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Kids Come to Campus for Early Exposure to College and Careers
Students from two Miami-area elementary schools came to campus recently as part of a program designed to promote early learning for success in college and careers.
Some 20 fifth-grade students from the Bridgeprep Academy Interamerican Campus and more than 50 fourth-grade students from Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center engaged in conversations, presentations, demonstrations, and other hands-on activities. Staff members and a few parents accompanied them on their field trip.
Bridgeprep Academy Interamerican and Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor participate in a program called KAPOW (Kids and the Power of Work). The program partners organizations and community volunteers with teachers and schools “to help students discover new and different jobs, what it takes to do them, and how everything they are learning in school helps them prepare for their futures in the workplace, and life.”
While providing pertinent information and demonstrating the power of work in connection with early learning, members of the Barry administration, staff, and faculty motivated the kids to be successful in school and beyond.
In LaVoie Hall, Vice Provost Dr. Kit Starratt explained the work done in both the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President. The young visitors got an opportunity to see the executive suite, thanks to Mary Ellen Letsche, executive assistant, and Miguel Calvo, administrative assistant.
Earlier, Dr. Scott Smith, VP for student affairs, welcomed the visitors and tested their knowledge of Barry University for prizes. He then took a group on a tour of the vice president’s suite in the Landon Student Union.
Also in Landon, the students learned about career opportunities from Career Development Center Director John Moriarty, together with Career Counselors Gurbet Akdogan and Kimberly Timpone. And they interacted with Bucky, the university mascot.
Dr. Nickesia Gordon, associate professor, welcomed groups of students to the Department of Communication. Media Center Manager John Musulin and Studio Lab Supervisor Vladimir Lescouflair provided a tour of the David Brinkley Studio.
At the Shepard and Ruth K. Broad Center, Dr. Celeste Landeros, professor of English and humanities in the School of Professional and Career Education, showed students the artistic side of Barry faculty. Accompanied by musicians Dr. Fernando Landeros and Catelus "Ton Ton" Laguerre, the Barry professor gave a rendition fit for an opera audience.
Dr. Sean Buckreis, assistant professor of education, showed creativity as he twisted balloons into various shapes such as a bird and a mouse.
Dr. Tamara Hamilton, associate professor of chemistry, conducted scientific experiments and left the students in wide-eyed fascination. At the same time, Dr. Sean Foreman, professor of Political Science and outgoing co-chair of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project, gave an informative talk to groups gathered in O’Laughlin Hall.
Other presenters were Patricia Ramlow, director of training and development in the Division of Human Resources, and Judisha Williams, associate director for residence life.
Dr. Glenn Bowen, executive director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives, coordinated the day’s activities with support from CCSI staff members Courtney Berrien, Liz James, Alicia Santos, and Ashton Spangler. Volunteers included students Quayneshia Smith, Alberto Liriano, Daniqua Williams, and Kaitlyn Parotti.
The Center for Student Involvement provided parting gifts for the kids and chaperones.
“It was an enjoyable experience,” said Foreman. “The kids were wonderful and their questions were stimulating. KAPOW appears to be a great program.”
On hand to thank the university for participating in KAPOW was Program Director Tania Reynolds. She called it “an amazing field trip” and “a truly memorable experience” for the students of both schools.
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Barry’s Stamps Scholars Host Foster and Adoptive Children
A group of Barry scholarship recipients recently hosted foster and adopted children for a day of educational and fun-filled activities. The on-campus event included arts and crafts, sports and games, a trivia competition, improvisational theater, foreign-language practice, and science experiments.
The Stamp Scholars’ Day of Service was a collaborative effort involving a number of student groups and the CCSI in support of the work of the Miami-Dade Foster and Adoptive Parent Association.
Some 60 foster and adopted children, aged 3 to 17 years, came to campus for the event.
Members of the Chemistry Club and students in the cardio-vascular perfusion program led many of the activities and interacted with the visitors.
Stamps Scholar Llona Kavege said the day was a big success.
