On Friday, November 14th, Community Outreach, in collaboration with Connecticut Campus Compact, hosted a conference called “Beyond the Selfie: Linking Identity, Community, and Social Change” on the UConn-Storrs campus. The conference gave students the opportunity to examine their motivations for service, social justice, and change, and helped increase their knowledge and skills to positively impact their campuses, communities, and the world.

The all-day event included a keynote speaker, workshops, and a photo contest where students had the opportunity to show how they work for social change in their communities. Workshops ranged in topics from how to have a meaningful alternative break to how to build an inclusive environment. The

workshops provided insight and a safe space for those dedicated to service and change.

Community Outreach student leaders John Gerrity and Sarah Purtill, as well as the students from the Gender and Sexuality Committee, were among the presenters at the

conference. Keynote speaker Cosmo Fujiyama told her inspiring story of service, which included developing and co-founding the

non-profit organization, Students Helping Honduras, an education non-profit in the Republic of Honduras. “We are the purpose generation...we are the beyond the selfie generation.” After listening and learning to the speakers and presenters, the take away message became quite clear. Though the title “Beyond the Selfie” may take on different meanings to different people, we can all still go beyond ourselves to help serve the community.

COMMUNITY UCONNECTIONS

#serve #learn #lead #change

BEYOND THE SELFIEOver 200 students and staff from colleges and universities around Connecticut attended the Beyond the Selfie Conference.

by Yessame Alemu, CLAS ‘15

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IN THIS ISSUE

New to CO This Semester

The Office of Community Outreach Newsletter Fall 2014 | Volume 12, Issue 1

“We are the purpose generation, we are the beyond the selfie generation.” - Cosmo

3 August & September Events

4 October & November Events

5 Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Events

6 20 Facts About Community Outreach

7 Alumni Spotlight: Alice Johnson

PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM

Aileen TobinNewsletter Director

Kat ConnellyPhoto Journalist

Maschal MohiuddinPR Coordinator

Meredith KuraskaPR Specialist

Steph ShirvellPR Specialist

Yessame AlemuPR Specialist

Cosmo Fujiyama

John Gerrity, CO Student Coordinator

NEW STAFF AND GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

Mike MorrillProgram Coordinator, DPE & Special Projects

Aurora Santiago-OrtizProgram Specialist, Community Service LC

Samantha LoignonGraduate Assistant, MSW Intern – PeaceJam

Erin JouliotGraduate Assistant,Careers for the Common Good

Jacqueline LeeGraduate AssistantHESA PracticumAlternative Breaks & CSLC

NEW TO CO THIS SEMESTER!

These committees allow student leaders to learn about important issues that affect our communities. Student leaders attend events, spark discussions, and watch documentaries surrounding the issue they are assigned to.

ISSUE-BASED COMMITTEES

Luis Chavez - BrumellAssociate Site Manager, Jumpstart

NEW STUDENT - MEET TOKS!

Moshood, otherwise known as Toks, is a study abroad student from England in the United Kingdom. Spending his junior year of college across the seas, Toks decided that he wanted to get involved with something he felt he always had a passion for. “I wanted to get involved with something different from what I was studying. Giving back and helping the community is one thing I always was into so I decided to join the Community Service Learning Community. I feel that we take so much for granted, especially the everyday things. Even though all of us in the Learning Community have our own unique stories and backgrounds, we all have the same goal. We’re here to give back and make a difference.”

Homelessness | Prison Industrial Complex | Healthcare | Immigration | Gender and Sexuality | Food Security | Mental and Physical Disabilities | Global and Political Economy | Education

The Homelessness Committee helped plan the Art & Action Exhibit.

The Food Security Committee helped pack food for Feeding Children Everywhere.

The Gender & Sexuality Committee presented at the Beyond the Selfie Conference.

Aurora Santiago-OrtizProgram Specialist, Community Service LC

FALL 2014

AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Bryan, Student Assistant Coordinator for Alternative Breaks, learns about food security at the Breakaway

Alternative Break Citizenship School in Baltimore.

Student leaders learn new skills related to

reflection, leadership, group management, and more at

#COAugustTraining.

The Transportation Community of Practice takes

a moment to pose for a picture at August Training.Thank you for getting us to

our service sites!

Elia D’Onofrio, Student Leader for Stafford Teen

Night, shared info about his program at the Campus-Wide

Involvement Fair.

UConn Alumni chapters participated in the Day of

Service. The Atlanta chapter worked on a project for the Adopt a Highway program.

The Community Service Learning Community (CSLC)

participated in the Day of Service by helping out with

Military Appreciation Day at a UConn football game.

COPE, a service group that helps elementary school

children going through any sort of loss, was excited to be

at the Involvement Fair!

Student leaders took part in the #ALSIceBucketChallenge,

dedicating it to a CO Alum who started The Susie

Foundation in honor of his mother.

