|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
2007-2008 Vermont Campus Compact Awards
|
Student Awards
|
|
Community Partner Awards
|
|
Faculty/Staff Awards
|
Student Awards | Campus/ Community Partner Awards | Faculty/Staff Awards
Commitment to Service and Engagement Award:
This award is given to one student per VCC campus for both
the breadth and depth of her/his community involvement. Each campus
may select one student for this award.
Award Winners
Michael Imholt, Burlington College
Michael organized a voter education event at Burlington College, and is
involved in the Pro Se Legal Clinic, a free legal clinic that serves mostly
low-income and immigrant members of the Burlington community. In order
to promote the clinic, Michael helped organize a magic show for Burlington
children.
Sarah O'Neill, Castleton State College
Sarah has been, in the words of President David Wolk, a "guiding
force" in campus environmental activism. Sarah and other students
drafted a campus recycling plan that was approved and implemented. She
teaches first-year students about sustainability, been Green Monday Recycling
Coordinator; appointed student representative in the Sustainability Working
Group; leader in Castleton's Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Smart Metering
Plan; and organized volunteer activities for campus groups.
Lindsay Johanson, Champlain College
As Student Outreach Coordinator, Lindsay recruits volunteers, promotes
service opportunities, and works to expand Champlain's commitment to service.
Lindsay is a leader in GET REAL, Champlain's student-driven community
outreach organization, and was a key organizer of two Tent City campaigns,
bringing a focus to issues of poverty and raising over $5400 for COTS.
Lindsay also co-facilitated a workshop for Martin Luther King Day and
worked at Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
Anne Maule, Community College of Vermont - Montpelier
Anne dedicates her service to issues of nutrition and hunger. She was
a driving force in organizing the Vermont Hunger Banquet this fall, and
hopes to turn the Banquet model into a distributable kit for other organizations.
Anne currently is the Food, Farm and Nutrition Educator for Food Works
where she educates low income Vermonters and schools about nutritious
foods.
Giovanni Ciarlo, Goddard College
Giovanni helped found an Ecovillage in Mexico, where he educated local
farmers on subsistence farming that resulted in improved health, lifestyle,
and water use and is a model for communal living in Mexico. He served
on the Global Ecovillage Network Board, published an Ecovillage Newsletter
and developed an Ecovillage Sustainability Training Program. Giovanni
also has brought programs on the arts and the cultural richness of natural
environments to thousands of children in Mexico and New England.
Peter J. Davis, Jr., Green Mountain College
A mentor since 2005, Peter is currently co-leader of GMC's Poultney Partners
Mentoring Club and has created after-school programs and one-on-one mentoring
programs for Poultney students. He has worked with Odyssey of the Mind
and led Poultney High School Psychology classes. At GMC, he is a Resident
Assistant on a Substance Free floor, been in leadership roles for the
Student Senate, is a Transition to Success mentor, and served on search
committees for both new Education faculty and the GMC president.
Caitlyn Britany Dias, Johnson State College
Caitlyn has coordinated numerous service events, from animal care at North
Country Animal League to a Lamoille River cleanup. She has led service
trips to Georgia and New Hampshire to work with children with special
needs or in state custody, and traveled to Nicaragua to counsel children
with Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Caitlyn volunteers for America Reads,
and with River Arts, has taught hip-hop dance for elementary school children
as well as at the Lamoille Family Center, Waterbury Correctional Facility,
and People's Academy Dance Team.
Bonnie Paris, Lyndon State College
Bonnie is President of the LSC Rotaract Club, and has coordinated three
food drives to benefit the Lyndon Area Food Shelf, and collaborated with
the Lyndonville Rotary Club for other fundraisers and charities. Bonnie
also organizes Northeast Kingdom Heritage Days, works with The Lyndon
Freighthouse on such events as "Ice Cream in the Park" and the
"Stars & Stripes Festival," and has volunteered for Coats
for Kids.
Hallie Fox, Middlebury College
Hallie has devoted her service to Middlebury's Sister-to-Sister program,
which pairs college women with middle-school girls to prepare them for
success. Last year, Hallie pursued funding from the American Association
of University Women to coordinate a three-day conference on issues women
face in the workplace, which also raised money for Sister-to-Sister. A
leader in Middlebury's Roosevelt Institution chapter, (a student think
tank) Hallie co-taught a course on public policy this winter term. She
is currently away this semester in South Africa doing?
