Download - Champlain Center for Service Annual Report

Center for ServiCe —

Annual Report and Statement of

accounts 2011-2012Center for

ServiCe CiviC engagement

— Center for ServiCe

May 2012

Editor, dEsignEr

Kayla M. HedMan ‘14

[email protected]

spEcial thanks to:StepHen MeaSe

diana GonSalveS

Brian culMo ‘15


letter froM tHe director •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••paGe 4

next year and Beyond ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• paGe 6

introduction ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••paGe 7

Staff ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••paGe 8

tHe coMMunity We live in ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• paGe 9

By tHe nuMBerS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• paGe 10

GettinG out tHere •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• paGe 14

connectinG to coMMunity ScHoolS ••••••••••••••••••paGe 16

collaBorative effortS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• paGe 20

excitinG on-caMpuS proGraMMinG •••••••••••••••••• paGe 22

Contents

Above: The Center staff; spring 2011.


Director’s Letter

Above: During spring break 2011 and 2012, Kyle Dodson joined professor Miriam Horne to travel to Nicaragua with her junior level Human Rights course.

From the Director’s Desk:

The creation of this Annual Report and Statement of Accounts occurs at a time of “fruition” for Champlain College’s Center for Service & Civic En-gagement (the Center). Just as a plant that receives the proper nutrients will bear fruit, we feel like a number of our student engagement efforts over the past few years are beginning to blossom.

A powerful ethic of service is important in any college education. Champlain College’s Center for Service & Civic Engagement prepares students to lead from their minds and their hearts as they live lives of responsible, engaged citizenship. Ethical decision-making, concern for others, and action to make the world a better place are at the root of service learning at Champlain.

This service ethic runs throughout the Champlain College experience and can be found in initiatives such as:• Service learning courses in various divisions of study, which link academics to community service.• The College’s Student Life Department is collaborating to integrate a wide range of community service

and outreach projects, some as close as the College’s backyard and some on the other side of the globe.• The Center has a long-standing relationship with the greater-Burlington community, where students are

involved in community-based projects that include working with the business community, schools, com-munity shelters, and other local organizations.

In the spring of 2012, the Center launched a new outreach campaign, JUST ONE, which encourages and guides students to participate in one service project per school year. In the future it will increase to one service project a semester, and so on. Besides providing students with great experiences, it gives them a greater un-derstanding of social problems, greater insight into possible solutions, and greater ability to effect change.


Evidence indicates that volunteering has a positive effect on social psychological factors such as a personal sense of purpose and accomplishment, and enhances a person’s social networks to buffer stress and reduce diseaserisk.(Herzogetal.,1998;GreenfieldandMarks,2004;HarlowandCantor,1996)A survey carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive showed that among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses• 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without• 94%ofemployersbelievethatvolunteeringcanaddtoskills• 94%ofemployeeswhovolunteeredtolearnnewskillshadbenefitedeitherbygettingtheirfirstjob,

improving their salary, or being promoted

It has been a very productive year for the Center for Service and Civic Engagement. We are grateful for the countless hours that our students have devoted to serving our community and we are thankful to all of our wonderful partner organizations for providing us with such a rich array of engagement options. We hope thatyouenjoylearningmoreaboutourofficeandwhatwearepassionateaboutasyoureadthisreport.

Best Regards,

Kyle DodsonDirector; Center for Service & Civic Engagement


Next year & beyond

JUST ONE CampaigNThe JUST ONE campaign has been established to encourage students to complete one direct community service activity each semester. Once students complete just one activity, they become a member of the campaign and receive exclusive invitations to JUST ONE events sponsored by the Center. JUST ONE is a great way for students to show future employers that they are active mem-bers of an elite group of student leaders and participate in community service while in college. Work-study student Sadie Stone has taken on the campaign. She hosted a soft launch, “Don’t be a wiener, do JUST ONE” on April 17. The office handed out hot dogs and JUST ONE wayfarer sunglasses to students who filled out a commitment card. She plans to follow up with an official launch in the fall of 2012.

As stated in Champlain 2020 Vision’s Strategic Plan:

“Champlain will develop a multi-layered engagement and outreach approach to community service that will provide targeted

approaches to students wherever they lie on the engagement spectrum.”

SpECifiC gOalS:

1. 50% of the 90 students who filled out JUST ONE commitment cards will honor their pledge by participating in one of our service events.

2. Increase participation in our programs by 20% among students who have already completed their LEAD requirement. 3. Expand the number of concrete service activities from five community dinners to eight various service activities a month (62.5% increase in events offered each month).


Introduction

Our mission is to provide the encouragement, resources, and support that allow our students to become responsible, respectful, and engaged citizens - locally, nationally, and globally.

The Center for Service & Civic Engagement has been involved in a multitude of initiatives, pro-grams, and service projects throughout this past school year. In the pages to come we will highlight various types of programs that have been successful here at Champlain and in the greater com-munity. The Center is a part of the department of Student Life on campus. We often work indepen-dentlyonprogramming,butalsotakeadvantageofcollaborationacrossofficeswithinandoutsideofStudent Life to create dynamic and interesting programs for Champlain students. We also have been a vehicle for individual students or groups of students to promote causes they are passionate about. We see our commitment to the students, campus community, and greater Burlington community as follows:

•Wesupport,encourage,andmotivatestudentstotakeindividualorcollectiveactionsthataddress issues of unmet (human) needs or public concern.•Weengagethecampusinaprocessofbuildingourcapacityasacommunitytodiscuss,debate,andhave productive dialogue about the topics of the day.•WecreatepartnershipsinthegreaterChittendenCountyareawithlocalnon-profitorganizationsin order to expose students to a broad array of local needs.

