2015 Unpublished Dissertation "Development in the gap: A case study of the emerging adult in structured gap programs" CHAPTER THREE: METHODS meant to whittle the respondent population down to the target group. I programmed these

Learning independence" "Moved to a commune and learned to build wooden boats" I designed this stu... more Learning independence" "Moved to a commune and learned to build wooden boats" I designed this study to focus on those having participated in structured gap year programs, but I have noted for future research that when prompted by the term "gap year," many people responded with robust activities that-while not structured by my own definition-held meaning for the survey respondents. I will discuss in chapter five the potential for a similar inquiry into the experiences of those reporting unstructured or work based gap year activities.

Journal of Higher Education Management, 2018

Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his ... more Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his own life making the Virginia Tech incident the most deadly rampage violence incident on a school campus in modern American history. Leadership response in the face of events like this require us to make sense of the event, make decisions, make meaning, account for the event, and learn lessons that minimize future risk (Boin, t’Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2008). What follows is a discussion of how these crisis response principles align with the events of that day, as well as with perspectives of the University of Maine at Augusta administration.

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2018), A higher education response to rampage violence. Journal of Higher Education Management, 33(2), pp 38-46 Retrieved from http://www.aaua.org/journals/pdfs/JHEM_2018_33-2.pdf.

The Scandinavian countries have a model of school called the folk high school that stared in the ... more The Scandinavian countries have a model of school called the folk high school that stared in the 1850s. Today, these are schools accessed by 18-24-year-olds as transitions programs between secondary school and either the work force or high education. The practices of these schools is most closely matched to the United States gap year industry and there may be indicators that this helps our students make more solid gains in their college attendance.

Cite:
Flowers, S.M. (2016). Folkehøjskole: A Scandinavian model can help our students succeed in college. New England Journal of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.nebhe.org/thejournal/folkehojskole-a-scandinavian-model-can-help-our-students-succeed-in-college/.

During the phase of emerging adulthood between the late secondary and early college years, studen... more During the phase of emerging adulthood between the late secondary and early college years, students are in their greatest need of a teaching and learning philosophy that matches their development. Pedagogy is a philosophy of teaching children and andragogy addresses the teaching and learning that happens in adulthood. It is now time to discuss ephebagogy; the teaching and learning that happens for young people in late secondary and early tertiary settings. In this developmental phase students need environments that offer relevance, revelation, responsibility, and relationships. During emerging adulthood and budding citizenship the learners need experiences that are relevant to who they are and who they will become. They need the world revealed to them in ways that brings the outside into the classroom and takes them outside of the classroom. Responsibility for their own learning and the responsibility to choose how learning will happen and how it will be assessed are important to a group coming into their own citizenship. Last, relationships between students, teachers and the world of which they are a part are the social element to make learning stick.

Cite:

Flowers, S. (2014). A philosophy for teaching and learning in emerging adulthood. New Horizons for Learning Journal, 11(1). Retrieved from http://jhepp.library.jhu.edu/ojs/index.php/newhorizons/article/view/343

Lycoming County Pennsylvania “Put Your Pardon in the Pipeline” Discussion Tour, 2021

Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education depart... more Dr. Sara Flowers, Director of TRIO Scholars and part-time faculty in the Teacher Education department, spoke at the Lycoming County Pennsylvania “Put Your Pardon in the Pipeline” Discussion Tour Saturday February 6, 2021. She presented "The theory of ephebagogy: Its relevance to recidivism rates in Lycoming." As part of the larger “We Can’t Wait” PA Statewide Coalition inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail to seek justice in Pennsylvania corrections. Critical to this discussion is the prevalence of emerging adult offenders serving life sentences without parole. Please contact Dr. Flowers at sara.flowers@maine.edu if you are interested in the slide deck and/or transcript.

Cite this:
Flowers, S.M.F. (2021, February 6). The theory of ephebagogy: Its relevance with to recidivism rates in Lycoming. “We Can’t Wait” Pennsylvania Statewide Coalition: Lycoming County, PA.

