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April 16, 2018 | ||||||||||||||
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Students, Faculty, and Community Partners Honored with Community Engagement Awards
Barry University honored three students, three faculty members, and three community partners last month for their participation and achievements in various areas of community engagement.
The university’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law received the top award for community engagement.
The occasion was the fifth annual Community Engagement Awards hosted by the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
Wills Compere, Presler Maxius, and Paris Razor received the Community Impact Award from Saliha Nelson, chair of Barry’s Community Advisory Committee. The award is in recognition of their exemplary community engagement primarily through direct service and advocacy.
Fabio Naranjo, an instructor in the School of Social Work, received the Community Engagement Educator Award. This award honors a faculty or staff member for significant contributions to the institutionalization or enhancement of community engagement at Barry. Dr. Jill Farrell, dean of the Adrian Dominican School of Education, presented the plaque to Naranjo.
In the category of community-based research, Dr. Ruth Ban, a professor of curriculum and instruction in the School of Education, received the award for conducting rigorous research in response to a community issue. Dr. Christopher Starratt, vice provost, made the presentation.
The Service-Learning Faculty Award went to Nicole Beltran, an associate professor of graphic design in the College of Arts and Sciences, for demonstrating excellence in using service-learning as a teaching and learning strategy. She received the award from Dr. John Murray, university provost.
The recipients of awards in the Community Partnership category were Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, MCCJ, and the Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative. Dr. Karen Callaghan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the QEP Implementation Committee, presented plaques to the three award winners.
Provost Murray presented the Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law with the award designated for engaged departments.
Murray noted that the law school runs a number of clinics under faculty supervision, helping students gain practical experience while also meeting critical community needs. In one clinic, he said, students provide guidance to people undergoing bankruptcy who cannot afford an attorney. In another, students assist couples in marital disputes by connecting them to mental health professionals, finance experts, and other professionals who can help them resolve their issues without resorting to a court of law.
“In yet another clinic, students help identify communities, organizations, and individuals who may benefit from legal assistance regarding environmental issues,” the provost pointed out. “A fourth clinic, Juvenile Defense, provides essential legal assistance to young people who face stiff penalties in the juvenile justice system. And the Immigration Clinic offers legal representation to non-citizens in deportation, asylum, reunification, and other immigration cases.”
The School of Law provides a home for the Center for Earth Jurisprudence, which promotes law and policy that provide for the long-term well-being of the Earth.
“Students provide co-curricular and volunteer service as well. They have assisted many local nonprofit organizations,” Murray said. “In addition, students have traveled to far-flung locations such as New Orleans and Puerto Rico to help in rebuilding and recovery after natural disasters.”
Accepting the award was Elizabeth Gosein-Vasquez, a law student working in the Law Admissions Office.
Also at the awards ceremony, Dr. Carter Winkle, an assistant professor in the School of Education, was recognized with a certificate for his excellent service as chair of the Community Engagement Awards Committee for three years. In Winkle’s absence, Dr. Lilia DiBello, an associate dean in the School of Education, accepted the certificate from CCSI Executive Director Dr. Glenn Bowen.
At the start of the ceremony, the Rev. Dr. Carl Cramer, an associate dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences gave the invocation.
Courtney Berrien, associate director of the CCSI, delivered the closing remarks. | ||||||||||||||
Barry Men’s Soccer Gives Back to Underserved Youth in Community
By Joshua Goehring
Barry University’s men’s soccer team put on two volunteer events in March, in which the Buccaneers were able to give their time to underprivileged children in South Florida.
The first event was a clinic in conjunction with The Cross Church at Highland Oaks Middle School.
The clinic, led by goalkeeper coach Brian Galvin, gave both boys and girls the opportunity to practice soccer skills and have fun playing games and taking part in team challenges.
"It was an emotional experience," sophomore forward Ander Urkidi said. "These kids have gone through a lot growing up, and they weren't so enthusiastic upon arrival to the training session. However, as we got things started, they really liked it, and you could see the smiles on their faces.”
The second volunteer experience was with CROP, a youth development program that helps underserved children in middle and high school consider a college opportunity in their near future.