The 2011-2012 academic school year was one of impressive accomplishment and growth for the Cen-ter for Service & Civic Engagement (the Center). TherewasasignificantinfluxofstudentstakinginitiativetovisittheCenter’sofficeinSkiffAnnex,bringing their own ideas and enthusiasm for service.

There was an increased number of students coming toourofficetoseekservicelearningopportunities.We had students from Core and Capstone classes, courses within the division of Business and Educa-tion and Human Services, and courses taught by FrankRobinson,JohnStroup,MiriamHorne,Val-erie Esposito, and Allison Estey, among others.

Students also visited the Center after they served in the community at Resident Assistant and Peer Advi-sor service activities integrated into their training. We believe that the result of these initiatives will be an increase of upperclassmen participation and a more accommodating Center offering an expansive array of opportunities.

Right: A group of Champlain Cares volunteers spent hours this fall working at a Habitat for Humanity site in Richmond to rebuild the devastated areas hit by August’s Hurricane Irene.


AmeriCorps*VISTA: Kiley PhelanKileyjoinedtheCenterstaffasanAmeriCorps*VISTAfocusingontheissueofFam-ily Engagement in the local elementary schools. She works closely with the Burlington School District to help implement programs that allow for all families to feel welcome and appreciated in the school community. Kiley grew up in Connecticut, but spent the past four years studying Political Science and English at Providence College in Rhode Island. She was raised in a family that valued and encouraged service, but really attributes her passion to her time at PC. After graduation it only made sense to look for an experience that would incorporate her interest in service and education.

KaylaHedman‘14,MarketingHannahAndersen‘14,SocialWorkPaisley Saltmarsh ‘15, Criminal JusticeSadie Stone ‘13, Hospitality (Spring 2012)Wilson Slader ‘13, Social Work (Fall 2011)

The Center Staff

Student Staff

Above: Student staff 2011-2012 (not pictured - Wilson Slader).

Director: Kyle DodsonBefore joining the Champlain College staff in August of 2008, Kyle founded and spent four yearsasthePrincipaloftheLeeAcademyPilotSchoolinDorchester,MA.Hewasamemberof the inaugural cohort of the Boston Principal Fellows Program, a one-year intensive program to train new leaders for the Boston Public Schools. Before becoming a Principal, Kyle spent eightyearsasaStudentLifeAdministratoratSaintMichael’sCollege.Priortohiscareerineducation, he was a vice president of mortgage-backed securities trading at PaineWebber, Inc. inN.Y.C.HeholdsaB.A.inHistoryfromHarvard,anM.B.A.inFinancefromColumbia,andanEd.D.fromtheUniversityofVermontinEducationalLeadershipandPolicyStudies.

Service Coordinator: MaggieMelvinMaggie’spassionsforbothserviceandphotographyhelpedfuelherstudiesinAnthropologyatSaintMichael’sCollegeinColchester,VT.Sheusesheruniquewayofunderstanding, documenting, and engaging with the world around her as she supports studentsatChamplainintheirownpursuitsofbeingengagedcitizens.AnotherofMag-gie’s passions is traveling and she has loved the opportunity to lead students on service tripstoVirginia,Tanzania,andUganda.Sheisexcitedtoreachouttonewstudentsandhelp connect them with their local and global communities.

AmeriCorps*VISTA:DavidMadonnaDave is a 2011 graduate of Champlain College, where he studied Digital Forensics. Workingaswork-studystudentlastyear,hequicklytransitionedintohisnewroleastheAmeriCorps*VISTAMagnetSchoolCoordinator.WorkingcloselywiththeSustainabilityAcademy and the Integrated Arts Academy in the Old North End of Burlington, he runs the AIM:AlliesinMentoringprogramonChamplain’scampusaswellasworkingaspartofthe Center for Service team. He has a passion for education and social justice, making his work in the Center highly enjoyable.


The Community We Live In

Burlington’spopulationof42,417hasahighstandardofserviceandcivicengagementinthecom-munity. Burlington’s population swells by nearly 17,000 residents from college students at Champlain College,UniversityofVermont,andSt.Michael’sinneighboringColchester.

• Burlingtonalonehad53,600volunteersbetween2007and2010,includingtheCensuspopulationand students at Burlington colleges and universities

• Burlingtonhasa37.7%volunteerratecomparedto26.5%nationwide(8thwithin75mid-sizecit-ies)

• Burlingtonresidentsaverage42servicehours per year per resident (22nd out of 75 nationwide mid-size cities)

• Burlington residents serve approximately 6millionhoursperyeartotalinthemid-sized city

• 33.8% of service in Burlington is educa-tional volunteer work

(http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/VT/Burlington)

2010 stats for Vermont:• 35.2%ofVermontersvolunteer,8.9%morethanthenationwideaverageof26.3%(6thinvolunteer

rank) • 178,717Vermontresidentsvolunteered21.3millionhoursofservicethroughorforanonprofitor

community organization in 2010• 16%(81,179people)volunteeredinformallytoworkwithneighborstoaddressorfixa

community issue• Vermontersaverage41.9servicehoursperyearperresident(10thrank

in nation)• Areas in which people volunteer: -Education 29.5% -Hospital 10.8% -Other 11.9% -Religious17.4% -Socialservice16.2% -Athletics/Arts 5.8% -Civic 8.5%• Top four service activities: -Fundraising 29.7% -General labor 25.5% -Professional/management22.6% -Collect/distributefood21.4%

Nationally, college students are two times more likely to volunteer than a working person.Benefitsinclude:• Volunteersfeelasenseofaccomplishmentandpurposethatcausesapositiveeffectonphysical

and mental health, as well as builds healthy relationships.• Volunteerswatchaboutanhourlessoftelevisionperday.

Across the board, service is important for personal and professional well-being and valued within our community.

Right: Main St., Burlington.


By the Numbers

To attain our goal of 20% increase in voluntary upperclassmen engagement, we have increased our on-campus programming to catch students on their way to class and invited students back to campus in the evenings (p 20).