Thinking Matters Symposium, 2019

One day, a man set his heavy sack down and rested near a traveler who also had a heavy sack at hi... more One day, a man set his heavy sack down and rested near a traveler who also had a heavy sack at his feet. To the other says one, “Oi, I’m tired. I just don’t know what to do with all these hammers.” In response, the other says, “Oi, as am I. I just don’t know what to do with all these nails.” As organizational leaders, how often do we find ourselves so close to a solution? Demand for degreed citizens is on the rise and higher education is changing. Our response to this challenge is a social movement and the way we are going to get through this is with relationships, story, strategy, and action (Ganz, 2010). A higher education administrator sat to lunch at a regional conference next to an experiential educator and said, “Boy, am I puzzled and I just don’t know how to increase our enrollments and impassion my students to engage them in their academic futures.” To this the colleague said, “Boy, me too and I just don’t know how to increase our numbers and inspire my participants to keep going and ride their momentum.” A social movement begins with identifying the untenable situation to which we have a claim. Building the relationships between change agents, telling our stories, creating a strategy, and putting it all into action is how we create the conditions to change lives. Are we sitting next to our solution?

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2019, April). Folkehøjskole, gap year, and first-year experience: Leading for social movements. Paper presented at University of Southern Maine Thinking Matters Symposium, Portland, ME.

Thinking Matters Symposium, 2019

Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his ... more Early on the morning of April 16, 2007, an individual shot 32 students and faculty then took his own life making the Virginia Tech incident the most deadly rampage violence incident on a school campus in modern American history. Leadership response in the face of events like this require us to make sense of the event, make decisions, make meaning, account for the event, and learn lessons that minimize future risk (Boin, t’Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2008). What follows is a discussion of how these crisis response principles align with the events of that day, as well as with perspectives of the University of Maine at Augusta administration (Appendix A).

Cite this: Flowers, S.F. (2019, April) A higher education response to rampage violence. Paper presented at the University of Southern Maine Thinking Matters Symposium, Portland, ME

As the quote goes, it is better to build strong children than to repair broken men and women so w... more As the quote goes, it is better to build strong children than to repair broken men and women so we need to address the transitional types of skill building and preparation for the adult and working world that can happen in our organizations. We frequently refer to our work as pedagogy but we fall short of capturing the uniqueness of learners who are not children. In adult education, we use the term andragogy, but there is another layer of learning that happens in between; the citizen building of the Ephebus—the youth.

If our goal is to foster the whole learner, the robustness of programming that involves cultural, social, and out-of-doors education is just as important as the literacy and numeracy of college attendance. In order to build the strong leaders of tomorrow, we must sow seeds of the skills and dispositions necessary for fully-fledged and contributing members of our society.

We know that “academics” and “education” have nuanced differences and there are principles and models that will help us to understand the opportunities that our programs can offer. Too often, we hear youth criticized and young people accused of ill preparedness for the adult and working world. All the while, schools chip away at the non-academic programming that is precisely the sort of education that young people need in order to bloom. Mapping out the practices of ephebagogical teaching stands to impact teaching and learning in, secondary levels, post-secondary, and transitional development programs.

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2018). Leading the budding citizen and emerging adult. Presented at the Association for Experiential Education + Gap Year Association International Conference: Orlando, FL.

As part of the initiative to make gap years more accessible for more students, the GYA surveyed s... more As part of the initiative to make gap years more accessible for more students, the GYA surveyed schools in 2013 to learn more about admissions policies and how those include information about taking a gap year and how to defer admissions in order to make a gap year happen. The 2018 update allows us to look closely at the trends in higher education admissions and have a discussion about what it looks like to have a 'gap-friendly' institutional admissions procedure. This poster addresses the project history, emerging themes, results, and the current state of the project.

With overwhelming evidence that a planful and structured gap year bears fruit in student development, there is still a body of literature supporting 'academic momentum.' We agree that momentum is important to human development and student success. Because we believe that momentum from one developmental experience to another is important, partnerships between gap year programs and higher education admissions is critical for bridging those transitions. The significance of inspiring 'gap-friendly' higher education institutions means that more students and their families can consider a gap year as part of their goals and vision.

Cite this: Flowers, S.M.F. (2018). Gap Year Association higher education admission and deferral policies project. Poster presented at the 2018 Association for Experiential Education + Gap Year Association International Conference: Orlando, FL.

