August Hoffman | Metropolitan State University (original) (raw)

Papers by August Hoffman

National Civic Review, 2016

Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 2019

In this study two community psychology students describe their experiences in participating in di... more In this study two community psychology students describe their experiences in participating in different types of "green" volunteer sustainable programs. In the first scenario, Anthonie Collins describes his experiences in working with young men in a youth detention facility and how the participants discovered the intrinsic value of maintaining a vegetable community garden. In the second scenario, Jordan Seitz describes her experiences in organizing a community apple harvest at a local fruit tree orchard in Wyoming, MN. At the conclusion of their community service projects, participants were interviewed regarding their overall subjective experiences in participating in an outdoor "green space" community service project and how superordinate programs that provide increased positive contact helped improve understanding of persons from ethnically diverse cultures and appreciate the value of outdoor "green" voluntary programs.

The current study evaluates whether a mentoring program can increase self-esteem and internal loc... more The current study evaluates whether a mentoring program can increase self-esteem and internal locus of control in underrepresented community college students. The primary goal of the mentoring program was to facilitate Compton Community College (CCC) students' successful transfer to a four-year university by fostering relationships with mentors from California State University Northridge (CSUN). The authors hypothesized that CCC students would improve by working with mentors in a gardening program and on collaborative in-class projects. Results indicate that the students show higher self-esteem, significant increases in self-report measures of internal locus of control, and higher levels of academic performance and motivation. Introduction The CSUN/Compton Community College Mentoring program (CMENT) was developed to improve the transfer rate among underrepresented community college students to the four-year university level. The authors hypothesized that by implementing a mentoring program between four-year university students and community college students, attrition could be reduced and transfer rates bolstered among community college students. After several years of studying students in the classroom, the authors have found that when students work together in a gardening program or on in-class collaborative assignments, psychological well-being increases, and higher academic involvement, enrichment and achievement occur (Hoffman, 1995, 2001; Hoffman, Cruz, and Thompson, 2004). These observations suggest that students require confidence in themselves and their abilities to succeed but may still need support when transferring to a four-year university. Only 3-5% of students from CCC transferred to a California State University or University of California school at the end of the 2000-2001 academic year. The high level of attrition was particularly reflected in transfer rates of underrepresented minority students, predominantly AfricanAmerican. These observations led to the hypothesis that CCC students may benefit from gardening and in-class group work integrated with a mentoring program to assist successful transfer to a four-year university. One of the challenges facing underrepresented students is a lack of academic counseling which is crucial to deciding an academic path. Because of California's budget crisis, during the 2002-2003 academic year, no academic counseling follow-up was offered to CCC students (State of California, California Community Colleges, Chancellor's Office, 2004). An additional challenge facing CCC students is the lack of role models. Prior research indicates that African-American adults noted the absence of a role model as a reason for not continuing higher education (Williams, 1990). CSUN mentors provided academic counseling and acted as role models for CCC students, both vital components of the transfer process. Data shows that the area where the college is located, and where most of the students reside, encompasses a disproportionate number of students that completed high school or higher but did not earn Bachelors degrees (U.S. Census 2000). In fact, the percentage of the population with a Bachelors degree or higher is significantly below state average. The data shows that students in Compton acquire some post-secondary education, but do not earn degrees in higher education. In addition, University of California schools will soon require a new grade point average (GPA)- increased from 2.8 to 3.0 (on a four-point scale)-that will be implemented in 2007 (Los Angeles Times, September 29, 2004), which could further impede CCC student transfer to four-year state universities. Mentoring The mentoring program is unique in that it combines outdoor activity (a gardening program) with collaborative group work. Although research suggests that outdoor activity and volunteer work improve self-esteem and well-being (Thoits & Hewitt, 2001) as well as improving rates of learning within the classroom (Bouillion &. …