In addition to increasing on-campus programming, we have targeted upperclassmen by integrating service into leadershiptrainingacrossStudentLifeoffices.ExposingactiveResidentAssistants,PeerAdvisorsandOrienta-tion Leaders to service has brought back more students than any other initiative (p 18).

Lastly, we have tapped into service learning courses and other upperclassmen courses to incorporate academics and career interests into service (p 19). Students have taken initiative to evolve service projects into Capstone andotheracademicrequirements.

Toretainthehighlevelsofparticipationoffirstyearstudents,theCenterhostsworkshopsatAcceptedStudentsDays(March31,April14)andhoststwoSummerLaunchprogramsthatincorporateserviceandfamiliarizethe

incomingstudentswiththeOffice’swork.

One of the Center’s primary responsibilities is to work collaboratively with the LEADoffice(p18)toensurethateachfirstyearstudenthasanenriching

community service/engagement experience. This past year we offered hundreds of those opportunities, giving students a chance to con-

nectwithawidevarietyoflocalorganizations.Justover45%of the Freshman class chose to participate in a commu-

nity service program through the Center, rather than an on-campus alternative provided by LEAD. Through the Center’s service activities, students were introduced to organizationssuchasCOTS,RonaldMcDonaldHouse,

Dismas, and Spectrum. To better serve the Freshman class and other interested students, we increased the number of

communitydinnersofferedeachmonthtofive.Wenowservecommunity dinners at COTS (beginning in December), and have

added a second Dismas House dinner each month.

This year we discontinued offering Service Fairs because students were not following through and it was unproductive for the organizations.

The Center has seen a trend in the past few years and validates the ‘80/20 rule.’ The same 20% of the student body(approximately100students)aremostactiveandproduce80%oftheservicethroughouroffice.

This year we admit to not having the best data as a result of not having access to DataTel. We have scanned placements with names, but lack the essential information of class, major, etc. in order to cross-tabulate infor-mation. For example, ‘____% of active participants represent Marketing majors.’

Above: Students volunteer as first-year’s for Lead on the long trail in fall 2010.


lEad data209outof465first-yearstudentsparticipatedinhands-onserviceactivitiesthroughtheCenterforLEADcredit(TentCity,CommunityDinners,TrailMaintenance,ACTWeek,InvisibleChildren,etc.).• TheDivisionofEducationandHumanStudiesrepresents24.4%offirst-yearLEADparticipants.Many

continueservingwithAIM,DREAMandotherprogramscollaboratingwithcommunityschoolsandotherorganizations, relevant to their major.

• BankusHallhadthemostparticipantswith29outof40residentsactivelyparticipatingin service. After completing their LEAD credit through serving at Community Clean-up Day at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Cherry/Battery St, attending the fall screening of Invisible Children, participating in Tent City, or attending a community dinner, Bankus residents continue to serve community dinners at COTS and the Ronald McDonaldHousetwiceeachmonth.

Organization Method Donation NotesCOTS Tent City $1,350

DREAM Appeal to staff and faculty

$1,200.00 $1,100 from Town Hall; $100 from ACT Week

Invisible Children Bake sale, Rail Jam, etc.

$4,689.00 In addition to $3,000 in the Spring of 2011

Malayaka House, Uganda Bake sale, craft sale, henna, individual fund raising

$6,500 to date

Grand Total $12, 239.00

thE cEntEr 2011-2012 donationsThe Center has contributed to collecting donations for various organizations throughout the year. The table below represents those donations.

Representation of the % of first-year students who performed a hands-on service project for

LEAD Credit

55%value: 254 first-years

45%value: 208 first-years

Right: A group of first-year students from Bankus and Whiting Halls, lead by their Resident Assistants, volunteer at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Cherry St to earn their Lead credit.


