State grant paving the way for Centre College to expand community service commitment

Centre College’s Office of Civic and 社区参与 has received a boost for promoting service and volunteerism at the College.

作为肯塔基大学校园契约成员机构, Centre will receive three years of EngageKY+ grant funding provided by the AmeriCorps Volunteer Generation fund.

“The goal is to increase the quantity and quality of volunteerism led by 肯塔基州 higher education institutions with students, 教师, 员工和社区合作伙伴,杰西卡·韦斯莱纳说, 公民与社区参与办公室(OCCE)主任. “The objectives are to reduce barriers to volunteering and to build capacity for collegiate volunteer programs.” 

Centre will use the funds in multiple ways: Weasner said it will help pay for the College’s online community service platform, CentreEngage. Funds will allow the OCCE to hire student employees and help pair student affinity groups with service opportunities. 

One example is through the Danville Families First Family Resource Center, where Centre students play an integral role in their service to two local elementary schools, 霍格塞特小学和托利弗.

“Not only do they take part in providing our usual service offerings, 比如周末送餐上门, 他们还帮助解决全年的需求,珍妮·克拉克说, 家庭资源bwin体育主任. “例如, one of our Bonner Scholars is leading a ‘Lunch Bunch’ with fifth-grade girls to help with transitioning to middle school, 社会互动和问题, 和自尊. We helped her find a curriculum from our guidance counselors, and she is doing the rest. 它对所有参与者都有深刻的见解.”

Centre volunteers also bring fresh perspectives to the center’s work, she said. 

Another local organization that is frequented by Centre volunteers: The Danville/Boyle County Humane Society. An average of 15 students per week visit the Danville/Boyle County Humane Society, 据动物保护协会执行主任卡里·库说.

"Centre students are at the heart of our volunteer corps and we're lucky to have them," Kari said. "Not only are the students reliable and responsible, they're also fun to work with. Students assist with cleaning, socializing animals, data entry, greeting guests, and much more. 由于bwin体育的志愿者，DBCHS是一个更好的组织."

Weasner noted the funds will also be used to offer “mini-grants” to 教师 and staff who would like to incorporate service into existing programs and courses. Stodghill Professor of Religion Rick Axtell made the most of these funds in his course, 《bwin体育》,在最近一次去路易斯维尔的课程旅行中说, 肯塔基州. 

在参观了治愈之所之后, 凤凰诊所和环境正义之旅, students volunteer at an open-mic coffeehouse where most of the guests and many of the performers are unhoused residents of Louisville, Axtell说. 

学生们在餐桌上侍候, 在厨房里上菜, 与出席者互动, 甚至还提供了一些音乐,他说. “这种模式不同于我所知道的任何表演场所, bringing together people as diverse as numerous poets and rappers, 路易斯维尔管弦乐队的中提琴手, 住在河边营地的布鲁斯歌手, 还有一个收容所的居民接受过歌剧培训.”

通过课堂, 学生们还将参观一个低影响的水力发电厂, help on a farm that participates in community-supported agriculture, learn to cook at an off-the-grid homestead using a solar oven and do some hiking and cleanup at the 肯塔基州 Wildlife Refuge.

"Service is one of the key tenets of a Centre College education for a reason. Engagement in the local community through service helps students build leadership and communication skills,韦斯莱说. "It gives them an opportunity to apply classroom learning to 'real-world' contexts, 提高他们解决问题和批判性思考的能力. It also gives many students greater insight into their career goals, providing them with the chance to make connections with community members and professionals in their chosen field. Students who engage with the community are also shown to have greater satisfaction with college, 提高毕业率, and to be more likely to be involved in community service post-college."

最上面是里克·阿克塞特尔教授关于贫困的课程, hunger and the environment visited the offices of 肯塔基州 Refugee Ministries, thanks in part to grant funding through the Office of Civic and 社区参与.

Any member of the Centre College community interested in community service can find opportunities through CentreEngage. 对“小额赠款”资金感兴趣的教职员工可以 应用在这里. To stay connected, sign up for the CentreEngaged 新闻letter by emailing communityengagement@selenaumbrella.net.