“These are children who often have relocated from other countries and battle language barriers as well as personal family issues,” a report said.
"I felt very helpful for those kids," junior midfielder Alex Doyle noted. "At one point in my life, I was in those kids' shoes, looking up to someone like myself today. It was very beneficial to me, and I wanted to be that and more for those kids. We showed them how much the game of soccer means to us. It was great to see the love that they shared for the game as well, and we were able to bring those feelings out of them."
The men's soccer team has been volunteering in the community for many years. This year the team has so far had three volunteering experiences.
The team is currently playing in friendly matches with other colleges and universities, and is set to start preseason in August.
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Faculty Member Makes Service-Learning Presentation at National Meeting
Dr. Tamara Hamilton, associate professor of chemistry, made a service-learning presentation at the American Chemical Society’s National Meeting last month.
Titled “Service-Learning Programs for Chemistry Majors and General Education Students,” Hamilton’s presentation was part of the ACS Chemical Education Division symposium, “Fundamentals of Chemistry Outreach Education: From Program Design to Assessment.”
Hamilton's Consumer Chemistry course was the first Barry University course to receive the service-learning designation.
The ACS held its 255th National Meeting and Exposition on March 18–22 in New Orleans, Louisiana. At ACS national meetings, chemistry professionals share ideas aimed at advancing scientific and technical knowledge.
According to the ACS, its Chemical Education Division “engages its global network of members by communicating, promoting and effectively identifying opportunities and resources responsive to the spectrum of chemistry teaching and learning environments.”
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Barry Representatives Conduct Workshops at National Conference
Dr. Glenn Bowen, executive director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) and director of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), conducted a workshop at the IMPACT National Conference in Dayton, Ohio, last month.
Bowen’s workshop was titled “Building Leadership Skills for Civic Engagement by College Students.” The workshop engaged college students and administrators in activities based on specific leadership practices.
Daniqua Williams, QEP project assistant, with support from Marie Colom, then a CCSI staff member, also conducted a workshop at the same conference. Their workshop explored the use of social media for advocacy and considered the magnitude of social media’s impact.
The IMPACT Conference is described as “historically the largest national gathering of student leaders, administrators, faculty, and nonprofit staff committed to engaging college students in service, activism, politics, advocacy, and other socially responsible work.”
The University of Dayton hosted the IMPACT National Conference on March 1–4.
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Staff Member and Community Partner to Present at Service-Learning Conference
Courtney Berrien, associate director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), and Teresita Gonzales, director of the Office of Mission for the Archdiocese of Miami, are part of a team of university administrators and community partners slated to make a presentation at the 5th Global Service-Learning Summit this week.
The presentation is titled “Catholic Social Thought, Engaged Scholarship and Collective Impact: Maximizing Change through Multi-Institution Collaborations.”
Berrien and Gonzales will present alongside two administrators from St. Thomas University, a teacher from Monsignor Pace High School, and the president of a Haitian coffee cooperative. The presentation team has collaborated on initiatives designed to promote economic development and education in the Diocese of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, the sister diocese to the Archdiocese of Miami.
Berrien will focus on Barry’s Nursing and Education International Learning Partnership. For her part, Gonzales will represent the work of Amor en Acción, a lay mission organization that has served as the steward of the sister-diocesan relationship between the dioceses of Miami and Port-de-Paix, which began more than 40 years ago.
Gonzales coordinated three recent visits by Barry faculty and administrators to Port-de-Paix in the northwestern region of Haiti.
The other presenters on the team will be Anthony Vinciguerra, coordinator of St. Thomas University’s Center for Community Engagement; Semilfort St. Hubert, president of the Cafeiere et Cacouyere du Nord’Ouest (COCANO) Coffee Cooperative; and Emmanuel Buteau, Café Cocano project consultant. They will discuss St. Thomas University’s long-term partnership with the Cocano coffee farmers.
Andres Novela, campus minister and theology teacher at Monsignor Pace High School, will provide information on that school’s support for a school in rural Haiti. Each year, students from Pace High raise more than $10,000 for teacher salaries at the Haitian school by selling Café Cocano and undertaking other initiatives.
