Real-World Experiences Make All The Difference For MCC Students

Weston MA

23 March, 2022

7:30 PM

Description

Press release from the Middlesex Community College: March 23, 2022 Students in Middlesex Community College's Criminal and Social Justice program are learning hands-on what it is like to work in the field. In partnership with the Bedford Police Department, MCC Associate Professor Heloisa DaCunha created a Service-Learning project for students in her Criminology course to analyze data from real sources and present their findings. "I approached the Bedford Police Department and mentioned to them the skills and resources our students gain from this class and asked if we could be of service," DaCunha said. "It was perfect timing because they have the need to determine whether there is a hotspot for crime in the town, and students gain the skills for a future job as crime analysts in any government level agency." With access to police call logs from the past five years, students analyzed crime rates, patterns and trends from police calls and emergency service responses to three hotels in the town. The goal was to determine if there was any illegal activity in the area using information that would not otherwise be made public, according to DaCunha. Working with the data helped Nisa Rivera gain a better sense of how to use information "to confront real world problems." The Criminal Justice student – who lives in Lowell – is hoping to transfer to a four-year college and become a lawyer in the future. "Experiences like this are valuable to my education because it is something that can be applied to my occupation in the future," Rivera said. Students presented their findings on Wednesday, March 16 to the town of Bedford, including the police and fire departments, ambulance services and town officials. The event took place on MCC's Lowell campus, allowing students to network with professionals from a variety of public service fields in attendance. The project was an opportunity for Jenny Desmarais, an MCC Criminal Justice student from Dracut, to learn how to take data and turn it into something meaningful. In addition to sharpening her presentation skills, she enjoyed the opportunity to create a hypothesis based on real data and connect the work to the theories she learns in her classes. "It allowed me to go beyond the comfort of the classroom," Desmarais said. "It's a more valuable experience to have conversations with and present information to real people in the field that I want to get into rather than just presenting to my classroom. This project was based on real data in a nearby town, it was relatable for many people living nearby who are familiar with the hotels." MCC's Service-Learning opportunities help students develop the knowledge and skills they need to proceed directly into the workforce or continue their studies at four-year institutions. The Criminal Justice group-based project honed students' data analysis, data report writing, interpersonal and public speaking skills, as well as gave them the opportunity to improve their knowledge of data analysis, crime rates and FBI-Uniform Crime Report statistics. Matt Beauchesne, an MCC Criminal Justice student from Tyngsboro, worked with a partner to analyze data for one of the hotels. The end result was a chart listing calls from each year, labeled by month, that showed what the highest percentage of calls the police responded to at the hotels. Beauchesne – who will graduate after the Fall 2022 semester and transfer to a four-year institution – appreciated the opportunity to work on his research and collaboration skills. "If you have a group who are just as motivated as you on a topic, then the quality of the final presentation will be good," Beauchesne said. "Experiences like these are valuable to education because it allows us to meet people we typically would not have, such as meeting the Bedford Police Department." The goal of providing Service-Learning opportunities is to ensure that MCC Criminal and Social Justice students receive a well-rounded education – including hands-on, practical experiences – that will prepare them to continue on to a four-year institution and enter the workforce. "It is important for local organizations to see the caliber of students we have and the value they can add to the workforce," DaCunha said. "It is also important for students to start networking for possible future internship and job placements, and finally, students get to work with real work problems." Part of the Public Service pathway, the Criminal and Social Justice program at MCC helps students go into – and succeed in – the workforce or transfer to four-year schools with its award-winning and affordable offerings, small class sizes and flexible schedules. For more information, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/dyp_pubserv.aspx to discover a path to a career in Criminal Justice at Middlesex. Starting on Monday, March 28, MCC's Spring Mini-mester II offers eight-week accelerated courses for students looking to get a jumpstart on Summer and Fall plans. For more information and to register for classes, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434. Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC! This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author's own.