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Symposium Sessions Show Variety in Scheduled Presentations
A variety of concurrent presentations is on the schedule for the Third Annual Community Engagement Symposium. Presentations will cover service-learning, community-based research, and community partnership building, among other topics.
Concurrent sessions are scheduled for 10:45–11:45 a.m. and 1:30–2:30 p.m.
During the first set of 60-minute concurrent sessions, presentations will include “Community-Based Research: A Model for Engaged Scholarship”; “Bridging Group Differences through Intergroup Dialogues: The TRACKS Project”; and “Encouraging Students to Look in the Mirror: Using Reflective Practice to Increase Student Engagement, Growth, and Success.”
Among the topics for the second set of concurrent sessions are “Going Beyond Internships: How University-Community Partnerships Can Be Mutually Beneficial” and “The Development of a University Partnership with a Local LGBT Center.” A third presentation will focus on the development and implementation of a service-learning initiative at two inner-city high schools,” while an additional presentation, titled “Community Partners Speak Up and Speak Out,” will examine the results of a focus group research project.
The poster session is scheduled for noon to 1:15 p.m. in Andreas 112.
Dr. Dwight E. Giles, Jr., professor of higher education at the University
Registration for the symposium is in progress. For assistance with registration, contact Alicia Santos in the CCSI at asantos@barry.edu or 305-899-3696.
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Faculty Encouraged to Take Students to Symposium on March 30
Faculty members are being encouraged to take their students to the Community Engagement Symposium on March 30.
The symposium is a forum for presentations and discussions of community engagement projects, practices, and perspectives.
Last year, students taking Mass Media Theory and Communication Research attended the symposium and reflected on what they learned. One student, for example, said the session she attended “was very informative” because it opened her eyes to Barry’s involvement in the community. Another student attending the same session learned that a local nursing home provided a “two way experience” as “the older people encounter youthful ways and the students gain knowledge/wisdom from the elderly.”
A third student spent time with a community partner and expressed appreciation for the assistance being given to homeless children.
Dr. Nickesia Gordon, associate professor of communication, is the instructor for both courses.
After attending a session presented by a faculty member and a community partner, a student remarked that it was a “great presentation” because he “learned a lot about a community” with which he was not familiar. “It was a great event,” he added.
Reflecting on the same session, a student wrote: “Overall I was very pleased with this presentation. I actually signed up for a few projects the Miami Children’s Initiative has coming up. I was inspired to offer my time and talents to uplift a community that has so much to offer. Community engagement is very important for students because it helps us to become active members of the community and inspire change not only in our generation but in generations to come. It is important that we use our education to engage and collaborate with others and make a difference on other lives.”
A student who attended a different session learned the importance of collective identity, defined as a shared sense of belonging to a specific group. Lay community health workers in Grenada leveraged collective identity in their work at the community level.
Commenting on the issues explored during another session, a student lamented the “double standards” in addressing domestic violence. She noted that “society mainly focuses on domestic violence against women and children, but many people tend to overlook the fact that men experience domestic violence as well.” The student felt it was important that all victims of domestic violence receive support.
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Observance of 40 Days of Peace Focuses on School-to-Prison Pipeline
As the 40 Days of Peace observance wound down last month, the organizers shifted the focus to the school-to-prison pipeline.
The school-to-prison pipeline is a phenomenon marked by a widespread pattern of pushing students, especially those who are already at a disadvantage, out of public schools and into the American juvenile and criminal justice systems.
A group of Barry students and staff members attended PACT’s (People Acting for Community Together) North Rally on February 22 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Miami Gardens. The purposes of the rally were to build support for legislation that would keep youth from unfair incarceration and to promote efforts to fund housing for homeless people in Miami-Dade
Students also participated in service projects with the Little Haiti Optimist Club on February 24 and Gang Alternative on February 25.
During the previous week, 40 Days of Peace activities drew attention to the plight of refugees. The organizers shared statistics on Syrian refugees, and students wrote letters to legislators, urging them to support pro-immigrant policies.
According to Church World Service, more than four million Syrian refugees are currently seeking safety in countries across the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
In addition, students attended the screening and discussion of Sin Nombre. The Spanish-language film, whose title means "Nameless," tells the story of a Honduran girl and a Mexican gangster who are united on a journey across the Mexico–United States border.
A group of students took part in a Saturday of Service with the Life of Freedom Center on February 20. They distributed flyers with information on missing minors and possible human trafficking victims in Miami-Dade
Barry University observed 40 Days of Peace from January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, to February 26. Students were encouraged to sign a peace pledge and to perform daily acts of peace.
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Forum to Draw Attention to Rising Sea Levels in South Florida
“Rising Seas in South Florida: How Far and How Fast?” That’s the topic of the next forum in the Deliberative Dialogue Series, scheduled for April 5, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., in the Events Room of the Landon Student Union on Barry’s main campus in Miami Shores.
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) organizes the Deliberative Dialogue Series to bring stakeholders together to work towards a common understanding of social issues, identify practical solutions, and promote workable public policy.
Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to participate in the forum on April 5.
For further information, contact CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017.
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Organization Seeks Support for April 30 Event in Fort Lauderdale
March for Babies Day is April 30. More than 5,000 community members are expected to participate, and the event is expected to raise $1 million.
Organized by the March of Dimes Broward Division, March for Babies will take place at NovaSoutheastern University in Fort Lauderdale. According to the organizers, the proceeds will “benefit all babies – those born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive.”
Each year in Florida, one out of nine babies is born premature. March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health, spends 76 percent of the money raised from March for Babies on research and support programs.
The March of Dimes Broward Division is seeking volunteers for the day of the event. Volunteers will assist during one of two shifts, 6 a.m.–noon or 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Each volunteer will be assigned to the Kids Corner, Spirit Stop, Champions Club, Main Stage, Family Tent, Photo Zones, Start Line, Finish Line, Registration Information, Food Court, or First Aid.
For further information, contact Liz James in the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) at ljames@barry.edu or 305-899-3728.
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CCSI Newsletter
Posted On : March 08, 2016