For Rebecca Rogers, the Stamps Scholars service chair, the day brought joy and a sense of humility.
“The day of service was almost as rewarding for the volunteers as it was for the kids,” Rogers remarked. “There is nothing that brings me more joy than hearing the genuine laughter of a child. It made me so happy to be able to provide that. I was also humbled, realizing that I come from very fortunate beginnings.”
Barry University partners with the Atlanta-based Stamps Family Charitable Foundation to award multi-year merit scholarships to help driven and talented student leaders achieve their education and life goals. Stamps Scholars pursue their educational interests while developing their leadership skills and providing service to the community.
Miami-Dade FAPA is associated with the Florida State Foster/Adoptive Parent Association, whose vision is a “state where children thrive and caregivers are fully empowered and recognized as expert partners in fostering healthy families.”
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Students Intensify Support for Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Before the academic year drew to a close, it became evident that Barry students had not only maintained their support for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers but had also intensified it.
During the spring semester, Barry student leader Paris Razor and many of her peers supported Ohio State students who were fasting to protest that university president’s refusal to get rid of a Wendy’s franchise from the Columbus campus.
Razor is a Barry Service Corps Fellow and a member of the Student/Farmworker Alliance, a national organization supporting the CIW.
The Ohio State students had demanded that the university administration sever business ties with the fast-food company until it joins the CIW’s Fair Food Program.
With support from other BSC Fellows, Razor also organized a demonstration in a show of solidarity with the SFA and CIW later in the semester. About 30 Barry students and staff members, together with CIW and SFA staff members, picketed a Wendy’s restaurant on Biscayne Avenue in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood.
On campus, students, faculty, and staff gathered at the Peace Pole for a vigil to mark the end of a 24-hour “Boycott Wendy’s” fast.
Some Barry students pledged to join the boycott by posting photos on social media. Among the participating students were some taking a service-learning course in the Department of Communication.
Barry students have been active supporters of the CIW since the mid 1990s. Razor, former SFA Steering Committee member Quayneshia Smith, and other BSC Fellows have played lead roles in the SFA’s boycott of Wendy’s since the spring of 2015.
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Students Participate in Environmental Leadership Experience
For two weeks in late May, 10 students from Barry joined four from Siena Heights University in an intensive Environmental Leadership Experience on the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ motherhouse campus and elsewhere in Michigan. They listened to lectures, took field trips, and engaged in experiential learning.
Faculty advisers Dr. Gerry Starratt (Education) and Dr. Ruth Tallman (Philosophy) supported the Barry students, who represented seven different majors.
The students explored the principles and practice of permaculture on the motherhouse campus. They learned from the curriculum created by Elaine Johnson, the Adrian Dominican Sisters permaculture specialist, and visited the permaculture site. Participating alongside the visitors were Dr. Matthew Draud, the Siena Heights dean of arts and sciences, and Dr. Heather Moody, a faculty member at that university.
Holly Sammons, a motherhouse-based intern with Dominican Volunteers USA, provided assistance and joined the students and advisers in various activities.
The students learned from informal talks and more-formal lectures by sisters, Siena Heights professors, and local experts on topics that ranged from the history of labyrinths as a spiritual tool to innovative sustainability initiatives. Composting, pollination, urban agriculture, aquaponics, water pollution, climate change, and concentrated animal feeding operations were among the topics covered.
Sister Corinne Sanders and Sister Carol Coston, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor, worked side by side with the students on the permaculture site. They planted a dahlia bed, created a mushroom patch, dug swales and built berms, provided support for trees in an edible food forest, and made rodent and deer cages to protect young fruit trees.
Day trips took the students to Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, where they observed zero-waste efforts; to Adrian College, where they visited an aquaponics lab; and to Lake Erie’s Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Trips also included educational sites to observe the successful implementation of renewable energy projects.
During a trip to Detroit, the group volunteered for a half day with the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative; lunched at a café connected to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen; and visited the city’s Eastern Market.
