August 30, 2021

IN THIS ISSUE

• Barry Service Corps Fellows Gear up for Social Justice Advocacy and Civic Leadership Roles
• Two Faculty Members Awarded Service-Learning Fellowships for 2021–2022 Academic Year
• Barry Undergraduate Awarded Democracy Fellowship by Campus Vote Project
• Deliberative Dialogue Series Begins Next Month with Virtual Forum Focused on Haiti
• Community Partner Looking for Barry Volunteers for Career Education Programs

Barry Service Corps Fellows Gear Up For Social Justice Advocacy And Civic Leadership Roles

Student Leaders’ Work Will Focus Sharply On Social Issues

By Glenn Bowen

The new Barry Service Corps (BSC) Fellows have been gearing up for social justice advocacy and civic leadership roles. Throughout the academic year, their work will be focused sharply on salient social issues. 

Issues related to food security, affordable housing, and youth empowerment are already motivating the emerging student leaders. So, too, are the challenges posed by social inequities, threats to a healthy democracy posed by voter suppression efforts, and the negative effects of globalization. 

Maria Stampolkou, a criminology and sociology major, is seizing the opportunity to assist refugees resettle in their new homes. “After working years in refugee and immigrant camps,” she says, “the BSC program … is exactly what I was searching for.”

For Katriel Register, this is an opportunity to “branch out and network with people in the community.”

Fresh from the BSC orientation and their initial training, the BSC Fellows are ready and raring to go.

“I have [already] learned so much, not only about social justice but professional and personal development as well,” Autumn Davis tell us. “I am looking forward to what we can accomplish as a team this semester.”

Echoing Autumn, Skylar Smith says she has “learned so much over the course of training” that she is eager to get started. The poli sci student is assigned to the social justice team concentrating on civic health matters.

Members of this year’s cohort, 24 strong, have each been assigned to social justice teams—Civic Health, Faith in Action, Food Security, Global Citizenship, and Youth Empowerment and Action.

Forming a squad within the Barry Service Corps, the BSC Fellows will continue to get specialized training geared to the demands of their civic leadership roles. Their initial training covered such topics as “Approaches to Social Change,” “Cultural Humility, Social Entrepreneurship, and Global Citizenship,” and “Civic Health and Engagement in the Democratic Process.” 

Through direct service, advocacy, and activism, the civic leadership squad will tackle several social issues and seek to make a difference in the community.

“I’m glad to have found this program,” declares Liz Calvo, a forensic psychology and criminology student. “It has taught me to listen to my community’s needs and understand how to move towards social justice.” 

Samuel Vilmeau says he is “incredibly excited.” He has “gained the knowledge and resources … to become a better citizen,” the new BSC Fellow adds. 

The Barry Service Corps is the flagship civic engagement program for students. BSC Fellows are part of the cream of the crop at Barry. They balance academics with civic engagement, pursuing their goals on campus and in the wider community.

“Participation in the BSC Fellows Program provides students who are passionate about social change with a vehicle for reaching their potential as community leaders,” notes Courtney Berrien, associate director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).

The Civic Health team will draw on resources provided by the Campus Election Engagement Project, Campus Vote Project, League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade County Elections Department, and Net Impact.

Faith in Action will support the work of Miami-Dade’s PACT (People Acting for Community Together). Team member Raijah Taltoan is “looking forward to working with PACT and making a difference in my community.” 

At the same time, members of the Food Security team will lend their support to the work of three community partners: Bread for the World, Urban GreenWorks, and Miami Community Fridge. 

The Global Citizenship team will work closely with the Archdiocese of Miami/Port-de-Paix Global Solidarity Partnership; Atelye Thevenet, the Haitian women’s artisan cooperative; the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Student/Farmworker Alliance; and Church World Service. 

Dream Defenders, Florida Rising, and MCCJ (historically known as the Miami Coalition of Christians and Jews) will help to facilitate the efforts of the Youth Empowerment and Action team.

