CCSI | Center for Community Service Initiativesdoitglobal.barry.edu/AppUploadDocs/CCSIDocs/...Oct 03, 2016 · deepening its culture of community engagement. Glenn A. Bowen, PhD Associate

CCSI | Center for Community Service Initiatives

Annual Report 2016Deepening the Culture

of Community Engagement

20225B - CCSI - 2016 Annual Report 09.28.qxp_- 9/28/16 4:33 PM Page 1

Center for Community Service Initiatives I Mission Statement

The mission of Barry University’s Center for Community Service Initiatives is to

foster civic engagement among students, faculty, and staff in the pursuit of social

justice. By providing programs, services, and resources, the Center supports

community-engaged teaching and learning, research, and service. The Center

functions as both a catalyst and the coordinating unit for reciprocal partnerships

between the University and the wider community, designed to create long-term,

self-sustaining solutions to human, social, economic, and environmental problems.


Community engagement is a defining feature of highereducation institutions that are genuinely committed tothe community. These institutionsmake engagementprominent in their mission statements and strategicplans. They give it visibility through executiveleadership statements, organizational structures,programs and curricula, promotion and tenure policies,hiring guidelines, external communications, and capitalcampaigns.

Barry University has a strong, unwavering commitmentto the community and has made engagement aninstitutional priority. As such, community engagement isarticulated in the university’s mission statement andemphasized in its core commitments of collaborativeservice and social justice. Engagement also is exemplifiedin academic programs through service-learning,community-based research, and community-focusedcapstone projects and internships.

Since June 2013, for example, nearly 50 sections ofcourses have been designated as service-learning. Thosecourse sections demonstrate deep integration ofthoughtfully organized community service into thecurriculum and high standards of service-learningpractice. They require applied learning, studentengagement with the community, and critical reflection.

Among the hallmarks of quality community engagementat Barry are reciprocal, mutually beneficial partnershipswith organizations and agencies in the nonprofit, public,and small-business sectors. Some partnerships stretchacross the state and across the nation, with a growingnumber extending into the global community. Takentogether, the partnerships provide a fulcrum foruniversity initiatives that address social, economic, andenvironmental issues in and with the community.

In addition to a significant increase in the number ofpartnerships created over the years, there has been aremarkable enhancement of partnerships that explicitlydeal with social justice issues. Some of those partnershipshave galvanized students into action, ultimately givingvoice and visibility to marginalized people in underservedcommunities.

In this report, we draw attention to communityengagement activities and outcomes during the2015-2016 administrative year of the Center forCommunity Service Initiatives. It was the year in which

the CCSI began toobserve its fifthanniversary, markinga milestone in thedeepening ofBarry’s culture ofcommunityengagement.Established in 2010,the CCSI created andimplemented its firstset of programsduring the 2011-2012academic year and iscelebrating its fifthanniversarythroughout 2016.

When she spoke at the third annual CommunityEngagement Awards in March, our university’s presidentcommented, in glowing terms, on the CCSI’s work andachievements. As Sister Linda remarked, the CCSI hascome a long way in a relatively short time. Shehighlighted five major achievements in communityengagement during the CCSI’s first five years. Theseinclude the university’s attainment of the prestigiousCarnegie Community Engagement Classification in 2015.

The CCSI embodies a sturdy infrastructure forcommunity engagement – for promoting and supportingcommunity-engaged teaching and learning, research,and service. We in the CCSI are grateful to students,faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and communitypartners for their productive participation over the years.

As the CCSI prepares for the second half of its firstdecade, there is a strong resolve to build on thesuccesses achieved so far – to develop innovativeapproaches to community improvement, to makecommunity-engaged pedagogies more robust, and tointensify activities focused on social justice. Undoubtedlyand deservedly, the university will maintain its standing asa responsible and responsive institutional citizencontributing to positive social change while furtherdeepening its culture of community engagement.

Glenn A. Bowen, PhDAssociate Professor and DirectorCenter for Community Service InitiativesJuly 2016

Deepening the Culture of Community Engagement

Deepening the Culture of Community Engagement I 1


CCSI Celebrates Five Years of Significant Achievements

Symposium Puts Spotlight on Partnerships Contributing toStudent Success

Barry President Signs Campus Compact AnniversaryAction Statement

Campus and Community Participants Honored forCommunity Engagement

Students and Employees Render 75 Acts of Service to MarkBarry Anniversary

62,000: Hours of community service logged by students

3,500: Pounds of clothes and household items donated inMove-Out Drive

63: Students participate in Federal Work-StudyCommunity Service

19: Community agencies registered as new partners

18: Major awards presented at communityengagement event

Annual Report I Highlights

I By the Numbers


The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) iscelebrating its fifth anniversary in 2016. Although thecenter was established in 2010, its first full year ofoperation began in 2011.

Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP,PhD, spoke about the CCSI’s role and achievements in herremarks at the third annual Community EngagementAwards on March 30.

“This year, the CCSI is marking its fifth anniversary; andyou will all agree that the Center has come a long way in arelatively short time,” Sister Linda said. “The work of theCCSI is woven fully into the fabric of university life – fromfaculty development to student civic-leadership training;from staff members’ volunteer service to alumniparticipation in the Deliberative Dialogue Series; fromcommunity partnership building to the coordination of theCommunity Engagement Management System.”

Sister Linda highlighted five of Barry’s communityengagement achievements over the five-year period.

First, the number of community partners recruited andregistered by the CCSI has reached 180.

Second, there has been a significant increase in bothcourse-based and voluntary community service – fromapproximately 26,000 hours of service in 2011 to nearly60,000 hours this year. (By the end of the academic year,the actual number rose to 62,000 hours.)

Third, service-learning has become institutionalized, with46 course sections currently carrying the service-learningdesignation.

Fourth, the productivity of faculty in community-engaged scholarship also has increased. Since 2011,faculty members have made more than 60 scholarlypresentations and published more than 25 articles, manyin peer-reviewed journals.

Fifth, the university has received national recognition forcommunity engagement. Barry has made the President’sHigher Education Community Service Honor Roll every yearsince 2012, and attained the prestigious CarnegieCommunity Engagement Classification last year.

Sister Linda said the university’s achievements wereattributed largely to the work of the CCSI. In thanking theCCSI staff members for their service and accomplishments,she added that the department had lived up to its motto,“Connecting Campus and Community – TransformingLearning and Lives.”

As part of its strategic agenda for 2006–2011, theuniversity had decided to create a “Center for CommunityInitiatives” to coordinate and promote collaborativecommunity service as an integrating dimension of Barry’sidentity. The new administrative unit would be expected tocentrally manage Barry’s community outreach efforts so asto ensure that the university would be recognized as “aresponsive community leader – a reliable resource forexpertise, knowledge dissemination and public service tothe diverse communities” it serves.

CCSI Celebrates Five Years of Significant Achievements


Sister Linda highlighted the national recognition of Barry’s community engagement, including the Carnegie Community EngagementClassification. She attributed the achievements largely to the work of the CCSI.


Dr. Dwight E. Giles, Jr., professor of higher education atthe University of Massachusetts Boston, was the leadpresenter at the symposium. A well-known service-learningand civic engagement scholar, Giles also is a senior associateat the New England Resource Center for Higher Education(NERCHE) and was a founding member of the NationalPeer Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement.

Following an introduction by Dr. Nickesia Gordon, amember of the symposium committee, Giles conducted amorning workshop on the topic, “Deepening Partnerships toAchieve Community Engagement Goals.” He also madean afternoon seminar presentation titled “The Role ofCommunity Engagement in Increasing College Accessand Success.”

The five other sessions of the symposium included twosets of 60-minute concurrent sessions. During the first set,presentations included “Community-Based Research: AModel for Engaged Scholarship”; “Bridging GroupDifferences Through Intergroup Dialogues: The TRACKSProject”; 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 concurrentsessions were “Going Beyond Internships: HowUniversity-Community Partnerships Can Be MutuallyBeneficial” and “The Development of a UniversityPartnership with a Local LGBT Center.” A third presentationfocused on the development and implementation of aservice-learning initiative at two inner-city high schools whilean additional presentation, titled “Community PartnersSpeak Up and Speak Out,” examined the results of a focusgroup research project.

Eighteen students, including 15 Barry Service Corpsfellows, participated in the poster session, presenting 13posters. A faculty member in the Department of Fine Artsand two of her graphic design students presented one ofthe posters. Titled “Kids in Design Work with Kids In

Distress,” that poster reflected outcomes of a service-learning course. The other participating students listedtheir majors as applied sport and exercise sciences,biochemistry, biology, computer science, English,general studies, international studies, nursing, pre-law,pre-nursing, psychology, public relations, social work, andsport management.

4 I Center for Community Service Initiatives

Symposium Puts Spotlight on Partnerships Contributingto Student SuccessBarry University’s third annual Community Engagement Symposium onMarch 30 highlighted collaborativeactivities between campus and community partners that have contributed to the achievements of students in theiracademic work and civic involvement. The themewas “Promoting Productive Partnerships for Student Success,”with themain features of the program being a seminar and a workshop by a nationally recognized communityengagement expert, concurrent presentations by faculty members and students, and a poster session.

|CCSICommunity Engagement Symposium

March 30, 2016

Leader Presenter:Dr. Dwight E. Giles, Jr.






Posters covered a variety of subjects – from producing a documentary and promoting mental-health support forrefugees to authoring a law-enforcement body-cameras bill and supporting foster/adopted youth. Below is the complete listof posters and presenters.

� “Producing Promotional and Documentary Films for a Faith-Based Coalition” – Taleah Becton (Public Relations)

� “Kids in Design Work with Kids In Distress” – Nicole Beltran, assistant professor, Department of Fine Arts; Gabriela Jimenez and Raquel Morrison(Graphic Design)

� “Building Infrastructure for a Grassroots Organization by Developing a Member Database” – Mickaelle Celigny (Computer Science)

� “Creating an On-Campus, Student-Based Chapter of an International Christian Relief Agency” – Kevin Dalia (Pre-Law)

� “Engaging At-Risk Youth in Dialogues on Civic Engagement” – Seretse Davis (Sport Management) and Rajon Wright (Computer Science)

� “Promoting Better Dietary Choices among College Students Through a Campus Food-Additive Advocacy Campaign” – Gilberte Jean-Francois(Nursing) and Alejandro Tobon (Biology)

� “Examining the Effects of Tree Canopy Coverage on Air Quality in Miami-Dade County Communities” – Alberto Liriano (Biochemistry) and PaolaMontenegro (International Studies)

� “Building Awareness About a Lack of Mental-Health Support Available to Refugees” – Presler Maxius (Psychology)

� “Furthering Campus Sustainability Initiatives Through an Education and Advocacy Campaign” – Christian Mesa (General Studies)

� “Ex-Felons Looking for Work” – Margaret Reid(Pre-Nursing)

� “Bill for Body-Worn Cameras for Florida Police” –Christopher Riker (English and Public Relations)

� “Promoting Health and Wellness at a Field Day forFlorida Foster and Adopted Youth” – Donté Roberts(Sport Management)

� “Unite for Change March: Bringing Awareness to PoliceBrutality in Miami and Uniting the Community” –Quayneshia Smith (Social Work) and Asha Starks(Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences)


Among the poster presenters at the Community Engagement Symposium were Prof. Nicole Beltran, Gabriela Jimenez, and Raquel Morrison.

Poster presenters at the Community EngagementSymposium included Rajon Wright and Seretse Davis,Barry Service Corps fellows.


The symposium also included aCommunity Engagement Showcasefeaturing exhibits by the CampusDemocracy Project, Carnival Arts,Chemistry Club, College Brides Walk,College Reach-Out Program (CROP),Community Learning Partnership ofGreater Miami Shores, NeighborhoodTechnical Assistance Program, School ofPodiatric Medicine Clinical OutreachPrograms, School of Social Work Centerfor Human Rights and Social Justice, andStudent Management Investment Fund(SMIF).

Dr. Christopher “Kit” Starratt, Barry’sinterim provost and vice president ofmission and institutional effectiveness,opened the symposium and Dr. KarenCallaghan, associate vice president forundergraduate studies, gave remarksduring the closing session.

CCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen waschair of the Community EngagementSymposium Committee. Other committeemembers were Dr. Nickesia Gordon,proposal review chair; Valerie Scott, postersession coordinator; Dr. Rosa Borgen; Dr. M.Leigh Broxton Bragg; Dr. PrivaFischweicher; and Sambra Zaoui.

Barry students, supported by faculty and staff members,again racked up an impressive record of community serviceas they gave their time, talents, and energies to a wide rangeof community-based programs and projects. Their 62,000hours of service this year reflect a 17 percent increase inservice hours in comparison with the previous year’s 53,000hours. Both course-based service (service-learning) andvolunteer service hours are included in the tally.

Providing service at home and abroad, studentsengaged mainly in educational assistance (25%) andenvironmental sustainability projects (20%),supported youth development andhunger-alleviation efforts (15%), and contributedto health-related projects (13%).

In the educational assistance category,projects involved mainly teaching assistance bystudents in the School of Education andvolunteer tutoring in regular and after-schoolprograms. Environmental sustainability projectsincluded service that supported the programs ofcommunity partners involved in sustainableagricultural practices, work in communitygardens, litter pickup and landscaping in publicparks, cleanup of school premises, and thepromotion of recycling.

Data culled from the CommunityEngagement Management System (CEMS)

indicated that a large number of students were involved inadvocacy activities addressing a variety of social issues.Many students also participated in youth developmentactivities at various community locations.

In addition to schools, popular community sites forstudents included the service and campaign locations of theCoalition of Immokalee Workers and the Student/Farmworker Alliance; community gardens and food banks;homeless shelters and public parks; and a nursing homenear campus.

Poster presenters at the Community Engagement Symposium (clockwise from top) includedDonté Roberts, Quayneshia Smith, Asha Starks, Paola Montenegro, Alberto Liriano, andMargaret Reid.

Students Log 62,000 Hours of Community Service

Most of the service provided this year was in the area of educationalassistance including after-school tutoring.



Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP,PhD, signed Campus Compact’s Thirtieth AnniversaryStatement, expressing institutional commitment todeveloping a Campus Civic Action Plan.

The plan will include specific actions that theuniversity will take to prepare students for democraticcitizenship, build partnerships for change, andreinvigorate higher education for the public good. Theimpacts that the university expects to achieve also willbe specified in the plan.

Barry’s Civic Action Plan is expected to be readybefore the start of the 2017–2018 academic year.

The Campus Compact Thirtieth Anniversary ActionStatement of Presidents and Chancellors includes fivecommitments (see box).

Sister Linda is one of 400-plus Campus Compactmembers who have become signatories to the ActionStatement.

Campus Compact was founded in 1985, when a smallgroup of higher education leaders came together basedon a shared concern about the future of Americandemocracy. They made a commitment to one another towork together to advance the public purposes of highereducation on their campuses, in their communities, andacross the country.

That occasion “also signified a commitment to honorthe longstanding compact between higher educationand the public,” according to the Campus CompactAction Statement. “That initial commitment catalyzed amovement that has changed the landscape of highereducation. Nearly 1100 institutions now belong toCampus Compact, which has grown to include anetwork of state and regional Compacts and hasbecome a key element of a global movement for thepublic purposes of higher education.”

Sister Linda serves on the Florida Campus CompactExecutive Committee.

Barry President Signs Campus Compact AnniversaryAction Statement

Commitments� “We empower our students, faculty, staff, and

community partners to co-create mutually respectfulpartnerships in pursuit of a just, equitable, andsustainable future for communities beyond thecampus—nearby and around the world.”

� “We prepare our students for lives of engagedcitizenship, with the motivation and capacity todeliberate, act, and lead in pursuit of the public good.”

� “We embrace our responsibilities as place basedinstitutions, contributing to the health and strength ofour communities—economically, socially,environmentally, educationally, and politically.”

� “We harness the capacity of our institutions—throughresearch, teaching, partnerships, and institutionalpractice—to challenge the prevailing social andeconomic inequalities that threaten our democraticfuture.

� “We foster an environment that consistently affirms thecentrality of the public purposes of higher educationby setting high expectations for members of thecampus community to contribute to theirachievement.”



Four students and four student organizations, fourfaculty members, and two departments receivedawards for community engagement at BarryUniversity onMarch 30. Four community partnersreceived awards as well.

The CCSI organized and hosted the third annualCommunity Engagement Awards on Barry’s maincampus in Miami Shores. In all, 18 major awards in sixcategories were presented at the event.

Undergraduates Bethany Dill, Laura Gagliardi,Christopher Riker, and Asha Starks were honored forcreating community impact. Dr. Scott Smith, vicepresident for student affairs, presented each with aplaque.

Dill was completing her education degreerequirements as she prepared for a career in globaladvocacy for education of at-risk students. She haddeveloped a keen interest in addressing refugeeissues, interned in the Refugee Rights Program atHuman Rights Watch, and planned to researcheducational challenges faced by Syrian refugees. Shealso had interned with International Justice Mission,where she analyzed data for 18 international fieldoffices.

A Stamps scholar, Dill supported developmentprograms at Inca Link International in Trujillo, Peru,and volunteered in Hyderabad, India, with Advocatesfor Babies in Crisis.

Gagliardi participated in the MLK Day of Service,Make a Difference Day, College Brides Walk, andother community service events; and she was avolunteer with Ayuda, Inc. In 2015 she was acampaign assistant for a village council candidateand the eventual appointee as mayor of MiamiShores Village. She also was a member of the North

Dade Regional Chamber of Commerce delegation toTallahassee in March 2015.

Riker is a student activist who endeavored tohold officials accountable by working directly withlaw-enforcement officials, legislators, and communityorganizations. Taking on the issue of police brutality,he authored a bill to promote the use of bodycameras in law-enforcement agencies. His extensiveresearch to document instances of questionable orunwarranted police actions was shared withlawmakers and community organizations locally andacross Florida.

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Campus and Community Participants Honoredfor Community Engagement

Some of the winners and finalists for the Community Engagement Annual Awards are seen here after the event. Award winnersincluded students, faculty, staff, and community partners. The annual awards celebrate community-engaged learning, teaching,service, and scholarship.

Dr. Scott Smith, vice president for student affairs, with (clockwisefrom top) Bethany Dill, Laura Gagliardi, Asha Starks, andChristopher Riker, winners of the Community Impact Award.


As the president of Florida’s College Democrats, Rikerorganized fellow students to support “progressive policyand progressive candidates” throughout the state. As aBarry Service Corps fellow, he organized university studentsto attend PACT’s annual Nehemiah Action, a communityorganizing assembly that promoted fair juvenile justicepolicies and affordable housing this year.

Starks is a civil rights activist and youth mentor who has“tangibly impacted the welfare of Miami’s communities ofcolor” while promoting Barry University’s core commitmentof social justice. As a member of the grassroots organizationDream Defenders, she staged civil disobediencedemonstrations and helped to organize residents ofOvertown to oppose police brutality and developmentprojects that would have displaced low-income residents.

Also a Barry Service Corps fellow, Starks facilitatedweekly service trips to Gang Alternative and the Little HaitiOptimist Club.

The Barry U Softball Team, the Minority Association ofPre-Health Students (MAPS), the Student ManagedInvestment Fund (SMIF), and the Volunteer Income TaxAssistance program (VITA) at the Barry School of Law arethe four student organizations that received the CommunityImpact Award.

The award to the Barry U Softball Team was “inrecognition of nearly 400 hours of community service andengagement, reflective of passion and dedication.”

Team members supported the Miami Health and FamilyExpo, Miami Shores Street Fair, Susan G. Komen BreastCancer Walk, Light the Night Walk, Society of St. AndrewCleaning Project, a clothing drive, and a Thanksgiving fooddrive. They also volunteered for a Make a Difference Dayproject, FAPA (Foster and Adoptive Parents Association)Field Day, and service in the Camillus House soup kitchen.And they contributed to the Make a Wish fund-raising drive,which raised $30,000 in the past two years.

MAPS was honored for addressing health and socialissues affecting underserved population groups whilepreparing its members for their chosen profession.

“From organizing Diversity Dialogues on healthcarepractices in different cultures, to serving as languagetranslators at health fairs, to raising funds for disease-relatedresearch – this multicultural student organization is involvedmeaningfully in the community,” said Vice President forBusiness and Finance Susan Rosenthal, who presented theaward. “Some of its executive board members serve asscience mentors at a local elementary school; theorganization’s Box Tops for Education Drive benefits schoolsin Miami-Dade and Broward; proceeds from its kickballtournament go to the American Heart Association.”

SMIF is a student-funded and student-run organizationthat invests allocations from Barry’s endowment fund. Underthe guidance of three School of Business faculty members,SMIF played an important role in the implementation of asocial entrepreneurship project under the direction of theCommunity Learning Partnership of Greater Miami Shores.

“Supported by the Mark and Greta Walker Foundation,the students have instituted a process that takes a kinder,gentler approach as compared with the TV reality show


On behalf of the Barry U Softball Team, Kristina Pazienza (left) andAshley Fernandez accept the Community Impact Award from SueRosenthal, vice president for business and finance.

Alejandro Tobon and Verronika Laguerre receive the CommunityImpact Award won by the Minority Association of Pre-HealthStudents (MAPS).

VP Sue Rosenthal congratulates the Student Managed InvestmentFund (SMIF) on its community impact. Accepting the award areJelissa Cruz and Carlton Reed.


‘Shark Tank’,” said Rosenthal as she presented the award.“They call it the ‘Dolphin Tank’, and it benefits middle- andhigh-school students in the local community.”

SMIF is perhaps best known for is its innovative financialliteracy program embedded in Finance 356, a service-learning-designated course. Since August 2012, approximately100 Barry students involved in SMIF have delivered theprogram to about 140 students at Turner Technicail High.

Barry Law’s VITA involves free tax-preparation servicesfor low- to moderate-income individuals. Students gainvaluable skills in tax preparation, build client-relations skills,and support the community.

The Barry site in Orlando, launched in 2006, previouslyreceived the VITA Rookie Site Award from the American BarAssociation Law Student Division. Every year since then, theprogram has won the National Achievement Award fromthe same ABA division.

Since its inception, more than 250 Barry Law studentshave volunteered for this program, assisting an estimated1,000 income-tax payers in Central Florida.

Dr. Jill Farrell, dean of the Adrian Dominican School ofEducation, presented the Community EngagementEducator Award to Dr. Ricardo “Rick” Jimenez, assistantprofessor of computer science. Ferrell told guests at theawards luncheon that Jimenez’s engagement with thecommunity started before the CCSI was created.

“Since 2009, he has devoted himself to supportinginformation technology projects that benefit communityagencies and residents,” Farrell said. “Together with hisservice-learning students and volunteers, he hasrefurbished more than 150 donated computers. He hasalso assisted with onsite installations and support ineconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods such as LibertyCity. Through his devoted service, he has contributed tobridging the digital divide in the community.”

Farrell also pointed out that Jimenez’s studentsadmired his work ethic; his faculty colleagues praised hiscivic-mindedness; and community partners called him “anempowering collaborator.”

Dr. Pamela Hall, associate professor of psychology,received the Engaged Scholarship Award from Dr. VictorRomano, chair of Barry’s Faculty Senate.

Hall employs service-learning as an approach toteaching; she does community-focused participatoryresearch; and she regularly serves alongside her students inthe community. Furthermore, she had effectivelyinterconnected her teaching, research, and service toexemplify what Ernest Boyer called “the scholarship ofengagement.” She has disseminated her scholarship throughpeer-reviewed presentations and publications, most withstudents and faculty colleagues.

During the summers of 2012–2015, Hall implemented aliteracy and empowerment program, funded by TheChildren’s Trust to the tune of $296,000. The programbenefited more than 400 Haitian adolescents and theirfamilies in Miami-Dade County. She was a member of thessecond cohort of service-learning faculty fellows and wasabout to complete a two-year term as facilitator of theFaculty Learning Community for Engaged Scholarship.

Dr. Kevin Kemerer, associate professor of accounting,and Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald, associate professor of socialwork, won the Service-Learning Faculty Award. Each taughta service-learning-designated course.

Through his service-learning course – ACC 362-01:Federal Income Tax – Kemerer supervised his students asthey provided tax-preparation service to low- tomoderate-income members of the community. The students


The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) at the BarrySchool of Law was among four student organizations that receivedthe Community Impact Award.

Dr. Ricardo “Rick” Jimenez, assistant professor of computer science,received the Engaged Scholarship Award from Dr. Jill Farrell, dean ofthe Adrian Dominican School of Education.

Dr. Pamela Hall won the Engaged Scholarship Award, presented byDr. Victor Romano, chair of Barry’s Faculty Senate.


did so as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistanceprogram (VITA), sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service(IRS). The IRS senior tax consultant had praised the effectiveand accurate tax-return preparations made by Kemerer andhis students.

According to Dr. Karen Callaghan, associate vicepresident for undergraduate studies, Kemerer has done“exceptional work as a service-learning course instructorand the Barry VITA site coordinator.”

Rosenwald co-developed and taught Service-Learningand Social Work Practice (SW 323), a three-credit course inthe undergraduate social work program. Each student isrequired to provide at least 45 hours of service thataddresses a specific community need or social issue. Thecommunity partners for the course have included FeedingSouth Florida, Food for the Poor, Gratigny ElementarySchool, and Special Olympics Florida.

Students taking this course supported efforts to relievehunger, attend to children with special needs, and assistedwith organizing events for persons with intellectualdisabilities. The students documented their experiences injournals and reflection papers and made grouppresentations at an end-of-semester symposium.

Callaghan presented the Service-Learning FacultyAward to Rosenwald “for his exemplary work in developingthis service-learning-designated course and serving asthe instructor.”

The Department of Physical Sciences in the College ofArts and Sciences and the Department of Sport andExercise Sciences in the School of Human Performance andLeisure Sciences were honored with the EngagedDepartment Award. Dr. Christopher Starratt, Barry’s interimprovost and vice president of mission and institutionaleffectiveness, presented a plaque to each department. Theaward is emblematic of achievements in advancing thecommunity engagement goals of the university, educatingstudents for civic and social responsibility, and improvingcommunity life.

In Physical Sciences, a faculty member developedBarry’s first service-learning-designated course, which washighlighted in the university’s successful application for theCarnegie Community Engagement Classification. Thereare several other community-engaged course offerings inthis department.