The students also planned and took a trip to the Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo Botanical Gardens.
A report from the motherhouse said Sisters Patricia Siemen, Corinne Sanders, Sharon Weber, and Carol Coston added to the transformative nature of the experience through their inspirational stories, presentations, and administrative support. Sister Pat is the prioress of the congregation and Sister Sharon is provost at Siena Heights.
The inaugural Environmental Leadership Experience was funded through an Adrian Dominican Sisters’ grant to Barry’s Office of Mission Engagement.
Dr. Roxanne Davies, associate vice president for mission engagement, coordinated Barry’s participation in the Environmental Leadership Experience with support from the Office of the Provost, School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and Center for Community Service Initiatives.
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Volunteer Opportunities Available to University Employees
Numerous opportunities for Barry employees to learn about community needs and to serve as volunteers are available this summer. Nine such opportunities are outlined below.
For additional information on how to get involved this summer, contact the CCSI at service@barry.edu or 305-899-3696.
Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship Wednesdays, July 12, July 19, July 26, & Aug. 2 ¦3:00–5:00 p.m. ¦ 1951 NW 7th Ave., Suite 600, Miami, FL, 33136
A specialized camp has been organized for South Florida’s Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship alumni. Specifically, it’s for those “who are ready to take their business plans to the next level through an advanced boot camp, curriculum, and mentor support.”
Volunteer mentors will bring their professional expertise and generosity of time and spirit to serve as members of the Business Mentoring cohort. Mentors will be matched with an alumni business and will meet weekly to assist alumni identify the strengths and opportunities in their business plan, sharpen their professional skills, and further develop their idea to bring it to fruition.
Volunteers will have a 30-minute orientation, either in person or via web conference.
Contact: Jackie Nguyen at Jacquelinen@nfte.com or 786-577-2207.
Mindful Hour at Little Lighthouse Foundation Now to Sept. 1 ¦ Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. & Thursdays, 4:00–5:00 p.m. ¦Miami, FL 33136
This program welcomes teens and adults to find a moment of peace and reorient themselves while learning practical de-stressing techniques. Volunteers can help participants engage in the class or spend time with participants’ children.
Mindful Hour runs from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Chapman Partnership site on selected Wednesdays and from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Miami Bridge site on selected Thursdays.
For more information, visit www.thelittlelighthouse.org. To get questions answered, contact Priscilla at priscilla@thelittlelighthouse.org or 786-566-1219.
Activity Hour at The Little Lighthouse Foundation Now to Sept. 1 ¦ 6:15–7:30 p.m. ¦Miami, FL 33136
The Little Lighthouse Foundation’s Activity Hour gives volunteers and youth alike the opportunity to develop essential team-building and communication skills while having a great time along the way. Activity Hour incorporates games, role playing, interactive activities, and arts and crafts to teach self-development and build self-esteem and confidence. Volunteers build relationships with the youth while assisting and participating in the planned activities of the program. Volunteers for Activity Hour should arrive by 6:15 p.m.
For more information, visit www.thelittlelighthouse.org; for answers to questions, contact Priscilla at priscilla@thelittlelighthouse.org or 786-566-1219.
Tiny Tunes Now to Sept. 1 ¦4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. ¦ Miami, FL 33128
Tiny Tunes gives children an opportunity to explore the wonderful world of music. Through hands-on learning of instruments, stage performance, writing, audio engineering, and creating music videos, children are taught how to write, create, and produce their own music. The organizers invite volunteers of all interests, and especially those who are artistically inclined. During each session, children are exposed to different instruments and take part in a jam session to encourage self-expression.
Tiny Tunes runs on Monday afternoons from 4:00 to 5:00.
For more information, please visit www.thelittlelighthouse.org. For answers to questions, contact Priscilla at priscilla@thelittlelighthouse.org or 786-566-1219.
Sunday Lunch Service at Miami Rescue Mission Now to Sept. 1 ¦11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ¦ Miami, FL 33128
The Miami Rescue Mission provides individuals and families who are residents and overnight guests with meals free of charge. The organization’s kitchen serves three meals a day, 365 days a year.
