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In This Issue:
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Two Legislative Forums Planned as Part of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project
A state legislator will participate in each forum
As part of the University’s Campus Democracy Project, two Legislative Forums will be held this semester, CDP Co-chairs Dr. Sean Foreman and Antonio Rodriguez have announced.
State Representative Dotie Joseph (D–108) will participate in the first forum on September 25 and State Sen. Jason Pizzo (D–38) in the second on October 8. Both forums will be held in Room 110 of the R. Kirk Landon Student Union, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Joseph and Pizzo are expected to discuss Florida’s current legislative agenda and their specific plans for the districts they represent in the Florida legislature. They will answer questions from students, faculty, and staff.
The Campus Democracy Project is a nonpartisan initiative aimed at promoting civic learning and democratic engagement through voter education, registration, and mobilization.
For further information on CDP events, contact Foreman (sforeman@barry.edu), Rodriguez (antonio.rodriguez2@mymail.barry.edu), or the CCSI (service@barry.edu).
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Sophomore Holly Kachler Selected as Barry’s Campus Election Engagement Fellow
Holly Kachler, a sophomore majoring in political science, has been named a fellow for the Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP).
Monica Matteo-Salinas, the Florida/Georgia director of CEEP, made the announcement earlier this month.
CEEP is “a national non-partisan project that helps America’s colleges and universities get as many of their 20 million students as possible to register, volunteer in campaigns, educate themselves, and turn out at the polls.” The CEEP fellowship promotes voter registration and voter engagement.
Kachler will serve as Barry’s CEEP Fellow throughout the fall semester and will be a member of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) Committee.
“We are thrilled to have Holly as a CEEP Fellow,” said Dr. Sean Foreman, co-chair of the CDP and chair of the Department of History and Political Science. “She has an impressive academic record as a Stamps Scholar with a 3.9 GPA. After a year of exploring her options at Barry, she declared political science as her major with a minor in history.”
Foreman added: “Holly’s passion for activism starting in high school in the Tampa area. There she was exposed to people from different backgrounds and ways of life, as she told the Tampa Bay Times in September 2018. Choosing Barry University was a natural fit for her because of the diversity of students and opinions that are represented on campus.”
Foreman said Kachler “will use her appreciation of diversity, her respect for humanity, and her passion for making a positive difference in her community to be an effective CEEP Fellow.”
CEEP Fellows generally support voter registration, voter education, and voter engagement events. They are required to develop and implement a plan for administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders to assist in registering and engaging students in the election process.
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Volunteer Work in the Barry Urban Garden to Resume this Month
Campus volunteers will return to work in the Barry Urban Garden (BUG) this month. They will prepare garden beds outside the section of Powers Hall where the Adrian Dominican School of Education is housed.
“This year is going to be a wondrous year for the BUG,” said Asha Starks, the BUG coordinator. “Students will have many opportunities to contribute to the maintenance of the garden, and the community will benefit from what we reap.”
Reflecting on the development of the initiative, Starks noted that Make a Difference Day 2018 provided the kick-start, with 30-plus volunteers doing their part.
The Stamps Scholars Day of Service, February 23, drew support from Doctors Charter School of Miami Shores and North Miami Senior High. Participants donated $600 worth of plants that day, Starks noted.
“Earth Week [April 7–13] was a big week for the BUG,” Starks added. “We had a Barry FairShare booth at the Earth Day Carnival, where we sold BUG produce for the first time.”
Students taking service-learning classes did work in the garden throughout the academic year. They received assistance from student leaders in Barry Service Corps, who helped the students understand issues of food insecurity and sustainability, Starks said.
The garden concept is rooted in permaculture design principles. Permaculture is a system of agriculture that seeks to learn from and replicate Earth’s natural systems.
The BUG is described as “a values-based community agriculture initiative” that provides produce to low-income residents in nearby neighborhoods categorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as urban food deserts. The initiative is designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by neighborhood residents.
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Students Prepare for Social Justice-Focused Civic Learning and Leadership Roles
The CCSI recently prepared a group of undergraduates for civic learning and leadership roles. Throughout the academic year, the students – fellows in the Barry Service Corps (BSC) – will promote social justice in the areas of civic health, faith in action, food security, global citizenship, and youth development.
“During the five-day BSC Fellows Orientation, participants learned from the community partners with whom they will be working during the academic year,” reported CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien.
Paul Campbell, community organizer for PACT (People Acting for Community Together), introduced the students to community organizing methodology and PACT’s social justice work in Miami-Dade County. He told the student leaders about the organization’s ongoing efforts to increase affordable housing, decrease gun violence, and reform policing policies that affect undocumented immigrants.
BSC Fellows assigned to PACT will “facilitate the involvement of Barry students in the organization’s listening and research-to-action processes,” explained Liz James, experiential learning coordinator. “They will meet with public officials and research best-practice approaches used in other communities,” she added.
Bread for the World’s regional organizer (Florida), Florence French, facilitated a Racial Wealth Gap simulation.
“The activity drew attention to the systemic factors behind inequities of food access and prosperity,” Berrien noted.
BSC Fellows assigned to the social justice team focused on food security will support Bread’s policy initiatives to increase funding and resources for hunger programs in the United States and abroad.