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Two Faculty Members Awarded Service-Learning Fellowships For 2021–2022 Academic Year

Two faculty members have been awarded Service-Learning Fellowships for the 2021–2022 academic year. Yvonne Jones Goodridge and Dr. George Vera will be faculty fellows in the CCSI.

Ms. Jones Goodridge is an assistant professor of dance in the Department of Fine Arts. She received her M.A. in dance and dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York. 

Dr. Vera is an associate professor of counseling in the School of Education. He received his Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from the University of New Orleans in Louisiana. 

The Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program provides support for the professional development of faculty members interested in service-learning pedagogy and associated scholarship. The program is designed to improve the quality of service-learning offerings across the university while building capacity for community-engaged scholarship.

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Barry Undergraduate Awarded Democracy Fellowship By Campus Vote Project

Campus Vote Project (CVP) has awarded a Democracy Fellowship to Barry undergraduate Jessica Gomez. The semester-long fellowship includes a $500 stipend.

“Jessica will keep students democratically engaged through voter engagement and registration activities,” said Morgan Spicer, Florida state coordinator for Fair Election Center’s Campus Vote Project. 

As Barry’s CVP Democracy Fellow, Ms. Gomez will serve alongside other student leaders participating in the Campus Democracy Project’s BucsVote initiative. 

The CVP fellowship began at the start of the semester, on August 16, and will end on December 15.

Campus Vote Project works with higher education institutions and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting. According to information at the CVP website, the organization’s goal is “to help campuses institutionalize reforms that empower students with the information they need to register and vote.” 

CVP is a project of the Fair Elections Center—a national, nonpartisan voting rights, legal support, and election reform organization.

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Deliberative Dialogue Series Begins Next Month With Virtual Forum Focused On Haiti

The 2021–2022 Deliberative Dialogue Series will get going next month with a forum focused on the “dire situation” in Haiti. The virtual event titled “Haiti in Turbulent Times: Forging a Path Forward” is set for September 23.

Haiti has been hit hard by natural disasters this year—a year in which the Caribbean island nation’s president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated. 

On August 14, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed at least 1,400 people in Haiti. As a result, many survivors were left in urgent need of food, household supplies, and medical attention. Days after the earthquake, heavy downpours from Tropical Storm Grace caused flooding and delayed rescue efforts there. 

Although the latest earthquake was less catastrophic than the 2010 temblor, which left more than 300,000 dead and 1.5 million injured, the impact has been devastating, the United Nations said.

President Moise was killed during an attack on his private residence on July 7, and the country’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph declared a state of siege. Haiti’s first lady, Martine Moise, was shot in the attack and was evacuated to a hospital in Miami for treatment.

After the disasters, Prime Minister Ariel Henry was quoted as saying, "We have to put our heads together to rebuild Haiti. The country is physically and mentally destroyed.”

“Haiti in Turbulent Times: Forging a Path Forward” is the first of four forums in the academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series titled “Fostering Resiliency in Times of Uncertainty.” 

The Deliberative Dialogue Series serves as an avenue for civic learning and engagement in addressing hot-button social issues. The series brings together campus and community stakeholders to weigh perspectives on the issues and to work towards practical solutions.

Other forums in this year’s series are slated for November 4, February 24, and April 7. The 90-minute forums are all scheduled begin at 4 o’clock.

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Community Partner Looking For Barry Volunteers For Career Education Programs

“Can you change the lives of 25 young people forever?” That’s a question from one of Barry’s community partners. 

“Absolutely!” That’s the answer from Learning For Success, the community partner whose mission is “to help students connect their strengths, skills, talents and interests to their dreams through partnerships with teachers, schools, volunteers, their businesses and the community.” 

Learning For Success is looking for volunteers for its career education programs: Kids and the Power of Work (KAPOW) for elementary schools and My Future Is Now (MFIN) for secondary schools. 

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