Here’s how volunteers will help: Join HandsOn Miami to serve warm meals to those in need. Within a three-hour period, volunteers usually serve Sunday supper to 200–350 people.
“Your help to fill empty stomachs with balanced and nutritious meals will surely leave you feeling like you’ve filled your heart,” the organizers say.
Volunteers must be at least 16. The strict dress code calls for long pants/jeans and shirts with sleeves (long or short). Tank tops and cap sleeves are not permitted. Closed-toe shoes must be worn; flip flops and sandals are not allowed.
Also, volunteers must be able to stand for long periods. Some volunteers may be asked to lift and carry items that weigh up to 20 lbs.
For additional information and to volunteer, contact Kristian Tomil at Miami Rescue Mission.
Feeding South Florida’s Food-Sorting Project Now to Dec. 31 ¦ 8:30–11:30 a.m. & 1:30–4:30 p.m. ¦ Pembroke Park, FL 33023
Feeding South Florida needs volunteer assistance to recover food so it can become available for nearly 900,000 food-insecure South Floridians.
“Help us inspect, sort through, and repackage all of our rescued food donations in order to save it from being thrown out, and prepare it for distribution into the community to help our community members struggling to put food on the table,” Feeding South Florida urges prospective volunteers.
Additional information is at the organization’s website, <http://feedingsouthflorida.force.com/HOC__Volunteer_Opportunity_Details_Page?id=a0Cj0000009ftN0EAI>.
Back-to-School Community Extravaganza Saturday, Aug. 5 ¦9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. ¦ New Renaissance Middle School
The Children’s Services Council's Back-to-School Community Extravaganza, which includes a Resource Fair, will supply more than 5,000 Broward students with backpacks, school supplies, clothes, and shoes. Haircuts, vaccines, and other resources will be provided as well.
The Community Extravaganza will be held at three locations to make it convenient for families to access resources. One location is the New Renaissance Middle School. This distribution event will take place on Aug. 5. Volunteers are needed from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to assist in the main area of the distribution site, getting supplies into the hands of individuals and families.
Volunteers set up, maintain, and dismantle stations; unload boxes; and distribute supplies. Some serve as runners between stations. Water and light snacks will be available. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own lunch/dinner.
To register as a volunteer, visit HandsOn Broward.
Miramar Community Garden Volunteer Workday Saturdays, Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, & Dec. 16 ¦8:00–11:00 a.m. ¦Miramar, FL 33023
The 3,150-sq. ft. Miramar Community Garden, located at Fairway Park, is the first demonstration “micro farming system” in Broward County. It’s an environmentally and economically sustainable system that creates healthy sources of naturally grown vegetables and fruits, a social network for garden volunteers to learn about the urban agricultural industry, and an opportunity for vocational training.
Volunteers are needed for this monthly project, which requires tidying up, weeding, and planting the garden; checking irrigation; and carrying out special projects.
The organizations say: “Bring your gardening tools, if possible; remember to dress appropriately; protect yourself from the sun; and don’t forget drinking water.”
To register as a volunteer, contact Deyman Rodriguez at HandsOn Broward.
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Staff and Faculty Urged to Support Box Tops Drive
The CCSI is urging staff and faculty members to support the Box Tops for Education Drive organized by the Minority Association of Pre-health Students, or MAPS.
MAPS is collecting box tops – more specifically, the pink label with an orange pencil found on many grocery items – for donation to North Miami Elementary School. Labels may be sent to the CCSI, Adrian 208.
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Next Issue of Engagement News Scheduled for July 24
Engagement News is being published twice each month during the summer. The next issue is slated for July 24.
Regular weekly issues of this newsletter will resume at the start of the 2017–2018 academic year.
The Department of Marketing and Communications publishes Engagement News on behalf of the CCSI.
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CCSI Newsletter
Posted On : July 10, 2017