“Students learn not only in classrooms and laboratoriesbut also in the community, where they share theirknowledge and love of science,” Starratt said. “Notableinitiatives include the annual Chemistry and PhysicsTournament for high schools, the Chemistry Club’s MagicShows for elementary schools, and the COACH Program.These initiatives have benefited underrepresentedpopulation groups, and they exemplify a deep commitmentto the community.”

Department faculty members served regularly as judgesat science fairs in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

“Internally, participation on the Quality EnhancementPlan (QEP) Committee, on the Service-Learning CourseReview Committee, and in the Faculty Learning Communityfor Engaged Scholarship also distinguishes this departmentas highly engaged,” Starratt noted before he presented thecoveted award to Dr. Zuzana Zajickova, professor ofchemistry and department chair.

In attendance were department faculty membersDrs. John Boulos; George Fisher; Dr. John Goehl, Jr.; TamaraHamilton; and Maurizio Giannotti as well as Mara Culverson,administrative assistant.

In Sport and Exercise Sciences, faculty membersdeveloped two service-learning-designated courses andenhanced other courses with community engagementcomponents. Through service-learning, internships, andpractica, students engaged with South Florida communities.They served with professional sport organizations, privateand public schools, health and wellness clinics, parks andrecreation departments, community centers, SpecialOlympics, and other organizations.

Department faculty, staff, and students organized theFun Fit Fridays program at the Sibley Academy. Theyregularly supported the Make-a-Wish Foundation,volunteered with the Broward County Humane Society, anddonated to Sheridan House for women and children in


Associate Professors Kevin Kemerer and Mitch Rosenwald receive theService-Learning Faculty Award from Dean Karen Callaghan,associate vice president for undergraduate studies.

Interim Provost Dr. Kit Starratt congratulates Sport and ExerciseSciences on its community engagement achievements. Dr. Kathryn“Kathy” Ludwig, associate professor and department chair (right),and Dr. Lauren Tashman, assistant professor and coordinator ofsport psychology services, accepted the award on behalf of thedepartment. The other award winner in this category wasPhysical Sciences.


distress. Furthermore, a faculty member of this departmenthas been working on the prevention of non-communicablediseases in underserved African communities throughphysical activity and education. On campus, a facultymember served on Barry’s Carnegie CommunityEngagement Task Force; another chaired the CCSI’sCommunity-Based Research Mini-Grant Committee fortwo years; and a third has been serving on the University’sQEP Committee.

The Community PartnershipAward went to Church WorldService, the Coalition of ImmokaleeWorkers & Student/FarmworkerAlliance, the Collaborative FamilyLaw Group of Central Florida, andSpecial Olympics Florida. Rev.Cristóbal Torres, OP, the universitychaplain, presented plaques to theorganizations.

Prior to the Community Engagement Awards Ceremony,the CCSI presented its Service Award to three Barry staffmembers. Sandra Acevedo, the coordinator of local andglobal outreach for the School of Human Performance andLeisure Sciences, was recognized for her handling ofadministrative arrangements for various successfulcommunity engagement projects over the years. Inparticular, she was praised for her current coordination ofoutreach efforts as Barry University prepares to host the2017 World Congress of the International Association forPhysical Education and Sport for Girls and Women.


Church World Service, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers &Student/Farmworker Alliance, the Collaborative Family Law Groupof Central Florida, and Special Olympics of South Florida receivedthe Community Partnership Award.

Sandra Acevedo, HPLS outreach coordinator, receives her award fromCCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen. Dr. Kathy Ludwig, chair of theDepartment of Sport and Exercise Sciences, was on hand tocongratulate Acevedo.

Kerri-Quaan Stewart, director of software solutions, accepts herplaque from the CCSI director. Dr. Hernan Londono, associate chiefinformation officer, joined Stewart for the presentation. Grace Ralfelt,solutions architect, received a similar plaque.


Kerri-Quaan Stewart, director of software solutions inthe Division of Information Technology, and Grace Ralfelt,solutions architect, received recognition for their work indeveloping Barry’s Community Engagement ManagementSystem (CEMS). Considered essential to the CCSI’s roleas the institutional clearinghouse for communityengagement, CEMS allows users to access a variety ofpertinent resources.

The CCSI also presented certificates to three CommunityImpact Award finalists – nursing students Angela Greggsand Jill Williams and social work student Anthony Torres. LizJames, experiential learning coordinator, was the presenter.

Dr. Dwight E. Giles, Jr., professor of higher education atthe University of Massachusetts Boston, was the guestspeaker at the Community Engagement Awards, whichcoincided with the third annual Community EngagementSymposium. A former faculty member at VanderbiltUniversity, Giles was a co-recipient (with Janet Eyler) ofCampus Compact’s Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award forService-Learning in 2003. He also won the DistinguishedResearch Award from the International Association forResearch on Service-Learning and CommunityEngagement in 2009 and was the 2014 recipient of theDistinguished Scholar Award from the National Societyfor Experiential Education.

Giles emphasized the importance of giving awards foroutstanding service and achievements. He gave a specialacknowledgement to the four community partnerorganizations that won awards. He said: “I have a warm spoton my heart for community partners because I started inthis work as a community partner. You rise to the challengeof working with universities who live in a different universewith such constructions as semesters and summer breaks,and who have evaluation requirements that you don’t havein your agencies and organizations.”

Dr. Celeste Fraser Delgado, professor of English andhumanities in the School of Professional and CareerEducation and former facilitator of the Faculty LearningCommunity for Engaged Scholarship, introduced the guestspeaker at the event.

The Community Engagement Awards Committeewas composed of Dr. Carter Winkle, chair; Dr. Adam Dean,Dr. Tisa McGhee, Dr. Jeffrey Ritter, Karen Stalnaker, andDr. David Wolf.

At the awards ceremony, Barry University PresidentSister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD, publicly recognized thework of the task force charged with developing andproposing recommendations for the design of the CCSI. Shepresented a CCSI “5 Years of Achievements” memento toeach task force member in attendance: Dr. Karen Callaghan,Dr. Gloria Schaab, and Cesar Odio.


Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD, thankedmembers of the CCSI Task Force, including Cesar Odio and Dr. KarenCallaghan. The task force developed and proposed recommendationsfor the design of the CCSI.

Dr. Gloria Schaab, a faculty member in the Department of Theologyand Philosophy, served on the eight-member CCSI Task Force. CCSIDirector Dr. Glenn Bowen joined Sister Linda in recognizing Dr.Schaab’s service.


Barry Student LeaderNamed a NewmanCivic Fellow

Campus Compact namedBarry Service Corps FellowChristian Mesa a NewmanCivic Fellow. He is one of 218college student leaders – 19from Florida – selected forthe 2016 Newman CivicFellows Award.

This award honors“inspiring college studentleaders who havedemonstrated an investmentin finding solutions forchallenges facingcommunities throughout thecountry,” according toCampus Compact. “Throughservice, research, andadvocacy, Newman Civic Fellows are making the most oftheir college experiences to better understand themselves,the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanismsfor creating lasting change.”

A cardiovascular perfusion/general studies major, Mesahas been participating in the Barry Service Corps FellowsProgram since August 2015. This civic learning andleadership program is designed to foster civic-mindednessand to prepare students for social change roles.

Barry University President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP,PhD, said Mesa has demonstrated that he can make adifference in the community and can inspire others to getinvolved. Sister Linda nominated Mesa for CampusCompact’s Newman Civic Fellows Award on the CCSI’srecommendation.

“Given his leadership ability and motivation, ChristianMesa will undoubtedly contribute to public problem solvingand to the long-term improvement of community life,” SisterLinda added.

Mesa supported the work of three community partners –EcoTech Visions, Urban GreenWorks, and La PalomaNeighborhood Association. In his service with EcoTechVisions, Mesa focused on increasing awareness of thebusiness incubator's support for the development of “green"manufacturing start-ups (which use recycled materials inproduction processes) in economically disadvantagedneighborhoods, such as Liberty City in Miami.

Mesa led semi-monthly service trips to UrbanGreenWorks, a nonprofit organization whose mission is torestore the environmental and economic health ofunderserved communities. He provided orientations forBarry students who helped to maintain two communitygardens, and he conducted reflection activities thatencouraged volunteers to make long-term commitments tosupporting sustainable agriculture. He also has facilitated a


Christian Mesa

ServiceRecognizes Barry employees for significant servicein the area of community engagement

� Sandra Acevedo (Human Performance andLeisure Sciences)

� Grace Ralfelt (Information Technology)� Kerri-Quaan Stewart (Information Technology)

Community ImpactPresented to students and student organizations forexemplary community engagement – including service,research, and advocacy – that has a measurable impacton the community

� Bethany Dill� Laura Gagliardi� Christopher Riker� Asha Starks� Barry U Softball Team� Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS)� Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF)� Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program –

Barry School of Law

Community PartnershipHonors community partners for exemplarycollaboration with the University that has producedmeasurable improvements in people’s lives whileenhancing higher education

� Church World Service� Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Student/

Farmworker Alliance� The Collaborative Family Law Group of

Central Florida� Special Olympics Florida

Community Engagement EducatorHonors an employee for significant contributions tothe institutionalization of community engagement atBarry University

� Dr. Ricardo Jimenez (Math and Computer Science)

Engaged ScholarshipRecognizes faculty members for significant scholarly workacross the faculty roles of teaching, research, and servicethat addresses community issues

� Dr. Pamela Hall (Psychology)

Service-Learning FacultyRecognizes faculty members for demonstratingexcellence in using service-learning as a pedagogicalstrategy

� Dr. Kevin Kemerer (Business)� Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald (Social Work)

Engaged DepartmentPresented to a department for achievements in advancingthe community engagement goals of the University,educating students for civic and social responsibility,and improving community life

� Physical Sciences� Sport and Exercise Sciences

Community Engagement AwardWinners


beautification project in La Paloma. Project volunteers fromBarry's main campus contributed not only to the physicalimprovement of the neighborhood but also to socialimprovement through the strengthening of relationshipsamong residents.

Dr. Frank Newman, for whom the award is named,co-founded Campus Compact with the presidents ofStanford University, Brown University, and GeorgetownUniversity in 1985 to foster students’ involvement in publicservice and as democratic change agents. CampusCompact has grown to represent more than 1,100 collegeand university presidents committed to fulfilling the civicpurposes of higher education.

The KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundationare sponsors of Campus Compact’s Newman CivicFellows Award.

University GetsNational Recognition forCommitment to DiversityMinority Access, Inc. presented a certificate to BarryUniversity in recognition of the institution’s commitment todiversity. The presentation was made duringa special luncheon at the organization’s 16th NationalRole Models Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, in lateSeptember.

Dr. Glenn Bowen, director of Barry’s Center forCommunity Service Initiatives, accepted the certificate fromAndrea D. Mickle, president of Minority Access.

Barry’s student population consists of 32 percentBlack non-Hispanic; 29 percent Hispanic; 20 percent

White non-Hispanic; 9 percent unknown/unreported;8 percent nonresident alien; and 1 percent Asian, withthe remainder being students of other races, or of two ormore races. The university promotes and celebratesdiversity through programs and events such as the AfricanaStudies Program, the Institute for Hispanic/Latino Theologyand Ministry, the Office of International and MulticulturalPrograms, and the Festival of Nations.

“Barry University offers a living and learning communitythat … encourages a diversity of perspectives and lifeexperiences,” said Dr. Scott F. Smith, vice president forstudent affairs, who submitted the university’s diversityprofile to Minority Access.

Dr. Smith cited Barry’s core commitment of “inclusivecommunity,” which states in part: “Embracing a global worldview, the University nurtures and values cultural, social andintellectual diversity, and welcomes faculty, staff, andstudents of all faith traditions.”

Barry is one of 43 colleges and universities that MinorityAccess recognized in 2015 for their commitment to diversity.The luncheon at which they received national recognitionfeatured Congressman Elijah E. Cummings as the keynotespeaker and recipient of the organization’s HumanitarianAward.

Minority Access is a national nonprofit organizationwhose work is focused on increasing diversity, decreasingdisparities, and reducing environmental injustice in highereducation, government, and the business sector.

Rosenwald ReceivesSouth FloridaService-Learning Award

Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald, associate professor of social work,was a recipient of the 2015Spirit of Service LearningAward sponsored by theReturned Peace CorpsVolunteers of South Florida,the Armando Alejandre Jr.Memorial Foundation, and theMiami-Dade Teacher of theYear Coalition.

Selected as a jointfirst-place winner in thecollege/university category,Rosenwald was presentedwith the award at an event atthe New World Center inMiami Beach on October 2.

Rosenwald was aService-Learning FacultyFellow (2012-2013) with the Center for Community ServiceInitiatives (CCSI) and has been the instructor for SW 323:Service-Learning and Social Work Practice.

SW 323 is a three-credit, spring-semester courserequired for social work majors. Each student provides at


Andrea D. Mickle, president of Minority Access, presents the“Committed to Diversity” certificate to Barry representativeDr. Glenn Bowen.

Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald


least 45 hours of service that addresses a specificcommunity need or social issue.

“Last year, students supported efforts to relieve hunger,attended to children with special needs, and assisted withorganizing events for persons with intellectual disabilities,”noted CCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen, who nominatedRosenwald for the award. “Students documented theirexperiences in journals and reflection papers and madegroup presentations at an end-of-semester symposium.The three service-learning projects facilitated the practicalapplication of course content while meeting needs inthe community.”

The event at which the award was presented wasbilled as "What You Can Do for Your Country." OrganizersVirginia Emmons McNaught and Brett McNaught, foundersof Educate Tomorrow, described the event as “an eveningthat highlights the experiences of Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers and other community leaders’ impact ontheir global communities.” Emmons McNaught also isthe president of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers ofSouth Florida.

Associate Athletic DirectorHonored by Make-A-Wish

Barry University Associate Athletic Director James “Jamie”Carrig was honored on October 6 with Make-A-WishSouthern Florida’s YoungPhilanthropist InnovationAward. He received theaward at the organization’sAnnual Donor Celebrationheld at Jungle Island inMiami.

With Carrig as the leadorganizer, Barry UniversityAthletics and otherdepartments in the Schoolof Human Performance andLeisure Sciences have beenat the forefront of theuniversity’s fundraisingefforts for Make-A-Wish.They raised more than$20,200 during the2013–2014 academic year.

Over the past decade, Barry has been one of the topNCAA Division II schools in the country to support thefundraising initiative.

"Barry University Athletics, and specifically thestudent-athletes, have consistently raised a significantamount of money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation ofSouthern Florida," Carrig said. "I love to see ourstudent-athletes get excited and how they get involved withMake-A-Wish, particularly the relationships they build withthe Wish kids. It's a lot of work, but the nice thing about it is

when you have hundreds of student-athletes and auniversity that is involved, the amount of work pales incomparison of what you get in return for helping out theyoung kids."

Make-A-Wish Southern Florida grants the wishes ofchildren with life-threatening medical conditions “to enrichthe human experience with hope, strength and joy,” notedNorman Wedderburn, the organization’s president and chiefexecutive officer. He said the organization has granted morethan 500 wishes to kids in the region this past fiscal year.

According to Wedderburn, the Young PhilanthropistInnovation Award was in recognition of the university’sdedication to Make-A-Wish. Barry’s support “is trulyremarkable,” he said.

Following the organization’s award announcement,Director of Athletics Michael Covone thanked Carrig “formaking wishes come true.” Sara Herald, vice president forinstitutional advancement and external affairs, added hercongratulations.

In response, Carrig said: “This is truly a Barry Universityaward and I am proud to be a part of an incredible group ofstudents, faculty, and staff that continue to put the lives ofothers ahead of their own.”

The CCSI honored Carrig with an award in March 2015for his service in support of Make-A-Wish.

CCSI Associate DirectorGets Honorary Membership

CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien was named anhonorary member of the Barry University Chapter of theNational Society of Leadership and Success: Sigma Alpha Pi.The chapter held its member induction and awardsceremony on April 28 in the R. KirkLandon Student Union.

Rebecca Leppert, the Sigma Alpha Pi chapter president,reported that she had asked members to nominate a staffmember who exemplified leadership, mentorship,

and had demonstratedcommitment to betteringthe lives of students.”She said Berrien wasrecommended as “meeting this distinction.”


Courtney Berrien

Jamie Carrig


Graduating senior Peter Nwokoye and sophomore PaolaMontenegro were awarded the 2016 St. Catherine Medal foroutstanding leadership and service.

Barry’s president, Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD,conferred the honor on both students at the HonorsConvocation on May 6 in Cor Jesu Chapel. Sister SaraFairbanks, OP, PhD, an associate professor of theology,summarized the students’ achievements.

Sister Sara noted that Nwokoye served as president ofthe Chemistry Honor Society and was actively involved inthe project known as COACH (Chemistry Outreach:Approaching Chemistry Hands On), which benefits localunder-resourced elementary and high schools. He alsoparticipated in the 2015 Alternative Spring Break trip toImmokalee, Fla., to learn, reflect, and serve in response toissues affecting migrant farm workers.

“Peter puts his scholastic gifts at the service of others incountless ways,” Sister Sara said.

Sister Sara described Montenegro’s record of service as“impressive.”

Montenegro has worked closely with the Center forCommunity Service Initiatives as a Barry Service CorpsFellow and an Alternative Breaks leader, helping to organize

service trips to Immokalee and Port-de-Paix, Haiti. She alsowas a fellow with the Millennium Campus Network this year.

Each year, Kappa Gamma Pi Honor Society makes theSt. Catherine Medal available for outstanding studentleadership and service to the university and the widercommunity. The Honors Committee uses a nomination andselection process to award the medal.


Sister Linda congratulates Barry undergraduates Peter Nwokoye andPaola Montenegro, winners of the St. Catherine Medal.

Two Students Awarded St. Catherine Medal forOutstanding Service


The CCSI registered 19 organizations ascommunity partners this year. They includeCODeLLA; Farm Share; the Girl Scouts of TropicalFlorida; and the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation andOpen Spaces Department. The same number wasregistered the previous year.

CODeLLA’s main goal is to empower the nextgeneration of Latinas by building an invaluable skillset and giving them the confidence to pursuecareers in STEM (science, technology, engineering,and math). Providing a technology-basedentrepreneurship and coding immersion programfor under-represented Latina girls aged 9–12,CODeLLA offers “a safe, girls-only environment builtfor learning and exploring the fundamentals ofcomputer science, digital literacy, and interpersonaldevelopment.”

Established in 1991, Farm Share is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization dedicated to recovering,sorting, packing, and distributing nutritious food forpeople in need. It administers a combination ofUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)commodity programs and produce-recoveryoperations. Operating the only charitable producepackinghouse in the eastern United States, theorganization distributes food, free of charge,through various agencies in the community. ItsHomestead facility is located in the heart of South

Florida’s agricultural area.The Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, Inc. is the

preeminent local organization dedicated solely to allgirls. It is where, in an accepting and nurturingenvironment, girls build courage, confidence, andcharacter. In partnership with committed adultvolunteers, girls develop qualities that will servethem all their lives, such as leadership, strong values,social conscience, and conviction about their ownpotential and self-worth.

The Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and OpenSpaces Department manages a world-class parksystem focused on place-making, health and fitness,and conservation and stewardship. Miami-DadeCounty Parks is the third largest county park systemin the United States, consisting of 270 parks and13,573 acres of land.

The other newly registered community partnersare AMIkids Miami-Dade (North), Amor en Acción,the Arthritis Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters ofPalm Beach and Martin Counties, Christ LutheranChurch, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, DIBIADream, Empower A Student, I-PhiT, Miami BridgeYouth and Family Services, Miami ShoresElementary PTA, Mount Tabor Missionary BaptistChurch, the Prosperity Social CommunityDevelopment Group, South Florida Digital Alliance,and Volunteers of America – Florida.

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ts CCSI Registers 19 Community Partners This Year

Newly registered community partners include AMIkidsMiami-Dade (North), Amor en Acción, Big Brothers Big Sistersof Palm Beach and Martin Counties, DIBIA Dream, and theProsperity Social Community Development Group.

Rev. Richard Clements, Jr., director of music andministries at the Mount Tabor Missionary BaptistChurch, was appointed to the ImplementationCommittee for Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan(QEP) in December.

Clements replaced Sibyl Brown, former volunteercoordinator at Feeding South Florida.

Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church currentlyprovides community-based service-learningopportunities for Barry’s sociology and theology

students. The church was a recipient of a BarryCommunity Partnership Award in 2014.

Two community partners serve on the committee,which is charged with planning, coordinating, andmonitoring the implementation of the QEP entitled“Fostering Personal and Social Responsibility ThroughExperiential Learning.” The pilot phase of the QEPimplementation is underway.

Saliha Nelson, vice president of URGENT, Inc., is theother community partner appointed to the committee.

Community Partner Appointed to QEP Committee



Community Partners AttendWorkshop at CommunityEngagement Fair

The CCSI hosted a two-hour workshop on “EffectivePartnerships for Community-University Engagement” aspart of the Community Engagement Fair on September 30.

CCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen made an introductorypresentation titled “Creating and Maintaining Partnershipsfor Community Engagement,” after which ExperientialLearning Coordinator Liz James conducted a workshopactivity in which participants identified elements ofeffective partnerships.

The workshop activity was followed by a presentationfocused on partnerships for community engagement inBarry University’s School of Social Work. Dr. SharronSingleton, director of field education, referred to the Officeof the Public Guardian, the Service-Learning and SocialWork course, and the Neighborhood Technical AssistanceProject as exemplars of community engagement. She also

highlighted the work of the Student Social Work Associationand faculty leadership in community-based projects.

Dr. Roxanne Davies, associate vice president for missionand institutional effectiveness, delivered opening remarks inwhich she drew attention to Barry’s 75th anniversary. Shesaid the anniversary “offers us the perfect opportunity toreflect upon our heritage and what this means for today’sworld, especially in terms of our community engagementand outreach.”

Davies said: “As we explore the transformational powerof working together to effect positive change at thecommunity level, we are mindful that Barry’s Dominicanheritage has always called us to go forth into thecommunities we serve to challenge systems of inequity.This call to action inspires us to look for new opportunitiesto engage with the community, particularly those groupsthat are traditionally underserved.”

She added: “Catholic, Dominican colleges anduniversities express their unique and distinctive culturethrough the education of their students to serve others. Intrue Dominican fashion, building community … meansfurthering Barry’s institutional mission toward serving thecommon good, creating greater opportunities forcommunity service, and supporting diversity initiatives.”

Associate Director Courtney Berrien, who coordinatedthe fair, gave an overview of the CCSI’s co-curricularprograms and events. She thanked community partners fortheir collaboration with Barry staff, faculty, and students.

Twenty-seven community members and four BarryService Corps fellows represented 23 community partnersat the fall fair, which took place in the R. Kirk LandonStudent Union on Barry’s main campus. The workshoppreceded the displays-and-discussion segment of the event.

Community partners provided information on agencyprograms and services. They also shared volunteer andcourse-based service opportunities available to students.

The spring Community Engagement Fair was held onJanuary 28. Community partners discussed direct service,mentoring, employment, and leadership opportunities withstudents, faculty, and staff attending the semiannual event.The community partners offered opportunities in such areasas youth development, environmental preservation, humanrights, public health, and animal welfare.

Diana Young, the community outreach and resourcemanager for Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation andOpen Spaces Department, spoke with students aboutopportunities to contribute to environmental preservationand health and wellness programs.

“I’ve really enjoyed talking with students and looking forpotential ways to collaborate in the future,” Young said.

Students learn about the work of community partners at theCommunity Engagement Fair in the Landon Student Union.



Chapman Partnership and The Salvation Army expressedappreciation to Barry University for support provided bystudents, staff, and faculty members.

On April 19, the university received a certificate ofappreciation from Chapman Partnership for “dedication andcontribution to the least, the last and the lost of Miami-DadeCounty.”

Chapman Partnership aims to “empower homeless men,women and children to build a positive future by providingthe resources and assistance critical to growth andindependence.” The nonprofit organization provides acomprehensive support program that includes emergencyhousing, meals, health care, and job training for homelesspersons.

Barry was represented at The Salvation Army MiamiArea Command’s 2016 Appreciation Luncheon, whereindividuals and organizations received recognition for theircontributions to the organization and for making adifference in the lives of community members in need.

Representing Barry at the event, held at the Coral GablesCountry Club on May 20, were CCSI Program CoordinatorAndres Quevedo and Barry Service Corps Fellow PreslerMaxius as well as the International and MulticulturalProgram’s Associate Director Freddie Frage andCoordinator Daisy Santiago.

With a commitment to “Doing the Most Good,” TheSalvation Army is an evangelical part of the universalChristian Church. Its mission is to preach the gospel of JesusChrist and to meet human needs without discrimination. TheSalvation Army Miami Area Command offers ongoingassistance to people with limited resources in Miami-DadeCounty through shelters, rehabilitation centers, churchactivities, community centers, and emergency foodprograms and services.

Earlier in the year, William H. Turner Technical Arts HighSchool thanked the university for supporting the school’sAcademy of Business and Finance. Dr. Eugenie Anim, TurnerTech’s academy leader for the Academy of Finance and theAcademy of Information Technology and Entrepreneurship,said the school particularly appreciated the support of “theoutstanding students” of Barry’s Student ManagedInvestment Fund (SMIF).

In an email to Dr. Tomislav Mandakovic, dean of theAndreas School of Business, Amin described the benefits ofthe partnership between Barry and Turner Tech as“immeasurable.” She said the school looked forward to thecontinued success of the partnership.

The Turner Tech administrator also thanked Dr. StephenMorrell, professor of economics and finance, for “hisleadership and support in forging this relationship and to theoutstanding students of SMIF.”

Amin attended the university’s Core CommitmentsLuncheon on November 13. The event featuredpresentations by the School of Business.

“We appreciated the invitation to join in the celebration,”she said. “I especially enjoyed learning about all of thewonderful programs supported by the faculty and studentsat Barry University.”

SALVATION ARMY LUNCHEON: Presler Maxius, Andres Quevedo,Freddie Frage, and Daisy Santiago represented Barry at the event.

Nursing Home Becomes a Friend of the Barry LibrarySinai Plaza Rehabilitation and Nursing Center became apatron of the Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library. Thenonprofit nursing home received a “Friend of the Library”card for residents to use for checking out books, DVDs, andother items.

Sinai Plaza’s new activities director, Nelson Ramirez,expressed appreciation for the university’s prompt andpositive response to his request for residents of the nursinghome to have access to the library collection.