Community College Enterprise, Sep 22, 2009

Community Development Journal, 2014

Urban Education, 2007

Numerous articles have been written about the impact of community-based work and self-esteem, sel... more Numerous articles have been written about the impact of community-based work and self-esteem, self-efficacy, and gardening in an educational environment. Empirical data suggest that when students have become involved in a group effort designed to improve a school, community, or society, a sense of interdependency and loyalty to that institution develops. The purpose of the current article is to illustrate the effects of a gardening program on improving gardening self-esteem and reducing ethnocentrism among community college students. An additional goal of the study was to illustrate how the improvements in self-esteem among students also resulted in increased community involvement and awareness. Results of the study suggest that when a learning institution provides mechanisms for students to contribute to the overall quality of the institution (such as a campus gardening program), a sense of interdependency and positive self-empowerment develops among faculty and students.

Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, 2010

Community service work, volunteerism and mentoring have recently become popular topics of researc... more Community service work, volunteerism and mentoring have recently become popular topics of research as effective methods in improving self-esteem and civic responsibility. In the current study we explored the relationship between participation in a community service gardening program and ethnocentrism. We hypothesised that an inverse correlation would emerge where students who participated in a community service-gardening program would increase their perceptions of the importance of community service work and decrease their scores in ethnocentrism. Results of the paired samples t-test strongly support the hypothesis that community service gardening work significantly reduces reports of ethnocentrism: t(10) = -2.52, (p < .03) for community college students. The ramifications of the study and ramifications for future research are offered.

Electronic Green Journal, 2017

Changing perceptions in the justification of the use of the “N ” word through community service w... more Changing perceptions in the justification of the use of the “N ” word through community service work experiences: Offensive comments or terms of endearment?

IntroductionCommunity service activities and volunteer services that help bring isolated communit... more IntroductionCommunity service activities and volunteer services that help bring isolated community members together are rapidly becoming popular areas of research in community psychology and social sciences in general (Dale 791-796). Despite the increasing popularity of community service work activities, opportunities for interpersonal community service activities are more frequently being replaced with more technologically- based activities (Seifer and Vye Mihalynuk; Anderson 195-199). Many of these changes are primarily reflected through increased interpersonal technological and social media innovations (i.e., "social networking") that influence and increasingly define our relationships today. The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship of participation in a variety of community service work activities with individual perceptions of connectedness and belonging to the community in which one resides.As a result of these rapid social technological chang...

Community College Enterprise, 2007

Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community

Abstract This quasi-experimental study examined the community and psychosocial benefits in the de... more Abstract This quasi-experimental study examined the community and psychosocial benefits in the development of a “green space” environmental project (apple fruit tree orchard) among community residents and inmates in a minimum security prison in St. Paul, MN. Seventeen (n = 17) participants volunteered in the development of an apple tree orchard located on the grounds of a prison facility located in Ramsey County, MN. Participants (inmates and community residents) prepared the planting area (two acres) and planted a variety of 60 fruit bearing apple trees (Frostbite©, HoneyCrisp©, SnowSweet©, and Haralson©) designed for an upper Midwest (zone 3a) environment. After the tree planting project, a survey was administered that examined perceptions of volunteering in community service programs and how connected individuals felt to their community after participation. A Pearson correlation coefficient test identified a highly significant correlation (r=.934; p<.001) between the variables of community service work as important activities for all persons with feeling better connected to the community. Suggestions for future research involving community service activities within correctional facilities are offered.

Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice

This study examined the reports of subjective experiences among eight individuals who participate... more This study examined the reports of subjective experiences among eight individuals who participated in a community service work project by planting 60 fruit trees at the Newtown Victory Garden. Five students from Metropolitan State University and three students from Inver Hills Community College participated in a community fruit tree planting activity designed to honor the victims of the December 14, 2012 shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. After participating in the tree planting project, participants were administered a short survey (Sandy Hook Victory Garden Community Service Questionnaire) that recorded their experiences while completing the community service project. The questions from the Sandy Hook Garden Community Service Questionnaire addressed several important themes relative to community development: 1) Perceptions of the importance of the work being done and impact on community members, 2) previous volunteer work and experience in community development, 3) perceptions of "connectedness" with members of the Newtown, Connecticut community, 4) expected changes that were made during participation in this project, and 5) perceptions of making positive changes in the lives of the Newtown, Connecticut community members. The responses from the questionnaire were then analyzed thematically with respect to the four key domains of community service work from the Community Service Attitudes Scale (CSAS) (Shiarella, McCarthy & Tucker, 2010). Results of the study and suggestions for future research are offered.

