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Activities Focused on Social Justice Intensified in 2014-2015
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) intensified its activities to bring increased attention to social justice issues in 2014-2015.
Students addressed social justice issues as part of service-learning courses, the Deliberative Dialogue Series, and the Barry Service Corps (BSC) program.
Sociology and theology students and BSC members were among those who expressed support for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Campaign for Fair Food by marching in solidarity with farm workers in
The fair food campaign draws on consumer power to ensure safe working conditions and fair wages for farm workers. Barry students supported ongoing efforts to convince food providers to become partners in the program.
Campus and community stakeholders discussed farm-worker wages and working conditions as part of the deliberative dialogue on industrial agriculture. Subsequently, a team of BSC leaders worked to increase access to fresh produce in low-income communities near campus by supporting community gardens and farmers markets.
The deliberative dialogue on the school-to-prison pipeline catalyzed increased student involvement with E-SToPP, the Eradicating the School-to-Prison Pipeline Foundation. Students helped to recruit other volunteers and spoke on behalf of the organization at community events focused on youth interactions with law enforcement.
Another team of BSC leaders assisted PACT (People Acting for Community Together) with research on local policy and policymakers, preparation of audio visuals, and program implementation.
Along with graduate social work students and undergraduates enrolled in service-learning courses, the BSC leaders attended PACT’s Nehemiah Action Assembly on April 20. Participants demanded solutions from public officials to “the affordable housing and juvenile justice crisis.”
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Two AmeriCorps VISTA Members to Serve at Barry in 2015-2016
Two AmeriCorps VISTA members will serve at
VISTA is the acronym for Volunteers in Service to Courtney Berrien, CCSI associate director, and Dr. Roxanne Davies, associate vice president for mission engagement, successfully applied to Florida Campus Compact (FL|CC) for Barry to host two
VISTA members make a year-long, full-time commitment to serve on a specific project in a nonprofit organization or public agency. They usually focus their efforts on building the capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development, and otherwise assist low-income communities.
The new
The CCSI-based VISTA member will promote healthy futures in the low-income neighborhoods surrounding Barry’s
The
An FL|CC AmeriCorps VISTA member has been assigned to the CCSI since 2012.
The current FL|CC AmeriCorps VISTA member, Caitlin Geis, will complete her second year with the CCSI on October 31. In addition to coordinating aspects of Days of Service such as Make a Difference Day, Geis has led the institutionalization of the
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Community Partners to Attend Work-Study Orientation
Community agencies and institutions that will offer Federal Work-Study (FWS) Community Service positions to Barry students for the 2015-2016 academic year will send representatives to the FWS Community Partner Orientation on August 28.
At the two-hour orientation, community partners will receive information about the program’s federal requirements, student payment processes, new hiring procedures, and the time-tracking system used at Barry. Strategies for working with student employees and structuring positions for mutual benefit will be discussed during the orientation.
Federal Work-Study is a government-funded financial-aid program established to provide part-time employment to students who demonstrate financial need. The CCSI manages the community service component in partnership with Barry’s Office of Financial Aid.
To learn more about FWS Community Service, contact Courtney Berrien, CCSI associate director, at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017.
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Opportunities to Serve Abound in the Community
The summer issues of Engagement News have been highlighting opportunities for staff and faculty members to learn about community needs and to serve as volunteers.
“Opportunities to serve abound in the community,”
Below is this issue’s featured opportunity for service.
Eco-Action Days at Saturday, August 8 ¦9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ¦1855 NE 135th Street, North Miami, FL 33181
The
Registration is required. For additional information, visit Arch Creek Park & Museums or call 305-944-6111.
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Community Engagement Resources Available in CEMS
Resources for community engagement are available in CEMS, the Community Engagement Management System. Service-learning syllabi, full-text journal articles, and e-books are included, as are announcements of engagement-related events and opportunities.
CEMS is accessible from the CCSI homepage. Students, faculty, and staff must enter their Barry username and password to log into the system.
Registered community partners also have access to CEMS.
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Final Summer Issue of Newsletter Scheduled for August 17
Engagement News is being published twice a month during the summer. The next issue of the newsletter – the final for the summer – is scheduled to appear on August 17. That issue will mark the transition back to regular weekly issues of the newsletter, which is published by the Office of Brand Marketing and Communications on behalf of the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
Items for Engagement News should be sent to service@barry.edu, and feedback should be sent directly to CCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen at gbowen@barry.edu.
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CCSI Newsletter
Posted On : July 27, 2015