The CCSI had conveyed his request to the libraryadministration, and then-interim Library Director RodrigoCastro approved the creation of a “Friend of the Library”category of patrons. Now, Sinai Plaza residents can checkout up to five items at a time, with a regular lending

period of two weeks.On August 21, Ramirez accompanied the first library

patron from Sinai Plaza to peruse and borrow items from thelibrary collection. The delighted resident told Ramirez: “This isa miracle; I am so grateful to be here.”

The 150-bed Sinai Plaza provides short-term rehabilitationand long-term nursing home services. As a communitypartner and one of the university’s nearest neighbors inNorth Miami-Dade, the nursing home has welcomed Barrystudents over the years. Students from such disciplines associal work, sociology, nursing, and theology have engagedwith staff members and residents of the nursing home aspart of experiential learning assignments.

Community Partners Express Appreciation to University


Students Take Part in MiamiBridge’s Anniversary Event

Four Barry students helped Miami Bridge Youth and FamilyServices celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Tiliah Miles, Andres Quevedo, Christopher Riker, andAsha Starks took part in an anniversary fair in Miami, wherethey interacted with youth served by the organization. Thefair featured arts and crafts, music, face painting, watersports, a talent show, open-microphone performances,and games.

The students took the opportunity to promote programsand events organized by the CCSI.

Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services is a not-for-profitorganization that provides refuge, protection, counseling, andspecialized care to youth and families in crisis. It is Miami-Dade County’s 24-hour emergency shelter for youth.

Founded in 1985, the organization has two campuses,one in Miami and the other in Homestead.

City of Hollywood CouncilHosts Barry-OrganizedWorkshops

The City of Hollywood’s African American Advisory Councilhosted two workshops on civic involvement, organized byBarry University’s Center for Community Service Initiatives(CCSI), in February.

Dr. Nichole Castater, associate professor of finance,conducted the February 9 workshop titled “FinancialLiteracy: Managing Your Personal Finance.” Each workshopparticipant received a copy of Protecting Your FinancialFuture: A Sourcebook for Budgeting, Lending, and Credit,by Dr. Philip H. Mann, Rose Marie McClung, Selen Turner, andJoe G. Lahoud of the Barry Institute for Community andEconomic Development (BICED).

Dr. Walter Pierce, an associate professor of social work,led the February 23 workshop, the topic of which was “CivicInvolvement for Community Improvement.” He referred to

the African American traditionof self-help, addressed thequestion of civic duty versuscivic responsibility, andfacilitated a discussion of howto get involved productively inthe community.

CCSI Director Dr. GlennBowen coordinated theworkshop series inconsultation with AnthonyGrisby, the city’s communitydevelopment administratorand liaison with the AfricanAmerican Advisory Council.The workshops, which werefree and open to the public,were held in the City ofHollywood CommissionChambers.


MIAMI BRIDGE ANNIVERSARY: At the Miami Bridge Anniversary Fair, Barry students Asha Starks and TiliahMiles take the opportunity to promote CCSI programs and events.


Sections of five courses were approved for theservice-learning designation this year. The coursesinclude Introduction to Communication, aninternship course in the Department of English andForeign Languages, and a graduate course in thecounseling program. In addition, the designationwas renewed for a course in the School of Business.

Two sections of COM 201: Introduction toCommunication were approved for theservice-learning designation. The course instructorsare Drs. Margaret (Maggie) Chojnacki, NickesiaGordon, Katherine Nelson, and Pawena (Winnie)Sirimangkala, all associate professors ofcommunication.

Students will explore the concept of publicadvocacy through coursework and in partnershipwith local community organizations. As explained inthe syllabus, “Students will participate in a structuredadvocacy project to address an identified socialissue using communication skills and competenciesthey are learning in the course. The assignment hasan embedded reflection component which promptsstudents to think about their roles as citizens andhow they can use their education to help createsocial change.”

Students will be required to use social media asthe primary communication tool for their socialchange-focused advocacy project.

SPA 499–01: Internship is the first course in theDepartment of English and Foreign Languages to bedesignated as service-learning. This semester-long,supervised, career-related educational experiencecombines elements of service-learning with atraditional internship in order to produce the bestoutcomes of both forms of experiential education.Through this course, students will undertake asignificant experiential learning opportunity with agovernmental or community-based organization.

Dr. Beatriz Calvo Peña, assistant professor ofSpanish, said students would teach Spanish to minorand adult residents during eight classes (a total of 16hours). Students also would write a personal reportnarrating their experience and reflecting on how thiscollaboration fosters social change.

The graduate course approved for theservice-learning designation is CSL 629: Social andCultural Issues in Counseling. Its service-learningcomponent requires that students select acommunity agency where they will provide servicethat will support the agency in advancing its missionand particularly in achieving its social justice oradvocacy goals. Students are required to initiate arelationship with agency personnel, provide 10 to 15hours of service, engage regularly in reflection ontheir experience, and share the results of the entireservice-learning experience in a professional

presentation.Counseling is an academic program of the

Adrian Dominican School of Education. Dr. RaulMachuca, an assistant professor, is the courseinstructor.

Also added to the list of courses designated asservice-learning this year were a mathematicscourse and a research course in biology.

In MAT 213-01: Calculus III, the purpose ofservice-learning is to get young students excitedabout math, to broaden their vision of the usage andimportance of mathematics, and to help themovercome difficulties they encounter in class.

Dr. Sanja Zivanovic, assistant professor ofmathematics, is the course instructor. Her studentsare expected to will serve as tutors in an off-campusprogram.

The goal of the service-learning component ofBIO 295/395/495-06: Research is to apply lessonslearned through research to the broader context offostering a love of learning and discovery, andencouraging engagement in and excitement forscience. Students are expected to assist with sciencehomework and science-fair projects at anelementary school. The course also calls for eachresearch student to prepare a presentation of his orher research for 5th graders with related hands-onactivities.

Dr. Stephanie Bingham, associate professor ofbiology, is the course instructor.

Courses that carry the service-learningdesignation reflect the thoughtful integration ofservice into the curriculum. They demonstrate thevalue of applied learning, student engagement withthe community, and critical reflection.

The designation of ACC 362-01: Federal IncomeTaxation as a service-learning course was renewedthis year. The course received the designation inFebruary 2014. ACC 362-01 is part of theundergraduate curriculum in the School of Business.

Dr. Kevin Kemerer, associate professor ofaccounting, is the course instructor. Kemerer wasone of two faculty members who received this year’sService-Learning Faculty Award. Dr. Pamela Hall wasthe other recipient.

Dr. Carmen McCrink, associate professor, AdrianDominican School of Education, is chair of theService-Learning Course Review Committee. Othercommittee members are Dr. Tamara Hamilton,associate professor of chemistry, Department ofPhysical Sciences; Dr. Kevin Kemerer, associateprofessor of accounting, School of Business; and Dr.Glenn Bowen, associate professor and director,Center for Community Service Initiatives

Sections of Five Courses Approved forService-Learning Designation

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Two Faculty MembersComplete Service-LearningFellowships

Dr. Ligia Mihut, assistant professor of English andmultilingual language coordinator in the Department ofEnglish and Foreign Languages (College of Arts andSciences), and Dr. Raul Machuca, assistant professor ofcounseling in the Adrian Dominican School of Education,completed their service-learning faculty fellowships in May.

The Faculty Fellows Program provides faculty supportfor the coordination and promotion of service-learning. Themain purpose of the program is to increase the number andquality of service-learning courses and faculty who use thepedagogy effectively. The service-learning fellows’ role ispart of a strategy by the CCSI to provide Barry faculty withpedagogical, administrative, and technical support. Facultyfellows are mentors and role models who share experience,knowledge, and skills with their colleagues. By promotingcollaboration and innovation, the fellows make an importantcontribution to the intellectual life of the university as acommunity of scholars.

The director of the CCSI covered the following topicsduring the program’s orientation session on August 25:Faculty Fellows’ Experiences in Service-Learning andCommunity Engagement; Mission, Programs, and Servicesof the CCSI; Integrating Service-Learning into theCurriculum; Criteria for Designating Courses asService-Learning; Promoting Service-Learning across theUniversity; and the Faculty Learning Community forEngaged Scholarship.

CCSI Administrative Assistant Alicia Santos made a briefpresentation on Service-Learning Resources and theCommunity Engagement Management System (CEMS).

The fellows participated in monthly faculty developmentseminars scheduled for September through April. Topicsdiscussed during the eight seminars are as follows:

� Seminar I: Integrating Service-Learning into theCurriculum: Importance of Partnerships

� Seminar II: Assessment of Service-Learning: AnOverview; Relationship Between Service-Learning andCommunity Engagement

� Seminar III: Service-Learning’s Relevance and Benefitsto Faculty; Factors that Motivate and Deter FacultyUse of Service-Learning

� Seminar IV: Service-Learning and Social Justice

� Seminar V: Service-Learning in Online Courses

� Seminar VI: Assessment of Service-Learning: UsingReflection to Assess and Improve Student Learning

� Seminar VII: Interdisciplinary Service-Learning

� Seminar VIII: International Service-Learning

The faculty fellows worked collaboratively to developand facilitate three service-learning workshops. The firstworkshop was held in the fall semester and the two others inthe spring:

� Service-Learning 101: Fundamentals of the Pedagogy

� Critical Reflection as Assessment in Service-Learning

� Community-Based Research as Service-Learning

The fellows also made a number of presentations andprovided consultations on campus. Each fellow fulfilledthe requirement to submit a syllabus for a service-learning-enhanced course and applied for the service-learningdesignation. One of those courses, ENG 112 (with Mihut andDr. Paige Banaji as instructors) served as a Barry QualityEnhancement Plan (QEP) pilot course. The focus of thecourse was on the “community engagement andcollaboration” outcome of the QEP, demonstrated asstudents “apply and explore the impact of the concepts,theories, and skills learned in class on issues affecting localand global communities.”

In addition, the service-learning fellows developed asurvey to determine the level and extent of professionaldevelopment support currently needed by faculty for theimplementation of service-learning. Conducted in the fallsemester, the university-wide survey generated responses toquestions regarding workshop topics, delivery format,scheduling, and related issues.

Further, Migut and Machuca assisted with initiating thebirth of a service-learning curriculum project conceived bythe CCSI. A comprehensive service-learning curriculum forfaculty will be developed over the next two years to serve asa resource for faculty members interested in expanding theirknowledge of service-learning and in gaining expertise inthis high-impact pedagogical practice.

As required, the faculty fellows took part in seminars andother activities of the Faculty Learning Community forEngaged Scholarship (FLC) throughout the academic year.


Drs. Raul Machuca and Ligia Mihut were the service-learning facultyfellows for 2015–2016 academic year.


Reflecting on the Faculty Fellows Program, Mihut stated:“The Service-Learning Faculty Fellows Program has grantedme a unique opportunity to learn about service-learning; todevelop and facilitate workshops; to collaborate and interactwith colleagues across campus about their communityengagement; and to reflect on and reconfigure my ownteaching practices. All these engaged activities – fromscholarship and teaching to administration and service in thecommunity – in the course of nine months equip faculty in awide range of academic work in a short period of time.”

Meanwhile, Machuca reported that he “gained atremendous amount of knowledge in the area ofservice-learning and community-engaged scholarship.” Headded: “I also had the opportunity of applying thisknowledge to specific real situations such as theestablishment of community partnerships,community-based research, and to multiple educationalopportunities in the university and the community.”

Two Faculty MembersAwarded Service-LearningFellowships

The CCSI awarded service-learning fellowships totwo faculty members for the 2016-2017 academic year. Dr.Adam Dean, associate professor of communication, andDr. Tisa McGhee, assistant professor of social work, will bethe faculty fellows.

Dean (PhD in Media, Art and Text, VirginiaCommonwealth University) is a member of the BarryUniversity Faculty Learning Community for EngagedScholarship and the Community Engagement AwardsCommittee. He has been serving as the CCSI’s video directorand editor.

He also is a member of the International CommunicationAssociation, the Arts in Society Knowledge Community, andthe National Association of Broadcasters.

As a faculty member, Dean says his goal is “to teach ourstudents how to make and use socially conscious media toserve the educational, creative, and cultural needs of theircommunity.” As part of his fellowship, he will coordinate theproduction of a series of videos focused on communityengagement and social change.

McGhee (PhD in Social Work, University of SouthernCalifornia) served on the 2016 Community EngagementAwards Committee and has been a presenter at the annualCommunity Engagement Symposium. She was a winner ofthe Engaged Scholarship Award in 2015.

McGhee was awarded a $30,000 State of Florida grantto support the 2014–2015 program evaluation of the MiamiChildren’s Initiative. Since 2013, she has been involved in theOvertown Children and Youth Coalition, and, since 2014, inthe Liberty City Community Collaborative For Change. Inaddition, she has been an advisory committee member ofthe City of Miami Gardens Health Foundation’s HealthyCommunity Partnership for the past two years.

As part of her fellowship, McGhee will promotecommunity partner participation in service-learning coursedevelopment and delivery.

Faculty fellows support the coordination and promotionof service-learning at Barry. Their roles include serving asfaculty mentors while pursuing community-engagedscholarship.

CCSI Assists School ofEducation with PlanningCapstone Project

The CCSI assisted Barry’s Adrian Dominican School ofEducation (ADSOE) with planning a capstone for theDoctorate of Education (EdD) program in organizationallearning and leadership. Also, the CCSI invited communitypartners to participate in the capstone – a field-based,action-learning project.

Through this project, the doctoral students are expectedto work closely with community organizations todevelop and implement high-priority projects designed toanalyze problems of practice and offer meaningful solutions.The students will serve as consultants, utilizing theiranalytical abilities, contextual knowledge, conceptual tools,and professional judgment to solve problems and addressissues identified within the organization.

ADSOE introduced its EdD in organizational learning andleadership with a specialization in human resourcedevelopment (HRD) in the spring of 2012. The programadvances lifelong learning for students who want tofurther their knowledge in human resource developmentas well as develop their competitive advantage asvision-driven leaders.


Drs. Adam Dean and Tisa McGhee will be service-learning facultyfellows for the 2016–2017 academic year.


Students taking theology courses provided 4,937 hours ofservice to the community this year – 2,471 hours in the falland 2,466 hours in the spring.

During the fall 2015 semester, more than 280 theologystudents engaged in a variety of service-learning projects at69 community sites. They provided 2,471 hours of service atcommunity centers, nursing homes, food banks, naturepreserves, and other community sites.

Experiential Learning Coordinator Liz James reportedthat the students assisted with projects that addressed suchissues as community justice, human trafficking, refugeeresettlement, farm workers’ rights, youth mentorship,long-term care, and food insecurity.

In all, 286 students were enrolled in 15 sections of threecourses – THE 201: Theology: Faiths, Beliefs, and Traditions;THE 306: Dynamics of Faith, Beliefs, and Theology; andTHE 327: Peace and Justice. All sections of THE 201 carrythe service-learning designation, and both THE 306 andTHE 327 had a service-learning component this year.

The course instructors were Sister Sara Fairbanks, SisterMary Frances Fleischaker, Rev. Deborah Geweke, Dr. DeenaGrant, Dr. Marc Lavallee, Dr. Alicia Marill, Dr. James Nickoloff,Fr. Jose David Padilla, Fr. Jorge Presmanes, Dr. GloriaSchaab, and Fr. Mark Wedig.

The sections taught by Wedig and Geweke served as apilot for a new model of service-learning uniquely designedas part of Barry’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Bothcreated a single partnership with an off-campus church thatcarried out specific faith-based outreach in the SouthFlorida area.

Wedig's class partnered with Mount Tabor MissionaryBaptist Church. Students engaged the church’s ministrygroups of HIV prevention; "Keeping It Real," a weekly youthdynamics session; and a Saturday feeding ministry. At theend of the semester, Rev. Richard Clements from MountTabor and Liz James from the CCSI joined the students andinstructor for reflection on experiential learning andcommunity impact.

Geweke's class partnered with Christ Lutheran Churchnear the Wilton Manors section of Fort Lauderdale, wherethey assisted with the church’s community outreach andwelcome to the gay and lesbian communities.

Other community partners involved in THE 201 in the fallsemester were Church World Service, the Coalition ofImmokalee Workers, Gang Alternative, the Little HaitiOptimist Club, Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services,PACT (People Acting for Community Together), Pass It OnMinistries of South Florida, and Urban Paradise Guild.


Students taking Theology 306: Dynamics of Faith, Beliefs and Theology supported the work of the Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa inMiami. The students assisted in the soup kitchen, where they prepared and served a meal for members of the community. Dr. Alicia Marill,associate professor of theology, practical theology and ministry, was the course instructor. The Archdiocese of Miami sponsors the Missionaries ofCharity shelter for homeless women and children, located near Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Theology Students Provide 4,937 Hours of Service tothe Community


During the spring 2016 semester, theology studentsprovided 2,466 hours of service to the community as theycompleted the service-learning requirements of threecourses. The service provided by the 274 students benefited94 community-based organizations and projects.

The students were enrolled in 14 service-learningsections of three theology courses. The courses were THE201: Theology – Faiths, Beliefs, and Traditions (11 sections);THE 306: Dynamics of Faith, Beliefs, and Theology (onesection); and THE 311: Sexuality, Sex, and Morality (twosections).

The Faiths, Beliefs, and Traditions course instructors wereSister Mary Frances Fleischaker, Dr. Deena Grant, Dr.Christopher Jones, Dr. Marc Lavallee, Fr. José David Padilla,Fr. Jorge Presmanes, Dr. James Nickoloff, Dr. Gloria Schaab,

and Fr. Mark Wedig. Dr. Alicia Marill taught THE 306 and Dr.Christopher Jones was the instructor for THE 311.

Service sites included local nature preserves,food-distribution venues, community centers, nursinghomes, and targeted advocacy locales in Miami-DadeCounty. The community partners and projects includedAmnesty International, Carnival Arts, the College BridesWalk, EcoTech Visions, Feeding South Florida, GangAlternative, Missionaries of Charity of Mother Teresa, MountTabor Missionary Baptist Church, and PACT (People Actingfor Community Together).

Projects addressed such issues as police-citizen relations,dating and domestic violence, farm-workers’ rights, youthmentorship, long-term care, and food insecurity.


Kristen King Jaiven, Farm Share’s director of communications and development (third from left), prepares social work students Rosa Gordon andBridget Andres for the administration of a survey in Opa-Locka.

Students Support Farm Share Projects as Part ofService-Learning CoursesBarry students lent a hand in support of projects organizedby Farm Share, Inc., a Homestead-based organization whosemission is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by recoveringand distributing fresh and nutritious food to people whoneed it most.

The students assisted Farm Share as a service-learningassignment in social work and theology courses throughoutthe spring semester. The theology students concentrated onsupporting the organization’s food distribution events.

Not long after rolling out the welcome mat for thestudents, Farm Share called them “an amazing groupof volunteers.”

“Farm Share is so excited to welcome an amazing groupof volunteers from Barry University to our organization,” theorganization said in its newsletter, The Farm Press. “Social

Work and Theology students from Barry will be volunteeringwith Farm Share throughout their spring semester. Studentswill learn about poverty in Miami-Dade County and learnabout the issue of food waste. Students will be helping withdistribution events and assisting us with various projects.”

Social work students participated in various aspects ofFarm Share’s Local Food Distribution and EducationProgram, reported Liz James, experiential learningcoordinator in the CCSI. They were expected to drafttestimonials based on interviews with food recipients,summarize monthly program results, score surveys, andassist on food distribution days. The surveys gauged FarmShare’s success in establishing food security, improvingnutrition, and increasing awareness of Florida’s localfood system.


A three-member team of social work studentsadministered and scored a survey of 30 food recipients inOpa-Locka as part of a research project that Farm Sharewas conducting. Bridget Andres, Lourdy Cesar, and RosaGordon were enrolled in SW 323: Service-Learning andSocial Work Practice. Mount Tabor Missionary BaptistChurch Ministries partnered with Farm Share to facilitate theOpa-Locka survey and food distribution site.

“Just knowing how we are helping get food on the table,instead of the dump, gives me a deep sense of satisfactionand fulfillment,” Gordon said. “This is a great opportunity foranyone to experience and see first-hand hunger in Americaand one organization responding to the need.”

To prepare for their service-learning assignment, Gordonand her classmates were trained in using a United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA) food security surveytool. Kristen King Jaiven, Farm Share’s then director ofcommunications and development, was the trainer.

Farm Share had received a USDA Local Food PromotionProgram grant to support food distribution and education inOpa-Locka and Pahokee, Fla.

Preeti Charania was the course instructor for SW 323,which includes a 45-hour community service component.

Social Work StudentsReflect on Service-LearningExperiences

Social work students reflected on their service-learningexperiences during an end-of-spring-semester symposium.The 16 students had logged more than 720 hours ofcommunity service as part of SW 323: Service-Learning andSocial Work Practice.

For one student, the experience was “enlightening.” Foranother, it was “mind-altering.”

Lourdy Cesar said his experience at Farm Shareenhanced his “sense of civic engagement.” Rosa Gordon,who was assigned to the same community organization,said the service-learning project opened her eyes to foodwaste. As a result, she added, she was “making acommitment to be less wasteful and to consider the impactof waste on natural resources.”

Each student who took the service-learning coursewas required to provide at least 45 hours of service to oneof three community organizations – Farm Share, SinaiPlaza Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, or SpecialOlympics Florida.

Farm Share’s mission is to alleviate hunger andmalnutrition by recovering and distributing fresh andnutritious food to people who need it. The studentsassigned to that organization had Ileana Abreu as their sitesupervisor. Abreu, the director of communication anddevelopment, said 3 in 10 Florida children experienced foodinsecurity. Speaking at the symposium, she mentioned thatFarm Share concentrated its food distribution on

communities deprived of fresh produce, which included“food deserts” such as Opa-Locka.

Students addressed food-insecurity and food-wasteissues. They took part in food-distribution events andassisted with administering a survey in Opa-Locka, inMiami-Dade County, and tallying survey responses fromPahokee, in Palm Beach County.

Farm Share had asked Cesar, Gordon, and theirteammates Bridget Andres and Shykera Coats to watch thedocumentary “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story.” Thestudents also read a report titled “Income & Poverty inMiami-Dade County: 2013.”

Sinai Plaza is one of seven centers operated by the PlazaHealth Network. Located across the street from the mainentrance to Barry’s Miami Shores campus, the 150-bedfacility is a convenient service site for students. Sevenstudents who took SW 323 formed “Team Sinai” for theirservice-learning project, which included conversations,games, and other social activities with residents of thenursing home.

Caroline Flores, King Guerrero, Alexis Prada, LuisQuinones, Johanna Rodriguez, Jennifer Sanhou, andBenedetie Sylvain all found the Sinai Plaza experiencevaluable because it “heightened our awareness of such avulnerable population.” It was members of that group whocalled the experience “enlightening” and “mind-altering.”

Sinai Plaza Activities Director Nelson Ramirez and one ofthe nursing home residents attended the symposium.Ramirez told the students that they had made a positiveimpact on the lives of the residents.

Special Olympics Florida’s volunteer manager AmandaSpies joined students Bridget Andres (who split her servicebetween that organization and Farm Share), Caitlin Connor,


Social work students participate in the Special Olympics R-WordCampaign. The reference is to the word “retard” or “retarded,” whichis considered offensive and derogatory. As part of the campaign,students promoted acceptance, respect, inclusion, and unity.


Decsiree Gonzalez, Cynthia Salazar, Marvin Fremont, andEfrem Scott for their reflection. Group members shared theirexperience supporting the organization’s work of providingyear-round sports training and competition for children andadults with intellectual disabilities.

The students supported the organization’s Camp Shriverand its Jack in the Park precursor as well as the SpecialOlympics 5K Run and R-Word Campaign. They fulfilledleadership and counseling roles at the camp, Spies noted.

Miami’s Moore Park was the venue for the 2016 CampShriver. The camp is named for Eunice Kennedy Shriver,President John F. Kennedy’s sister, who started the event onher Maryland farm in 1962. Camp Shriver led to the foundingof Special Olympics.

The national R-Word Campaign seeks to “spread theword to end the word.” The goal is to create more acceptingattitudes and communities for all people by bringingattention to the power of language. The organizers ofBarry’s participation in the campaign invited students totake the R-word pledge – to eliminate exclusive, offensive,and derogatory language from their conversations withfamily and friends and on social media.

Preeti Charania, LCSW, was the SW 323 course instructorfor the spring 2016 semester. She described her students aspassionate and engaging.

The Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Workheld its third annual Service-Learning Symposium in its RileyCenter on April 28. The symposium provided an opportunityfor the students and faculty to thank community partnersfor facilitating the service-learning projects.

Participants included the Bachelor of Social WorkProgram Director Dr. Jennifer Williams; Master of SocialWork Program Director Maria Teahan; Dr. MitchellRosenwald, associate professor and former SW 323instructor; and Yvonne Alonso, administrative assistant forstudent services. CCSI staff members Dr. Glenn Bowen andLiz James attended the symposium.

Physician Assistant StudentsProvide Medical Aid in theDominican Republic

A dozen Barry physician assistant (PA) students traveled toLa Victoria, Dominican Republic to provide medical aid andvolunteer their services.

Students from all three Barry PA locations – Miami, St.Petersburg, and St. Croix – treated more than 700 patientsthis year. Nicole Schtupak, Lian Castillo-Olivera, TheresaMoscato, Gabriela Lopez, Iliana Suero, Daniel Berluti, NikitaGreen, Andrea Blaine, Tiffany Defiore, Tamara Collins,Christine Welker, and Amanda Rodriguez joined otherphysician assistants, nurse practitioners, and child lifespecialists in the Caribbean nation.

While on their mission trip, the group received a largenumber of donations from the community. Donationsincluded food, toys, clothing, medications, vitamins, andwound-care items as well as other basic necessities. Thestudents had raised more than $2,000 to buy “Ready ReliefBoxes,” which contained antibiotics, anti-fungal, and painmedications to take to the community hospital.

Every day of the week, from early morning to late in theevening, the group opened a clinic to provide care andcounseling. Some students even made house visits to seethose patients and families who otherwise would not havehad access to medical care. They provided extensive woundcare, I&D’s, medical management, routine physicals – forboth the adult and pediatric patients – treating a variety ofviral, bacteria, protozoal, and fungal infections.


Nursing Students Provide Health Screenings

Students participating in the NUR 422: Community/Public Health Nursing course

provided 18 health screenings and made 15 teaching/learning presentations in the fall semester. The health

screenings were done at the Miami Beach Community Church.

NUR 422 is a service-learning-designated course. There were 10 clinical coordinators,

with eight to 10 students in each group. The students provided a total of 247 hours

of service to the community.



