Community Engagement News

October 15, 2018

In This Issue:

Barry Faculty Member Recognized for Supporting Underserved Children

Student Leader Jasmine McKee to Attend Impact-Focused National Conference

Make a Difference Day Projects Planned for Miami-Dade, Broward

Community Partners Attend Orientation for Federal Work-Study Program

Election Experts to Participate in this Thursday’s Forum on Florida Ballot

Campus Democracy Project Website Chock-Full of Election-Related Information

Deliberative Dialogue Forum on U.S. Hunger Policy Set for October 30

Faculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship Meets October 29

Applications Being Accepted for Alternative Spring Break Trips

Miami-Dade Special Olympics Seeking Volunteers for Upcoming Events

Barry Faculty Member Recognized for Supporting Underserved Children

A Barry University faculty member known for the educational support she has provided to underserved Haitian children is a recipient of an award that honors South Florida educators who integrate service-learning into the curriculum.

Dr. Pamela Hall, an associate professor of psychology, received the Spirit of Service-Learning Award from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida.

Hall integrated service-learning into her senior seminar/capstone after she learned that many preschool children in Florida’s Head Start programs were experiencing emotional and behavioral issues that put them at risk for placement in special education or for suspension or expulsion from school. Her class of 15 students logged approximately 345 hours of service to children at the Lillie M. Williams Head Start Center in Miami, providing socio-emotional support and preparation for persistence in school.

A former service-learning faculty fellow, Hall coordinated her service-learning course in partnership with the Haitian Youth and Community Center of Florida, which manages the Head Start program at Lillie M. Williams.

Hall received the cash award and a certificate on October 6 at Returned Peace Corps Volunteers’ 7th Annual Spirit of Service-Learning event in Miami Springs. Nominated by Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives, she was one of eight faculty members of South Florida higher education institutions recognized at the event.

In partnership with the Miami-Dade County Teacher of the Year Coalition and the Armando Alejandre Jr. Memorial Foundation, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of South Florida presents the Spirit of Service-Learning Award annually in two categories, K–12 and higher education.

Student Leader Jasmine McKee to Attend Impact-Focused National Conference

Barry student leader Jasmine McKee will attend a national conference later this month, when students, recent graduates, and established professionals will connect and share ideas about how to tackle complex social and environmental problems.

The Net Impact Conference, or NI18, will be held on October 25–27 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Organized around the theme “Outside the Lines,” NI18 will engage participants in exploring “transformational change that defies traditional expectations.” The organizers have invited participants to “dive deep into bold new trends and practices that challenge conventional wisdom and break barriers.”

A national leadership development program is connected to the conference. Named Up to Us, the program involves a competition that aims to increase the public’s awareness and understanding of U.S. fiscal and economic challenges. It involves the formation of teams on college campuses to design and implement events to engage students in examining national debt and fiscal issues.

McKee will take an all-expenses-paid trip to Phoenix as team leader for the Up to Us competition, which is supported by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Members of McKee’s team are Erica Cruz, Stephanie Nguyen, Shayna Ramirez, and Antonio Rodriguez. They will be hosting several events on campus throughout the remainder of the fall semester.

A senior majoring in history, McKee is a member of the organizing committee for Barry’s Campus Democracy Project, a fellow in the Barry Service Corps, and a Campus Compact Newman civic fellow. In 2017 she received Barry's Community Impact Award for exemplary civic engagement.

Make a Difference Day Projects Planned for Miami-Dade, Broward

October 27 is Make a Difference Day, and several service projects are planned for Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Miami-Dade project sites include Liberty City and Brownsville, where Urban GreenWorks manages farms that provide produce for the community; La Salle Educational Center in Homestead; and La Paloma, a neighborhood near campus.

Some volunteers will be assigned to the Barry Urban Garden on campus, said Asha Starks, an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving as a coordinator for that project.

One of the Broward sites is Dania Beach PATCH (People’s Access to Community Agriculture). Volunteers will remove weeds from garden plots, spread mulch, and do some planting.

The Center for Community Service Initiatives is coordinating the service projects with support from the Major Days of Service Committee.

Created in 1992 by USA Weekend magazine, Make a Difference Day is the fourth Saturday of October.

Community Partners Attend Orientation for Federal Work-Study Program

Representatives of organizations participating in Barry’s Federal Work-Study (FWS) Community Service attended a recent on-campus orientation for program supervisors.

Nearly 20 nonprofit agencies and schools were represented at the orientation. Among them were Breakthrough Miami, Doctors Charter School, Gang Alternative, Gratigny Elementary School, Hubert O. Sibley K-8 Center, Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society, St. Mary’s Cathedral School, Urban Promise Miami, and W. J. Bryant Elementary School.

Federal Work-Study is a federally funded financial aid program established to provide part-time employment opportunities for college students with demonstrated financial need. Each eligible student receives an FWS award as part of the financial aid package.

Through FWS Community Service, students are assigned to approved nonprofit and public agencies as well as schools near campus. The students usually assist with program coordination, tutoring and mentoring, event management and promotion, and community outreach and education.

Students participating in FWS Community Service are enrolled as members of the Barry Service Corps.

This year the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice in the School of Social Work and the Office of Mission Engagement in the Division of Mission and Student Engagement are playing an active role in the program.

Barry Service Corps members assigned to the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice will support organizations such as Life of Freedom Center, Miami Children’s Initiative, and Pridelines while students working with the Office of Mission Engagement will contribute to food recovery efforts that benefit Miami Rescue Mission.

