The
UMKC Service-Learning Program is part of the
UMKC Institute for Human
Development (IHD). Located within UMKC, IHD is an applied research and
training center for human services and has been in existence for over 30
years. It exemplifies the University's goal of a campus without borders by
helping people, agencies and the community reach their fullest potential.
IHD and its approximately 50 faculty
and staff, work with a variety of university and community constituents to
build the capacity of their programs and organizations.
The work of the Service-Learning Program is overseen by Co-Directors, Julie
Warm and Alexis Petri.
Alexis Petri, Ed.D., Co-director of Service-Learning, has eleven years of experience as a program director of service-learning at two universities -- University of Missouri Kansas City and Rockhurst University. Alexis teaches service-learning courses in English composition at UMKC as well as works with faculty, instructors, and community partners to design academic service-learning projects that extend classroom-based learning to a real world context. Throughout her career, Alexis has used technological solutions to manage data associated with service-learning such as student co-curricular service transcripts and online promotion of service-learning projects. She has designed and co-facilitated multi-day, faculty workshops on service-learning course design, building campus-community partnerships, and evaluating service-learning projects. In addition to her work with service-learning, she is project director for KC-BANCS, funded by the National Science Foundation, to build an alliance for new careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. She also works on two different grant projects pertaining to urban youth with disabilities. Outside of work, Alexis is a published author and photographer and volunteers at Hogan Preparatory Academy, a public charter school.
Julie Warm, Ph.D.,
Co-director of
Service-Learning,
has extensive experience in local government, non-profit management, and
higher education administration. For the last twenty years, she has worked
in academe as a community liaison, administrator, and researcher. Dr. Warm
currently is working on developing a civic engagement program at the
University of Missouri-Kansas City focusing on women's leadership,
nonpartisan political training, student civic engagement and
service-learning. As a
volunteer, she is an advocate for people with disabilities and served on the
Board for the Jackson County Board of Services for the Developmentally
Disabled, now known as EITAS, a county-level funding agency.
Currently she is a member of the Kansas City Mayor’s Commission for
People with Disabilities and a board member of the Business Leadership
Network, a business-to-business organization supporting businesses that wish
to expand and deepen their employment of people with disabilities. Dr. Warm
is also the Executive Director of EXCEL: Expanding College for Exceptional
Learners which is dedicated to expanding post-secondary opportunities for
students with intellectual disabilities.