Barry Volunteers Perform SurgeriesDuring Medical Mission Trip to GuyanaA group of volunteers from Barry’s College of Nursingand Health Sciences and School of Podiatric Medicinejoined Dr. Eric J. Stelnicki and his father, Barry trustee Dr.James Stelnicki, on a medical mission trip to Georgetown,Guyana.

During the weeklong trip to the South Americancountry, the team saw more than 100 patients and thedoctors performed 35 surgeries. One case involved awoman who had an injured foot and was not able tostand for three years. The doctors performed surgery onher foot so she would be able to walk again. In addition,the volunteers provided medical and nursing education.

The trip was funded in part by Children’s Health andRehabilitative Missions (CHARM), a nonprofitorganization established by Dr. Eric J. Stelnicki, a FortLauderdale-based pediatric plastic and reconstructivesurgeon.


Students and EmployeesRender 75 Acts ofService to Mark BarryAnniversaryBarry University students and employees rendered75 acts of service during the 2015–2016 academicyear to mark as Barry’s 75th Anniversary. The actsranged from painting and landscaping as part ofschool beautification projects to collecting andsorting donations as part of the eighth annualMove-Out Drive.

Sponsored by Bank of America, 75 Acts ofService spanned the fall and spring semesters, fromAugust 22 through May 9, with the official launch onOctober 24, Make a Difference Day. The universitykicked off 75 Acts by reaffirming its commitment tobuilding partnerships primarily with nonprofitorganizations and selectively with businesses tomeet social and economic needs in underservedcommunities.

Sara Herald, vice president for institutionaladvancement and external affairs, emphasized theimportance of strategic partnerships to achieveinstitutional goals. She thanked Bank of America forits support of Barry’s 75th Anniversary.

Herald also stressed Barry’s commitment tocollaborative service. She urged all Barry employeesand students to participate in at least one act ofservice.

In her remarks, Maria Alonso, Bank of America’ssenior vice president and market manager forenterprise business and community engagement,congratulated the university on its “rich history ofaccomplishments.”

Noting that Barry and Bank of America haveenjoyed a longstanding relationship, Alonso pointedto several similarities between both institutions. Forexample, “Barry believes in collaborative service,fostering and creating engaged citizens andenriching the educational experience throughcommunity service.” At Bank of America, she said,the commitment to corporate social responsibility

“cuts across our entire company and is at the core ofwho we are as an organization.” She then explainedthat Bank of America’s corporate socialresponsibility was demonstrated throughphilanthropy, sponsorships, investments in low- tomoderate-income neighborhoods, and volunteerism.

Alonso noted that Barry students wereencouraged to reach their full potential and make adifference in the world. At Bank of America, she said,“we believe that our success is inextricably linked tothe success of our communities and that making adifference in the communities we call home – wherewe live, work, and play – is an important part of ouroverall commitment to the communities we serve.As a result, we have one of the most generousvolunteer policies in the U.S., allowing employees totake up to two hours of paid time off each week tovolunteer.”C

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CCSI Implements Collaborative ServiceInitiative, Barry Service Corps, DeliberativeDialogue, and Other Co-Curricular ProgramsThe CCSI organized a special collaborative service initiative tomark Barry University’s 75th anniversary andimplemented its major co-curricular programs and projects throughout the year. Called 75 Acts of Service,the special initiative was organized in partnership with the Division of Institutional Advancement andExternal Affairs. In this section are some details of 75 Acts and such programs as Days of Service, FederalWork-Study Community Service, Alternative Breaks, and the Deliberative Dialogue Series.

Bank of America Senior VP Maria Alonso (third from left),Barry University VP Sara Herald (fifth from left), and CCSIDirector Glenn Bowen (second from left) with students at the75 Acts of Service kickoff. Jarvis Washington, TaylorMercado, Brandon Parker, Justin Hoyte, and Daniel Marinwere among dozens of students who later participated inMake a Difference Day projects in the community.



Alonso added: “Faithful to the mission and values uponwhich Barry University was established, your serviceportfolio reflects a commitment to a diverse and inclusivecommunity, upholds social justice and strives to createpositive change in this arena and helps addressenvironmental issues, among other pressing needs in ourcommunity. Similarly, our employee volunteer program istasked with providing the resources to inspire, support, andencourage our employees to make an impact on meaningfulissues, with a particular focus on extending our company’s work to address priority issues such as basichuman needs, workforce development and education,

community development and revitalization, as well as the environment.”

For the purposes of this initiative, an act of service is acommunity service project or event, or a community serviceactivity as part of a larger project or event.

CCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowen thanked students forcontributing their time, talents, and energies to communityengagement projects. He told the students that they weremaking a considerable difference in the community.

CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien was assignedprimary responsibility for coordinating the 75 Acts initiative.

75 Acts of ServiceFreshmen Experience Day: School Beautification Projects1. Painting and landscaping at Brownsville Middle School2. Landscaping, gardening, and providing teacher assistance at Doctors

Charter School3. Designing bulletin boards, landscaping, and providing teacher assistance

at Gratigny Elementary School4. Painting at Jesse J. McCrary Elementary School5. Landscaping, gardening, and providing teacher assistance at Miami Park

Elementary School6. Painting and providing teacher assistance at North Miami Middle School7. Cleaning and providing teacher assistance at Poinciana Elementary School8. Landscaping and providing teacher assistance at Sibley K-8 Center9. Designing and decorating bulletin boards at Jose De Diego Middle School

September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance & Feeding SouthFlorida’s 3rd Annual Sort-A-Thon10. Sorting and packing food items at Feeding South Florida

International Coastal Clean-Up Project11. Removing trash and pollutants from Virginia Key Beach

Saturday of Service: Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative12. Providing public education about breast cancer prevention and heart health

in Cutler Ridge

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Lotus House13. Supporting Lotus House Women’s Shelter

Make a Difference Day and 75 Acts of Service Kick-Off14–29. Various acts of service that address hunger, environmental sustainability,

and human rights (See page 34)

People Acting for Community Together (PACT) Annual Meeting and Mini Action30. Supporting affordable housing and juvenile detention advocacy efforts with

a North Miami congregation

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Purdue Medical Center31. Assisting staff at Purdue Medical Center

Saturday of Service: Church World Service Youth and Family Day32. Facilitating sports and recreational activities for children of refugee families

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk(Sponsored by the School of Social Work)33. Bringing awareness to leukemia and lymphoma

Barry Founders Week – Arbor Day: Plant the Campus Green(Sponsored by the Office of Mission Engagement)34. Improving the campus environment for the benefit of students, employees,

and visitors

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Lotus House Modeling Class35. Addressing self-esteem issues

Uniting for Fair Food National Day of Action – Miami 36. Supporting the work of the Alliance for Fair Food

Barry Special Christmas (Sponsored by the Division of Institutional Advancement)37. Facilitating activities with local youth at this holiday celebration on campus

Saturday of Service: FAPA (Foster and Adoptive Parents Association) Field Day (Cosponsored by the Department of Athletics and the CCSI)38. Coaching and mentoring youth in sports, fitness skills, and other activities

School of Social Work Presents: Lotus House Fashion Show 39. Supporting an event that benefits the women’s shelter

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service40–54. Various acts of service that promote and support civil rights(See page 35)

Stand for Hope Concert (Sponsored by the School of Social Work)55. Building awareness of human trafficking in Miami and internationally

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Feed My Starving Children56. Assembling food packages for communities overseas

Saturday of Service57. Providing locally sourced produce to low-income communities

College Brides Walk(Sponsored by Department of Sociology and Criminology)58. Bringing awareness to dating and domestic violence

Saturday of Service: Life of Freedom Center59. Building awareness for human trafficking victims

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Perdue Medical Center 60. Interacting with residents by facilitating games and arts and crafts

People Acting for Community Together (PACT) North Rally61. Preparing for the Nehemiah Action with a congregation in North Miami

Alternative Spring Break62–67. Supporting community organizations in New Orleans and Northwest Haiti

People Acting for Community Together (PACT) Nehemiah Action68. Holding public officials accountable in addressing juvenile justice and

affordable housing issues

Saturday of Service: Unite for Change March69. Building solidarity in opposition to police violence

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Lotus House70. Providing arts and crafts classes to residents

Saturday of Service: Historic Virginia Key Beach Park71. Preserving a coastal ecosystem

Honors Program Service Project: East Greynolds Park72. Supporting park clean-up efforts

School of Social Work Volunteer Days: Perdue Medical Center73. Providing fun with arts and crafts

Stamps Scholars Day of Service: Breezeswept Park(Sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement)74. Painting and planting at a park near Barry’s campus

Annual Move-Out Drive75. Collecting, sorting, and donating household items to community partners


Students Advocateon Behalf of HumanTrafficking Victims

As one of Barry’s 75 acts of service, a group of studentssupported the Life of Freedom Center’s efforts to preventhuman trafficking and support human trafficking victimsin South Florida. Together with three staff members, thenine students gathered at the Miami Tattoo Company inSouth Beach.

Jorge Veitia, executive director of the Life of FreedomCenter, led an orientation, providing statistics on missingyouth and sex trafficking. A Miami-based communityorganization, the Life of Freedom Center offers free supportand restorative programs for female survivors of sexualexploitation and human trafficking.

The Barry volunteers distributed flyers highlightingwarning signs of sex trafficking to businesses around theWashington Avenue area of South Beach. They alsoshowed business owners and hotel managers pictures ofmissing children.

Saturdays of ServiceAdded to Traditional ServiceDays on CommunityEngagement Calendar

The community engagement calendar for the academicyear included not only the traditional Days of Service butalso specific Saturdays of Service. On the calendar were fourmajor Days of Service – September 11th National Day ofService and Remembrance, International Coastal CleanupDay, Make a Difference Day, and the MLK Day of Service –and seven Saturdays of Service.

9/11 DAYOF SERVICE

To mark the September 11th National Day of Service andRemembrance, Barry volunteers participated in FeedingSouth Florida’s third annual Sort-A-Thon in Pembroke Park,Broward County, on September 12.

Together with other volunteers assigned to one of thethree-hour shifts, 16 Barry volunteers inspected, sorted, andpacked more than 36,000 lbs. food items in the

organization’s warehouse. Nine members of Barry’s MinorityAssociation of Pre-health Students (MAPS) and the GammaXi Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. were

assigned to an earlier shift during the 24-hour service event.Barry alumna Jazzmyne Holmes (class of 2011, public

relations), was one of the volunteers at Sort-A-Thon.The CCSI donated tags with hunger and food insecurity

facts to Feeding South Florida, a Barry community partner.Feeding South Florida distributed the tags to nearly 100Sort-A-Thon volunteers.

“Barry showed an excellent way that our communitypartners can support this initiative and spread awarenessabout the issues,” said Sibyl Brown, Feeding South Florida’svolunteer coordinator.

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP

A group of Barry students participated in the InternationalCoastal Cleanup project at the Historic Virginia Key Beach inKey Biscayne on September 19.

Javelle Campbell, Wills Compere, Justin Hoyte, SydneyIngram, Marrissa Jones, Alberto Liriano, Donté Roberts,Jarvis Washington, and Mernyka Webster removeddiscarded items such as plastic bottles, shoes and clothes,toys, and fishing lines from both the beach and the dunes.As part of their three-hour service assignment, the studentsalso documented information on the sources of those itemsfor VolunterCleanup.org, to be used in its education andpolicy-change efforts.

Ocean Conservancy sponsors International CoastalCleanup, which draws attention to ocean trash as “a seriouspollution problem that affects the health of people, wildlifeand local economies.” The organization publishes datacollected each year in the Ocean Trash Index.

MAKEADIFFERENCEDAY

On October 24, dozens of Barry students took part in Makea Difference Day service projects in Miami-Dade andBroward counties. After attending the launch of 75 Acts ofService and participating in a service project orientation oncampus, they engaged in projects addressing foodinsecurity/hunger, environmental issues, and human rights.

Some students painted hallways and staircases at theMiami Beach Community Church, which houses a soupkitchen. Others supported Miami Bridge Youth and FamilyServices by painting bathrooms inside its shelter for teensand spreading soil on the premises. Barry volunteers alsocreated garden beds at Urban GreenWorks’ Caressee Farmsin Liberty City, prepared soil at a Dania Beach PATCH(People’s Access to Community Horticulture) site, andplanted vegetables on the Little Haiti Optimist Club’sproperty in Soar Park.




At the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, projectparticipants discussed the problem of sea-level rise andremoved refuse from the beach and mangroves. A separategroup picked up trash in La Paloma, a small neighborhoodnorthwest of campus.

In collaboration with Church World Service and the Lifeof Freedom Center, some students served as human rightsadvocates. Those assigned to Church World Service wrotemembers of Congress urging them to support an increasein the number of Syrian refugees in the United States.

At Life of Freedom, the project focused on humantrafficking. After learning about the local context of theissue from Jorge Veitia, the organization’s executivedirector, students canvassed a Miami Beach neighborhoodconcerning missing persons suspected of being victimsof trafficking.

Barry Service Corps fellows supervised the Make aDifference Day service projects. They also facilitatedorientation and reflection activities.

MLKDAYOF SERVICE

Barry University celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. on January 16 with a day of service at sitesin two counties. In total, 158 volunteers logged 553 hours ofservice at 13 sites in Miami-Dade and Broward, contributingto projects that support food access, environmentalpreservation, juvenile justice, youth development, and carefor military veterans.

Forty high-school youth and staff members fromGang Alternative were among the volunteers. Based in LittleHaiti, Gang Alternative is a nonprofit organization dedicatedto promoting positive alternatives to youth violence anddelinquency.

In addition to Gang Alternative, the community partnersthat hosted service projects were Doctors Charter School,EcoTech Visions, E-SToPP (Eradicating the School-to-PrisonPipeline), Farm Share, the Historic Virginia Key Beach ParkTrust, La Paloma Neighborhood Association, Miami BeachCommunity Church, the Miami VA Healthcare System,PATCH (People’s Access to Community Horticulture) ofDania Beach, Red Kangaroo, Urban GreenWorks, and theVilla Maria Nursing Center.

MLK Day of Service volunteers took part in post-servicereflection activities during an on-campus barbecuesponsored by the Center for Student Involvement in theDivision of Student Affairs.

On the Sunday after the MLK Day of Service, CampusMinistry celebrated Mass featuring civil rights music in honorof the civil rights leader.

Service for Peace was a sponsor of Barry’s MLK Day ofService. Additionally, the CCSI received donations from threelocal businesses: BJ’s (Hialeah), Bagel Bar East, and CostcoWholesale (North Miami Beach).

“Dr. King’s life is a shining example that one person canmake a difference and change the course of history,” saidWendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National andCommunity Service (CNCS). “By volunteering incommunities across the nation on the MLK Day of Service,we honor his legacy through the spirit of service.”

CNCS provided grants to Service for Peace and five othernational organizations that played a leadership role in thisyear’s MLK Day of Service.

Each year, Barry celebrates the late civil rights leader’sbirthday with service projects on the Saturday precedingthe King Holiday.

Barry’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Committeewas composed of representatives of departments in three

Students Whitney Aikens, Sha’novia Warren, Pa Sheikhn Ngom, andAndres Quevedo gather mulch for garden beds at the UrbanGreenWorks Caressee Farms, a community garden in Liberty City.Roger Horne, a Barry community partner, manages the farm.

Students Ashley Fernandez, Kristina Osorio, and Alayna Gallagher pickup trash in La Paloma, a neighborhood near Barry’s main campus.(Make a Difference Day photos by Courtney Berrien)


divisions: Academic Affairs, StudentAffairs, and Mission and InstitutionalEffectiveness. Courtney Berrien andAshton Spangler of the Center forCommunity Service Initiatives (CCSI)co-chaired the committee. Othermembers were Yvonne Alonso, FabioNaranjo, Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald, and Carolina Rios (School ofSocial Work); Shernee Bellamy (Office of MissionEngagement); Dr. Laura Finley (Department of Sociologyand Criminology); Frederique Frage and Daisy Santiago(International and Multicultural Programs, Center for StudentInvolvement); Liz

James and Andres Quevedo (CCSI); Amanda Knight(Intercollegiate Athletics); Alberto Lorenzo (Housing andResidence Life); Dr. M. Eileen McDonough (Division ofStudent Affairs); Sandra Rampersad (School of PodiatricMedicine); and Karen Stalnaker (Campus Ministry).


Volunteers perform service with Gang Alternative in Little Haiti, with Urban GreenWorks on its Cerasee Farm in Liberty City, and at DoctorsCharter School in Miami Shores.



SATURDAYSOF SERVICE

The Saturdays of Service were October 3, November 7,December 5, January 30, February 20, March 19, and April 9.

On October 3, five Barry University studentsparticipated in an outreach event organized by the Women’sBreast & Heart Initiative (WBHI).Mickaelle Celigny, AndresQuevedo, Alexus Sergeant,Mernyka Webster, and Ky’eraWilliams joined volunteers fromMiami Dade College, FloridaAtlantic University, FloridaInternational University, and twobusiness organizations in CutlerRidge, where they visited 476homes to educate women about the importance of breasthealth and heart health.

The volunteers went from door to door, creatingawareness about proper nutrition, exercise, and breastself-examinations. They also told the women about the freemammograms being offered by WBHI.

Each year, according to WBHI, one in three women diesfrom heart disease and one in eight is diagnosed with breastcancer.

“As a future healthcare provider,” Quevedo reported, “Iopenly shared with the community guidelines for breastcancer and heart disease, which can be prevented andtreated successfully when diagnosed in time.”

On November 7, Barry volunteers facilitated sports andrecreational activities for children of refugee families as partof the Church World Service Youth and Family Day. TheDecember 5 service project was the coordination andimplementation of the FAPA (Foster and Adoptive Parents

Association) Field Day, which included the coachingand mentoring of youth in sports, fitness skills, andother activities.

Two groups of Barry volunteers participated in Feed MyStarving Children’s South Florida Community MobilePack onJanuary 30. One group represented the School of SocialWork; the other consisted of service-learning students, BarryService Corps fellows, and CCSI staff.

The Barry students, faculty, and staff were amongapproximately 30,000 volunteers who helped to preparemore than five million meals for distribution in communitiesabroad. Volunteering for two-and-a-half-hour shifts, theBarry groups assisted with packing meals, preparing boxesof meals for shipment, and producing expiration-date labelsto be affixed to packed meals.

“During our volunteer shift, along with several hundredother community volunteers, we helped to prepare morethan 500,000 meals to be shipped overseas,” reportedAshton Spangler, a CCSI staff member.

Feed My Starving Children organizes MobilePack asan opportunity for the public to learn about hunger-relatedissues, raise funds to cover the cost of meals, and packnutritious meals for hungry children. The South FloridaMobilePack was a four-day event at the Miami-Dade CountyFair and Exposition Center.

A nonprofit Christian organization committed tofeeding hungry children, Feed My Starving Children shipshand-packed meals for distribution especially tomalnourishedchildren. Over theyears, children innearly 70 countrieshave received mealsfrom theorganization.

On February 20,a group of students took part in a Saturday of Service withthe Life of Freedom Center. They distributed flyers withinformation on missing minors and possible humantrafficking victims in Miami-Dade County.

The Saturday of Service project on March 19 involved theprovision of arts and crafts classes to residents of LotusHouse. The School of Social Work sponsored this project.

Two groups of students participated in the April 9Saturday of Service at two public parks in Miami-DadeCounty. The environmental stewardship service projectswere a complement to Barry’s Earth Conference, which tookplace on April 5.

One of the groups consisted of 30 students in Barry’sHonors Program. The honors students served at theNortheast Regional Dog Park (part of East Greynolds Park)in North Miami Beach, where they did pea-gravel and mulchlandscaping. The project was planned under the supervisionof the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open SpacesDepartment.

Student Presler Maxius said the project was designed toimprove the drainage of the park during heavy rains in orderto prevent dogs from drinking contaminated water and tostop the spread of mosquitoes.

Barry student Ky’era Williams (right) teams up with Carmen Revelo ofMercantil Commerce Bank to offer resources, “one knock at a time,”to help women beat breast and heart diseases. Each year, one in threewomen dies from heart disease and one in eight is diagnosed withbreast cancer.



Dr. Pawena “Winnie” Sirimangkala, associate professor ofcommunication and director of the honors program,participated alongside the students.

The second group of volunteers served at the HistoricVirginia Key Beach Park in Miami. The 10 students and staffmembers took part in a three-hour ecological restorationproject under the guidance of the Historic Virginia KeyBeach Park Trust and TREEmendous Miami, Inc. Theyassisted with restoring the park’s native maritime hammockby mulching the grounds and planting native trees.

"It will be interesting for my future kids and grandkidswhen they come to this historic park and appreciate thebeauty of it,” said Ricardo Burford, Jr., one of the studentvolunteers. “I believe this is an excellent environmentalinitiative for now and for our future."

Reya Lamsam, another Barry student, remarked: "It is abeautiful park. I feel like it is very hard to find parks like this inthe middle of the city. Back at home in Thailand, we used tohave a lot of parks that were shut down to constructapartments. I really do not want that to happen to Miami."

Volunteers Ricardo Burford, Jr. and Reya Lamsam rake mulch as partof an effort to restore the natural ecosystem at the Historic VirginiaKey Beach Park in Miami. The Saturday of Service projects were partof the 75 Acts of Service initiative coordinated by the CCSI to markBarry’s 75th anniversary.

Honors students do volunteer work at East Greynolds Park in NorthMiami Beach.

Barry Students Provide a Day of Activity for Foster ChildrenWhile their adoptive parents and caregivers participated in asymposium, scores of children were treated to a day offun-filled activities at Barry on December 5.

It was FAPA Field Day, a major event of the Miami-DadeCounty Foster and Adoptive Parent Association. Nearly 200children and youths came to campus with caregivers andprogram administrators.

Barry student-athletes, a group of science students, andBarry Service Corps (BSC) fellows facilitated art projects,sports and games, and other activities organized by theCenter for Community Service Initiatives and the Departmentof Intercollegiate Athletics in the School of HumanPerformance and Leisure Sciences. More than 150 Barryvolunteers, including students enrolled in service-learningcourses, lent a hand throughout the day.

The 139 participating athletes – including members of themen’s baseball, soccer, and tennis teams and the women’sgolf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball teams – ledsports activities for children 7 years old through high-schoolage. Forced inside by the wet weather, the participantsenjoyed indoor games such as table tennis, jump rope,basketball, and an obstacle course.

Dr. Bridget Lyons, senior associate director of athletics,and Amanda Knight, assistant director of athletics forcompliance and special events, coordinated the sportsactivities. Andy Havens, intramural coordinator for theDepartment of Campus Recreation and Wellness, assistedwith the games.

Softball players Jasmine Harris, Elisabeth Brown, and Amanda Masciafacilitate activities for pre-school and kindergarten-age foster children.



As part of a science experiment, children of elementary-and middle-school ages learned about the DNA ofstrawberries. Dr. Leticia Vega, associate professor of biology,and Barry students who are members of the STEM LearningCommunity showed the children how to extract, isolate, andobserve the DNA of a strawberry in a matter of minutes.

There was a college-readiness session for youth inhigh-school age group and a science activity for children ofelementary- and middle-school ages. Younger children weresupervised in a play area.

Barry University hosted FAPA Field Day in partnershipwith Miami-Dade FAPA; Our Kids of Miami-Dade andMonroe, Inc.; and the Florida Department of Children andFamilies. Caregivers attended workshops on human

trafficking, home safety, and post-adoption services. LaurenSchwal, an instructor in Barry’s College of Nursing andHealth Sciences, provided training in first aid and CPR.

According to Marcel Rivas, Our Kids director of programoperations, caregiver support can be crucial to thewell-being and happiness of foster families.

Barry senior Donté Roberts conceived the event as partof his required project for the BSC Fellows Program. Asports management major, Roberts wanted to providechildren who had been neglected or abused with a day offun and meaningful activities.

“Everyone needs help,” Roberts said. “That’s why I docommunity service. But these kids need us the most.”

Davalous Wynn, a Barry service-learning student in Dr. Jim Nickoloff’stheology course, reads a book aboutthe solar system while Taleah Becton,a BSC fellow, facilitates holiday artactivities for foster children in thepre-school and kindergarten agegroups.

Students Participate in Federal Work-StudyCommunity ServiceA total of 63 students participated in the Federal Work-Study(FWS) Community Service Program during the 2015–2016academic year. Eighteen of them played civic leadership rolesas Barry Service Corps (BSC) fellows.

The students served mainly as tutors, program assistants,and community service trip leaders, Program CoordinatorValerie Scott reported in June. They were assigned to variouscommunity agencies, with nine of them serving as tutors withBreakthrough Miami and five with the Little Haiti OptimistClub. Others serving as tutors were placed at Doctors CharterSchool, Florida International Academy, Gratigny Elementary,Hubert O. Sibley K–8 Academy, and W. J. Bryan ElementarySchool.

Twelve students were given community-based programassistant roles. They served at Camillus House, ChapmanPartnership, Easter Seals South Florida, E-SToPP (Eradicatingthe School-to-Prison Pipeline), Miami Dade County Fosterand Adoptive Parent Association (FAPA), Mount TaborMissionary Baptist Church, and Special Olympics Florida.

Donté Roberts, a Barry Service Corps fellow, assists children in aprogram run by the Little Haiti Optimist Club.


Three students wereactivity assistants in theMiami Shores VillageRecreation Department,and one studentsupported the GangAlternative program asan office assistant.

All studentsparticipating in FWSCommunity Service areautomatically enrolled in theBarry Service Corps (BSC).

The CCSI manages FWSCommunity Service incollaboration with the Officeof Financial Aid and theDivision of HumanResources.

CCSI Selects19 Students as Barry ServiceCorps FellowsJust before the start of the academic year, the CCSIselected 19 students as Barry Service Corps (BSC) fellows.The students took part in a yearlong civic learning andleadership program designed to foster civic-mindednessand promote social justice.

The group included four students who had participatedin the program since its inception during the 2013–2014academic year: Sophomore Akil Andrews, an Englishprofessional writing major; junior Seretse Davis and seniorDonté Roberts, sport management majors; and seniorAlejandro Tobon, a biology major.

The CCSI congratulated Tobon on being selected for theHispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU)KIA Motors America Scholarship. Each year, HACU awards$4,000 scholarships to “some of the best and brightestminds in higher education.”