The Center Events# of Observances 2010-2011

# of Observances 2011-2012

# of Lead Participants

A.C.T. Week Mon., 3/12 Tabling 20

Press Conference with Senator Leahy 8

A.C.T. Week Tues., 3/13 Invisible Children Screening 175

A.C.T. Week Wed., 3/14 Malayaka House Film Screening 30

A.C.T. Week Thurs., 3/15 Charity Water 20

A.C.T. Week Fri., 3/16 DREAM Kickball 40

AIM @ SA & IAA (Formerly Lunch & Recess Program @ IAA) 384 334 1

Active Based Learning (IAA) 26 2

Community Clean Up Day (AIM) 3 5 1

Coffee Connection (IAA) 36 20

SA - Local Food Night 1

IAA & SA Pancake Breakfasts 2 8

C.P. Smith Harvest Dinner 1

IAA Wolcott School Visit 1

IAA & SA Halloween Celebrations 14

Anti-Racism Dinner (IAA) 8

SA Math Night 4

SA Champlain Campus Tour 15

AIM Recognition Dinner 8

SA PTO Childcare 10

Barnes Fall 2010 26

Card Making for Ronald McDonald 5 3

CCCivics Outreach 40

Community Service Club 7

Community Service Day (10/22) 13

Community Dinner: COTS (4 Dinners) N/A 17 4

Community Dinner: Dismas House (14 Dinners) 6 40 12

Community Dinner: Ronald McDonald House (7 Dinners) 20 21 7

Community Dinner: Spectrum (8 Dinners) 13 23 9

COTS Awareness Tabling 28

COTS Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast 7

CTA & Long Trail Maintenance 14 6

Dear Hillary Campaign for Congo 33 N/A

Education Conversation 16

EES Sound of Music Behind the Scenes Help 3

EES/EMS Volunteers 7

EMS - Dialogue Night 2

Fall Invisible Children Screening 150 250 130

Fall Tabling Engagement (2 separate times) 75

Greatest Silence Movie at Quarry 8

Habitat for Humanity Richmond (Champlain Cares) 4 15

Holiday Baking for COTS 2

JUST ONE Spring Tabling 4/17 225

Knit for Those in Need 7

Nicaragua Dance Performance - WIA 33

Organic Farming 16 2 2

Orientation Service at Very Merry Theatre January 17

nuMErical data


PA Service Day (August) 58

RA Service Days (August & January) 35 100

Service Learning Outreach 45

SAT Student Leader Meetings 2

SAT Trip to Virginia 11 8

SAT Trip Meetings 54

Service Fair 32 N/A

Spirit Week Global Trivia 125

Spring Meltdown 175

Spring Tabling 75

Summer Launch Bike Montreal 7

Summer Launch Community Connections 6

Summer Launch Reunion Dinner 12

Teach for Tomorrow Trip to Uganda 10 (Tanzania) 147 (21 days * 8 participants)

Teach for Tomorrow: Uganda Trip Meeting 104 (13 meetings * 8 participants)

Tent City 164 69 40

Tent City Debrief 4

Tent City Planning Committee 5 7

Tent City Reality Bites Dinner with ODI 24

Voter Registration 28 1

Grand Total 1077 2409 208

total 2409 lEad 208VoluntEEr total 2201

Muchofthisdatarepresentsthenumberoftimesanindividualparticipatedinacommunityserviceor engagement activity. Students who participated more than once may be counted multiples times (# of observances).

2011-2012 2409 2010-2011 1077 diffErEncE 1332 / 1077 123% incrEasE

Increase in student participant observances from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012


Getting Out therechaMplain carEsA group of students aiming to complete their Capstone approached the Center in the fall to expand the exist-ing program Champlain Cares. This group consisted of seniors Lauren Lavallee, Hillary Green, AJ Oden, andDerekFrobel.WiththerecentdamageHurricaneIreneleftonCentralandSouthernVermontonAugust28, students wanted to assist in cleaning and rebuilding these effected communities. They rallied a group of Champlain students, faculty, staff and local businesses to provide physical labor and sponsorship for Hur-ricane Irene relief. Throughout the month of November, Champlain Cares worked with Habitat for Humanity in Richmond to accomplish as much as possible before winter settled in.

coMMunity dinnErs Community Dinners are one of the most engaging short-term service opportunities for students to participate in. First year students looking to complete their LEAD credit often participate in community dinners, but this year we have seen increased participationinupperclassmenaswellasfirstyearsserv-ingforasecondtime.Asanoffice,wehaveincreasedour community dinner commitment, offering two Dismas Housedinnerseachmonth,andoneofeachRonaldMc-Donald House, Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS),

and Spectrum Teen and Youth Drop-In Center.

sErVicE in action tripsService in Action Trips (SAT) are service

trips held each spring break to expose Champlain College students to various cul-

tures within our country.This spring, eight students and two staff members traveledtoExmore,VAtoserveintheNewRoad

Community that was primarily African American. Students learned that making connections with com-munitymemberswasjustasimportantandinfluen-

tial as doing physical labor, as opposed to the Habitat forHumanitySATtoLexington,VAlastspring.During

areflection,studentsconcludedthattheywereonthetripto help maintain a self-sustainable community while develop-

ing relationships that encourage the community to keep working towards their goals. The group was privileged to work in a community

that was united through their drive for fair treatment, and improvement for both their community in general as well as the youth within their community.

tEach for toMorrow Teach for Tomorrow is a type of service trip that gives Champlain College students the opportunity to engageininternationalcommunityservice.Thestudentsseefirst-handtheaffectsofpovertyinculturesthatarevastlydifferentfromtheirownthroughworkingwithvulnerableyouth.ThisMay,sevenstudentsand two staff members will travel to Entebbe, Uganda for three weeks to work with an orphanage named theMalayakaHouse.ChamplainstudentswillhelpfilltheneedsoftheMalayakaHouseoverthecourseof their visit by providing helping hands with construction projects, assisting the older children to develop businessplans,andteachingandtutoringthe36childrenwhocalltheMalayakaHousehome.TeachforTomorrow aims to instill a meaningful global appreciation for students, and facilitates the development of aware, active, and responsible world citizens.

Above: A community dinner at the Ronald McDonald House in Burlington. Left: Students participating in an SAT to Exmore, VA.


suMMEr launch prograM(s)Each summer the Center for Service leads one or more Summer Launch Programs in order to create enthusi-asm around service for incoming First Year students. As a division of Student Life, the Center is hosting two recharged programs for the summer of 2012, Community Service in Montreal and Vermont Bike Tour. In the past, the Center’s Summer Launch Programs have been successful in retaining student involvement in the officeaswellasresultinginfriendshipsthathavelastedthroughoutthestudents’timeatChamplain.

Community Service in Montreal: July 24-26StudentslearnaboutChamplain’scommitmenttocommunityservicebyvolunteeringwithalocalnon-profitorganizationinMontreal.ThisSummerLaunchprogramisafunfilled,hands-onopportunitywherestudentswill build relationships with other incoming students, experience a sense of accomplishment that comes when you give back to the community, and have the opportunity to get a local’s view of a world-class cos-

mopolitancity.TherewillalsobeatourofChamplain’sownMontrealCampuswherestudentsmaydecide to study abroad.

VT Bike Tour: July 17-19FormerlyBikeMontreal,VermontBikeTourwillallowincomingfirst

year students to take in the sights and sounds of the breathtaking biking trails of the Champlain Islands and experience all that

Champlain’s beautiful city has to offer.

MillEnniuM caMpus confErEncE 2011LastFallfourChamplainStudentsattendedtheMillen-nium Campus Network’s annual conference in Boston.