We frequently refer to our work as pedagogy but we fall short of capturing the uniqueness of lear... more We frequently refer to our work as pedagogy but we fall short of capturing the uniqueness of learners who are not children. In adult education, we use the term andragogy, but there is another layer of learning that happens in between; the citizen building of the Ephebus—the youth. Our chief duty in TRIO is to advance the goals of students who will be college graduates. We invest in the most vulnerable among us as an act of social justice and—indicated by the various arms of TRIO—we are interested in the transition and the planful movement through phases of education. As the quote goes, it is better to build strong children than to repair broken men and women so we need to address the transitional types of skill building and preparation for the adult and working world that can happen in our institutions. We know that “academics” and “education” have nuanced differences and there are principles and models that will help us to understand the opportunities that programs like TRIO can offer. If our goal is to foster the whole learner, the robustness of programming that involves cultural, social, and out-of-doors education is as important as the literacy and numeracy of college attendance. The principles of ephebagogy embody this belief that students need responsibility, relevance, revelation, and relationship in order to be successful in their development toward adulthood. In order to build the strong leaders of tomorrow, we must sow the seeds of skills and dispositions necessary for fully-fledged and contributing members of our society. Participants will learn about the 4 R’s of ephebagogy and engage in discussion about the teaching, environment, and outcomes for leading the budding citizen and emerging adult.

Cite this:
Flowers, S.M.F. (2018 April 4). Ephebagogy: Leading the budding citizen and emerging adult. Presented at the New England Education Opportunity Association 42nd Annual Conference: Stowe, Vermont.

Ephebagogy is a term that sheds more light on the teaching and learning implications for students... more Ephebagogy is a term that sheds more light on the teaching and learning implications for students who are between 18 and 24 years old. Because colleges and universities are the primary placement for this age group, it is important for higher education leaders to ask questions about how policies and praxis address the developmental features of the emerging adult. Because a primary feature of the emerging adult is semi-autonomy, parents and guardians still have influence on students regardless of the degree to which the student exercises this autonomy. To collaborate for effectively toward the goal of student success, this presentation asks, “Do parents have a role in the institution’s ephebagogical practices?”

Flowers, S.M.F. (2017, June). Do parents have a role in the institution's ephebagogical practices? Presented at the American Association of University Administrators 2017 Leadership Seminar; New Orleans, Louisiana.

Rooted in Scandinavian tradition that dates back to the 1850s, taking a year off to learn non-aca... more Rooted in Scandinavian tradition that dates back to the 1850s, taking a year off to learn non-academic skills proves to increase the non-cognitive skills of students who are unsure about whether to enter university or pursue other adult opportunities. In helping emerging adults to decide on next steps, it is important for educators to inform families about the benefits of a structured break from academics. While commercial, American gap programs bear tuitions that rival some colleges, it is easy to dismiss the opportunity as something only wealthier families can afford. Join a presentation about the history of folkehøjskole, the opportunities for cost-free American gap, and the stories of four young people who made the most of a structured year off. Included will be a discussion of the implications for students to capture those experiences for credit and reduce their college debt.

Citation: Flowers, S.M.F. (2017, January 5) Scandinavian folkehøjskole and American gap year: What a year off does for college readiness. Presented at Maine Educational Opportunity Association 34th Annual Conference, Orono, Maine.

This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one no... more This qualitative study examined the 18-24-year-old population of undergraduate students at one northeast, public university who participated in a structured gap program between their secondary and post-secondary schooling. Data were collected in three phases. Study participants emerged from an initial questionnaire that invited participation from the eligible university population of 3,355 students. Data included survey responses from 100 students, interviews with four respondents, and a case study of one informant. The four student interviews occurred on the university campus in audio recorded, face-to-face appointments. One of the interviewees, Caitlin, became the focus of an instrumental case (Stake, 1994) that reported the factors that led to her gap decision and her experience within the Student Conservation Association. Caitlin’s case was based on her survey responses; interview data; follow-up interview data; and photos, postings, and journal entries from her social network account which she maintained during her gap period and her university experiences. Additional narrative data about Caitlin’s case resulted from interviews with other informants to whom Caitlin provided access. The findings detailed the pivotal events and critical features of structured gap programs, evidence of personal development, and the factors of access and support involved with attending a structured gap year program. Informants gave evidence that structured gap year programming provided them with the opportunities to build resilience, become self-directed, relate to people, find independence, and define their passion. Findings reveal how participation in these programs fosters dispositions indicating greater likelihood that the student will enroll in college and persist toward degrees. The findings also give reason to both high school guidance and college advising programs to consider the role gap programming may serve in addressing the ephebagogical needs of the emerging adult and spur post-secondary institutions to appraise the extent to which they endorse and credential these experiences for young people.

