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Student Posters to be Featured at Community Engagement Symposium
Barry University’s third annual Community Engagement Symposium will include a poster session featuring students’ academic and co-curricular activities. Participating students are expected to discuss what they did and what they learned inside and outside the classroom.
TheCenter for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) has called for poster submissions. Students may first submit an abstract and, later, the complete poster for consideration. The abstracts of all accepted posters will be included in the symposium program.
Additional information on the call for posters is available from the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), service@barry.edu or 305-899-3696.
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Communication Course Approved for Service-Learning Designation
COM 201: Introduction to Communication has been approved for the service-learning designation.
The course instructors are Drs. Margaret (Maggie) Chojnacki, Nickesia Gordon, Katherine Nelson, and Pawena (Winnie) Sirimangkala, all associate professors of communication.
Students will explore the concept of public advocacy through coursework and in partnership with local community organizations. As explained in the syllabus, “Students will participate in a structured advocacy project to address an identified social issue using communication skills and competencies they are learning in the course. The assignment has an embedded reflection component which prompts students to think about their roles as citizens and how they can use their education to help create social change.”
Students will be required to use social media as the primary communication tool for their social change-focused advocacy project.
“Service-learning-designated courses reflect the thoughtful integration of community service into the curriculum,” said Dr. Glenn Bowen, director of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI). “They demonstrate the value of applied learning, student engagement with the community, and critical reflection.”
A list of Barry’s service-learning-designated courses is available in CEMS, the Community Engagement Management System.
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Campus Democracy Project Committee Encouraging Voter Registration
The organizing committee for Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) is encouraging students to register to vote.
“For students planning to vote in the presidential primary elections, now is the time to get involved,” said CDP Co-chair Dr. Sean Foreman.
“Florida will hold its presidential primary elections on March 15. To be eligible to vote on March 15 in Florida, you must be registered by February 16,” Foreman explained. “So, if you need to register for the first time, or if you moved and need to change your address, or if you want to change or declare your party, now is the time.”
Florida has a “closed” primary system. Only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. However, all registered voters are eligible to vote for the next President of the United States.
Barry is using TurboVote for voter registration.
“Decisions are made by those who show up,” Foreman reminded students. “Don’t miss the election and lose the chance to have your voice heard and your vote count!”
The CDP promotes civic engagement through political education and participation in the electoral process.
CDP Committee members include Foreman (Political Science) and Courtney Berrien (CCSI), the co-chairs; Elizabeth Besade (External and Government Affairs); Marissa Dorsett, president of College Republicans; Lavelle Dunn, president of the Student Government Association; Dr. Laura Finley (Sociology and Criminology); Alberto Lorenzo (Housing and Residence Life); Dr. Jalane Meloun (School of Professional and Career Education – PACE); Dr. Walter Pierce (School of Social Work); Steven Ramos (Center for Student Involvement); Chris Riker, president of the College Democrats; and Dr. Manuel Tejeda (School of Business).
For further information, contact Foreman at sforeman@barry.edu or Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu.
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Founder of Faculty Against Rape to Participate in Thursday’s Dialogue
This Thursday’s Deliberative Dialogue will include the contribution of a panel of lead participants including Dr. Simona Sharoni, founder of Faculty Against Rape (FAR).
FAR’s mission is to get more faculty involved in sexual assault issues on campus and to protect faculty members who experience retaliation for doing so. To fulfill its mission, FAR provides resources for faculty to support survivors inside and outside the classroom, tools for faculty who want to get more involved in reform efforts on their campus, and support for faculty who are facing retaliation for fighting sexual violence on their campus.
“Sexual Violence on Campus: Are We Propagating a Rape Culture?” is the topic of the Deliberative Dialogue, which will be held in Andreas 112 on Barry University’s main campus in Miami Shores, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Joining Sharoni on the panel will be Dr. Maria L. Alvarez, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students; Andrea Brown, a Barry student; and Hector Pizarro, a Barry alumnus and the outreach specialist for homeless and runaway youth at Miami Bridge Youth & Family Services. Dr. Laura Finley, an associate professor of sociology and criminology, will facilitate the forum.
For further information on Thursday’s event and the Deliberative Dialogue Series, contact CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017.
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Community Agency Welcomes “Amazing Group of Volunteers”
Farm Share recently rolled out the welcome mat for Barry students who will assist the organization throughout the spring semester. The Homestead-based organization called them “an amazing group of volunteers.”
Most of the students will be assisting with Farm Share programs as part of their service-learning courses.
“Farm Share is so excited to welcome an amazing group of volunteers from Barry
Three social work students have already assisted with the administration of a survey in Opa-Locka, the organization noted.