TheMillenniumCampusNetwork(MCN)isanon-profitnetwork of university student organizations working to end

extremepovertyandachievetheUnitedNationsMillenniumDevelopment Goals. This year’s events were held at Harvard Uni-

versity, and featured an impressive line-up of workshops and speakers, including the founder and CEO of the Global Poverty Project, Hugh Evans.

RepresentativesfromYMCA,BicyclesAgainstPoverty,andUNICEFalsospoke.TheconferencekeynotespeakersincludedDr.VanessaBradfordKerry(daughterofSen.

John Kerry), Gillian Sorenson, the senior advisor at the United Nations, and Jason Russell, founder of InvisibleChildren.TheCenterisarrangingforstudentstoattendthe2012MCNConferenceatNortheastern.

Aside from these service opportunities, we have maintained relationships with many local organiza-tions, including:HOPEWorks(Women’sRapeCrisisCenter),ChittendenEmergencyFoodShelf,VTCARES,HowardCenter,LundFamilyCenter,BoysandGirlsClub,GreaterBurlingtonYMCA,KingStreetYouthCenter,Intervale Center, Catamount Trails Association, Peace and Justice Center, and many more.

These organizations are our outlets for when we have large groups on Resident Assistant, Peer Advisor, and Orientationservicedays,aswellaswhenstudentscometouswithspecificinterests.

Above: Bike Montreal summer launch.


Connecting to Community Schools

alliES iN mENTOriNg Allies in Mentoring (AIM) is a program designed to connect Champlain College students with local elementary schools. Champlain has partnered with the Sustainability Academy (SA) at Lawrence Barnes and the Integrated Arts Academy (IAA) at H.O. Wheeler, two magnet elementary schools in the Old North End of Burlington, VT with the highest proportion of students living in poverty. Before transitioning to magnet schools in 2008, these two schools were 90% free or reduced lunch.

Champlain students act as group mentors and individual mentors to provide support to K-5th grade stu-dents and staff during the lunch and recess period. Group mentors help out in the lunchroom for at least two hours a week serving as role models to these elementary students during their unstructured time while individual mentors are matched with a student and provide them with support, counsel, friendship, rein-forcement, and a constructive example during that time.

This program is not only beneficial to the elementary students, but the mentors as well. They get as much, if not more, than they give and learn about themselves. They have called the program “rewarding” and look forward to visiting every week.

Becoming a mentor is a new experience for many Champlain students, but is ben-eficial to both their academic and cultural growth. After serving for a semester, many men-tors stay with the program to retain the connections they made with students, their peers, and faculty and staff at the schools.

“Just having the kids acknowledge you or ask you to sit with them,

practically tripping over their words because they have so much to tell you - it’s awesome. I think I get

more out of it than they do!”

“I had never worked with children before. Having now done so, I feel that working with children is an important experience for everyone to

have at some point.”

Above: Alyssa Neville and students during lunch at AIM.


The AIM Program is lead by two AmeriCorps*VISTAs. This year the Center is thrilled to have AmeriCorps*VISTAs David Madonna (Champlain ‘11) and Kiley Phelan (Providence College ‘11).

Madonna and Phelan work directly with the Burlington School District, principally with the Family-School Partnership Coordinator for the district. They bridge the gap between Champlain College and the family engagement work being done in the district. The district extends further than just the Integrated Arts Acad-emy (IAA) and the Sustainability Academy (SA); it also includes Edmunds Elementary School (EES) and Edmunds Middle School (EMS).

At IAA and SA, the influx of middle class families in 2008 created a need for the original families of the neighborhood to retain their voice at the school. In contrast to the Magnet Schools in the Old North End, EES and EMS are the two Burlington Public Schools that are located on Main Street, just adjacent to the Champlain campus. These two schools draw largely from the Hill Section and as a result serve some of the wealthiest and most well-educated households in the district. Edmunds Elementary consistently has the highest test scores in the district. However, despite the relatively high proportion of “Hill” families, the el-ementary school is approximately 25 percent free or reduced lunch, and the middle school is approximately 50 percent. One of the biggest challenges that both schools face is family involvement, particularly figuring out how to engage the most disenfranchised families at both schools (many of which are low-income and minority families). There seems to be a growing number of families at EES who do not feel it is a welcom-ing and inclusive environment. Some families are so dissatisfied that they are taking their children out of EES and moving them to IAA.

The Burlington School District is working to alleviate these concerns through the implementation of Family-School Partnership (FSP) teams. The school district has designed teams of parents, teachers, and administra-tors at each school to create an action plan that will create a more inclusive and welcoming school environ-ment. The VISTAs are responsible for working with the Coordinator to build capacity for these teams. The VISTAs also work directly with the FSP teams at each school to help the disenfranchised have a consistent and powerful voice.

The following activities throughout the district were supported by the VISTAs and Champlain College vol-unteers in the past year:

• Welcome Survey: Our office assisted in a research project aimed to allow all families to have a voice in the school community and culture at EES. We worked with the school to

make sure that the survey we designed was distributed and collected from as much of the school population as possible, especially the families that are

typically uninvolved in school activities. This project will help to increase access to higher education for low income children. Giv-

ing low income families a voice in education is the first step in creating a more inclusive school culture.

• College Tours: Our office worked with EMS and SA to provide college tours for first-generation college stu-

dents. Champlain students volunteered to lead the tours, present work and stories in a panel discussion, and eat lunch

with students in the Champlain dining hall. This experience helped the students understand that higher education is both fun

and attainable.

Above: Sustainability Academy students in back of Champlain’s Welcome and Admissions building, Roger H. Perry Hall.


• Coffee Connection: Every Monday morning we help IAA host a coffee hour for parents from all com-munities. It’s an opportunity for parents to talk with teachers and administrators in an informal setting. This event helps to contribute to a welcoming environment at the school. Champlain volunteers help to set up the event and join the community building.