Previously called Barry Service Corps Leaders, the groupalso included five students who were members in2014–2015. They were Mickaelle Celigny (senior, computerinformation science); Kevin Dalia (junior, pre-law); GilberteJean-Francois (junior, nursing); Quayneshia Smith (junior,social work); and Rajon Wright (junior, computerinformation science).

The newcomers were Taleah Becton (senior, publicrelations); Emmanuella Carriere (senior, pre-law); AlbertoLiriano and Nylisha Matos (sophomore, biochemistry);Presler Maxius (junior, psychology); Christian Mesa(sophomore, general studies); Paola Montenegro (junior,international studies); Christopher Riker (senior, English andpublic relations); Matenin Sheriff (sophomore, social work);and Asha Starks (senior, SESA – applied sport and exercisesciences coaching).

The Barry Service Corps is composed mainly of studentsregistered for the current year’s Federal Work-StudyCommunity Service Program.

During a five-day program orientation in mid-August,the BSC fellows received diversity training, visitedcommunity agencies, practiced professional and civicengagement skills, and explored pathways to social change.They attended sessions with guest presenters, who coveredcommunity organizing, solidarity in Catholic social teaching,and voting as a civic engagement practice.

The guest presenters were three Barry faculty members:Dr. Sean Foreman, associate professor of political science;Dr. Marc Lavallee, assistant professor of practical theology;and Fabio Naranjo, an instructor in the School of SocialWork. Fr. Cristóbal Torres, OP, university chaplain, and KarenStalnaker, director of Campus Ministry, also assisted withthe orientation.

During their visit to Church World Service, the BSCfellows got an overview of refugee issues in Miami from theorganization’s resource developer, Phillip Rincon, a Barryalumnus. Afterwards, they helped to prepare clothingdonations for refugee families from the Congo and Cuba.

At EcoTech Visions, they learned about market-drivensolutions to environmental challenges and job creation inlow-income communities.

After the orientation, the BSC fellows served ascommunity service trip leaders for Freshmen Experience Day.

Throughout the academic year, the student leadersassisted the CCSI with recruiting students for communityengagement activities, facilitating service trips, and workingdirectly with community partners on social justice initiatives.In addition, each fellow designed and implemented aproject that addressed a local community need or issue.

Each participating student was assigned to one of foursocial justice teams: Community Justice, Global Citizenship,Urban Health, and Youth Development. Each teamworked collaboratively with community partners to addressspecific issues.


During a community visit as part of their orientation, some of theBSC fellows interact with youth at the Little Haiti Optimist Club’sSoar Park site.



The Community Justice team worked with PACT(People Acting for Community Together) on juvenile justiceand affordable housing issues. Andrews, Becton, Celigny,Dalia, and Riker were the team members.

The Global Citizenship team focused on consumerbehavior and the related issue of globalization, as well asimmigration and refugee concerns. Team members Carriere,Maxius, Montenegro, Smith, and Tobon collaborated withChurch World Service, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers(CIW), and the Student/Farmworker Alliance.

Montenegro, Smith, and Tobon – all elected AlternativeBreaks executive officers – coordinated Alternative SpringBreak as part of their responsibilities.

The Urban Health team dealt with food access, airquality, sustainability, green jobs, and neighborhooddevelopment issues. Liriano, Matos, Mesa, and Robertsprovided program and marketing support to EcoTechVisions and Urban GreenWorks and also supportedBarry’s partnership with the neighborhood associationof La Paloma.

Fellows on the Youth Development team led communityservice trips to Little Haiti on Wednesday afternoons insupport of the work of the local Optimist Club, and to GangAlternative on Thursday afternoons. Davis, Jean-Francois,Sheriff, Starks, and Wright, the BSC fellows, also assisted inimplementing the community partners’ health curricula.

In related news, BSC Fellows Mickaelle Celigny andEmmanuella Carriere attended a luncheon with SisterAttracta Kelly, OP, JD, the Adrian Dominican prioress, onOctober 20. Sister Attracta was the keynote speaker atBarry’s Immigration Justice Mini Conference.

Two Student LeadersComplete GlobalDevelopment LeadershipProgramTwo Barry student leaders completed a leadership programfocused on global development. Paola Montenegro, apolitical science major, and Kevin Dalia, a pre-law major,participated alongside other college students who hadreceived fellowships from the Millennium Campus Network.

Called Millennium Fellows, the student leaders took partin an eight-month program designed to improve studentorganizations, partnerships, and community impact whilepreparing them for roles in advancing global development.

The 11 Miami area Millennium Fellows gathered for 12sessions at Miami Dade College North Campus. Theyattended leadership-coaching workshops, networking, andother activities designed to improve their organizationalleadership and civic engagement skills.

“The fellowship was definitely valuable and worthwhile,”Montenegro, a rising junior, said. “It has opened doors for mycareer by allowing me to meet people who are pursuing

careers that are quite admirable. The fellowship made mequestion what I want to do career-wise.”

One of the persons she met was a local representativeof Human Rights Watch, an organization whose work sheadmires and would like to support. Human Rights Watch isan international nongovernmental organization thatconducts research and advocacy on human rights.Carine Chehab, Human Rights Watch associate director(Miami), was a guest during one of the fellowship’snetworking sessions.

As the fellowship drew to a close, the Millennium Fellowsparticipated in a pitching competition on behalf ofcampus-based student organizations in front of a panel ofdonors. Dalia pitched on behalf of Barry’s Students for thePoor.

Montenegro led a three-member Barry student teamwho represented Alternative Breaks, the studentorganization on whose executive board she serves. Joiningher for the presentation were Marissa Herrod and Luis DiazQuilotte, two Barry students who took the 2016 AlternativeSpring Break trip to northwestern Haiti. The Barry team wonthe $250 third prize.

The pitching competition coincided with the MillenniumFellows graduation soirée on April 14. The other competitors

As Millennium Fellows, Paola Montenegro and Kevin Dalia prepared forroles in advancing global development.

Montenegro (left) during an end-of-year social event with StephanieNolasco, Liz Rebecca Alarcon, Judith Marav, and Laura Becht. Alarcon isthe Millennium Campus Network’s Miami site director.



were from Miami Dade College North Campus, Miami DadeCollege Wolfson Campus, and the University of Miami.

Both Montenegro and Dalia are Barry Service Corpsfellows participating in a civic learning and leadershipdevelopment program organized by the Center forCommunity Service Initiatives (CCSI). In addition,Montenegro is a Barry student ambassador and Dalia hasbeen active in the Student Government Association.

The Millennium Campus Network is a nonprofitorganization based in Boston, Mass. In addition tocoordinating the Millennium Fellowship, the organizationhosts an annual conference.

Dalia attended the 2014 Millennium Campus Conferencein Boca Raton, Fla. and Montenegro the 2015 conference inNew York.

Reporting on the 2015 conference, held at The NewSchool and the United Nations Headquarters, Montenegronoted that it featured discussion teams, campaign-actiongroups, best-practice workshops, plenary sessions, andsocial activities.

“The conference was an incredible experience,” shesaid. “We learned about the global goals for sustainabledevelopment (which were to be presented at the UnitedNations Sustainable Development Summit, September25–27). We met in teams and discussed different topicssuch as learning before serving, people vs. objects,partnerships vs. paternalism, and helping vs. helpfulness.”

Montenegro also participated in workshops, contributingher own ideas about social entrepreneurship, fundraising,and partnerships for social change. For her, the most

inspiring part of the conference was the plenary sessionswith keynote speakers whom she described as “veryaccomplished individuals who have done extraordinarywork in their field.”

Among the keynote speakers were Annie Griffiths, aphotographer for National Geographic and founder/executive director of Ripple Effect Images; Dr. Vanessa Kerry,founder and CEO of Seed Global Health; LakshmiPuri, assistant secretary-general of the United Nations anddeputy executive director of UN Women; Dr. Jeffrey Sachs,director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University andspecial advisor to the UN secretary-general on theMillennium Development Goals; and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi,founder and executive director of the Afghan Instituteof Learning.

Actor, TV game show host, and author Terry Crewsjoined speakers at the conference. He told delegates about“his transformation into becoming interested in genderequality,” Montenegro reported.

“Throughout the conference I met inspiring studentswho have the passion to make a difference in the field oftheir interest. To see over 400 students from over 50countries united because they have the desire to seekchange in their communities and in the world was beyondexciting,” Montenegro reported. “It gives me hope thatour generation will make incredible changes in the yearsto come.”

Barry Contributes to Victoryin Affordable Housing PolicyFollowing two years of pressure from PACT (People Actingfor Community Together), the Miami-Dade CountyCommission finally passed a resolution to fund theAffordable Housing Trust Fund to the tune of at least$10 million a year. Barry students, faculty, and staffcontributed to the efforts by participating in PACTassemblies and community meetings and by providingprogram support through the Barry Service Corps (BSC).

In the fall of 2014, PACT selected homelessness as a newfocus issue. After research teams identified a lack ofaffordable housing as a key factor that leads tohomelessness, PACT leaders worked with public officials toestablish the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Commissioners Daniella Levine Cava and Xavier Suarez,the primary cosponsors of the resolution that establishedthe trust fund, crafted the legislation in response to PACT’srequest. Commissioners Barbara Jordan and JeanMonestime, cosponsors of the legislation, also met withPACT representatives, who encouraged their support of thelegislation.

PACT is a coalition of 39 Miami-Dade churches,synagogues, mosques, and universities. Its members workcooperatively to identify pressing community issues andfollow a direct-action community-organizing strategytoeffect social change.

The Millennium Fellows are pictured here with others who participatedin a networking session. L–R: Barry alumna Melissa Hunter Davis(Sugarcane Global Media), Jennifer Amores (Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers of South Florida), Laura Becht (University of Miami), JudithMaravi and Stephanie Nolasco (Miami Dade College), PaolaMontenegro (Barry University), Carine Chehab (Human Rights Watch),and Liz Rebecca Alarcon (Millennium Campus Network).



“The strategy begins with a consensus process in whichmembers select two or three issues of focus each year,”explained Courtney Berrien, CCSI associate director.“Research teams then investigate best practices and publicpolicies that can be implemented locally. After reachingconsensus, the coalition’s members work directly withpoliticians and public servants to gain their support forenacting the identified policies. In the final step of theprocess, PACT members hold the officials accountable byasking them in front of more than 1,000 voters at the annualPACT Nehemiah Action Assembly to follow through withtheir commitments.”

Throughout this process, Barry students, faculty, andstaff supported PACT’s efforts by taking part in meetings,rallies, and assemblies. The Barry participants includedtheology and sociology students taking service-learningcourses, social work graduate students, and BSC fellows.

BSC Fellows Taleah Becton, Mickaelle Celigny,Christopher Riker, and Kevin Dalia worked directly withPACT as a weekly assignment throughout the 2015–2016academic year. Working closely with Megan O’Brien, PACT

lead organizer, and other staff members, the studentsfacilitated community engagement opportunities forstudents enrolled in service-learning courses, contributedto research on public officials, completed data-entryprojects, translated assembly documents, and providedevent support.

Accompanied by CCSI staff members Andres Quevedoand Ashton Spangler, those four students as well as AkilAndrews, Emmanuella Carriere, Kiara Jackson, GilberteJean-Francois, Matenin Sheriff, and Rajon Wright attendedPACT’s Research to Action kickoff meeting at HolyRedeemer Catholic Church in Miami on November 16. Themeeting reviewed the work of the organization’s researchcommittees, focusing on issues pertaining to affordablehousing and juvenile justice in Miami-Dade County.

Becton, Dalia, and Riker, together with CCSI ProgramCoordinator Andres Quevedo, took part in the North JusticeMinistry Team Assembly at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church inOpa-Locka in April. Justice-ministry leaders providedupdates on progress made by PACT’s Affordable HousingCommittee as well as the Juvenile Justice Committee.

Through the Juvenile Justice Ministry, PACT has workedwith the State Attorney’s office and Miami-Dade CountyPublic Schools to enact policies that provide nonviolent,juvenile offenders with alternatives to incarceration, such asin-school suspension and peer-mediation programs forrestorative justice.

Dalia, who has been serving with PACT for two yearsthrough the BSC Fellows Program, said he appreciated theopportunities for learning and leadership development.

“This leadership opportunity has allowed me tounderstand how community organizing works,” Dalia said.“You have to appeal to a person’s self-interest withoutmaking them feel selfish, and, in a way, that will hold themaccountable and invested.”

Celigny and Becton supported PACT by completinginfrastructure projects. One of the projects was a memberdatabase, which Celigny, a computer science major,developed for the organization. The database facilitatesPACT’s record-keeping and communication withparticipating congregants.

Becton, with support from Brandon Parker, a BSCmember and film major, produced two short films aboutPACT’s work. They completed the first film in March andused it to recruit congregants for the Nehemiah ActionAssembly. For the second film, Becton interviewed PACTboard members about the organization’s nearly 20 yearsof work to support social-justice initiatives in Miami-DadeCounty. The film will be posted on the organization’swebsite. Dr. Adam Dean, an associate professor ofcommunication, provided technical support to thefilm project.

More than 30 persons from Barry participated in theNehemiah Action Assembly. They were among hundreds ofcitizens representing 38 local congregations and threeuniversities participating in the event at the New BirthBaptist Church in Opa-Locka. The assembly was theculmination of a year of grassroots efforts to address publicconcerns by working directly with local officials.

Through song and prayer, Barry students joined Miami Christians, Jews,and Muslims as they celebrated the role that community action plays increating a just society.

Taleah Becton and Brandon Parker interview PACT leaders at theNehemiah Action Assembly in March. A delegation of more than 30Barry service-learning students, faculty, and staff participated in theassembly. BSC fellows assisted PACT staff with hosting the event.



At the assembly, law-enforcement officials committed tocontinue supporting the expansion of civil citation programsfor youth and building allies at the local and state levels forthe next Florida legislative session. Representatives ofMiami-Dade County Public Schools agreed to work withPACT to develop restorative justice programs as analternative to punitive methods of dealing with behaviormanagement, such as out-of-school suspensions.

According to its website, PACT is the largest grassrootsorganization in South Florida, representing more than50,000 people. Since the organization’s founding in 1998,PACT has worked successfully with local officials oninitiatives related to neighborhood safety, publictransportation, employment, affordable housing, education,and crime prevention.

Students Support Programsat Church World ServiceBarry students supported cultural assimilation andrecreational programs at Church World Service (CWS)Miami throughout the year. For example, during the fallsemester, senior Emmanuella Carriere, juniors GilberteJean-Francois and Presler Maxius, and sophomore MateninSheriff facilitated youth activities as part of their roles asBSC fellows.

The BSC fellows also led a Barry group at the CWS 8thAnnual Refugee Children's Thanksgiving Celebration onNovember 14, when CWS provided Thanksgiving meals torecent arrivals in the United States.

Phillip Rincon, CWS resource developer and Barryalumnus, said the annual event was designed to providerefugee families with needed food and clothing and alsoto make them feel welcome in their new South Floridacommunities.

Carriere and Maxius also supported advocacy efforts atCWS and helped facilitate a project to create presentations

about American culture. The PowerPoint presentationsaddressed public transportation, grocery shopping, andsimilar topics.

Students enrolled in theology service-learning coursestranslated the presentations into Arabic, Creole, and French.Service-learning students also tutored children who hadrecently arrived in the United States from the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo. The Congolese refugee families wererelocated to the city of North Miami, and their children nowattend area schools.

The participating students from the theologyservice-learning courses were Abdulwahab Algarni, AhmedAlqarni, Skylor Galipeau, Vickie Francoeur, Esther Garcia,Gaetan Brice Nana Noumi, Aruna Ragbir, and Destiny Ricks.

Founded in 1946, CWS is a cooperative relief, refugee,and development agency. This nonprofit organization andits partners are seeking to eradicate hunger and povertywhile promoting peace and justice.

Students Lead “Unite forChange” Demonstrationin MiamiBarry students took to the streets of Miami’s Wynwoodneighborhood on March 19 to demand justice for civiliansconsidered unjustly killed by law-enforcement officers. Thepeaceful “Unite for Change” demonstration drew attentionto current and historic concerns about deaths at the handsof police officers in South Florida while emphasizing theimportance of cooperation among Miami’s ethnic groups.

Student leaders Christopher Riker, Asha Starks, andQuayneshia Smith planned and coordinated thedemonstration as part of their participation in the BarryService Corps (BSC) Fellows Program. They worked withWynwood businesses and the Miami-Dade PoliceDepartment to ensure that the event met safetyrequirements.

Through their support of the Coalition of ImmokaleeWorkers and the Dream Defenders, Smith and Starkspreviously led peaceful demonstrations for human rights.According to CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien,“Unite for Change” marked the first time they planned andled a demonstration without the assistance of professionalcommunity organizers.

“Unite for Change” brought together studentsrepresenting Barry’s African American, Hispanic, EuropeanAmerican, and Caribbean populations. Smith said it wasimportant to generate awareness and build unity withinethnic communities, for both short-term and long-termsocial gains.

Riker, who chairs the Progressive Caucus of the FloridaCollege Democrats, deplored the large number of deaths atthe hands of law-enforcement officers. He said manycitizens have been killed without any significant punishmentof the officers involved.

Barry Service Corps Fellow Presler Maxius (right) facilitates ChurchWorld Service-sponsored youth activities in Miami Lakes.



“In 2015 alone, exactly 1200 citizens were killed by policeofficers around the country, 78 of them right here in theGunshine State,” said Christopher Riker. “The issue is thatevery year, police officers in this country are breaking theirown record numbers of citizens they kill in the line of duty. …The names behind these deaths are more than just names;more than mistakes; more than excuses of a scared officeror flawed protocol. These are lost human lives at the end ofthe gun of the state.”

Riker called for more accountability amonglaw-enforcement officers and continued vigilance bycitizens so their civil rights would be protected. Heannounced that he had authored a bill to require bodycameras on all police officers in Florida. He said the bill was“the natural next step in accountability and protection forcitizens and officers alike.”

Eleven CommunityOrganizations ReceiveDonations fromMove-Out DriveBarry students donated more than 3500 pounds of clothesand household items as part of the 8th Anual Move-OutDrive. Eleven community organizations received thedonations.

In addition to 96 formal dresses and other clothing itemsweighing 2361 pounds, the collection from students includeddozens of footwear, 194 bed sheets, 107 blankets andcomforters, and 265 towels. Also on the list were 15mini-refrigerators, 10 microwaves, 318 pounds of food, and181 books.

The organizations that received donations were Becca’sCloset, Chapman Partnership, Church World Service, theLittle Haiti Optimist Club, Lotus House, Miami Bridge Youthand Family Services, Miami Rescue Mission, Mount TaborMissionary Baptist Church, Pass It On Ministries, ReduceReuse Recycle, and Urban GreenWorks.

Move-Out Drive took place in May. Student volunteersassisted staff members who coordinated the project bycollecting, sorting, and cleaning the donated items.

Formerly known as Dorm Drive, the initiative began as aproject developed by community member Margaret Grizzleto divert students’ unwanted items from landfills and giveresources to local organizations in support of underservedcommunity residents.

BSC Fellows Asha Starks and Quayneshia Smith planned the demonstration route to end near the location where Arthur McDuffie was killedby Miami police officers in 1980. The acquittal of the police officers involved in McDuffie’s death led to riots in Liberty City, which receivednational attention.

Carrie Garcia and Christopher Riker talk about civilians who were killedby law-enforcement officers in Florida last year. Garcia’s friend, CoreyJones, was shot by a plainclothes policeman in Palm Beach Gardenslast October. The officer has since been fired, but criminal chargeshave not been filed.



Students Learn andPractice Story-Telling forSocial ChangeNine Barry students participated in a diversity-trainingsession aimed at promoting social change.

MCCJ (formerly the Miami Coalition of Christians andJews) conducted the eight-hour training session as part of acommunity engagement project designed by Barry ServiceCorps (BSC) Fellows Seretse Davis and Rajon Wright.

Wright explained that the goal of the training was toprepare college students to connect with youth aroundcommon experiences, and through that connection, todemonstrate that violence is not a solution to socialproblems.

MCCJ Program Director Lutze Segu was the trainingfacilitator. A Barry alumna, she guided the students througha story-telling process, which included identifying their ownexperiences with prejudice and discrimination and preparingstories about those experiences to be shared with a middle-and high-school audience.

Several of the Barry students who participated in thetraining presented their stories as part of an interactive panelat Gang Alternative’s BLOC (Building Leaders of Character)program. BLOC utilizes an evidence-based approach toteach adolescents moral reasoning, anger control, and socialproblem-solving skills, explained Ezra Dieuveille, GangAlternative’s senior youth prevention specialist.

Davis and Wright facilitated weekly service trips to theBLOC program site this academic year as part of their roleon the BSC Fellows Program’s Youth Development team.

The other students who participated in thediversity-training session were Taleah Becton, Jacob Ceasar,King Guerrero, Ajahni Johnston, Alberto Liriano, TrevorSingleton, and Asha Starks. They are expected to facilitatestory-telling panels in schools and youth-serving communityorganizations during the 2016–2017 academic year.

Student Leaders SortItems at Food BankA group of Barry student leaders inspected and sorted fooditems in Feeding South Florida’s Pembroke Park warehouse.The group included eight Barry Service Corps fellows as wellas students participating in programs coordinated by theCenter for Student Involvement and other departments inthe Division of Student Affairs.

Over a three-hour period, the group inspected andsorted 7,820 pounds of food, the equivalent of 6,200 meals.

CCSI staff members Caitlin Geis and Andres Quevedoaccompanied the volunteers.

Feeding South Florida is a food bank and the region’smember of the Feeding America network.

Resident AssistantsLend a Hand in Little HaitiResident assistants (RAs) partnered with the Little HaitiOptimist Club to beautify the club’s Soar Park site. Togetherwith five Residence Life staff members and a CCSI staffmember, the 28 RAs worked for three hours, organizingstorage areas, painting the building, facilitating recreationalactivities with community youth, and doing maintenancework in the community garden.

A nonprofit organization affiliated with OptimistInternational, the Little Haiti Optimist Club prepares thecommunity’s youth for “academic and life excellencethrough education, mentorship, athletics, arts and culturalprogramming.” The organization manages a CommunityTech and Youth Center at Soar Park, located at 100 NW83rd Street in Miami.

Barry’s Freshmen ExperienceDay Featured in NASPA BlogBarry University’s Freshmen Experience Day was featured ina NASPA blog titled “Live A Barry Life!”

According to the blog, Freshmen Experience Dayprovides an introduction to Barry’s core commitments ofcollaborative service and social justice. The Division ofStudent Affairs and the CCSI co-sponsor the day’s activitieseach year.

“Through this partnership, we offer our incomingfirst-year students a chance to learn about our inclusivephilosophy, strong traditions, and the significant experiencesthat form the true meaning of ‘a Barry Life,” the blog said.

Dr. Scott F. Smith, vice president for student affairs; JohnMoriarty, director of career development; and LaKimaGarnett, associate director of the Center for StudentInvolvement, wrote the blog.

Nine students participated in the diversity training. CCSIProgram Coordinator Ashton Spangler (third from right) assistedwith organizing the training session.



Barry Groups Take Trips toUnderserved Communities

Alternative Breaks – a student-led, CCSI-supervisedprogram – provides students with community-basedimmersion experiences designed to build awareness ofsocial, political, and environmental issues through learning,reflection, and service that benefits diverse populations.

According to CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berrien,“participants are encouraged to develop empathy,understanding, and motivation towards action for socialjustice in local, regional, national, and global contexts.”

Students develop leadership skills such as effectivecommunication, intercultural knowledge, and critical thinkingas well as a long-term commitment to civic engagement.Students also form friendships with one another, buildbeneficial relationships with faculty and staff advisors, andcollaborate with community leaders to address issues in ameaningful way.

As part of Alternative Breaks, a group of 26 students andsix faculty/staff members took a fall break trip to Immokaleeto learn about the work of organizations promoting fairwages and working conditions for farm workers. The tripalso served as a social justice immersion for theologystudents and a leadership retreat for Barry Service Corps(BSC) fellows. The theology students visited GuadalupeSocial Services while the BSC fellows participated in aleadership workshop on exemplary leadership practices.

The entire group heard presentations and haddiscussions with Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)members Leonel Perez, Julia De la Cruz, and Lupe Gonzaloand Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) coordinators NataliRodríguez and Yaissy Solis. Perez explained that, in its work,the CIW uses “popular education” (a concept grounded inclass, political struggle, and social transformation) and acommunity radio station, Radio Conciencia, giving farmworkers a voice in matters that affect their lives.

Located in Collier County, Fla., Immokalee is anagricultural community and home to a large number ofmigrant farm workers. The Barry group toured sections ofthe community.

Taking the trip were 10 theology students and a theologycourse instructor, Dr. Marc Lavallee; 16 BSC fellows and theiradvisor, Courtney Berrien; Karen Stalnaker, director ofCampus Ministry; and Dr. Glenn Bowen, Caitlin Geis, and

Andres Quevedo, staff members of the Center forCommunity Service Initiatives (CCSI).

� Theology students: Ronald Almanzar, Kenyatta Blaise,Brianna Cook, Nashay Craig, Sarah Lyles, TimothyMcLemore, Maura Padron, Estefania Rodriguez,Sheineca Rollack, and Johneeka Simpson – visitedGuadalupe Social Services.

� BSC fellows: Akil Andrews, Emmanuella Carriere,Mickaelle Celigny, Kevin Dalia, Seretse Davis, GilberteJean-Francois, Alberto Liriano, Nylisha Matos, PreslerMaxius, Christian Mesa, Paola Montenegro, ChristopherRiker, Donté Roberts, Matenin Sheriff, QuayneshiaSmith, and Alejandro Tobon.

For spring break, a nine-member group of Barrystudents and faculty visited Haiti’s Northwest Departmentwith Amor en Acción, a lay missionary organization of theArchdiocese of Miami. There, as part of the AlternativeBreaks, they began building a partnership between BarryUniversity and the Diocese of Port-de-Paix.

Founded by Dr. Alicia Marill, associate professor oftheology and director of the Doctor of Ministry Program atBarry, Amor en Acción has been working with local bishopsof Haiti and the Dominican Republic since 1976.

The ASB participants visited schools, a hospital, andnonprofit organizations to learn from local leaders aboutsocial issues facing rural communities in Haiti’s NorthwestDepartment. They also facilitated activities at Nan Palan andMenvyel, much to the delight of the village children.