Cite:
Flowers, S. (2016, March 25). Development in the gap: A case study of the emerging adult in structured gap programs. Paper presented at Harvard Graduate School of Education 21st Annual Student Research Conference, Cambridge, MA.

The Danish Folkehøjskole started as a measure toward adult education, social justice, national id... more The Danish Folkehøjskole started as a measure toward adult education, social justice, national identity, and liberation of peasantry in the mid 1800s. Its modern iteration is a Nordic-wide system of transition schools for 18- to 24-year-old learners as they decide whether to enter university or the workforce. Ubiquitously accessed, the folk high school structure translates in five ways to offerings found in the United States, namely the commercial gap year industry and the non-profit public service corps. The translation does not happen without some elements lost, however an examination of the intersections and the potentials begins an important discussion.

Cite:

Flowers, S. (2015, April 10). Scandinavian folkehøjskole & American gap year: Cultivating the emerging adult. Paper presented at Harvard University Graduate School of Education 20th Annual Student Research Conference, Cambridge, MA.

Androscoggin County wants secondary school completers to celebrate decisions. Students completing... more Androscoggin County wants secondary school completers to celebrate decisions. Students completing their high school diplomas are encouraged to hashtag #AndroscogginDecides and call out the decisions they have made to enter college, university, gap programs, apprenticeships, military service, work force experience, or another developmental opportunity that will help them to build the skills and dispositions for an adult world.

Cite:

Flowers, S.M. (2016 Mar 27). Graduation brings a time for decisions. Lewiston Sun Journal, p C9. Retrieved from http://www.sunjournal.com/ news/columns-analysis/2016/03/27/graduation-brings-time-decisions/1893709

In Maine's adult education realm, programs are able to help the citizenry work toward "employabil... more In Maine's adult education realm, programs are able to help the citizenry work toward "employability, enrollability, and enlistability" through verification of out-of-the-classroom learning experiences. The recent actions on the part of state and local leaders has created a renewed sense of urgency around moving people off from public dole systems and into jobs, college programming, and military service as a means to affirm and promote the people's independence. To help in this effort, community partners must understand how important their verifications and certifications are to us.

Cite:

Flowers, S. (2013, June 6). Give students a chance--Provide solid verification of a person's contributions. Lewiston Sun Journal, pp. A6. Retrieved from http://www2.sunjournal.com/pdfs/2013/06/03/A06SJD-060313_1.pdf.

In 1998, Lewiston, Maine in the United States became home to a host of new neighbors from various... more In 1998, Lewiston, Maine in the United States became home to a host of new neighbors from various African backgrounds. This population swelled between the years 2000 and 2004 prompting many inclusionary programs to sprout and bridge the cultural gaps. However, children, no matter from where they come, have many lessons for us on how to keep our eyes and ears open. They will always show us exactly how they need to be taught if we just listen.

Cite:

Flowers, S. (2003, May 17). Learning to teach is a constant lesson. Lewiston Sun Journal, pp. A6. Retrieved from http://www.sunjournal.com/node/359360.

Applying for post-secondary education has risen to the level of relatively standard expectation f... more Applying for post-secondary education has risen to the level of relatively standard expectation for high school graduates or non-traditional learners looking for a developmental experience. The real frontier for institutions is retention--particularly first-year student retention. The IPEDS and College Score Card system rely on one set of data that underscores the importance of retaining first-year, full-time students until degree attainment, but the retention of all students in colleges and universities must be at the fore of discussions about our work. First Year Initiatives and Freshman Retention models is a discussion that addresses the urgent need for innovative ways to keep the customers that we already have.