• Dialogue Night: Dialogue Night was organized by the EMS social worker to have groups of parents, teachers, and students come together to talk about hot topic issues. Dialogue in each small group was facilitated by an eighth grade student and Champlain volunteer. Some of the topics addressed were: bul-lying, cliques, substance abuse, technology, etc.

• Literacy Breakfast: IAA has hosted four Literacy Breakfasts throughout the year to invite parents into the classroom with their kids, have breakfast, and listen to their kids read. Champlain students volunteer to read with the children whose parents are unable to attend.

• Kindergarten Active Base Learning: Every Wednesday morning Champlain volunteers assist the Physical Education teacher at IAA to run a program called Active Base Learning with the Kindergart-ners. Each volunteer is responsible for guiding four to five kids through simultaneous activities such as tossing a ball while reading words aloud. IAA is currently a failing school; it is really beneficial to integrate academic skills into as much of the school day as possible. This program would not be pos-sible without the assistance of Champlain volunteers.

• Anti-Racism Dinner: In October, IAA and SA hosted an Anti-Racism Dinner for the community. There were over 100 people in attendance. There was a very diverse group of both families and school staff and faculty members. The event included speakers from the community who addressed issues of diversity and inclusion. Champlain volunteers helped to serve dinner and were engaged in the pro-gram.

• Local Lunch for Dinner: In October, SA hosted a dinner to bring families into the school through the celebration of local food. Champlain vol-unteers were invited to the event to spend time with the children and families and support the students in a small art project.

• Family Halloween Party: IAA and SA each hosted a Halloween party for students and families. The school asked Champlain for fourteen volunteers to help run games for the young kids.

• Pancake Breakfast: To bring the community closer and create a welcoming environment, IAA and SA each hosted a pancake breakfast with local music and entertain-ment. Champlain volunteers assisted parents by serving food and spending time with the kids.

• Harvest Dinner: CP Smith Elementary hosted a Harvest Dinner for the families of their school community to create a welcoming environment. Champlain volunteers attended to help serve food and document the event through photos.

Above: Brittany Porydzy with a student at the Integrated Arts Academy’s Family Halloween Party


“The first time that I met Abby I knew that we would get along perfectly. Even though she was a fourth grader and I am in my second year of college we had one fundamental thing in common, we both love Harry Potter. Luckily our commonalities did not stop there because I soon was assigned to mentor Abby once a week during her lunch and recess time.

Abby is wise beyond her years, there are times that I forget that I am speaking with a fourth grader. We have spent much of our time together talking about various issues that even my collegiate peers are learning to deal with such as friends, time manage-ment, and various other “girly” topics.

As much as I can pretend and boast or brag about the “great service I am doing for the students at Sustain-ability Academy,” the reality of it is that they do more for me than I do for them. I have already gotten into college and received all my scholarships, and I am not even a education major, yet I still created my schedule with enough time to spend two days a week mentoring. I do this not only for Abby and the other students but for myself.

Working at Sustainability Academy has become the highlight of my week, something that gets me out of bed in the morning. It reminds me that I am a role model and keeps me working hard. It reminds me that everyone is a kid on the inside and keeps me having fun.”

Brittany Porydzy

“Hi my name is Abby. I am in 4th grade and am part of the mentoring program at my school. This pro-gram connects kids in my school to students in your school [Champlain]. I like this program because I get to know new people and learn new things. My mentor and I spend time together at recess and lunch and do things like read, paint and more.

I’ve met Brittany, Alexa, Holly, and Paige [all AIM mentors]. If I didn’t have these people to talk to and look forward to seeing I probably wouldn’t make it through the week. For example, I had a friend issue a ways back and got so mad I completely lost it, I had to go to the principal’s office, but then I remem-bered Brittany and managed to pull myself together. That day we talked about how I felt and the next day I was fine. Since that day I used that strategy to control myself so that I do not get sent to the princi-pal’s office.

I have so much fun with everything we do. I in-tend to continue on with the mentoring program. It is probably the best experience I have had. I have really enjoyed this experience and I would I think about being a mentor myself.”

Abby

To fully understand the impact of a mentor relation-ship, one needs to hear a first-hand account. Below stories provided by Abby, a fourth grade student at the Sustainability Academy, and her mentor, Champlain student Brittany Porydzy ‘14.

• Wolcott School Visit: In December, IAA teachers, administrators, parents, Champlain volunteers, and three fourth grade students traveled to West Hartford, CT to visit the Wolcott School. The Wolcott School has won an impressive amount of awards for the success they have had; however, it is a school that is very similar in demographics to IAA. The funding is the same per pupil, and many of the children are eligible for free or reduced lunch. It is also racially diverse, like IAA. It was inspiring for IAA, in addition to being important for Champlain students in the division of EHS to see what an effective teacher looks like. It was also a great op-portunity for Champlain students to network with the local educators.

• Fill the Bowl: Third graders at IAA hosted this event to raise money for the Chittenden County food bank. The kids sold hand-crafted bowls filled with soup to friends and family for $5 each. All of the soup was donated by local eateries such as Chubby Muffin, Sugarsnap, and City Market. There were also a slew of lo-cal artists who donated work to be sold in a silent auction. The event raised $1,800 total, half of which came from the food and half from the silent auction. Prior to the event, our office helped find local potters willing to donate their work to the cause.


Collaborative Efforts

Top: Eric Pollock ‘12 was the winner in the Non-Profit/Social Advocacy category during the 2012 Elevator Pitch.

Right: Billy St. Louis ‘15, Paxton Hall ‘14 and Scott Moretto ‘12 volunteer at Very Merry Theatre during January Orientation.