Community College Enterprise, Mar 22, 2007

The purpose of the current study is to explore the effects of community service work and communit... more The purpose of the current study is to explore the effects of community service work and community involvement on perceptions of self-entitlement-expectations of others to do things for oneself-among undergraduate students. Over the course of a 16-week semester, 26 randomly selected subjects (20 community college psychology students and six state university psychology students) volunteered to participate in a community service gardening program. Students were administered a pre-test questionnaire that measured their self-entitlement attitudes and attitudes addressing the importance of community service. At the end of the 16-week semester, students were administered a posttest questionnaire to assess attitudes toward their community service work. A control group (n = 26) was administered the same questionnaire, but they did not participate in community service work throughout the semester. Results were analyzed using a t-test and statistical significance was found (p < .05). Results indicate that after participating in a service program, student perception of the importance of community service work significantly increased and their sense of self-entitlement decreased.

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education, 2009

Changing perceptions in the justification of the use of the "N" word through Changing perceptions... more Changing perceptions in the justification of the use of the "N" word through Changing perceptions in the justification of the use of the "N" word through community service work experiences: Offensive comments or terms of community service work experiences: Offensive comments or terms of endearment? endearment? Cover Page Footnote Cover Page Footnote The authors would like to thank the Center for Innovative and Engaged Learning Opportunities (CIELOS) of California State University Northridge for their generosity in providing grant money making this research possible.

This study explored the relationship between community service work (CSW) activities, ethnocentri... more This study explored the relationship
between community service work (CSW)
activities, ethnocentric ideology and perceptions
of relevance, and importance of community
service participation. Two groups of participants
were enrolled in undergraduate psychology
classes and completed a voluntary CSW activity.
In group 1 (n = 15) a paired samples t-test
showed a significant increase in perceptions of
understanding members of ethnically-diverse
groups (M = 5.0, SD = .617, t(15) = -4.18, p <
.001). Group 2 (n = 32) was administered the
Community Service Questionnaire and a posttest
survey indicated a significant increase in the
perceptions of the importance of CSW activities
and a greater likelihood to participate in future community service work activities. Results and suggestions for future research are offered.

This critique examines the role of community service activities and community gardens as an effec... more This critique examines the role of community service activities and community gardens as an effective method to reduce racial conflict

This article summarizes the educational experiences of over 25 Compton College students who prese... more This article summarizes the educational experiences of over 25 Compton College students who presented their research at an elite (Stanford University) conference. The article describes the not-so-subtle "microaggressions" experienced by the Compton College students and celebrates their accomplishments in participating in a research conference traditionally devoted to students from elite institutions.

This rebuttal is in response to a recent article published by Chris Ferguson and examines the evi... more This rebuttal is in response to a recent article published by Chris Ferguson and examines the evidence of the role of gratuitously violent media as a primary influence of aggressive behaviors among children (Ferguson, 2013. Violent video games and the Supreme Court: Lessons for the scientific
community in the wake of Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association. American
Psychologist, 68, 57–74. doi:10.1037/
a0030597). The topic of gratuitous violence is
both tragic and perplexing in the sense that
it has become such a divisive issue among
academic researchers who are vitally committed
to improving our understanding of
human behaviors. Violence (regardless of
its etiology and cause) is now reaching epic
proportions within both urban and rural
communities, and we as social scientists
have an obligation to the public to correctly
identify the causal factors as a means of
reducing future violence.