Inspired by the Ancient Athenian Ephebic Oath for young citizens in training, the Ephebagogical O... more Inspired by the Ancient Athenian Ephebic Oath for young citizens in training, the Ephebagogical Oath speaks to teachers' commitments to teaching and learning through the most effective methodologies for this age group of learner.

E·pheb·a·go·gy: [ih-feb-uh-goh-jee] < Latin ephēbus < Greek éphēbos, equivalent to ep-+-hēbos, de... more E·pheb·a·go·gy: [ih-feb-uh-goh-jee] < Latin ephēbus < Greek éphēbos, equivalent to ep-+-hēbos, derivative of hḗbē manhood AND < Greek-agōgos,-ē,-on, akin to ágein to lead, cognate with Latin agere to lead, drive, Old Norse aka to carry, convey

The First Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist of Auburn, Maine in the United States updat... more The First Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist of Auburn, Maine in the United States updated its mission statement in recent history to say, "Rooted in the Sacred and strengthened by our diversity, we equip ourselves to minister through the transformative power of Love." Tasked with identifying her own ministry, Sara Flowers draws upon Reverend Stephen Kendricks' 02/02/2014 sermon at First Church of Boston titled, "Life in Motion" in which he asserts that our calendar is our religion. She, in turn, discusses that her job as an educator is her ministry and that teaching is an act of prayer. This sermon discusses that concept along side the work of social justice and issues a call to action to all people to submerge in the task of teaching.

Cite:

Flowers, S. (2014, March 23). The ways we pray [sermon]. Lecture conducted from First Universalist Church: Unitarian Universalist Auburn, Maine, US.

One day, a man set his heavy sack down and rested near a traveler who also had a heavy sack at hi... more One day, a man set his heavy sack down and rested near a traveler who also had a heavy sack at his feet. To the other says one, “Oi, I’m tired. I just don’t know what to do with all these hammers.” In response, the other says, “Oi, as am I. I just don’t know what to do with all these nails.” As organizational leaders, how often do we find ourselves so close to a solution? Demand for degreed citizens is on the rise and higher education is changing. Our response to this challenge is a social movement and the way we are going to get through this is with relationships, story, strategy, and action (Ganz, 2010).

When a student has the freedom to traverse into the unknown—leaving books and comfort zones at ho... more When a student has the freedom to traverse into the unknown—leaving books and comfort zones at home—lessons of an arduous year of trailblazing in the Adirondacks become the resilience to trek through a 15-week semester, a 9-month school year, and a 4-year degree program. A heavy pack becomes the weight of multiple assignments and the persistence to come out on the other side. A swarm of black flies becomes the noisy demands through which a successful student develops their grit. A handmade bridge becomes the construction of identity and the way forward. Taking a gap year does not mean a year off, it means a year on and it can mean all the difference to a successful college student. Higher education institutions understand the importance of resilience, persistence, grit, and identity, and institutional deferral policies are critical to ensuring that students have their best chance to arrive at school ready to learn and ready to achieve their academic goals.

Building rapport with students creates safe places for creativity to flourish and opens the stude... more Building rapport with students creates safe places for creativity to flourish and opens the students up to evaluation of their work. Rapport opens up the newness and generation of their minds and reduces anxiety. Students may struggle to engage in meaningful writing if the assignments are overly contrived and they may struggle to view their writing as having quality if they do not see themselves as a relevant contributor to the topic. When a writer feels that they are significant, their writing will come from a place not rooted in compliance but one that desires to contribute, to be heard, and to be enjoyed.

Fosen is a folk high school where the Scandinavian tradition of non-academic schools for young pe... more Fosen is a folk high school where the Scandinavian tradition of non-academic schools for young people has been part of their comprehensive education plan since 1844 when Rødding, Denmark built the first of its kind. These are schools designed after the inspiration of Nickolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig who believed that education for the common person should be indigenous and “living” –dannelse—rather than based on conceptual academics taught in dominant languages—typically Latin. He believed in education for rural people that would provide real living skills and empower them toward self-advocacy. These schools are the basis of community colleges in the U.S., public adult education programs throughout Maine, and many folk art and culture school through the United States.