ElEVator pitchThe Fifth Annual Elevator Pitch Competition, held on Feb. 28, 2012, featured the top

nineteen of a record-number of 82 initial participants representing all years and academic divisions. Students have their best 90-second pitch in one of three

categories:entrepreneurs,job/internshipseekers,andnon-profit/socialadvocates. They competed hoping to win the top prize of $500

from sponsor KeyBank, in addition to bragging rights to hav-ing the best “pitch” in Champlain College’s annual spring

competition. The Center for Service collaborates with the Bring Your Own Business (BYOBiz) program, Champ-lain Career Services, the Oral Communication Lab, and theOfficeofAdvancementtohostE-Pitcheachspring.

lEadThe Life Experience & Action Dimension of Champlain’s In-

tegratedEducationincludesafirstyearrequirementforstudentstobroaden cultural and community awareness by engaging in the community.

Studentscanfulfilltheirrequirementsbycookingacommunitydinneratalocalshelter,participatingintheDREAMprogram,AIM,anightofTentCity,

oroneofmanyotheroptionspromotedbyouroffice.Nextyearweplanto corroboratively launch the Service Track for LEAD Peer Advisors as well.

studEnt lEadEr VoluntEEr daysOther areas of Student Life have taken note of students’ lack of community awareness and addressed it in their training and orientation sessions. Resident Assistants, Peer Advisors, Orientation Leaders and students have been divided into groups and taken part in service at local organiza-tions and private residences in the greater-Champlain neighborhood.

sustain chaMplainTheCenterhasafirmcommitmenttoprotectingtheenvironmentand supporting green living. We work closely with the college’s Envi-ronmental Policy Program and also with our sustainability initiative, Sustain Champlain.Thisyearourofficesponsoredserviceactivitieswithasustainabilitytheme:CatamounttrailmaintenanceatMt.Mansfield,organicfarming,andharvestingandgleaning at the Burlington Intervale.

officE of diVErsity and inclusion (odi)Prior to the opening of ODI in the fall of 2007, the Center supported many of the college’s diversity and inclusionprogramssuchastheMartinLutherKingDaycelebration,theNewAmerican’sScholarshipandtheINCLUDE LGBTQA organization. Since, the Center’s primary Diversity and Inclusion work has been in the areaofeducationalequityandaccess(p14-17).OurmostrecentcollaborationwashelpingpromotetheIn-ternationalEducationWeekinNovember.Inaddition,ServiceCoordinatorMaggieMelvincompletedODI’sIntercultural U faculty and staff program in the fall. We have a close working relationship with the current DirectoroftheODI,AmeLambert,andwecontinuetoexplorewaystopartnerwiththatofficeonserviceandengagement initiatives.


sErVicE lEarning coursEsEach year, the Center encourages faculty to incorporate service-learning into their curriculums, and further acts as a resource and provides support to these professors. This academic year, the Center has worked with several facultymembersincludingJohnStroup,JohnMeyer,FrankRobinson,RebeccaEstey,andHadleyBunting.Allof these professors with the exception of Hadley Bunting, who plans to pursue it in the future, incorporated some service-learning aspect to their courses which allowed the students to engage in their academics by serving the local Burlington Community. Over the past year the Center was able to assist in growing service-learning at Champlain by the following: Engaging in dialogue with these professors about proper implementation and func-tionality, placing students enrolled in these courses in the community, creating community partnerships to support service-learning students, and providing the students in these classes a resource to connect them to the commu-nity.Inaddition,directoroftheCenter,KyleDodson,alsoco-taughtMiriamHorne’sGlobalStudiesII:HumanRights course for the second year, traveling to Nicaragua with students over spring break.

sga initiatiVESince the spring of 2011, the Center has been communicating with members of the Student Government Associa-tion to brainstorm ways to make volunteerism and community involvement an element of all Champlain’s student runclubs.Itwillnotbearequirementforstudentrunclubstoaddservicetotheiragenda,butitwillbeencour-aged.TheCenterproposedafinancialsolutiontowithholda‘bonus’amountfromeachclub’sbudgetthatwouldbe unlocked after completing a service activity, or to receive extra funding for completing the most volunteer programsinacompetitionformat.Manygroups,includingChamplain’sRunningClub,haveshowninterestandare looking forward to volunteering in the fall. We plan to work with the new SGA representatives to elicit this initiativeinthefallandatthestartofeachsemesterfromthatpointon.Ourofficehopesthatbycreatingthispro-gram via the SGA, we will be able to engage more students in service and civic engagement by providing them with a way to serve the local community by incorporating their interests.

drEaM prograMDREAM(DirectingthroughRecreation,Education,Adventure,andMentoring)isa

New England based program that partners college students with children in a nearby low-income housing community and helps create a true and lasting

bondbetweenthetwocommunities.Champlain’sDREAMProgramis run entirely by Champlain students with the support of the

CentralDREAMOfficeinBurlingtonandisoneofthemostwell run and effective programs in the state. 25 Champlain studentsdedicate4-5hoursperweektoDREAM;bothplanning for events and spending one-on-one and group time with their mentees.

DREAMstudentleadersreachedouttotheCenterthisyear and we have happily strengthened our collabora-

tionswiththem.ServiceCoordinator,MaggieMelvinbecametheir staff advisor and we have been involved with several of their

events on campus, including: presenting to Champlain Staff and Faculty at a Town Hall meeting that resulted in increased awareness of Champlain’s

DREAMprogramandover$1,200indonations;otherfundraisingeventsthattotaledover$500;afunandsuccessfulStaffandFacultyKickballTournamentwiththeDREAM

mentors and mentees; a day of awareness during Activate Campus Thinking Week; and a volunteer “Beautification”eventatDREAM’spartnercommunity,BirchwoodinMilton,VTinwhichstaff,faculty,andstudents dedicated the day to help spruce up Birchwood’s mobile home community. We look forward to another greatyearworkingwithDREAM.

Above: DREAM kickball tournament during the Center’s ACT Week.