Dr. Mureen Shaw, assistant professor of nursing, andDr. Sean Buckreis, assistant professor of curriculum andinstruction, were there specifically to explore avenues forthe Schools of Nursing and Education to forge partnershipsand develop community engagement opportunities inthe region.

Barry and Siena Heights Alternative Spring Break participants atthe home of the Adrian Dominican Sisters in New Orleans.



The students who chose the poverty-stricken Haitianvillages over the sun-drenched beaches and other hot spotsfor spring break were Marissa Herod, Verronika Laguerre,Ana Miranda, Paola Montenegro, Luis Diaz Quilotte,Quayneshia Smith, and Courtney Webb. Montenegro andSmith are Alternative Breaks executive board membersat Barry.

Miranda, an MSW student, and Smith, a BSW student,received sponsorship through the School of Social WorkStudent Fellowship Fund. Both students reported that theygained global perspectives and cultural enrichment. Duringtheir visit to the hospital, they realized there was animmense need for social workers and counseling for familymembers.

“The counselors are only there to aid patients; so anyoneelse in the region that needs counseling or someone to talkdoesn’t have much of a choice,” Miranda said. “There was noother person available for them.”

Smith added: “As a social worker, having the opportunityto do these trips confirms the importance of working withthe community. I see how you can sit behind a desk, writepolicies, and advocate all you want; but unless you go tothese communities and see and talk to these people, seewhat they need, what they’re going through and actuallyhave that one-on-one rapport, I don’t think you’re going tobe as passionate as you could be. You have to be with thepeople; commune with them, eat with them, talk to themto really get a full understanding to all the aspects of them.It makes you more driven and helps you advocate fortheir needs.”

Before taking the trip to Haiti, the students met regularlywith CCSI staff and faculty members to discuss issues thatthe population was facing. They also received culturalsensitivity training.

A second Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip tookstudents and staff to New Orleans, Louisiana, where theyexplored community issues and did volunteer work relatedto Hurricane Katrina.

Wills Compere, Cassandra Denning, Jennifer Thomas,Alejandro Tobon, and Giscar Ternelus took part in ASBNOLA, as did staff members Karen Stalnaker and Rev.Richard Clements. Stalnaker is director of Barry’s CampusMinistry and Clements is coordinator of retreats and faithformation.

While visiting and supporting the work of localcommunity organizations, the Barry group explored suchissues as food access, redevelopment, and neighborhoodleadership. They learned how the organizations wereaddressing generational poverty issues and the distributionof public resources.

The ASB group admired the “innovative approach toeducation” shown by Liberty’s Kitchen, a social enterprisededicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable NewOrleans youth through programs that build employabilityand self-sufficiency. The group learned about the SchoolNutrition Program and enjoyed lunch prepared by youthhoning their culinary skills at Liberty’s Kitchen.

A walking tour of neighborhoods in NOLA’s Ninth Wardgave the ASB group insights into the challenges faced by

the community since the devastating hurricane of 2005.“It was shocking to see areas that still do not have roads

or sidewalks, while other areas have received many moreresources,” said Tobon, an ASB leader. “We learned that theredevelopment has taken so long that some people nevermoved back.”

Tobon pointed out that the neighborhood’s high schoolhad been rebuilt and looked beautiful. However, he reported,the school remained vacant because there were not enoughstudents living in the Ninth Ward.

The Barry volunteers helped to rebuild a laundry centerin the Lower Ninth Ward, a predominantly African-Americanneighborhood.

Camp Restore, a nonprofit Christian organization“restoring faith, hope and community in New Orleans since2006,” provided a home away from home for the Barry ASBgroup. The organization provided service-projectcoordination as well.

The ASB NOLA group took advantage of theopportunity for Barry students to learn about the AdrianDominican sisters’ commitment to justice and mercy. Sistersworking in New Orleans hosted dinner one evening for theASB groups from Barry and the Adrian, Michigan-basedSiena Heights University. Together they reflected onneighborhood conditions in the city and the service theywere able to provide.

Barry and CommunityPartners Host HendrixCollege for Week of ServiceTen students and two staff members from Hendrix College,located in Conway, Ark., came to Miami in May for a week ofservice, experiential learning, and relationship building. Thegroup worked alongside Barry Service Corps (BSC) fellowsto perform service with several community organizationsand learn about issues facing Miami’s Haitian community.

Hendrix and Barry students learn about the fair-trade coffeeproduction process at Panther Coffee in Miami’s Wynwoodneighborhood.



The participating community partners provided historicalinformation about the Haitian community in Miami as well asan overview of current social issues faced by communitymembers. Participating organizations included FanmAyisyen nan Miyami (Haitian Women of Miami), GangAlternative, Urban Greenworks, the Historic Virginia KeyBeach Park Trust, and the Little Haiti Optimist Club.

After canceling a mission trip to Haiti because ofuncertainty about the country’s political situation, Hendrixstaff contacted the CCSI to inquire about communityservice options in the Miami area. Courtney Berrien, CCSIassociate director and Alternative Breaks advisor,coordinated the arrangements involving communitypartners, the BSC fellows, and the St. Thomas UniversityCenter for Community Engagement (CCE).

“The weeklong service program was designed to buildawareness about issues faced by Miami’s Haitiancommunity,” Berrien noted. “The service and learningactivities included urban gardening, mentoring, marineecosystem restoration, and support of internationaldevelopment projects.”

The Hendrix group learned about Miami-basedinternational organizations that provide economicdevelopment support to Haiti. Group members heard apresentation from Anthony Vinciguerra, CCE coordinator,about St. Thomas University’s fair-trade partnership with theCafé Cocano Cooperative. The group then helped totransport green coffee beans to Panther Coffee, a Miamiartisan coffee roaster. Vinciguerra and Panther staffexplained ways international trade practices can benefit orhurt farmers in developing countries.

The BSC fellows co-facilitated the program by serving astour guides and campus–community liaisons as well as bycontributing to discussions throughout the week. A fewfellows also served on a Haitian student panel. MickaelleCeligny, Gilberte Jean-Francois, and Presler Maxius informedHendrix students about complicated issues of identity- andpoverty-related challenges faced by the Haitian community.

Hendrix College’s Miller Center for Vocation, Ethics andCalling coordinated the trip. Rev. J. J. Whitney, chaplain andtrip leader, expressed appreciation for the Barry studentleaders’ contributions.

“The service fellows certainly inspired our students to bemore active, more curious, and more engaged in thecommunity,” Whitney said.

Barry Athletics Finishes Fifth in Community Service ParticipationBarry University Athletics finished fifth in NCAA Division II in community service participation in the fall semester.

The Buccaneers were 17th overall in the country. GeorgeWashington University was the top-ranked school and

Academy of Art University in San Francisco was the topDivision II school.

The Barry men’s basketball team was fourth in the nationand third in Division II in total community service hours.Xavier was the top men's basketball team in the country andDominican University of California was the top team inDivision II.

The community service initiative is part of a planbetween the NCAA and Helper Helper, which encouragedstudent-athletes from more than 100 schools nationwide tomake a contribution to their communities. Helper Helper isthe student-athlete community service app.

Dr. Darlene Kluka, dean of the School of HumanPerformance and Leisure Sciences, congratulated andthanked the student-athletes for their community service achievement.

“This is a phenomenal accomplishment for BarryU!” she told them. “To also be 17th out of 100 in the nation forcommunity service is quite distinguishing.”

Kluka urged the student-athletes to continue serving the communities in which they live and work.

Box Tops for EducationDrive Becomes Year-Round ProjectThe Box Tops for Education Drive sponsored by MinorityAssociation of Pre-Health Students (MAPS) and the CCSIbecame a year-round project, and Sheridan Hills joinedNorth Miami as the beneficiaries of the project.

Dr. Stephanie Bingham, associate professor of biologyand MAPS advisor, announced that Box Tops donationswould alternate between the two elementary schools eachdonation cycle. Each school would receive 10 cents for everyBox Top label donated.

The project was seen as particularly beneficial toSheridan Hills Elementary, located in Hollywood, Broward County.

“This is a Title I school, so every 10-cent label issignificant,” said Dr. Jalane Meloun, a former Sheridan HillsPTO president and professor of administration in Barry’sSchool of Professional and Career Education. “About 518kids at the school will benefit.”

According to Meloun, the money raised goes to“excellent causes.” Last year, the PTO spent nearly $6,000on educational rugs for several classrooms. “These are thealphabet-covered rugs that the kids sit on several times aday for learning calendar math, phonics, and readingstrategies,” she explained. “The PTO also funded teachergrants for reading and music curricula which focus ondiverse, international cultures.”


50 I Center for Community Service Initiativest

The CCSI organized and hosted four forums in itsDeliberative Dialogue Series during the 2015-2016 academicyear. The 90-minute forums brought together campus andcommunity stakeholders to explore social issues and seeksolutions.

The first forum, on September 21, focused onpolice-community relations. Participants discussed thedistrust that existed between some communities of colorand the officers charged with protecting them.

Titled “The Police and the Community: Who is Protectedand Served?” the forum generated several ideas forimproving police-community relations. Participantsrecommended civil rights education for youth, diversitytraining for law enforcement, mandatory body cameras forpolice officers, opportunities for youth and law enforcementto interact in positive settings, mentoring opportunities foryoung Black men, and improved research on violent actscommitted by police officers. They also recommended theestablishment of Neighborhood Resource Offices tosupport community policing.

Dr. Victor Romano, an associate professor of sociologyat Barry and the chairperson of the Miami-Dade CountyCommission on Human Rights, facilitated the forum.

A five-member panel offered perspectives that helpedto guide the dialogue and deliberation among nearly 100attendees. Among the panelists were John Buhrmaster andDr. Michael J. Alicea, veteran law-enforcement officers. Aformer deputy chief and interim chief of the CriminalInvestigations Division of the City of Miami Beach Police

Department, Buhrmaster, is the director of public safety andemergency management at Barry.

Alicea, who worked with the Miami and Coral GablesPolice Departments, is an adjunct faculty member in Barry’sSchool of Social Work. He subsequently provided the list ofrecommendations from the forum to the advisory board ofthe School of Social Work’s new Center for Human Rightsand Social Justice.

CCSI Organizes Four Forums in Deliberative Dialogue Series

Elizabeth Sanchez Kennedy (standing at center), staff attorney for Catholic Legal Services, participates in the forum.

A Barry staff member and a community partner make theircontributions to the dialogue. Left: Ximena Valdivia, manager ofarchives and special collections in the Monsignor William BarryMemorial Library. Right: Phillip Rincon, resource developer atChurch World Service. (Deliberative dialogue photos by PreslerMaxius)



Also on the panel were Ajahni Johnston, a Barry studentwho took part in protests last year after his relative MichaelBrown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri;Cassandra Jiles, a member of PACT (People Acting forCommunity Together), who spoke about her involvement ininitiating the Miami Gardens Neighborhood ResourceOffices; and Ezra Dieuveille, the senior youth violenceprevention specialist at Gang Alternative.

Gang Alternative is a community-based organizationthat focuses its program on adolescents in Little Haiti. Youthfrom high schools enrolled in Gang Alternative’s BuildingLeaders of Character (BLOC) program also took part in theforum. To prepare for the deliberative dialogue, they hadtaken part in small-group discussions with Barry ServiceCorps fellows about their own experiences interacting withlaw-enforcement officers.

The second forum for the academic year, held onNovember 18, addressed the plight of unaccompaniedchildren migrating to the United States. They have beencoming mostly from Mexico and Central America, wherecrime and violence are often rampant. After making thetreacherous journey, they are usually rounded up andwarehoused by the authorities. Mexican children are oftensent back.

“Coming to America: Unaccompanied Minors on aPerilous Journey” drew a large number of participants fromthe campus and the community.

Panelists were Julio Enrique Calderón, access to highereducation organizer at the Florida Immigrant Coalition; Dr.Jose R. Cruz, executive director of the Peter Pan BorderOperation; Fabio A. Naranjo, a faculty member in Barry’sSchool of Social Work; Phillip Rincon, resource developer atChurch World Service; Elizabeth Ringler-Jayanthan, a Barrystudent; and Elizabeth Sanchez-Kennedy, Esq., supervisingattorney for the minors program at the Archdiocese ofMiami’s Catholic Legal Services. Cruz and Rincon areBarry alumni.

Calderón came to the United States as anunaccompanied minor to escape violence and poverty inHonduras. Although as an adult he remains undocumented,Calderón has been an activist for human rights.

Courtney Berrien, associate director of the CCSI,facilitated the forum. Berrien holds a certificate in refugeelaw from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. Whileliving in there as well as in Beirut, Lebanon and Prague,Czech Republic, Berrien developed community engagementprograms for refugees from Palestine, Sudan, Afghanistan,and the former Soviet Republics.

Participants considered several follow-up actions. Theseincluded viewing Children on the Run, a documentary aboutthe exodus of the children and family members from Syriaand other countries, and writing letters to newspapereditors in support of programs to benefit unaccompaniedmigrant children. Participants also considered expressingsupport for the Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee/Parole Program and promoting the work of the InternationalCommission Against Impunity in Honduras. CAM providesqualified children in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduraswith a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous

journey to the United States, which some children arecurrently undertaking.

“Sexual Violence on Campus: Are We Propagating aRape Culture?” was the topic of the third forum in theDeliberative Dialogue Series, held on February 11. The forumfeatured the contribution of a panel of lead participantsincluding Dr. Simona Sharoni, founder of Faculty AgainstRape (FAR).

FAR’s mission is to get more faculty involved in sexualassault issues on campus and to protect faculty memberswho experience retaliation for doing so. To fulfill its mission,FAR provides resources for faculty to support survivorsinside and outside the classroom, tools for faculty who wantto get more involved in reform efforts on their campus, andsupport for faculty who are facing retaliation for fightingsexual violence on their campus.

Joining Sharoni on the panel were Dr. Maria L. Alvarez,associate vice president for student affairs and dean ofstudents; and Hector Pizarro, a Barry alumnus and theoutreach specialist for homeless and runaway youth atMiami Bridge Youth and Family Services. Dr. Laura Finley,associate professor of sociology and criminology and anorganizer of the College Brides Walk, facilitated the forum.

At the deliberative dialogue on February 11, senior MarissaHerrod points out the importance of not blaming sexual assaultvictims.

Junior Kevin Dalia brings up the role gender stereotypes play indetermining who is identified as a perpetrator and who isidentified as a victim of sexual violence.



There was a lively discussion about the causes andeffects of sexual assault on college campuses. The forumdrew attention to the national conversation about high ratesof rape and other forms of sexual assault taking place oncampuses throughout the country. Participants alsoexplored various avenues for decreasing and preventingsexual violence on campus.

The CCSI has adapted deliberative dialogue as a methodof civic learning and engagement. Students, alumni, faculty,staff, and community members work toward a sharedunderstanding of social issues, practical solutions to thoseissues, and recommendations for workable public policy.

The year’s final forum focused on the economic,environmental, political, and human costs of rising sea levelsin South Florida. Complementing the university’s EarthJustice Mini Conference, the forum brought students, faculty,staff, and community experts together to consider thecauses and consequences of that climate-changephenomenon.

Leading the discussion were Dr. Keren Prize Bolter, SouthFlorida Regional Planning Council’s policy and geospatialanalyst; Mitchell A. Chester, director of The CLEO Instituteand a civil trial lawyer; and Dr. Jeremy R. Montague,professor of biology and president of the Florida Academyof Sciences. Dr. Sean Foreman, associate professor ofpolitical science, facilitated the forum.

In addition to exploring the science behind sea-levelrise and the resulting impact on infrastructure, theeconomy, public health, and physical spaces, participantsconsidered how communities could prepare themselves forthat phenomenon.

Bolter spoke about the effects of a changing climatesuch as the rising of sea levels off the coast of South Floridaby about eight inches in the 20th century, saltwater intrusioninto aquifers, and health risks caused by sewage in severestorm surges.

Suggestions offered during the deliberative dialogueincluded burning fewer fossil fuels and reducing theemission of pollutants such as carbon; enacting legislation touse alternative energy sources; making innovativeengineering and architectural design changes, includingdrainage improvements; and pursuing community-basedenvironmental education.

Among university administrators in attendance at theforum were President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD;Leticia Diaz, dean of the Barry School of Law; and Dr. JillFarrell, dean of the Adrian Dominican School of Education.

The mini conference, “Earth Justice: Ways of Caring forOur Common Home,” drew attention to critical issues inclimate change and environmental sustainability. The eventfeatured a keynote presentation and book signing byenvironmental journalist Cynthia Barnett.

The Office of Mission Engagement organized the miniconference with support from the Dwayne O. AndreasSchool of Law, the CCSI, and Whole Foods Market.

Campus Democracy ProjectIncludes Constitution DayActivities Drawing Attentionto Voting RightsBarry University celebrated Constitution Day,September 17, by bringing attention to current and historicissues concerning voting rights. Activities included a forumon “Voting Rights and the U.S. Constitution,” a Constitutiontrivia, and the screening of Selma.

Dr. Charles Zelden, professor of history, law and politicsat Nova Southeastern University, delivered the keynoteaddress at the forum. An expert in Florida voter registrationlaws, he spoke about long-standing barriers to voter accessin Florida.



“Limiting the right to vote undermines the concept ofdemocracy,” Zelden said. He told students, faculty, and staffthat they could promote democracy and demonstrate goodcitizenship by helping to increase voter turnout.

The forum panelists were Christopher Riker, a BarryService Corps (BSC) fellow and president of the CollegeDemocrats; Rebecca Leppert, a political science major andStamps scholar; and Jesse Orshan, a graduate student. Dr.Sean Foreman, associate professor of political science andco-chair of the Campus Democracy Project (CDP), was themoderator.

The Constitution trivia included questions about thethree branches of government. Each winner received apocket-sized U.S. Constitution, the American flag, or asimilar prize.

Nearly 40 students gathered in Dominican Hall to watchSelma, the 2014 historical drama that depicts the marchfrom Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965, to secureequal voting rights. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and JohnLewis, currently a U.S. Congressman, were leaders of themarch.

Donté Roberts, a BSC fellow, introduced Selma byspeaking about his experience, in the summer of 2013,interviewing Congressman John Lewis about the 1963March on Washington. Roberts was then an intern with theHumanities Council of Washington, D.C.

In the discussion that followed the film screening, theparticipants identified contemporary civil rights and socialissues that contribute to low rates of voter participationamong minority groups. Issues include negative stereotypesand racial profiling, systemic racism and institutionalizedoppression, and lack of civic education.

Constitution Day commemorates the September 17, 1787signing of the United States Constitution. Barry University’sConstitution Day program was organized as a CampusDemocracy Project (CDP) event supported by the StudentGovernment Association, the Department of History andPolitical Science, and the CCSI.

During the spring semester, the CDP Committeeencouraged students to register to vote.

“Decisions are made by those who show up,” Foremanreminded students. “Don’t miss the election and lose thechance to have your voice heard and your vote count!”

Barry used the TurboVote system for voter registration.The CDP promotes civic engagement through political

education and participation in the electoral process. CDPCommittee members included Foreman (Political Science)and Courtney Berrien (CCSI), the co-chairs; ElizabethBesade (External and Government Affairs); Marissa Dorsett,president of College Republicans; Lavelle Dunn, president ofthe Student Government Association; Dr. Laura Finley(Sociology and Criminology); Alberto Lorenzo (Housing andResidence Life); Dr. Jalane Meloun (School of Professionaland Career Education – PACE); Dr. Walter Pierce (School ofSocial Work); Steven Ramos (Center for StudentInvolvement); Chris Riker, president of the CollegeDemocrats; and Dr. Manuel Tejeda (School of Business).

University ObservesPeace Month, HungerAction Month, and40 Days of Peace

The university observed Peace Month, Hunger ActionMonth, and 40 Days of Peace this year. September was bothPeace Month and Hunger Action Month; 40 Days of Peacebegan on January 18, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and endedon February 26.

The deliberative dialogue that focused onpolice-community relations was scheduled as part of thePeace Month program and was also a post Peace-In event.Peace-In is an annual event organized by the Department ofSociology and Criminology to mark the International Day ofPeace and to advance Barry University’s commitment tofostering peace and nonviolence.

In a Peace Month statement, Barry’s Office of MissionEngagement said the university’s commitment to socialjustice called our community “to foster peace andnon-violence, to strive for equality, to recognize thesacredness of Earth, and to engage in meaningful effortstoward social change.”

Part of a nationwide initiative of Feeding America,Hunger Action Month was aimed at raising awareness of theissue of hunger in the United States and at mobilizing thepublic to take appropriate action. Students, employees, andalumni lent their support in various ways.

Some responded enthusiastically to the call to “GoOrange” on Hunger Action Day, the first Thursday ofSeptember. The CCSI had encouraged students, faculty, and



staff to wear orange that day, September 3. Barry ServiceCorps fellows distributed orange ribbons with “quick facts”about hunger in South Florida.

Some contributed to a campus-wide food drive, whichtook place September 3–30. Food donations on Barry’smain campus totaled more than 200 items. Staff, faculty,and students placed mainly canned foods in the collectionboxes. The collection box with the most items came from

Kelley House, home to the Division of Enrollment Management.Doubling as a community service project for Peace

Month, the food drive was seen as timely. In South Florida,nearly 800,000 people are “food insecure,” according toFeeding South Florida, the regional affiliate of FeedingAmerica. That number includes more than 280,000 children.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations had emphasized that food security contributes to apeaceful world. And the International Commission on Peaceand Food had declared, "Hunger anywhere threatens peaceeverywhere."

CCSI staff member Liz James, the project coordinator,delivered the collection of 209 food items to Feeding SouthFlorida’s main warehouse in Pembroke Park on October 6.

Some Barry volunteers worked a three-hour afternoonshift at Feeding South Florida’s third annual Sort-A-Thon inPembroke Park on September 12. That community serviceproject also marked Barry’s participation in the September11th National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The Corporation for National and Community Servicenoted that the September 11th National Day of Service andRemembrance was an occasion to honor the lives lost and“commemorate the spirit of compassion and generosity”demonstrated after the tragic events of that day in 2001.

The CCSI organized events for 40 Days of Peace asthematic weeks designed to draw attention to specificsocial issues. The themes were Human Trafficking, Povertyand Food Access, Military Veterans, Domestic Violence,Refugees in America, and the School-to-Prison Pipeline.

The issue of human trafficking was highlighted duringan awareness concert and a service project with the Life of

Freedom Center. Students received training and later visitedbusiness places in Miami Beach to ask for their help insearching for trafficking victims.

Students and staff performed direct service in supportof food access. They contributed to a food-packing eventorganized by Feed My Starving Children.

In a university partnership with the Miami VeteransAffairs (VA) Healthcare System, students wrote messageson specially designed postcards for delivery to veterans inappreciation of their military service. Program organizersalso drew attention to issues surrounding veteran carenationally, and specifically in Florida, through campuseducation initiatives and a February 4 screening ofAmerican Sniper.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, American Sniper is anAmerican biographical war film based loosely on the 2012memoir American Sniper: The Autobiography of the MostLethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle, with ScottMcEwen and Jim DeFelice. The 132-minute, AcademyAward-winning film prompted a discussion of some of theeffects of military service, such as post-traumatic stressdisorder, and challenges faced by disabled veterans.

Sha’novia Warren, a social work student, saw the film as“an eye-opening reality that exemplifies what many militarysoldiers and their families have to go through."

With more than 1.6 million veterans, Florida has the thirdlargest population of U.S. veterans. According to the FloridaDepartment of Veterans' Affairs, combat veterans who weredischarged or released from active service on or afterJanuary 28, 2003 are eligible to enroll in the VA HealthcareSystem for five years from the date of discharge or release.

A deliberative dialogue on campus-based sexualviolence, held on February 11, was a major event linked to theDomestic Violence theme. Barry students also advocated anend to domestic violence through their participation in theCollege Brides Walk on February 12. Hundreds of studentsand community members walked from Barry’s maincampus to Johnson and Wales University in North Miami.

Working with the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC),students wrote letters to legislators, urging them to supportpro-immigrant policies. Through collaborative efforts withChurch World Service (CWS), students also drew attentionto the plight of refugees by posting statistics on Syrianrefugees on campus. According to CWS, more than fourmillion Syrian refugees were then seeking safety in countriesacross the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.

Students also attended the screening of Sin Nombre,which explores immigration issues. The Spanish-languagefilm, whose title means "Nameless," tells the story of aHonduran girl and a Mexican gangster who are united on ajourney across the Mexico–United States border.

A group of students and faculty traveled to Tallahasseefor the Florida Immigrant Coalition’s Lobby Days,February 13–16.

As the 40 Days of Peace observance wound down, theorganizers shifted the focus to the school-to-prison pipeline,a phenomenon marked by a widespread pattern of pushingstudents, especially those who are already at adisadvantage, out of public schools and into the American

CCSI staff member Liz James (left) and Barry Service CorpsFellows Donté Roberts, Nylisha Matos, and Christian Mesaprepare to distribute food-collection boxes on Barry’s MiamiShores campus.



juvenile and criminal justice systems. A group of Barrystudents and staff members attended PACT’s (PeopleActing for Community Together) North Rally on February22 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Miami Gardens.The purposes of the rally were to build support forlegislation that would keep youth from unfair incarcerationand to promote efforts to fund housing for homeless peoplein Miami-Dade County.

Throughout the 40 days, Alana Hardy, Selena PierreJacques, and Sha’novia Warren went out of their way to bekind to others on campus and in the wider community. Theyhad taken the Peace Pledge. Each wanted to be “a model ofethical behavior, integrity, and good citizenship.”

At the start of the 40-day observance, each student hadpledged “to treat others with the respect with which I wishto be treated … and to contribute in any way I can to createthe ‘beloved community’ envisioned by Dr. King,” the latecivil rights leader.

Among the students who signed the Peace Pledge, sixstood out. That’s because they each performed an act ofpeace every day for 40 days, documenting what they didand how they felt. Besides Hardy, Jacques, and Warren,

there were two other Barry students – Paola Montenegroand Quayneshia Smith – and a St. Thomas student namedJessica Darring. A psychology major at the MiamiGardens-based university, Darring got involved afterChristian Mesa, a Barry Service Corps fellow, shared theopportunity with her.

All six students received certificates and souvenirs fromthe CCSI during the closing ceremony for 40 Days of Peace,held at the Peace Pole in front of the Cor Jesu Chapel onBarry’s main campus. Those in attendance heard eventorganizer Andres Quevedo thank the students for living upto the pledge. He also urged the students to maintain theircommitment to peace and to remain good role models evenafter they graduate.