The Center for Community Service Initiatives coordinates FWS Community Service in partnership with the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Financial Aid.

Election Experts to Participate in this Thursday’s Forum on Florida Ballot

The Miami-Dade League of Women Voters and Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) will be represented at this Thursday’s forum focused on the Florida ballot for the upcoming general election.

Marisol Zentano, president of the Miami-Dade League of Women Voters, will speak about the Florida ballot amendments.

Florida CEEP Director Monica Matteo Salinas will discuss the importance of voting and other forms of civic involvement. She will also talk about what is at stake for college students in the current campaigns.

Dr. Jalane Meloun, professor of administration in Barry’s School of Professional and Career Education (PACE), will focus on voting processes. Meloun has worked as a field supervisor for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections and has published on voter behavior.

Dr. Sean Foreman, professor of political science and department chair, will moderate the forum, which will be held in the Landon Student Union’s Events Room from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to take along their questions and be prepared to learn about the candidates’ platforms and measures that will be on the Florida ballot on November 6. Attendees are expected to leave with knowledge of what it means to vote “yes” or “no” on ballot measures that address voting rights, taxes, gambling, and other issues.

A nonpartisan event, the Florida Ballot Forum is part of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP), which includes a student-led initiative called Bucs Vote.

Campus Democracy Project Website Chock-Full of Election-Related Information

The website of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project is chock-full of information related to general elections and the electoral process. The site includes information on issues and candidates, documents to take to the polling place, and volunteer opportunities.

Documents posted at the site include Election Imperatives, a new report on student voting and political engagement, and a fact sheet titled “Get Ready. Get Set. Vote!”

The Campus Democracy Project (CDP) is a nonpartisan initiative that promotes civic learning and democratic engagement through get-out-the-vote activities, including voter registration, education, and mobilization.

The URL for the CDP website is http://www.barry.edu/campus-democracy/.

Deliberative Dialogue Forum on U.S. Hunger Policy Set for October 30

Hunger in the United States is a hidden social issue affecting about one in seven Americans. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 15 percent of U.S. households with children experienced food insecurity in 2017.

The next forum in this academic year’s Deliberative Dialogue Series will focus on U.S. hunger policy.

Titled “Hunger Policy in America and the Politics of Nutrition Assistance,” the 90-minute forum will be held on October 30 in the Andreas 112 conference room, beginning at 4 p.m.

The CCSI organizes the Deliberative Dialogue Series as an approach to civic learning and engagement. The series brings together campus and community stakeholders to weigh perspectives on current social issues of shared concern and to work toward practical solutions. 

For further information on the upcoming forum, contact the CCSI at service@barry.edu or 305-899-3696.

Faculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship Meets October 29

The Faculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship will have its second meeting for the academic year on October 29, from 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. The CCSI will host the meeting in Adrian Hall, Room 208.

All FLC members and prospective members are urged to attend.

The FLC is a cross-disciplinary group of faculty members who participate in a collaborative program focused on the scholarship of engagement, or community-engaged scholarship. The FLC provides an intellectual venue in which faculty members exchange ideas with an academically diverse group and learn from one another’s experiences.

FLC members attend engaged scholarship seminars and other professional development activities, and they become familiar with the tools and resources available for pursuing engaged scholarship.

For further information, contact any of the FLC facilitators, Dr. Laura Finley (lfinley@barry.edu), Dr. Pamela Hall (phall@barry.edu), or Dr. Celeste Landeros (clanderos@barry.edu).

Applications Being Accepted for Alternative Spring Break Trips

The Alternative Breaks executive board is now accepting student applications for participation in Alternative Spring Break 2019.

Trips are being planned for Port-de-Paix, Haiti; McAllen, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida – Montgomery, Alabama; and Immokalee, Florida, during the university’s spring break, March 2–9.

Alternative Breaks provides students with community-based immersion experiences designed to build awareness of social, political, and environmental issues through learning, reflection, and service that benefits diverse populations.

The deadline for applications is this Friday, October 19. For further information, contact the Center for Community Service Initiatives at service@barry.edu) or 305-899-3696.

Miami-Dade Special Olympics Seeking Volunteers for Upcoming Events

Special Olympics Florida – Miami-Dade County is looking for volunteers for several upcoming events.

For its Area Bowling Games, the organization needs volunteers to assist with set-up, registration, score-keeping, awards presentation, cheerleading, and other activities. The event will take place on October 30, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at SpareZ Bowling.

Also on October 30, Special Olympics Florida – Miami-Dade needs volunteers to help with registration, escorting of athletes, scorekeeping, awards presentation, and other activities at its South FL Flag Football Invitational. The event is scheduled for 3–7 p.m. at Moore Park.

County basketball games are scheduled for November 20, 22, and 26 and December 4 and 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at various high schools. Volunteers are needed to help with setup, registration, escorting athletes to their station, scoring, and other activities.

In addition, Special Olympics Florida – Miami-Dade is seeking volunteers for a basketball skill-building event at Marion Center School, on November 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteers will assist mainly with escorting athletes, scoring, and awards coordination.

To volunteer for any of these events, visit the Special Olympics Florida – Miami-Dade volunteer calendar page <https://specialolympicsflorida.org/miami-dade/volunteer/volunteer-calendar/>. For further information, contact Nicole Koretsky at nicolekoretsky@sofl.org.