Presence on-campus

tEnt cityTent City is an annual week-long solidarity event focused on educating and raising awareness about the com-plex issues of homelessness and hunger on a local and national level.Each year during National Hunger and Homeless Awareness week, students attend nightly speakers, panels andwatchfilmsthathighlighttheever-growingissue.Thisfall,TentCityfellonNov.14thtothe18th,2011.Duringtheweek69studentsnotonlyattendedspeakers,butalsospenttheeveningsintentsonAikenGreenandusedon-campuspublicfacilitiestofufilltheirneeds,allwhileraisingmoneyforCOTS(CommitteeOnTemporaryShelter)andeducatingtheircommunityaboutthisever-growingissuepresentinVermontandournation. This year the Tent City planning committee and other Tent City participants raised $1,300 for COTS.

act wEEkThe Center for Service & Civic Engagement celebrated its 2nd annual Activate CampusThinking(ACT)WeekfromMarch12thto16th.Wefeaturedacausea day to encourage dialogue and create awareness around campus about thefeaturedcauses.OnMonday,theCenterlaunchedACTweekby tabling in Hauke Courtyard. In addition, we welcomed U.S.SenatorPatrickLeahy(D-VT),andAdongaQuinto,a representative from Northern Uganda, to be featured speakers at a press event about the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Champlain President David F. Finney and student advocate Sadie Stone also spoke at the event. A clip from the press conference is now fea-turedinthefilmKONY2012PartII:BeyondFamous.

On Tuesday, inVisiblE childrEn roadies and Quinto brought thecampaignandfilmcalledKONY2012toAlumniAuditorium.Quinto shared his story of when he was abducted by Kony’s rebels from the LRA. There were over 175 students, staff and faculty in attendance.

On Wednesday, Champlain’s tEach for toMorrow programfeaturedafilmabouttheMalayakaHouse,aUgandanhomethatprovidesasafe,educationalandlovingenvironmentfor

over35childreninEntebbe.ThissummersevenChamplainstudentsaretravelingtotheMalayakaHousefromMay8thto31st.Thegrouphasdoneanoutstandingjobfundraisingthusfar;

theywilllikelysurpasstheir$6,000goalinordertopayforayear’sworthofschoolfor all the children.

Thursday’s cause was charity: watEr. Student advocate Kirstie Grant gave the campus an opportunity to see the difference be-

tween clean and unsafe drinking water, and learn more about the inaccessibility of clean drinking water plaguing com-munities all over the world.

On the last day of ACT week, Champlain’s DREAM Program provided information and new opportunities to

becomeaDREAMmentor.TheyalsohostedaChamplainFacultyvs.DREAMKickballTournamentintheGym,followed

by a pizza party to wrap up the week. Overall, ACT week was a great success and it was due largely to the fact that all of the activities were

student organized.

Above: Sadie Stone ‘13 with U.S. Senator Leahy and Ugandan Adonga Quinto.Left: Students in Tanzania on a Teach for Tomorrow Trip, 2010.


inVisiblE childrEn (i.c.)ThisyearwasfilledwithalotofexcitementandbuzzaboutInvisibleChildren(I.C).Champlain

College has been no stranger to the cause, in fact, student advocates Sadie Stone and Angie CummingshavebeenholdingfilmscreeningsandpresentationsatChamplaineach

semester for the last two years. The Champlain for I.C. group strongly be-lievesinthewordsofMargaretMead:“Neverdoubtthatasmallgroup

of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Champlain for I.C. is a small,

but very committed group that has raised over $7,000 in 2011. They believe that the I.C. organization has created

a vehicle for educating the western world about the use of child soldiers in Central Africa, and the brutality of Joseph Kony and his rebel army, the LRA. With a

handful of screenings and events, the group has accom-plished great things this year: they brought a U.S. Senator

to Champlain College to speak about Kony and the LRA, increased student awareness, and became a part of numerous

campaigns that work to stop the world’s worst war criminal. With the recent criticisms of the KONY 2012 campaign, the group recognizes

that they are committed to the cause and we will not stop until justice prevails.

tablingOnaverage,theCentertablesonceamonthtopromotetheoffice,whetherthismeansgettingmorestu-dents involved in service or to thank past volunteers for the work that they have done. We simply see benefitsingettingthenameof‘TheCenter’outofSkiffAnnex.Wehavedonearangeofpromotionalevents. If the weather permits, we set up outside in Hauke Courtyard, handing out hot chocolate or coffee tostudentsandstaffmakingtheirwayacrosscampus.Theparticipationintheofficeseemstoincreaseasa result of the events because it is a very friendly yet aggressive way to get students aware of the Center. When students, staff or faculty stop to talk to us, we give them a rackslip that includes service opportunities we promote. The events are well received as a result of free food, stick-ersandfunflyersthatwehandout.Afterwards,wehavestudentsthatfollowupwiththeofficebecausetheyappreciatedthedirect promotion and making a connection.

‘thank you’ EVEntsThe Center holds ‘thank you’ events for several different purposes throughout the year. We have held ‘thankyou’eventsforparticipantsinTentCity,AIM,and for general volunteer work. There is always free food and some sort of formal recognition by the Center staff. It is also important for us to engage in discussions on what others thought was successful and what can be improved on in the future. This feedback is one of the most important aspects; student-input and ownership of events makes them more successful because of the passion and peer-to-peer promotion backing it.

Above: Alumni Auditorium filled up at an Invisible Children screening in the fall of 2011.Right: Work-study Kayla Hedman ‘14 informs students while tabling.


chaMplain cEntEr for sErVicE & ciVic EngagEMEnt

Mailbox 20, p.o. box 670 burlington, Vt 05402

tEl: (802) 383-6600

GO.CHAMPLAIN.EDU/SERVICE

Thank you for all your Support.

created by:Kayla Hedman ‘14

Download - Champlain Center for Service Annual Report

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