Service for Peace, a national organization that has playeda leadership role in promoting King’s vision of the “belovedcommunity,” recommended the daily acts of peace. On thelist were the following acts: “Cease all negative words aboutor towards other people”; “Honestly and genuinelycompliment two strangers”; “Say thank you to at least twopeople”; and “Take a deep breath if you’re angry, and wait tospeak more peacefully.” Also on the list were these threesuggestions: “Perform one random act of kindness”; “Help astranger in need”; and “Let go of a grudge.”

The CCSI coordinated Barry’s 40 Days of Peaceobservance, which included events sponsored by the Centerfor Student Involvement and the Department of CampusMinistry in the Division of Student Affairs, the School ofSocial Work and its Center for Human Rights and SocialJustice, and the Department of Sociology and Criminologyin the College of Arts and Sciences. Service for Peaceprovided a grant toward the events at Barry.

CCSI Program Coordinator Andres Quevedo gives a thumbs-up to St. Thomas University student Jessica Darring, who recentlydemonstrated her commitment to peace. Darring joined a group of Barry students in pledging to be models of ethical behavior,integrity, and good citizenship.



University MarksHunger and HomelessnessAwareness WeekBarry University participated in National Hunger andHomelessness Awareness Week (November 14–22) bysupporting efforts to end food and housing insecurity.Students, staff, and faculty members took part in two publicevents as well as a letter-writing campaign and a food- andhygiene-supply drive.

The first public event was PACT’s (People Acting forCommunity Together) Research to Action kickoff event onNovember 16, at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Miami.Affordable housing was one of the issues on PACT’s agenda.

The second public event was the Alliance for Fair Food’s“Uniting for Fair Food” public demonstration on November21. Barry representatives joined others assembled to drawattention to the needs of migrant farm workers. They alsocalled on Publix and Wendy’s to become participatingbuyers in the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ (CIW) FairFood Program.

Throughout the week, students participated in aletter-writing campaign, urging legislators to strengthenfood-aid programs and support affordable housing.

Donations of nonperishable foods and toiletries weresolicited as part of the food- and hygiene-supply drive.Coordinated by Campus Ministry, that project benefitedpeople served by Chapman Partnership and Camillus House.

Sponsored annually by the National Coalition for theHomeless, National Hunger and Homelessness AwarenessWeek is the week before Thanksgiving.

Barry Students at Forefrontof Public Action in SupportBarry students were at the forefront of a publicdemonstration in Miami on November 21 as part of theUniting for Fair Food National Day of Action. The placard-carrying demonstrators drew public attention to the“poverty wages,” human rights violations, and dangerousworking conditions experienced by many workers in theindustrial agriculture system.

Quayneshia Smith, Paola Montenegro, Alejandro Tobon,and Asha Starks rallied other students and the public tosupport the Alliance for Fair Food in agitating for fair wages

Andres Quevedo, a CCSI program coordinator, and EmmanuellaCarriere, a Barry Service Corps fellow, place posters on thelawns of Barry’s main campus. The posters contained facts andmyths about hunger and homelessness.



and safe working conditions for farm workers. They took tothe streets of downtown Miami, calling on Publix, thesupermarket chain, and Wendy’s, the fast-food company,to join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ (CIW) FairFood Program.

The nearly 30 Barry students and a few staff memberswere among those braving heat and rain, wending theirway through the congested streets of the Brickellneighborhood and stopping by three Publix supermarketsand a Wendy’s restaurant.

Tobon, a junior who participates in the Barry ServiceCorps (BSC) Fellows Program, was a member of adelegation of students and farm workers who spoke directlywith the Wendy’s management, urging the company tosupport the Fair Food Program. According to Tobon, it isimportant for consumers to understand how theirpurchasing power can positively or negatively affect thosewho produce the nation’s food.

Since March 2015, the SFA had been rallying support for

a boycott of Wendy’s. The SFA is a national network ofstudents and young people organizing with the CIW toeliminate sweatshop conditions in the fields and build afood system based on justice and dignity for farm workers.As a CIW ally, the SFA had asked the public to keep thepressure on Wendy’s until the corporation joins the FairFood Program.

Smith is a member of the SFA Steering Committee. Shewas instrumental in planning and coordinating severalMiami-area demonstrations in support of the Fair FoodProgram this academic year.

Prior to the National Day of Action, Smith andMontenegro were leaders of a “Fair Food” demonstration inNorth Miami. That demonstration was part of the SFA’sNational Week of Action (September 27–October 4) called“Schooling Wendy’s.” Demonstrators gathered in front of aWendy’s restaurant to agitate for the fast-food chain’sparticipation in the Fair Food Program.

“Schooling Wendy’s” called attention to the chain’s“failure to make the grade.” Participation in the Fair FoodProgram, or “making the grade,” requires the signing of anagreement with the CIW to support a living wage for Floridafarm workers who harvest tomatoes that Wendy’s buys.

The subsequent Uniting for Fair Food National Day ofAction in Miami was one of several similar demonstrationsthat took place in Florida and other states in support of theAlliance for Fair Food, a national network partnering withthe CIW in support of farm-worker justice. That was the fifthtime within the 12 months that Barry students haveparticipated in a Fair Food action.

Students from St. Thomas, Florida Atlantic, and FloridaInternational University took part in the Day of Action.Joining them were farm workers and family members, whotraveled from Immokalee; members of the Miami DreamDefenders, an organization that addresses contemporarycivil rights issues; and the Homestead-based immigrantrights group named WeCount!

Smith and Montenegro – who like Tobon and Starks, areBSC fellows – planned and promoted the pre-Thanksgivingdemonstration among students at Barry and other Miamiarea universities. Two months earlier, they shared their plansat the SFA’s Encuentro, an annual strategic planning sessionfor student leaders from across the United States.

Before taking part in “Schooling Wendy’s,” CIW memberWilson Perez (right) speaks with BSC Fellows PaolaMontenegro and Asha Starks about exploitative laborpractices in the industrial agricultural system and theinfluential role college students can play in the Fair FoodProgram. Shelby Mack, a member of the Alliance for Fair Food(left), is the translator.

Quayneshia Smith (third from left in the foreground) calls forjustice for farm workers. Smith was a member of theStudent/Farmworker Alliance delegation who met with a Publixmanager in Naples. Publix is the largest family-owned grocerystore in Florida.

The new Fair Food label helps consumers identify tomatoespicked under fair conditions on farms participating in theprogram.



The 11th annual Encuentro took place in Immokalee, Fla.,in September. Smith and Montenegro were among scores ofstudents and youth who gathered for a weekend primarilyto make plans for the SFA’s Campaign for Fair Food. Theytook part in workshops and campaign planning, whichfocused on the Fair Food Program and the worker-drivensocial responsibility model that the CIW promotes.

The energized Encuentro participants traveled to Naples,where they took to the streets for a dual Publix-Wendy’sprotest. Publix and Wendy’s are among major food retailersthat do not support the Fair Food Program.

Throughout the 2015–2016 academic year, Barrystudents urged Publix and Wendy’s to join the program.BSC fellows and service-learning students in theology andsociology classes staged two demonstrations alongBiscayne Boulevard in Miami Shores. At the firstdemonstration, the group directed chants such as “Farmworkers have families too!” to the Publix supermarket at NE91st Street and U.S. 1. A student delegation also spoke withthe grocery-store manager and asked that the corporationparticipate in the program.

The second demonstration took place in front of theWendy’s fast-food restaurant on the corner of NE 79thStreet and U.S. 1. Members of the CIW, the SFA, and theAlliance for Fair Food joined the Barry students forthat demonstration.

The CIW’s Fair Food Program has been described as “aunique partnership among farmers, farm workers, and retailfood companies that ensures humane wages and workingconditions for the workers who pick fruits and vegetableson participating farms.” The value of the program stemsfrom both the standards outlined in the Fair Food Code ofConduct – backed by binding agreements between CIWand some of the world’s large buyers of tomatoes – and themultilayered approach to monitoring and enforcingcompliance with those standards.

Acclaimed as the most comprehensive and sustainablesocial responsibility program in U.S. agriculture, the FairFood Program provides for legally binding Fair FoodAgreements. Participating buyers in the program committo paying the Fair Food Premium on top of the regular pricethey pay for tomatoes. The small premium has helped toalleviate the economic hardship faced by farm workersfor decades.

Barry students took part in previous successfulcampaigns that resulted in Taco Bell’s and Burger King’sparticipation in the Fair Food Program. CIW member LupeGonzalo said it was small but regular demonstrations likethe ones Barry student leaders organized that led toprevious Fair Food victories and have made the biggestimpact for long-term, systemic change.

Fourteen major food retailers, including Burger King,McDonald’s and Subway, are participating in the program.The CIW reported that the retailers together have madepenny-per-pound payments of $16 million to increase theincome of Florida’s tomato pickers.

Barry Student’s Commitmentto Social Justice Highlightedin PublicationAsk her about her most memorable college experience andBethany Dill would emphasize her social justice-focusedinternship. Ask her what she’s passionate about and she’dmention service.

“Service is immensely important to me,” Dill declared.“The power people have to affect each other’s lives isstaggering, and it’s beautiful when people harness thatpower for good. I think that all people have a deep need tolive a life that is bigger than themselves.”

Bethany Dill’s commitment to social justice throughservice was the focus of a feature article in the January 2016issue of ASPIRE, a publication for Stamps scholars.

Just over a year ago, Dill interned with InternationalJustice Mission (IJM), a Washington, D.C.-based organizationwhose mission is to protect the poor from violence indeveloping countries. While there, she attended a SenateForeign Relations Committee hearing on efforts to endmodern-day slavery.

According to Dill, “It was special to witness that eventand beautiful to hear the plight of the enslaved shared withthose who can (effect) such systemic change.”

A 2016 Barry graduate, Dill was a Stamps scholar,participating in a program that “recognizes the best andbrightest students and the most promising future leaders.”

“During my time at Barry, I’ve been a reading tutor in thecommunity, volunteered as a Resident Assistant, and havebeen a part of Habitat for Humanity, Barry’s HonorsProgram Student Advisory Board, a Christian studentorganization called Pinky Promise, the EducationAssociation of Barry, and other organizations,” she noted.“During my freshman year, I visited the Coalition of

Stamps Scholar Bethany Dill is passionate about service.


Immokalee Workers in Immoaklee, Florida to support itsAnti-Slavery Campaign, which seeks to eliminate forcedlabor in supply chains.”

An education major, Dill said she “found Barry’s deepcommitment to social justice, which was evident from thestart, compelling.” She knew she “could thrive in a place thatcares so earnestly about the role of a university in seekingjustice in the world.”

And how she thrived! Thanks to the enrichment fundsreceived as part of her full-ride scholarship, Dill garneredsuccessful experiences at home and abroad.

As an intern last summer with Human Rights Watch,she drafted advocacy letters to governments, press releases,and articles for the organization’s website. For the futurehuman rights lawyer, this and similar enrichment experienceswere “striking illustrations … of the power of advocacy.”

As a volunteer in Hyderabad, India, the previoussummer, she supported the work of Advocates for Babies inCrisis. She cared for infants and tutored older children inmath and English.

Student Leaders Host Youthat College Readiness FairLocal high-school youth learned how to navigate the collegeadmissions process and how to become successful collegestudents at a College Readiness Fair on February 27. Theevent, which took place on Barry’s Miami Shores campus,provided an opportunity for economically disadvantagedyouth to visit a college campus and ask questions about theadmissions process as well as college life.

Representatives of the Offices of UndergraduateAdmissions and Financial Aid and members of Barry’sStudent Organizations Council (SOC), Student GovernmentAssociation (SGA), Barry Service Corps Fellows Program,and the REACH-UP for Nursing Program madepresentations at the fair.

The REACH-UP for Nursing Program is designed toincrease recruitment, retention, and graduationopportunities for minority and disadvantaged students inthe nursing profession. This includes a long-term goal toincrease workforce diversity, reduce health disparities, andachieve population health equity.

Student Government Association President Lavelle Dunnand Barry Service Corps Fellows Gilberte Jean-Francois andKevin Dalia shared their experiences as highly involvedcollege students.

Participating youth and their parents learned aboutcompleting an application to college, the different forms offinancial aid available to undergraduates, and the optionsavailable to college students to become actively engagedon campus and in the community. Activities included acampus tour led by Barry Student Ambassadors and astudent-leader panel discussion.

The CCSI organized the event with support from theCollege Reach-Out Program (CROP) in the School ofEducation.

Barry Students Spread theWord to End the “R” WordBarry social work and education students and officers of theuniversity’s Disability Services Student Advisory Boardpartnered with Special Olympics Florida to createawareness about the damaging effects that words like“retard” have on people with intellectual disabilities. TheMarch 2 campaign was an event for DevelopmentalDisabilities Awareness Month.

The R-Word Campaign,a national initiativepromoted by SpecialOlympics, seeks to “spreadthe word to end the word.”The goal is to create moreaccepting attitudes andcommunities for all peopleby bringing attention tothe power of language.

Among those whospread the word to endthe “R” word were BrittanyJacobs, Barry publicguardian social worker;Desiree Gonzalez, socialwork service-learning student; Deni Ordonez, graduatestudent in the School of Education and member of theOffice of Disability Services Student Advisory Board; CaitlinConnor, social work service-learning student; EddieMaldonado, Special Olympics athlete; Efrem Scott, socialwork service-learning student; and Rochelle Rivera, graduatestudent in the School of Education and president of theOffice of Disability Services’ Student Advisory Board.

Barry’s campaign organizers invited students to take theR-Word Pledge – to eliminate exclusive, offensive, andderogatory language from their conversations with familyand friends and on social media.

Allison Kowlessar, disability services coordinator, hopedthat the content shared during the event, including thepurpose of the campaign and significance of making thepledge, would help to “create an inclusive culture that iswelcoming to Barry students with seen and unseendisabilities.”

Kowlessar coordinated the event in collaboration withSpecial Olympics, the CSI, the School of Social Work, andthe School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences(HPLS).

President Ronald Regan proclaimed DevelopmentalDisabilities Awareness Month in 1987.



Staff and faculty members joined students torepresent Barry at Feeding South Florida’s thirdannual Sort-A-Thon in Pembroke Park onSeptember 12.

The 25 representatives included SandraMancuso, director of grants and sponsoredprograms in the Division of InstitutionalAdvancement; Arlene Taylor, an administrativeassistant in the Adrian Dominican School ofEducation; and Liz James, experiential learningcoordinator in the CCSI.

Dr. Jennie L. Ricketts-Duncan, an assistantprofessor of education, also assisted during avolunteer shift at the 24-hour project that beganthe evening of September 11.

A member of the Feeding America network,Feeding South Florida is the leading domestic-hunger relief organization serving Palm Beach,Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties.

According to a Feeding South Florida report, 79percent of the region’s food-insecure populationqualify, based on income, for SNAP (Foods Stamps)and other federal nutrition programs. The 21 percentwho do not qualify “often must rely on emergencyfood-assistance programs and need better wagesand employment opportunities to help them meettheir basic needs,” the organization reported as partof Feeding America’s 2015 Map the Meal Gapanalysis of food insecurity in the United States.

Recruitment andAdmissions EventsThe director of the CCSI participated in twoRecruitment and Admissions events on Barry’smain campus this year. He gave the invocation atthe first event, the Sunshine Tour Luncheon, onFebruary 6.

Undergraduate Admissions Directors BetsyThomas and Sarah Riley thanked the CCSIadministrator for giving up part of his weekend “tohelp make Barry shine” and for “giving our guests aglimpse into what makes Barry such a uniqueinstitution of higher education.”

Thirty-four school counselors from ninecountries and 18 U.S. states were on the SunshineTour.

The second Recruitment and Admissions eventwas the 2016 Autopista Tour Luncheon on June 10,involving 24 high-school guidance counselors fromPuerto Rico. The CCSI director joined other Barryadministrators and faculty at the luncheon to shareinformation on Barry programs and services.

Dr. Dave Fletcher, senior director of graduateadmissions, gave the invocation.

In addition, Liz James, a CCSI staff member,served on the committee that reviewed applicationsfor Stamps Scholarships at Barry. Stamps scholarsbenefit from funds provided by the Atlanta-basedStamps Family Charity Foundation.

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University Staff Members Support Hunger Relief

(Left to right) Arlene Taylor, Dr. Jennie Ricketts-Duncan, Sandra Mancuso, and Liz James sorted food items inFeeding South Florida’s main warehouse on September 12.


Institutional AdvancementStaff Member PromotesWomen’s HealthInstitutional Advancement staff member Victoria LindseyChampion continued to support the door-to-door outreachcampaigns of the Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative (WBHI).

Lindsey Champion, a senior development officer formajor gifts in the Division of Institutional Advancement andExternal Affairs, has been a WBHI volunteer for more thansix years. On September 19, she joined other WBHI FloridaAffiliate volunteers and staff members involved in thecurrent campaign, providing breast- and heart-healtheducation packages and making appointments formammograms and heart screenings.

WBHI’s mission is to save lives by connecting at-riskwomen with the prevention and early detection necessaryto fight breast cancer and heart disease.

Staff Members AmongVolunteers for FundraisingEvent Benefiting BabiesBarry volunteers supported the March for Babies at NovaSoutheastern University in Davie. CCSI staff members lent ahand at the event.

Students Liza Avila, Destiny Correa, Asiana Dunn, LeslieLee, Aruna Ragbir, and Alexus Sergeant joined Liz James,CCSI experiential learning coordinator, at the fundraisingevent hosted by the March of Dimes Broward Countydivision. Their main assignment was to capture images ofvarious activities and participants throughout the day.

The previous day, James and her CCSI colleaguesCourtney Berrien, Dr. Glenn Bowen, Alicia Santos, andAshton Spangler helpedorganizers with set-upfor the event.

About 380,000babies are bornpremature every year inthe United States, theMarch of Dimes reported. In Florida, one in nine babies isborn premature each year.

The March of Dimes works to end premature births andother problems that may be detrimental to babies. Thenonprofit organization helps women have full-termpregnancies and healthy babies.

Approximately 5,000 walkers helped to put theMarch of Dimes Broward County division within reach ofits $889,000 fundraising goal. The March for Babies raisedmore than $850,000. The organization disclosed that itwould spend 76 percent of the money raised from the eventon research and support programs for premature babiesand their mothers.


Victoria Lindsey Champion (third from left) volunteers with theWomen’s Breast & Heart Initiative, Florida Affiliate. The chair ofthe organization’s board of directors, Willie Ivory, is at right.

MOVE-OUT DRIVE: Barry’s Office ofMission Engagement (OME)coordinated this year’s Move-OutDrive with support from the CCSI,Department of Housing andResidence Life, FacilitiesManagement, Center for StudentInvolvement, and Public SafetyDepartment. Students donated 3,500pounds of clothes and householditems; 11 community organizationsreceived the donations. Among themwas Chapman Partnership, whichpicked up donated items withassistance from (L–R) AshtonSpangler, CCSI AmeriCorps VISTAmember; Shernee Bellamy, OMEAmeriCorps VISTA member; MargaretGrizzle, a community volunteer; andPatricia Ramlow, OME director.


Student organizations at BarryUniversity’s Dwayne O. Andreas Schoolof Law participated in some 70 communityservice events this year, continuing theschool’s tradition of raising thousands ofdollars annually for local and nationalcharities. Community service eventsincluded a local lake and beach cleanup,a feed-the-homeless event, and aclothing drive.

Brian Sites, the CCSI’s communityengagement liaison in Orlando, wrote acomprehensive report of the semester’sactivities.

Rotaract, the Rotary-sponsored serviceclub, logged more than 50 hours ofcommunity service. Angela Meador,president of the club, completed an additional 150hours of service to the community, including morethan 40 hours of pro bono service as a guardian adlitem.

The Veteran Legal Society raised $1,849.31through its annual “Kiss the Pig” event to benefitinjured veterans, and the Women LawyersAssociation raised $842.89 to support theAmerican Cancer Society’s Making Strides initiative.Additionally, the Student Bar Association donated$500 to Santa’s Peacekeepers, the Student AnimalLegal Defense Fund raised $1,410 for the PetAlliance of Greater Orlando, and Students AgainstSexual Assault contributed $81.64 to Harbor Houseof Central Florida.

Students at the School of Law also supportedother charities such as Second Harvest Food Bankof Central Florida, Clean the World, and the RonaldMcDonald House. Twenty-two students andadministrators participated in United Way Days ofCaring by creating a community garden lab at alocal YMCA.

Sites, an assistant professor of law and facultyadministrator of experiential learning and of legalresearch and writing, also reported: “The four lawclinics continue to work with the community daily.

Those clinics are the Juvenile Defense Clinic, theImmigration Clinic, the Environmental and EarthLaw Clinic, and the Collaborative Family Law Clinic.Students participating in these clinics and thelawschool’s externships and other programs play avital role in serving our community.”

Several other community service events arescheduled for later this semester. For example, theSchool of Law is gearing up again for the VITAprogram, Sites said. Through this program,students assist local community members withpreparing tax forms.

The school supported the Women LawyersAssociation’s Seventeenth Annual Silent Auction,an event that had raised almost $7,000 in 2015 andapproximately $100,000 over the years, benefitingHarbor House of Central Florida.

During the fall, the school also made earlypreparations for its mission trip to New Orleans,Louisiana, scheduledfor May.

Leticia M. Diaz is dean of the School of Law.Sites and other community engagement

liaisons assist the CCSI with planning, monitoring,assessing, and reporting community engagementactivities. CCSI Associate Director Courtney Berriencoordinates the work of the liaisons.

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Barry law students have supported the American Cancer Society, Harbor House, Second Harvest Food Bank, Clean theWorld, and other organizations.

Barry Law Students Participate in 70 CommunityService Events

Leticia Diaz is dean of the Law School; Brian Sites is the communityengagement liaison at the school.


Barry’s podiatry students have been maintaining thetradition of community engagement established by theSchool of Podiatric Medicine. Participation in the SpecialOlympics Fit Feet project is a prime example of the school’sengagement with the community.

Each fall and spring semester, podiatry students takepart in Fit Feet, performing foot screenings for SpecialOlympics athletes. This academic year, the students havelogged 440 hours on the Fit Feet project, reportedCommunity Engagement Liaison Sandra Rampersad.

The Fit Feet Fall Classic, last November, saw 20 Barryparticipants traveling toOrlando, where theyclocked 320 hours, over atwo-day period, providingfoot examinations forSpecial Olympics athletes.Student Sarah Shipleyserved as the volunteercoordinator.

For Fit Feet Spring, onApril 2, a 15-member teamof podiatry volunteersrendered 120 hours ofservice. Students KellyBrennan and StephanieKane were the volunteercoordinators and Dr. JonHouseworth, assistant professor, the clinical director.

Special Olympics describes itself as “a global movementof people creating a new world of inclusion and community,where every single person is accepted and welcomed,regardless of ability or disability.” Through its Fit Feetproject, the organization offers podiatric screenings toevaluate ankles, feet, lower extremity biomechanics, and

proper shoe-and-sock gear of participating athletes.“Many athletes suffer from foot and ankle pain, or

deformities that impair their performance,” the organizationhas explained. “In fact, up to 50 percent of Special Olympicsathletes experience one or more preventable or treatablefoot conditions that can affect their sports participation.Often, these individuals are not fitted with the best shoesand socks for their particular sport.”

Special Olympics developed Fit Feet in collaborationwith the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicineand the Federation of International Podiatrists.

Rampersad, the administrative assistant for researchoperations in the School of Podiatric Medicine, said podiatrystudents also regularly provide voluntary service at publicevents, such as health fairs, and at community shelters. OnGood Friday (March 25), for example, podiatry studentssupported Miami Rescue Mission’s “Help the Homeless, Feedthe Hungry” event at three sites – in Miami, Pompano Beach,and Hollywood. They performed foot exams, naildebridements, callus removals, and vascular screenings formembers of the public who attended the event.

Students Najwah Hayman and Aasin Tareen coordinatedvolunteer involvement on behalf of the American Academyof Women Podiatrist Club. Dean Albert Armstrong and Dr.Jacqueline Brill, assistant professor, were the supervisors.The 60 participants provided 420 hours of service,Rampersad reported.

During the spring semester (on March 19), a 25-memberteam of students and faculty performed foot exams at theMissionaries of Charity Mother Teresa Home for Women inDistress, in Miami. The Florida Podiatric Medical StudentAssociation (FPMSA), led by Stephanie Kane, the president,coordinated student participation. Dr. Luis Rodriguez Anaya,assistant professor and interim clinical education director,supervised the students.

During the fall semester (on November 8), FPMSAprovided foot assessments, vascular exams, and basictreatment at a health fair hosted by St. Joseph’s CatholicChurch in Miami Beach. Stephanie Kane and Jason Spectorwere the student coordinators and Dr. Houseworth thefaculty supervisor.


Dr. Albert Armstrong is dean of the School of Podiatric Medicine;Stephanie Kane is president of the Florida Podiatric Medical StudentAssociation. Podiatry students provided 440 hours of service to SpecialOlympics Fit Feet this academic year.

School of Podiatric Medicine MaintainsCommunity Engagement Tradition

Sandra Rampersad


Sociology and CriminologyAlso Maintains TraditionThe Department of Sociology and Criminology also hasbeen maintaining a tradition of community engagement.

Dr. Laura Finley, community engagement liaison,reported: “The department is continuing its relationship withthe Order of Malta. We previously assisted with the creationof an Ex-Offender Resource Guide that is being used aroundthe state and are now working on creating a guide withemployment resources. We also again assisted with thePeace-In, which included community and campus speakersabout peace and nonviolence.”

Finley, an associate professor of sociology andcriminology, reported further that the department has beeneducating the campus and community on restorative justiceand, in particular, the death penalty. Pax Christi and Floridiansfor Alternatives to the Death Penalty have supported thedepartment’s efforts.

The department also has expanded its relationship withAmnesty International. Sociology and criminology studentshave been participating in the organization’s Write for Rightsinitiative.

Finley coordinated Barry’s participation in AmnestyInternational’s annual general meeting in Miami and servedas a host committee member. An educational exhibit onBarry’s College Brides Walk was mounted in “Action Alley,”the AGM’s exhibition area featuring human rights efforts.

Dr. Lisa Konczal, associate professor of sociology andcriminology, attended the meeting. Students in attendanceincluded Miguel Alava, Lavell Applewhite, Nayza Davila,Angela Duff, Alexia Hunter, Sterling Llewellyn, Aatiyah Malik,Paola Montenegro, Asha Starks, and Zahria Scott. Somemembers of the Barry group served as volunteers at thethree-day meeting.