Students taking the Service-Learning and Social Work Practice course are supporting primarily Farm Share’s Local Food Distribution and Education Program, said Liz James, experiential learning coordinator in Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI). “The surveys they administered and scored in Opa-Locka and will score for Pahokee food recipients will gauge the organization’s success in establishing food security, improving nutrition, and increasing awareness of Florida’s local food system,” James added.
The students are expected to watch the 75-minute documentary Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story and read the report Income & Poverty in Miami-Dade
Established in 1991, Farm Share is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to recovering, sorting, packing, and distributing nutritious food for people in need. Farm Share administers a combination of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) commodity programs and produce-recovery operations.
Farm Share’s big red truck, used for food distribution, has been referred to as “a sign of hope for many in some of Florida’s poorest areas, where fruits and vegetables – even green beans, squash and eggplant – are a luxury.”
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Sociology and Criminology Department Continues Engagement Tradition
The Department of Sociology and Criminology is maintaining its tradition of community engagement.
Dr. Laura Finley, community engagement liaison, recently reported: “The department is continuing its relationship with the Order of Malta. We previously assisted with the creation of an Ex-Offender Resource Guide that is being used around the state and are now working on creating a guide with employment resources. We also again assisted with the Peace-In, which included community and campus speakers about peace and nonviolence.”
Finley, an associate professor of sociology and criminology, reported that the department has expanded its relationship with Amnesty International. Sociology and criminology students have been participating in the organization’s Write for Rights initiative.
“We are also planning the second annual Restorative Justice conference in March to educate the campus and community about the death penalty,” Finley said. “This is in conjunction with Pax Christi and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.”
The Department of Sociology and Criminology was the first recipient of Barry’s Engaged Department Award. Dr. Gary Grizzle, an associate professor of sociology, is chair of the department.
Community engagement liaisons assist the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) with planning, monitoring, assessing, and reporting community engagement activities. For further information on the contributions of the liaisons, contact CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017.
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Box Tops Drive Beneficial to Sheridan Hills Elementary School
The Box Tops Collection Drive organized by
“This is a Title I school, so every 10-cent label is significant,” said Dr. Jalane Meloun, a former Sheridan Hills PTO president and professor of administration in Barry’s School
According to Meloun, the money raised goes to “excellent causes.” Last year, the PTO spent nearly $6,000 on educational rugs for several classrooms. “These are the alphabet-covered rugs that the kids sit on several times a day for learning calendar math, phonics, and reading strategies,” she explained. “The PTO also funded teacher grants for reading and music curricula which focus on diverse, international cultures.”
Sheridan Hills Elementary is located in Hollywood,
The Box Tops Collection Drive also benefits
The full list of products with the Box Tops for Education labels is available at www.boxtops4education.com/downloads/participatingproducts_pdf. Each school receives 10 cents for every label, with the proceeds going toward much-needed educational supplies.
Donation boxes are at several locations, including the CCSI office, Adrian 208.
For further information about Box Tops for Education, contact MAPS at BarryMAPS@gmail.com or Dr. Stephanie Bingham, the association’s advisor, at sbingham@barry.edu.
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Several Saturdays of Service on CCSI Calendar
Several Saturdays of Service remain on the CCSI Calendar. Community service projects have been planned for February 20 and 27, March 19, and April 9.
On February 20, Barry volunteers will assist with Life of Freedom Center’s Street Outreach Program from 9 a.m. to noon in South
A “Unity for Change” march is scheduled for March 19. In addition, an environmental stewardship service project scheduled for April 9 will be implemented as a complement to Barry’s Earth Conference, which will take place on April 5.
For additional information on Saturdays of Service, contact Ashton Spangler, CCSI program coordinator, at aspangler@barry.edu or 305-899-5465.
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Service-Learning Organization Announces AmeriCorps Positions
Several AmeriCorps member positions have opened in the nonprofit organization named Impact America. The positions are targeted to current university seniors and recent graduates who may be interested in working with the nationally recognized organization.
In an announcement, Impact America stated: “The AmeriCorps Member position combines service with our nationally unique initiatives: FocusFirst, a high-tech vision care initiative for preschoolers; SaveFirst, a high-quality 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 schoolers in Alabama; and Stories from the Line, an initiative that navigates the complexities of poverty through the development of a series of short films.”
Described as “a service-learning nonprofit working across the Southeast,” Impact America provides opportunities for recent college graduates to “engage with communities of need in a meaningful way, broadening their perspectives and making a real impact in their communities.”
AmeriCorps member positions are available in Florida,
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CCSI Newsletter
Posted On : February 08, 2016