SEMESTER IN PHOTOS

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OCTOBER NOVEMBER

CSLC members played tug of war at the annual

Learning Community Field Day.

Jumpstart student leaders participated in Four Arrows - a challenge course designed to build trust among group

members.

The Homelessness Art Exhibit was held in the Student

Union and helped to provide awareness to students and

staff throughout November.

The Alternative Fall Break trip traveled to New

London, CT and focused on projects to help the coastal

environment.

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program

met regularly to help students develop their

English skills.

Students met during the semester to discuss plans for upcoming PeaceJam events aimed at helping to inspire

youth to take action.

Staff, students, and SimplexGrinnell employees volunteered at Foodshare during CT Publics Make a

Difference Week.

Dialogues, a program that gives UConn students a

chance to talk about social justice issues, met in Whitney

Dining Hall each month.

Jumpstart participated in Read for the Record, a

national day where adults read preschoolers the same book to celebrate literacy.

In October, Community Outreach coordinators Audrey, Erica, and Kate attended the YouthNex Conference. The conference was held at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of

Education in Charlottesville, VA. The two-day conference featured several different panels. Some of the topics discussed in these panels were evaluating effective after school programs, shaping policy, and how to improve teen involvement in after-school programs. For Kate, this conference inspired her to look at service differently and think more about how our programs are functioning. One of the biggest takeaways for Audrey was recognizing how difficult it is to run a program in CO. She notes that there are multiple factors and people involved in the process. Erica was reminded of how important service is to our community, and it reminded her that what we do in Community Outreach means so much. Thank you Audrey, Erica, and Kate for representing the Office of Community Outreach so well!

YOUTHNEXCONFERENCE

Community Outreach collaborated with other organizations to bring

the first Beyond the Selfie Conference to campus.

The Alternative Fall Break trip to Boston, MA to worked

on projects related to homelessness.

The Alternative Fall Break trip traveled to New York, NY and worked on projects related

to HIV and AIDS support and awareness.

Student Leaders and staff members shared what they are thankful for this year on

the 2014 Thankful Tree.

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Hunger and HomelessnessDialogueby Christina Cook, CLAS ‘15

On Monday October 27th, the CO Dialogues workshop gathered at Whitney Dining Hall to discuss

hunger and homelessness. The campus-wide food drive was approaching, so poverty and food insecurity were issues that took the main stage. Professor Phoebe Godfrey was a guest that night and brought a whole new perspective and approach to the Dialogues environment. Dr. Godfrey is the president of the CLiCK (Commercially Licensed Co-operative Kitchen) program in eastern Connecticut, and teaches a course on Sociology of Food at UConn. Israa Ali i, a student from this course, helped assist Dr. Godfrey as they led the dialogue. Groups were formed as small pieces of paper were passed out to prompt a discussion. A myth about hunger and food insecurity was written on each piece

they will eat for a day; teach someone how to fish and they will eat for a lifetime.” and they will eat for a lifetime.”

of paper and the groups talked amongst themselves to explore why certain myths and assumptions pertaining to these issues still exist. A few myths discussed included: there isn’t enough food to feed the world; the free market can end hunger; most of the world’s hunger lives in Africa; and resolving hunger means ensuring people have enough to eat. It was incredibly inspiring to be in a room full of individuals that were able to engage in discussions about these myths and share what these pressing issues mean to them. The experience at Whitney Dining Hall that night was profound, and it was rewarding to hear feedback from faculty and students that led to such an intriguing discussion. We all walked away with the food drive on our minds, but also knowing that there is a larger issue at hand. Organizations like the CLiCk program aim to combat hunger by targeting the importance of growing and cooking food to maintain a healthful diet, and ultimately saving money and lives. As Dr. Godfrey stated with certainty “Give someone a fish and

Erica Sheltry, Coordinator for the Language and Literacy,

reflects on a piece at the Art & Action Homelessness Exhibit.

Thousands of items were collected and delivered to local pantries through the

annual Campus-Wide Food Drive.

A panel discussion on homelessness in CT was held in the Student Union

following the opening of the Homelessness Art Exhibit.

awareness eventsHUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS

A group of students shared their thoughts around the

myth written on the piece of paper.

Students met in Whitney Dining Hall to engage in a healthy debate on current

social justice issues facing our local and global community.

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1 In 1994 (the year it all began), the Office of Community Outreach was called

the “Office of Voluntary and Community Service.”

2 Inspired by UConn’s commitment to developing active global citizens,

Community Outreach’s mission is to engage students in meaningful service activities that enrich their learning and enhance the quality of life for others in our local, national and international communities.

3CO is a point of access for community partners wishing to engage the UConn student

body in public and community service initiatives.

4All CO programs are student led. Over 100 students hold formal leadership positions.