During their orientation, the student leaders visited Urban GreenWorks’ Cerasee Farm in Liberty City to learn and practice urban agriculture techniques that can be applied to the Barry Urban Garden (BUG).
While in Liberty City, the group also met with a former BSC Fellow, Quayneshia Smith, who is now the South Florida organizer of the Dream Defenders.
The team of BSC Fellows addressing youth development issues will contribute to the Dream Defenders’ efforts to combat the school-to-prison-pipeline. In addition, that team will support the work of the New Florida Majority to promote comprehensive sex education reform in Florida.
Dr. Sean Foreman, chair of the Department of History and Political Science and co-chair of the Campus Democracy Project (CDP), made a presentation on American government and civic processes, including voting.
A team of BSC Fellows will support the CDP’s BucsVote student initiative, which includes voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the-vote activities.
Designed to cultivate civic-mindedness, including civic leadership skills, the BSC Fellows Program prepares students to demonstrate appreciation for diversity, skills in communicating across difference, knowledge of social issues, and the ability to organize groups for social change.
Twenty-one members of this year’s cohort of BSC Fellows participated in the orientation. They are Javier Bracho Muñoz, Ashley Caleb, Daniella Connor, Michidael Ceard, Johania Charles, Erica Cruz, Joulinsa Jean-Charles, Lise-Berthe Laurent, Paola Lopez-Hernandez, Cindy Luc, Joseph Minani, Martina Muñoz, Pa Sheikhn Ngom, Isaly Ortiz, Anel Ramirez, Shayna Ramirez, Antonio Rodriguez, Samantha Ternelus, Stephanie Torres, Alexis Toussaint, and Melissa Tumbeiro.
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Annual Community Engagement Fair on the Schedule for September 25
The annual Community Engagement Fair is on the schedule for September 25. Faculty members are urged to attend with their class.
The showcase segment of the fair will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the atrium of the R. Kirk Landon Student Union. Community partners will provide students, faculty, and staff with information on opportunities for volunteer work, service-learning and community-based research projects, and community-focused internships.
Preceding the showcase will be a workshop for community partners. Held annually, the 90-minute workshop supports the professional development of community partners while contributing to their understanding of Barry’s community engagement initiatives.
The Community Engagement Fair is a QEP/PSR-designated event. It supports a personal and social responsibility outcome of Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan.
For additional information on the Community Engagement Fair, contact Liz James, experiential learning coordinator, at ljames@barry.edu or 305-899-3728.
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CCSI Calls for Proposals for Community-Based Research Incentives
The Center for Community Service Initiatives has issued a call for proposals for community-based research incentives.
CBR incentives are awarded through a competitive process to full-time faculty members who teach undergraduate and/or graduate courses. Applicants may request $500–$1,000.
A document with a detailed description of the Community-Based Research Incentive Program, the application form, and the rubric used by the Review Committee for assessing applications are available in CEMS – the Community Engagement Management System.
For additional information on the CBR incentives, contact Dr. Glenn Bowen in the CCSI at gbowen@barry.edu.
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CCSI Annual Report Highlights University’s Community Engagement Achievements
Students logged 71,100 hours of community service last year, and 65 students participated in Federal Work-Study Community Service. Also last year, the CCSI added 18 names to its list of registered community partners.
These notable numbers are included in the 2019 Annual Report of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
Highlighted in the report is the University’s celebration of the community engagement achievements of students, faculty, staff, and community partners; the campus initiative to provide produce for the community and learning opportunities for students; and forums focused on voting rights, hunger policy, the opioid epidemic, and global warming.
The theme of the 2019 CCSI Annual Report is “Accelerating the Pace of Civic Engagement.”
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Federal Work-Study Community Service Placements Availableto Eligible Students
As part of the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, community service positions are available to eligible students. All students who register for FWS Community Service simultaneously gain membership in the Barry Service Corps.
The Barry Service Corps is a civic engagement program managed by the CCSI. While gaining valuable work experience, members address issues affecting local communities.
The CCSI coordinates Federal Work-Study Community Service Federal Work-Study Community Service in partnership with the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Human Resources.
For further information, contact Brittney Morales, coordinator of FWS Community Service, at BriMorales@barry.edu or 305-899-3696.
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Community Partner Seeking Faculty, Staff Volunteers for Mentorship Program in Local Schools
A school-based enrichment program called KAPOW needs volunteers. This is a civic engagement opportunity for Barry faculty and staff.
KAPOW (Kids and the Power of Work) exposes young students to career opportunities and helps them connect what they are learning in school to their futures.
“Here is a great way to make a difference in your community and have fun at the same time,” says Program Director Tania Reynolds.
“To participate, you are assigned to one class at a local elementary or middle school. You are assigned to one teacher and that teacher's class. You visit the same class seven times during the school year to deliver one hour of fun, dynamic, easy-to-use, and interactive lessons using our KAPOW curriculum,” Reynolds explains. “Before you begin the lessons, a one-time training will show you how to deliver the lessons and ensure that you will be successful and have a great time doing it!”
The KAPOW website and a video provide additional information on the program. Further details and sign-up information are available from Reynolds at taniakapow@gmail.com or 305-338-5548.
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