Community Engagement News

Semester’s Major Community Engagement Events Include Symposium, Awards, Days of Service, and Public Forums

Among the semester’s Community engagement events are the annual Community Engagement Symposium and Community Engagement Awards as well as two forums in the Deliberative Dialogue Series.

Major events on this semester’s community engagement calendar include a symposium, an awards ceremony, two days of service, and public forums.

The events will advance Barry University’s commitments to collaborative service and social justice.

The Ninth Annual Community Engagement Symposium and the Tenth Annual Community Engagement Awards will be held on March 29. Both events have taken place every year since 2014 except in 2020 when the symposium was canceled in the wake of the 2019 viral disease known as COVID-19.

The deadline for the submission of proposals for presentations at the symposium and nominations for the awards is January 27 (see separate stories below).

Barry’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is January 14. This year’s theme is “The Fierce Urgency of Now” (see separate story below).

The third Saturday of April is Sustainability Saturday, an annual day of service during Barry’s Earth Week. University employees and students are invited to “uphold the sacredness of Earth” by supporting a community-based service project that will contribute to environmental health.

Deliberative Dialogue Series

The academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series, titled “Fostering Resiliency in Times of Uncertainty,” will continue with two forums—the first on February 9 and the second on April 13.

The title of the February forum is “Race Talk in Florida: Bridging the Political Divide.” And the forum in April is titled “Building Resiliency in the Face of Climate Change.” Both forums are scheduled for 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in Andreas 112.

Two forums in the Deliberative Dialogue Series were held in the fall semester. One drew attention to the situation in Haiti, the other to “learning losses” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deliberative Dialogue is a series of facilitated forums eliciting “voices and views from campus and community.” Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners take part in each of the 90-minute forums.

The CCSI organizes and coordinates community engagement programs, projects, and events. A department in the Division of Academic Affairs, the CCSI functions as the university’s clearinghouse for community engagement opportunities and resources.

Barry University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is January 14

“The Fierce Urgency of Now” is the theme of this year’s MLK Day of Service. Almost 60 years after the civil rights leader spoke at the March on Washington, his words have “renewed meaning” in a still-divided nation.

Barry University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is Saturday, January 14. “The Fierce Urgency of Now” will be the day’s theme.

Students, faculty and staff members, alumni, and community members will honor Dr. King’s memory by participating in collaborative service projects in Liberty City, one of Miami’s historic communities of color.

Service projects have been planned in partnership with Miami Children’s Initiative (MCI). A nonprofit organization, MCI is focused on transforming Liberty City into a prosperous community.

When he spoke at the momentous March on Washington in August 1963, King emphasized the “fierce urgency of now.” He reminded the people of a divided nation that they needed one another and that they were stronger when they marched forward together.

Almost 60 years later, in a still-divided nation, observers say King’s words have “renewed meaning.”

Each year, on the Saturday immediately preceding the King holiday—the third Monday of January—Barry volunteers honor the civil rights leader’s life and legacy by taking part in a day of service.

Volunteer registration for the 2023 MLK Day of Service is underway via Corq/Engage <corq.barry.edu> and GivePulse <givepulse.barry.edu>.

Additional information is available from the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) at service@barry.edu.

Proposals for Presentations at Ninth Annual Community Engagement Symposium to be Submitted by January 27

The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) is accepting proposals for concurrent session presentations at Barry’s Ninth Annual Community Engagement Symposium. The submission deadline is January 27.

Proposals for 50-minute, peer-reviewed presentations will be accepted from students, faculty, staff, and community partners.

Scheduled for March 29, the symposium is being organized around the theme “Cultivating Campus–Community Collaboration for Collective Impact.” A nationally known community engagement scholar will be invited to conduct a workshop session and deliver the keynote presentation during the in-person event on the Miami Shores campus.

Campus–community collaboration may take various forms, including volunteer service, service-learning, community-based research, fieldwork/student teaching/clinical placements, and community-focused internships.

Collective impact generally indicates “the commitment of a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem.” In this context, it refers to a significant or major effect of campus–community collaboration on the community, especially through the creation of (potentially) lasting solutions to critical social issues.

The session proposal form is available at the CCSI website and from Dr. Glenn Bowen at gbowen@barry.edu.

Deadline for Submission of Community Engagement Award Nominations is January 27

The deadline for the submission of nominations for Barry’s 10th Annual Community Engagement Awards is January 27. Students, faculty, and staff members, as well as community partners, are invited to submit nominations.