5Community Outreach offers both one time and ongoing service programs that meet the

community’s needs.

6CO’s Alternative Breaks are trips that provide groups of students with the opportunity

to explore critical social issues, enhance individual growth, and prepare them for lifelong social action through a weekend or week-long experience. Each trip integrates service, reflection, and education and focuses on topics such as poverty, hunger, housing, healthcare, disaster relief, and more. Trips are offered throughout the year in local, national, and international destinations.

7 The first Alternative Break Trip to New Orleans took place in 2006 following

Hurricane Katrina. UConn then received the Katrina Compassion Award as a part of the 2006 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

8Community Outreach’s semester-long service opportunities have a strong

focus around health and human services, language and literacy and youth development and education for children and adolescents.

9CO provides free transportation to and from its programs and service

locations for UConn participants.

TWENTY FACTS ABOUT CO!

In celebration of Community Outreach’s 20th Anniversary, here are

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10Through the PeaceJam Conference, Community Outreach has helped

bring Peace Laureates to UConn along with hundreds of motivated and engaged youth from all over New England who are making a difference in the world through their commitment to taking action.

11CO’s Democracy and Political Engagement events strive to

increase awareness, interest, and involvement of UConn students in current political and social issues through voter registration campaigns, advocacy trainings, conferences, dialogues, and various community civic engagement and service opportunities.

12The First Husky Soccer Classic Invitational with Special Olympics CT

took place during the 2006-2007 academic year and still continues today as a strong partnership.

13Since 2008, CO has part-nered with the UConn Rainbow Center to offer

an Alternative Break trip which provides service, advocacy, and educational projects which focus on issues that affect members of the LGBTQ community.

14Careers for the Common Good is a collaboration between Community

Outreach, the Center for Career Development, and the Human Rights Institute that promotes socially responsible career path-ways for students. Services offered include resume critiques, career panels, workshops, career fairs, and more.

15The Give & Go program started in 2008. Give & Go encourages students

to donate furniture, clothing, school supplies and food as they move out at the end of the semester instead of throwing it away.

16Since 2009, UConn students have participated in service

projects and reflection activities as a part of the National Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

17 Jumpstart, a federally funded program that gives college students

the opportunity to help prepare preschool-aged children for kindergarten, joined CO in 2007 with 35 students. The program has now expanded to include 80 UConn students serving over 200 preschool children in local schools.

18In 2013, UConn was recognized with a prestigious award and

was named among five Presidential Award winners in the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll – the highest honor that a university can receive for its work in service-learning programs, civic engagement, and commitment to service.

19In 2013, Community Outreach Alternative Breaks won over $10,000

through the UConn Foundation’s student fundraising competition, “Ignite,” which helped support and enhance the initiatives of CO’s Alternative Breaks.

20 Interest in Community Outreach programs continues to grow - there about 2,500 student participants in CO.

Feeling overwhelmed at such a large institution, Alice Johnson ‘12 was determined to transfer out of UConn

at the start of her freshman year. In a last-ditch effort to find something to help her feel more connected to the campus, she decided to attend the Involvement Fair. While there, she came across someone talking about America Reads and immediately realized there was a whole community of young people that were interested in learning more about social injustice and translating this learning into meaningful action.

Alice joined America Reads and then went on her first Alternative Break trip to Boston that same semester. She eventually became a Trip Director for Alternative Breaks before taking on the role of Assistant Coordinator of Alternative Breaks.

She graduated from UConn in 2012 and joined City Year Los Angeles as an AmeriCorps volunteer. She first served full-time in an elementary school as a tutor,

mentor, and role model for students who were behind their grade-level. Now, she is currently working as a staff member with City Year as a Service Coordinator where she runs a curriculum called the “Idealist’s Journey.”

“UConn Community Outreach is a special place

where young people are given the opportunity and even the responsibility to impact the lives of others. At the same time, CO pushes you to learn about leadership, professionalism, and teamwork—never lowering the expectations simply because you are ‘young.’ As a person who doubted her own worth and abilities many times, I believe my CO experiences gave me a foundation of skills to stand with confidence while still seizing every opportunity to learn and get better. I am so proud to be an alum of CO, and grateful to continue to serve my community to this day.” - Alice Johson

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ALICE JOHNSON

by Christina Honeycutt, Staff Member

University of ConnecticutOffice of Community OutreachDepartment of Student Activities2110 HILLSIDE ROAD, UNIT 3008STORRS, CT 06269-3008PHONE 860.486.1165FAX 860.486.8821

communityoutreach.uconn.edu

KFS 3124570

/UConnOutreach

SIGN UP NOW!

January 19, 2015MLK Day of Service

Visit communityoutreach.uconn.edu.

SAVE THE DATE | Careers for the Common Good FairWednesday, February 18, 2015 • 12pm - 3pm • SU Ballroom

@UConnOutreach