The AGM provided a forum to create awareness aboutlocal and international human rights violations and to seek

solutions. Barry group members attended different sessionsand, during a post-AGM reflection activity, shared what theylearned from each session.

Starks said she and the other students appreciated theopportunity to learn from professionals and local citizenscommitted to working for human rights. Finley said theconference organizers were impressed with Barry’sparticipation.

For the past three years, Amnesty International USA,through its Special Initiative Fund, has supported the CollegeBrides Walk, an annual event that brings attention todomestic and dating violence.

The Department of Sociology and Criminology was thefirst recipient of Barry’s Engaged Department Award. Dr.Gary Grizzle, an associate professor of sociology, is chair ofthe department.

University Donates Booksfor Reuse and RecyclingOver the past five years, Barry University has donated morethan 18,600 books for reuse and recycling. The donationshave saved unwanted books from landfills.

Between December 2010 and 2015, the universitydonated 18,682 books to Better World Books, reportedMerlene Nembhard, electronic resources coordinator andreference librarian. Of that total, 7,036 books were reusedand 11,646 were recycled.

Better World Books, in turn, reported that theBarry-donated books have saved 300 trees and 40 cubicyards of landfill space while also reducing greenhouse gasesby 39,737 pounds.

The Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library organizesand manages the book donation drive on the university’smain campus in Miami Shores. The library is part of anetwork of more than 3,000 libraries supporting BetterWorld Books.

Since 2002, when it was founded by three friends fromthe University of Notre Dame, Better World Books hasconverted approximately 117 million books into more than$15 million in funding for literacy and education. In theprocess, the company has also diverted more than 73,000tons of books from landfills.

The library collects unwanted books, including books onCDs, and DVDs for shipment to Better World Books. Amongthe books being accepted are college textbooks publishedwithin the past 10 years, dictionaries, children’s books, andtravel books published within the past 3 years. CDs, DVDs,and selected video games will be accepted as well.

The books and DVDs are sold, with the library receiving15 percent of the net sale price and Books for Africa, aBetter World Books literacy partner, receiving 5 percent.Unsold books are donated to Books for Africa or recycled.


A group of Barry students and faculty members attended AmnestyInternational’s annual general meeting.


Social Work GroupGoes to Tallahassee forLegislative Educationand Advocacy Day

Nearly 50 Barry students, faculty, and staff participated inthe Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) inTallahassee in February. Participants were drawn from theSchool of Social Work – from the main campus in MiamiShores and satellite campuses in Palm Beach Gardens andFort Myers.

The Barry University School of Social Work participatesin LEAD annually at the Florida State Capitol. Organized bythe National Association of Social Workers–Florida Chapter(NASW-FL), the event takes place during the FloridaLegislature’s regular spring session.

NASW-FL’s legislative and policy-advocacy agenda for2016 includes the promotion of “criminal justice laws andsentencing guidelines that are reasonable, equitable, free ofbias, flexible to the situation, and protect the public.” It alsoincludes support of “programs that reduce homelessness orassist those experiencing homelessness, and that enhanceaffordable housing options.”

Fabio A. Naranjo, community engagement liaison,reported that this year’s LEAD took place on February 1and 2, with nearly 900 students representing the state’s 14accredited schools of social work participating. On the firstday, all participants attended a training session during whichNASW-FL provided a summary of all relevant bills and thoseidentified for lobbying. On the second day, the social workstudents met face-to-face with legislators, attended Senateand House Committee Hearings, and visited the FloridaSupreme Court.

The School of Social Work was the second recipient ofBarry University’s Engaged Department Award. Dr. PhyllisScott is dean of the school.

CCSI Reviews Efforts toHelp Prevent Youth ViolenceIn March, the CCSI reviewed segments of its programs andprojects aimed at assisting the local community withpreventing and combating violence among youth. Throughpartnerships with Gang Alternative, the Little Haiti OptimistClub, and PACT (People Acting for Community Together),the CCSI has been contributing to ongoing anti-violenceefforts.

At Gang Alternative, emphasis is placed on providing asafe, positive environment for young men and women tolearn new skills and develop socially, emotionally, andspiritually. Based in Little Haiti, the organization servesyouth primarily from that neighborhood and the adjacentLiberty City.

Barry Service Corps fellows on the Youth DevelopmentTeam have been working with Gang Alternative staff to planand implement a curriculum focused on violence preventionand social justice.The CCSI invited youngsters enrolled inGang Alternative’s Building Leaders of Character (BLOC)program to the deliberative dialogue on “The Police andthe Community: Who is Protected and Served?” and to theCollege Readiness Fair on campus. The youngsters alsoworked side by side with Barry students on MLK Day ofService projects.

Under the aegis of the Little Haiti Optimist Club, parentsand elementary-school youth participated in Make aDifference Day service projects alongside college students.Barry students have been serving as tutors and mentors tothe Little Haiti youth, and BSC fellows on the Urban HealthTeam work have assisted Optimist Club staff with preparinga curriculum designed to foster health and well-being.

PACT’s efforts include working with the Miami-DadeCounty Public Schools to initiate restorative justice andother violence prevention programs that are alternatives toout-of-school suspensions. The organization also has beenworking with Florida lawmakers to pass a civil citation bill(SB 408) in the Children, Families and Elder CareCommittee and the Judiciary Committee of the FloridaSenate. The bill provides alternative and preventionprograms to youth who are first- or second-time nonviolentoffenders, rather than mandatory prison sentences.

Barry students have been making their contributions toPACT’s efforts through service-learning and co-curricularprograms. For example, theology students have supportedthe Keeping It Real program at Mount Tabor MissionaryBaptist Church in North Miami. Program participants meetregularly, taking advantage of a safe space to addressconcerns and share experiences.Additional efforts to helpprevent youth violence include Days of Service activitiesinvolving at-risk youth from high-crime neighborhoods. TheCCSI also has been collaborating with Miami Bridge Youthand Family Services to promote positive youth developmentand productive community involvement, and with E-SToPP(Eradicating the School-to-Prison Pipeline) to addressrelated challenges.


Dr. Phylis Scott is dean of the School of Social Work; Fabio Naranjo is thecommunity engagement liaison at the school.


Barry University participated in Campus Compact’s 2015Annual Member Survey. The CCSI completed the survey onbehalf of the university.

The survey found that higher education institutionsacross the United States use a variety of approaches tofoster community engagement. Campus Compact memberinstitutions foster curricular and co-curricular communityengagement by using approaches ranging from offeringstudent awards for community engagement (80%) toproviding physical space and communication mechanismsfor peaceful student protest (62%).

According to Campus Compact, the use of FederalWork-Study funds to support engagement “remainspervasive” among its member institutions. On average, 15percent of Federal Work-Study funds were dedicated tocommunity service positions in 2015.

In its 2015 Annual Member Survey report titled“Preparing to Accelerate Change: Understanding ourStarting Line,” Campus Compact noted that colleges anduniversities have identified specific student outcomes forcommunity engagement. More than half of thoseresponding to the survey (53%) indicated that they havedone so. Those respondents further indicated that theytrack student outcomes in the following areas: criticalthinking (82%); civic or democratic learning (81%);

engagement across differences (76%); social justiceorientation (64%); global learning (64%); policyknowledge (25%); and media literacy (21%).

Across institutions, there is a wide variety of vehicles forboth curricular and co-curricular student engagement.Campus Compact has reported that those vehicles rangefrom residence hall-based service (91%) and internationalservice opportunities (71%) to disciplinary community-basedlearning courses (78%) and capstone service courses (57%).

Campus Compact advances the public purposes ofcolleges and universities by deepening their ability toimprove community life and to educate students for civicand social responsibility. A Campus Compact memberinstitution, Barry University participated in the survey.

The organization conducted an online member surveyfor 12 weeks, beginning in October 2015, to capture studentand faculty involvement in communities; assess institutionalsupport and culture; and gather information oncommunity–campus partnerships, tracking mechanisms,and the like. Of 1,079 Campus Compact member institutions,400 responded to the survey, with a national response rateof 37 percent.


Barry Participates in Campus Compact Survey


Barry’s CollaborativeApproaches to ServiceEmphasized in BlogBarry University’s collaborative approaches to service wereemphasized in a blog at the NASPA website. The blog was asummary of a presentation at the 2015 Civic Learning andDemocratic Engagement Conference organized jointly bythe American Association of State Colleges andUniversities’ American Democracy Project, The DemocracyCommitment, and NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators inHigher Education.

The team of presenters from Barry was composed ofCourtney Berrien, CCSI associate director; Derek Bley,coordinator for leadership development and studentorganizations in the Center for Student Involvement; LavelleDunn, the Student Government Association president;Donté Roberts, a Barry Service Corps fellow; and Dr. SeanForeman, associate professor of political science.

Barry’s Campus Democracy Project, U.S. ConstitutionDay activities, and Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) werementioned in the blog.

Nursing Students JoinNorth Miami Communityfor 9/11 EventOn September 11, nine Barry nursing students joined theNorth Miami community to commemorate the 14thanniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and to rememberthe lives lost.

Accompanied by Dr. Mureen Shaw, assistant professor ofnursing, the students attended the 9/11 observance at theNorth Miami Police Headquarters. City of North Miamiofficials, fire and police personnel, and community membersparticipated. After the event, City of North Miami MayorDr. Smith Joseph thanked the students for attending.

The students in attendance were Tenishe Adejo,Alisson Blandino, Virginie Chavannes, Pat Cooper, ChavelyCordoves, Blanca Crespo, Alexa De la Cruz, Lizeht Flores,and Danielle Forde.

CCSI AdministratorsCoordinate CulturalSensitivity Componentof Podiatry CourseCCSI administrators Courtney Berrien and Glenn Bowencoordinated the Cultural Sensitivity component of anintroductory course in the School of Podiatric Medicinethe fall 2015 semester.

The four-session component of SPM 525: Introductionto Podiatric Medicine took into consideration pertinentprofessional standards and goals established by theAmerican Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine(AACPM).

The course component was designed to help studentsdevelop awareness and appreciation for aspects of diversityand cultural sensitivity; self-awareness and consideration ofhow aspects of their own identity may influence theirprofessional interactions with others, especially futurepatients; an understanding of the connections betweencultural competency andprofessional standards.

The session topics were “Perspective and Identity,”“Intersectionality,” “Privilege and Power,” and “CulturalCompetency.”

Students practiced effective communication; consideredthe role perspective plays in communication, decision-making, and relationships with individuals from differentgroups; and developed empathy for others by learning thebackgrounds, perspectives, experiences. They also appliedthe concepts of privilege and power to the experiences ofvarious social groups in American society and consideredhow issues of privilege and power can influencedoctor-patient interactions.

In addition, the students discussed “best practice”methods of diversity dialogue, considering how suchmethods can be used when working in the community.



Bowen Elected toInternationalAssociation BoardCCSI Director Dr. Glenn Bowenwas elected to theboard of directors of the International Associationfor Research on Service-Learning and CommunityEngagement (IARSLCE). He will serve a three-yearterm beginning in September 2016.

IARSLCE has more than 900 members. Theassociation’s mission is “to promote thedevelopment and dissemination of research onservice-learning and community engagementinternationally and across all levels of the educationsystem.”

Bowen has served as a proposal reviewer for theannual IARSLCE Conference and co-chaired theconference’s social justice track in 2015. In his boardrole, he will engage in planning strategies andprograms to spur the growth of the association.

At Barry, Bowen provides strategic leadershipfor community engagement, encompassing facultydevelopment programs, community-engagedscholarship, and university–communitypartnerships. Holding the faculty rank of associateprofessor, he piloted the institutionalization ofservice-learning and created the Faculty LearningCommunity for Engaged Scholarship. His work hasresulted in the annual recognition of the universityon the President’s Higher Education CommunityService Honor Roll and Barry’s attainment of theprestigious Carnegie Community EngagementClassification.

Previously, Bowen was director of theaward-winning Center for Service Learning atWestern Carolina University. He is credited withexpanding, enhancing, and bringing nationalrecognition to civic engagement at that NorthCarolina public university.

The author of Reflection Methods and Activitiesfor Service Learning, Bowen also has publishedseveral book chapters on service-learningpedagogy and civic engagement practice. Hispeer-reviewed articles have appeared in suchpublications as the Journal of Higher EducationOutreach and Engagement, Journal of CommunityEngagement and Scholarship, and Journal onExcellence in College Teaching.

A former journalist and public relations manager,Bowen was a two-term president of the Public

Relations Society of Jamaica and was appointed bythe nation’s prime minister to the Jamaica NationalCommission for UNESCO. In addition, he waselected to a five-year term on the executivecommittee of the Geneva-based World Federationof United Nations Associations.

Faculty FellowsFacilitate CBRWorkshopService-Learning Fellows Ligia Migut and RaulMachuca facilitated a faculty workshop on“Community-Based Research as Service-Learning”on March 2.

Workshop participants discussed the guidingprinciples of community-based research and thesteps to completing a CBR project. They alsoexplored how service-learning students can benefitfrom CBR and how CBR can become part of thescholarship of engagement.

Nursing Students Urgedto Conduct Research toBenefit MarginalizedCommunitiesDr. Glenn Bowen, director of the CCSI, urgednursing students to begin engaging in research thatwill significantly benefit underserved populations inmarginalized communities.

“Nursing students can play an important role inadvancing global health by engaging incommunity-based research in local communitiesand abroad,” Bowen said. “Global-health researchfocuses on underserved populations in low- andmiddle-income countries as well as foreign-bornpopulations, such as immigrants and refugees, inthe United States through a holistic lens.”

Giving the welcome at the InternationalResearch Conference of the Sigma Theta TauInternational Honor Society of Nursing’s (STTI)Lambda Chi Chapter on February 24, Bowen saidthe focus of research should be not only on thesafety and efficacy of treatments and modalitiesbut also on health policy directions and especiallyon public health impacts. The emphasis should beon addressing community-identified concerns andmultiple determinants of health, he added.

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This year’s agenda of the Faculty LearningCommunity for Engaged Scholarship (FLC) includedengaged-scholarship seminars, guest presentations, andregular meetings.

The FLC is an interdisciplinary group of faculty memberswho engage in a collaborative program focused oncommunity-engaged scholarship, which integrates work inthe areas of teaching, research, and service. Community-engaged scholarship supports collaboration between theuniversity and its larger communities – local, regional/state,national, global – for the mutually beneficial exchangeof knowledge and resources in a context of partnershipand reciprocity.

Faculty members attending the engaged-scholarshipseminar on September 23 shared their communityengagement experiences linked to teaching, programadministration, and research.

On October 28, Elaine H. Black, president and CEO ofthe Liberty City Community Revitalization Trust, made apresentation as part of the seminar. And Dr. Adam Dean,associate professor of communication, gave a review of ajournal article on interdisciplinary faculty collaboration.

Dr. Sabrina Des Rosiers, assistant professor ofpsychology, led the seminar on February 10, which focusedon experimental and survey research design forcommunity-engaged scholarship.


Faculty Learning Community PromotesEngaged Scholarship

Community-based research, Bowen noted, is acollaborative process that involves students, faculty, andcommunity partners. It can help to speed the adoption,implementation, and evaluation of policies and practices toimprove health in communities with unmet needs, he said.

More than 500 nurses attended the conference at theSignature Grand in Davie. The theme of the conference was“Empowering Nurses to Advance Global Health throughResearch and Evidence-Based Practice.”

Dr. Edward Briggs, immediate past president of theFlorida Nurses Association, gave the keynote address on“The Future of Nursing is the Future of Healthcare.” Therewere nine breakout-session presentations. In addition, the

poster session included 16 presentations. During the closingsession, doctoral student Gaone Abbate shared herperspective on the conference theme.

The STTI Lambda Chi Chapter’s board of directors iscomposed of Dr. Claudette Chin, president; Dr. Mureen Shaw,vice president, Jamelah Morton, counselor/governance chair;Dr. Lolita McCarthy, treasurer; and Dr. Ronica Subramoney,secretary and newsletter editor. Committee members includeDr. Jacquie Marshall, leadership succession and communityservice chair; Roselle Sampson-Mojares, leadership intern;Onidis Lopez, archivist/webmaster; Dr. Corvette Yacoob,awards committee chair; and Dr. Indra Hershorin, researchcommittee chair.

Lorna Owens, founder and chief executive officer of Footprints Foundation, at the FLC’s April meeting. Drs. Pamela Hall and RaulMachuca participated in the meeting.


Sister Michelle Fernandez, SCTJM, principal of St. Mary’sCathedral School, was the guest presenter at the March 16FLC meeting. She asked Barry faculty to support programs,including teacher training, at that Miami inner-city school,which has a high turnover of teachers.

More than 300 of the 400 students enrolled at St.Mary’s Cathedral School benefit from the Step-Upscholarship program. Sr. Michelle said many of them werelagging behind by two grades, and those enrolled in specialeducation would benefit from additional tutoring.

Lorna Owens, founder and chief executive officer ofFootprints Foundation, was the guest presenter at the finalFLC meeting for the academic year, on April 20. Her topicwas “Footprints Foundation: Building CommunityPartnerships Locally and Abroad.”

Footprints Foundation is a nonprofit organization basedin Coral Gables, Fla. The organization’s mission is to reducematernal and infant mortality and morbidity and to stopfemale genital mutilation and child marriages.

FLC members published a few scholarly articles injournals this year and made several presentations atnational, state-level, and local conferences. Four FLCmembers were among the contributors to a new book,Peace and Social Justice Education on Campus: Faculty andStudent Perspectives. Also, the FLC discussed a proposedself-study of community-engaged professional practice,and some members embarked on a research projectemploying a community service attitudes scale.

In her remarks at this year’s Community EngagementAwards, Barry President Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD,identified an increase in the productivity of faculty incommunity-engaged scholarship as one of BarryUniversity’s major achievements over the past five years.

The CCSI published Engaged Scholarship Update, theFLC newsletter, monthly throughout the academic year.

Dr. Pamela Hall, associate professor of psychology and aformer service-learning fellow, facilitated the FLC this year.Dr. Laura Finley, associate professor of sociology andcriminology, will be the FLC facilitator next year. Finley is aprolific scholar who has edited several books and bookchapters, authored a large number of journal articles, andmade numerous conference presentations.

Publications andPresentations by BarryFaculty, Administrators,and Students

Courtney A. Berrien, CCSI associate director, coauthored(with Dr. Glenn A. Bowen) a book chapter, “The Potential ofDeliberative Dialogue to Advance Peace and Social Justice,”in Peace and Social Justice Education on Campus: Facultyand Student Perspectives, Cambridge Scholars Publishing,2015; co-presented (with Dr. Glenn A. Bowen) a workshop,“Pursuing Social Justice Goals through Advocacy andActivism,” at the Florida Campus Compact Conference inBoca Raton, Fla., November 2015; and co-presented (withDr. Glenn A. Bowen and students Kevin Dalia and AshaStarks) a workshop, “Developing a Core Group ofStudent Leaders as Emerging Agents of Social Change,”at the IMPACT National Conference, Amherst, Mass.,February 2016.

Dr. Glenn A. Bowen, associate professor and CCSI director,coauthored (with Courtney A. Berrien) a book chapter, “ThePotential of Deliberative Dialogue to Advance Peace andSocial Justice,” in Peace and Social Justice Education onCampus: Faculty and Student Perspectives, CambridgeScholars Publishing, 2015; published a review of the book,Service-Learning Essentials: Questions, Answers, andLessons Learned, in the Journal of Higher EducationOutreach and Engagement, 19(4), pp. 213–217, 2015; alsopublished “University Engagement for CommunityEconomic Development: The Role of Anchor Institutions (areview of the book, The Road Half Traveled: UniversityEngagement at a Crossroads) in the Journal of CommunityEngagement and Scholarship, 8(2), pp. 141–143, 2015;co-presented (with Courtney Berrien) a workshop,“Pursuing Social Justice Goals through Advocacy andActivism,” at the Florida Campus Compact Conference inBoca Raton, Fla., November 2015; and co-presented (withCourtney A. Berrien and students Kevin Dalia and AshaStarks) a workshop, “Developing a Core Group ofStudent Leaders as Emerging Agents of Social Change,”at the IMPACT National Conference, Amherst, Mass.,February 2016.

Dr. Laura L. Finley, associate professor of sociology andcriminology, co-edited (with Dr. Kelly Concannon) a book,Peace and Social Justice Education on Campus: Facultyand Student Perspectives, Cambridge Scholars Publishing,2015. She also coauthored several chapters in that book:(with Dr. Kelly Concannon, Nadine Grifoni, Stephanie Wong,and Brittney Bartlett) “Feminist Interruptions: CreatingCare-ful and Collaborative Community-Based Researchwith Students”; (with Christian Schlaerth, Dr. Pamela Hall, Dr.Celeste Fraser-Delgado, Tamedrea Mason, KarlaRivera-Torres, Eugenia Carioni, and David Zaret)


Dr. Pamela Hall served as the FLC facilitator for 2014–2016; Dr. LauraFinley will be the facilitator in 2016–2017.


“Service-Learning for Peace and Social Justice: Reflectionsfrom Faculty and Students.” In addition, she authored anarticle, “Service-Learning for Peace and Justice: The CollegeBrides Walk Campus-Community Collaboration, in theJournal for Peace & Justice Studies, 25(1), article 3, 2015.

Dr. Rosa Borgen, assistant professor in the School ofEducation, co-presented (with Dr. Priva Fischweicher andDerrick Moore) “How a Service-Learning Initiative at TwoInner-City High Schools was Developed and Implemented”at Barry University’s Third Annual Community EngagementSymposium, Miami, Fla., March 2016.

Dr. Celeste Fraser Delgado, then associate professor ofEnglish and humanities, coauthored (with Dr. Laura L. Finley,Christian Schlaerth, Dr. Pamela Hall, Tamedrea Mason, KarlaRivera-Torres, Eugenia Carioni, and David Zaret) a bookchapter, “Service-Learning for Peace and Social Justice:Reflections from Faculty and Students,” in Peace and SocialJustice Education on Campus: Faculty and StudentPerspectives, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015; andco-presented (with Dr. Pamela Hall) “Community PartnersSpeak Up and Speak Out,” at Barry University’s ThirdAnnual Community Engagement Symposium, Miami, Fla.,March 2016.

Dr. Nickesia S. Gordon,Dr. AdamDean,Dr. MargaretChojnacki,Mahen Saverimuttu, andDr. Rise Samra, facultymembers in the Department of Communication, presenteda workshop, “Social Advocacy as Praxis in theCommunication Curriculum,” at the 85th Annual Conventionof the Florida Communication Association, Orlando, Fla.,October 2015.

Dr. Pamela D. Hall, associate professor of psychology,coauthored (with Dr. Laura L. Finley, Christian Schlaerth, Dr.Celeste Fraser Delgado, Tamedrea Mason, KarlaRivera-Torres, Eugenia Carioni, and David Zaret) a bookchapter, “Service-Learning for Peace and Social Justice:Reflections from Faculty and Students,” in Peace and SocialJustice Education on Campus: Faculty and StudentPerspectives, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015; andco-presented (with Dr. Celeste Fraser Delgado) “CommunityPartners Speak Up and Speak Out,” at Barry University’sThird Annual Community Engagement Symposium,Miami, Fla., March 2016.

Dr. Tisa McGhee, assistant professor of social work, andstudents Stephen Ferrante and Philip Giarraffa presented“Going Beyond Internships: How University-CommunityPartnerships Can be Mutually Beneficial” at BarryUniversity’s Third Annual Community EngagementSymposium, Miami, Fla., March 2016.

Dr. Mitchell Rosenwald, associate professor of social work,and studentsChristine Anderson andDevin Plaskettpresented “Bridging Group Differences through IntergroupDialogues: The TRACKS Project” at Barry University’s ThirdAnnual Community Engagement Symposium, Miami, Fla.,March 2016.

Drs. Lauren Shure and Raul Machuca, assistant professorsof counseling in the School of Education, presented “TheDevelopment of a University Partnership with a local LGBTCenter” at Barry University’s Third Annual CommunityEngagement Symposium, Miami, Fla., March 2016.

Dr. Scott F. Smith, vice president for student affairs, andDr. Roxanne Davies, associate vice president for mission andinstitutional effectiveness, coauthored “InstitutionalizingMission Engagement and Leadership Formation at aDominican University” in the Journal of Catholic HigherEducation, 35(1), pp. 47–64, 2016.

Dr. Gerene K. Strarratt, an associate professor in the Schoolof Education, with PhD candidate Ivana Fredotovic, Barryalumna Sashay A. Goodletty, and PhD candidate StephanieAuguste Shaw presented “Community-Based Research: AModel for Engaged Scholarship” at Barry University’s ThirdAnnual Community Engagement Symposium, Miami, Fla.,March 2016.

Dr. Lauren S. Tashman, an assistant professor in the Schoolof Human Performance and Leisure Sciences, presented“Encouraging Students to Look in the Mirror: UsingReflective Practice to Increase Student Engagement,Growth, and Success” at Barry University’s Third AnnualCommunity Engagement Symposium, Miami, Fla., March2016.


Peace and Social JusticeEducation on Campus includeschapters by several Barry facultyand staff members along withstudents. Co-edited by Dr. LauraL. Finley, the book providesimportant reflections by andfor peace and social justiceeducators working on collegecampuses. It also integratesthe voices of students. Morethan a feel-good compilationof success stories, however,it illustrates the complexitiesinherent in teaching andlearning about and for peaceand social justice.



Center for Community Service Initiatives I Staff

Glenn A. Bowen, PhD Director

Courtney A. Berrien, MAT Associate Director

Lizbeth James, MSW Experiential Learning Coordinator

Alicia M. Santos, BA Administrative Assistant

Ashton Spangler, BA Florida Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA:Program Coordinator

Valerie Scott, EdS Graduate Assistant: Program Coordinator,Federal Work-Study Community Service

Andres Quevedo, BSN Graduate Assistant: Program Coordinator

The Center for Community Service Initiatives is an administrative unit of theDivision of Academic Affairs.

Karen A. Callaghan, PhD Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies

Christopher Starratt, PhD Interim Provost


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Documents

CCSI | Center for Community Service Initiativesdoitglobal.barry.edu/AppUploadDocs/CCSIDocs/...Oct 03, 2016 · deepening its culture of community engagement. Glenn A. Bowen, PhD Associate