The primary purpose of the awards is to publicly recognize students, faculty, staff/administrators, departments, and community partners for their participation, contributions, and achievements in various areas of community engagement. Each award is designed to encourage excellence in university–community collaboration and to inspire similar achievements by others.

Nominations are being accepted in seven categories: Community Impact, Community Partnership, Community-Based Research, Community-Engaged Scholarship, Community Engagement Educator, Service-Learning Faculty, and Engaged Department.

• The Community Impact Award is presented to individual students and student organizations for exemplary civic engagement—including service, research, and advocacy—that has a measurable impact on the community.
• The Community Partnership Award recognizes exemplary partnerships between university and community constituencies that produce measurable improvements in people’s lives while enhancing higher education.
• The Community-Based Research Award is presented to scholars (faculty members and/or students) who conduct rigorous research with community partners in response to community concerns, issues, or needs.
• The Community-Engaged Scholarship Award is given to faculty members in recognition of significant scholarly work across the faculty roles of teaching, research, and service that addresses community issues.
• The Community Engagement Educator Award honors administrators and faculty members for significant contributions to the institutionalization or enhancement of community engagement at Barry University.
• The Service-Learning Faculty Award goes to faculty members for exemplary integration of community-based or community-focused collaborative service into the curriculum.
• The Engaged Department Award is presented to departments for achievements in advancing the community engagement goals of the university, educating students for civic and social responsibility, and improving community life.

Over the years, 22 students and five student organizations have won the Community Impact Award. Community Impact is one of the seven major award categories.

Nearly 30 faculty members have won awards in four categories—Community-Based Research, Community Engagement Educator, Community-Engaged Scholarship, and Service-Learning Faculty.

There have been nine winners of the Engaged Department Award and 24 in the Community Partnership category. In addition, nine staff members have received awards for service, and there have been three recipients of awards for community engagement support.

The 10th Annual Community Engagement Awards Ceremony is scheduled for the last Wednesday of March. Additional information and the nomination forms are available at the CCSI website.

Social Work Students Reflect on Service-Learning Projects in Fall Semester: A Pictorial Report

Photos by Heather Johnson Desiral (CCSI)

Community Service Placements Available to Students Eligible for Federal Work-Study

Community service positions are available to students who are eligible for Federal Work-Study, and students who accept such positions are enrolled in the Barry Service Corps (BSC).

The BSC is a civic engagement initiative that supports students in applying civic and academic learning to real-world problems. While serving the community through nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and local government agencies, members develop interpersonal, teamwork, and other career-related skills.

The CCSI manages FWS Community Service in partnership with the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Financial Aid. The CCSI’s approach to the program is based on interdivisional and campus–community collaboration and involves the full integration of FWS Community Service into Barry’s strategic plan for community engagement.

For further information, contact Emmanuel Ikpuri, program facilitator for FWS Community Service in the CCSI, via email: bsc@barry.edu.

Faculty May Submit Applications for Service-Learning Designation at Any Time

Courses that meet specific criteria are labeled “service-learning” in the course schedule and are noted on students’ transcripts.

The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) is inviting faculty members whose courses include a service-learning component to apply for the “SL” designation. Applications may be submitted at any time throughout the semester.

Barry University’s definition of service-learning is as follows: “Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates relevant community service with course work and critical reflection to enrich the learning experience, foster social responsibility and civic engagement, and strengthen communities.”

Sections of courses, internships, practicum assignments, field education, capstones, community-based research, and similar community-focused or community-based experiences may be designated as service-learning.

“Designating courses as service-learning promotes deep integration of thoughtfully organized community service into the curriculum and high standards of service-learning practice,” according to a statement from the CCSI. “Service-learning courses demonstrate the value of applied learning, student engagement with the community, and critical reflection.”

For detailed information on the service-learning designation requirements, contact Dr. Glenn Bowen in the CCSI via email at gbowen@barry.edu.

SOCIAL CHANGE ADVOCACY: Last semester, students taking a 200-level communication course engaged in advocacy projects designed to promote social change.

CAMPUS DEMOCRACY PROJECT: Forums and other events are listed on the Campus Democracy Project’s spring semester schedule.

POSTER COMPETITION: A Student Poster Competition will be a feature of the Community Engagement Symposium on the last Wednesday of March.