“Dignity and Justice in Global Service-Learning” is the theme of the Global Service-Learning Summit, scheduled for April 15–17 at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana.
According to the conference organizers, the purpose of the summit is “to create a space for active listening and critical dialogue between secular and faith-based organizations that are committed to co-educating and collaborating for social change and that wish to recover and re-examine the values which underlie the work.” The conference will draw attention to the contributions of institutions of higher education to international development, civic and political engagement, human rights, and the development of students into global citizens.
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Barry Group Helps Organization Celebrate 50 Years of Fair Housing
Earlier this month, five Barry University representatives joined some of Broward County’s political and civic leaders as well as community members in celebrating 50 years of Fair Housing. Hope (Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence), Inc. hosted the celebration with a luncheon in Davie.
Dr. Victor Romano, associate vice provost for student success and undergraduate studies, was the leader of the five-member group. He is chairman of the Board of Directors of Hope, Inc.
With Romano were Dr. Glenn Bowen, executive director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives; Dr. Nickesia Gordon, associate professor of communication; Dr. Pamela Hall, associate professor of psychology; and Larry Perez, director of the Center for Student Involvement.
HOPE, Inc. is a fair housing organization serving Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The nonprofit organization engages in testing for fair housing law violations, pursuing enforcement of meritorious claims, conducting fair housing education and outreach, and administering relocation and mobility counseling programs designed to prevent and eliminate discriminatory housing practices.
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark Fair Housing Act of 1968.
The keynote speaker at the luncheon was Tim Wise, educator and podcast host for the Oakland, California-based Institute for Democratic Education and Culture.
The event, which was held at the Signature Grand on April 6, was part of the Broward County Fair Housing Month celebration.
A similar event will take place in Miami-Dade later this month. It will be the 25th Annual Miami-Dade County Fair Housing Month celebration, which will be held on April 27 at Jungle Island in Miami, beginning at noon. The keynote address will be delivered by Lisa Rice, executive vice president of the National Fair Housing Alliance.
A three-hour, cost-free workshop on the state of the South Florida housing market will precede the luncheon. The presenter will be Nadja Vital, the affordable lending regional manager for the Single Family Division at Freddie Mac.
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Impact America Announces Availability of AmeriCorps Member Positions
Current seniors and recent graduates are invited to apply for AmeriCorps member positions with Impact America, which open this July. Positions are available in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Greenville, South Carolina.
“Impact America provides an opportunity for recent graduates to engage with communities of need in a meaningful way, broadening their perspectives and making a real impact in their communities,” the organization said in a statement.
The AmeriCorps Member positions combine service with Impact America initiatives: FocusFirst, a high-tech vision care initiative for preschoolers; SaveFirst, a tax preparation initiative for low-income families; SpeakFirst, a debate initiative for talented and motivated middle- and high-school students in Alabama; CollegeFirst, a Summer Advanced Placement Institute focused on math and science for high school students in Alabama; and Stories from the Line, an initiative that navigates the complexities of poverty through the development of a series of short films.
Impact America is a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit organization.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the priority deadline to apply is April 23. Additional information is available at this website: <https://impactamerica.com/corps/?utm_source=Impact+America+Recruiting+Email+to+Higher+Ed+%28March+2018%29&utm_campaign=Recruiting+Email+to+Higher+Ed+%2810-7-16%29&utm_medium=email>.
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Student to be Featured in Next Issue of Community Engagement News
Barry undergraduate Mateo Gomez has contributed to community impact primarily through his service with PACT – People Acting for Community Together, a lobbying group that seeks to empower members of the community to address social issues. The broadcasting and political science student will be featured in the next issue of Community Engagement News.
Also in the next issue will be a story on Barry students’ participation in a “Freedom Fast” in New York in support of farmworkers.
In addition, the newsletter will carry photos from the Community Engagement Symposium and Community Engagement Awards. Organized by the CCSI, both events took place last month on Barry’s main campus in Miami Shores. | ||||||||||||||