Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Joint Educational Project

Executive Director: Tammara Anderson

The Joint Educational Project (JEP) places university students in field assignments in more than 40 community sites (including neighborhood schools, non-profit organizations and governmental institutions) primarily near the University Park Campus. Students participate in projects that seek to discover or implement solutions to problems that have been identified by the community. In the process, students learn how to develop and apply knowledge, work in diverse social settings, become engaged in civic affairs, explore possible career paths and make professional contacts. “JEP” following a section number indicates that the professor will possibly offer JEP as a course option.

Based in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, JEP places university students in supervised, service-learning positions as a part of their academic course work. Students registered in certain classes in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Earth Sciences, Geography, Sociology, Spanish and other disciplines are assigned to neighborhood schools, social service/governmental agencies, and hospitals and health clinics, where they assist professionals, teach, translate, and make other contributions to the community. Students are required to submit weekly reflective essays to help them make connections between their academic course work and their experiences in the community. Work-study students work in conjunction with JEP through the USC Readers Plus program. Students assist K–9 children in the university’s “Family of Schools” in the areas of math and reading, allowing USC students the opportunity to serve in the community while gaining experience in an urban school environment.