Angela Lakey, Norwich University
Angela has volunteered for organizations such as Prevent Child Abuse,
the Montpelier Justice Center, Habitat for Humanity, and youth mentoring
programs including DREAM. This spring, Angela will be leading her third
Alternative Spring Break to New Orleans with Habitat for Humanity, and
also travel to Nicaragua with the NU VISIONS Abroad service-learning program.
Alex Monahan, Saint Michael's College
Alex has been a mentor and co-coordinator for Saint Michael's Big Brother/Big
Sister program. He expanded the Cans for Cancer project, increasing student
recycling on campus, and has served in various student government positions
all four of his years, including President. Alex has been active in the
office of Edmundite Campus Ministry, a Residential Advisor, and provided
Orientation leadership.
Trinity Sol, School for International Training/World Learning
Trinity is directing and facilitating all aspects of a theater performance
and fundraiser called "The Volume of Our Voices." Consisting
of student-written and created monologues, dance, puppetry, and poetry,
the performance addresses the subjects of gender, identity, and sexuality.
Trinity also coordinated a Fistula Foundation fundraiser which paid for
operations for 3 afflicted women in Africa.
Jennie D'Aiuto, Southern Vermont College
Jennie has led, coordinated or co-coordinated such service projects and
fundraisers as The Great Pumpkin Challenge, The Pillowcase Project, The
Spirit of Sharing, and The Penguin Plunge. For an alternative spring break,
Jennie built houses for Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans. Jennie is
also a Community Leadership Advisor and as SVC President Karen Gross notes,
"I have specifically asked for her wisdom as we reflect on campus
issues."
All students, Sterling College
Nikola Janjic, UVM
In his first year, Nikola founded the Vermont Campus Energy Group to promote
renewable energy possibilities at UVM. The group is now working to pass
a Clean Energy FUND which could provide for $200,000 annually for clean
energy campus projects. Additionally, Nikola has worked with many other
campus organizations, such as the Socially Responsible Investment Working
Group, the UVM Environmental Council and Students for Peace and Global
Justice.
Florence Cornish, Vermont Law School
As President of the Black Law Student Association, Florence has led a
food and clothing drive for a local shelter, an effort to collect donations
for local fire victims, and a fundraising drive for breast cancer. Florence
created a program to educate about domestic violence and abusive relationships
in local middle and high schools, organized community panels, and brought
"Open Windows for Safe Art" to campus, using the arts to raise
awareness about abusive relationships.
Jennifer Gile, Vermont Technical College
Jennifer has coordinated on- and off-campus fundraisers and service work
in her role as Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture
Students at VTC. Jennifer organized a river clean-up and the Safe and
Seen Halloween Project, where she handed out glow-sticks and glow in the
dark trick-or-treat bags to help children and their families stay safe
on Halloween.
Janice Santiago, Woodbury
In 2007, Janice received an Enduring Democracy Award for her voter registration
work, and in this current election has provided voter education and registration
for students. Janice also serves on the Vermont National Alliance on Mental
Illness Advocacy Committee, works with the Peace & Justice Center
to organize Truth in Recruiting events at Spaulding High School, and for
the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign.
Vermont Teddy Bear 2007 Student Citizen Award
The award, presented by The Vermont Teddy Bear Co., recognizes exceptional volunteer efforts by college students across the state. The award carries a reward of $1,000 to the student, a corporate gift of $1,000 to the non-profit organization where the student serves, and a $1,000 gift to the institution the student attends. VCC uses the Gala as an opportunity to publicly recognize last fall's Vermont Teddy Bear winner and finalists in front of their peers.
Recipient
Alexander Hall, a senior at Middlebury College, received this award for his efforts at the John W. Graham Emergency Shelter in Vergennes. Hall was an intern at the Graham Shelter during the summer of 2006 and remained involved afterwards, focusing his efforts on supporting the infrastructure and boosting the capacity of the Shelter's operations - with their data base, fundraising, website, and more as mentioned in your programs. Alex also significantly expanded the number of Middlebury volunteers who work at the Shelter so that now it is among the more active student volunteer sites. In addition to his Shelter work, Hall has been active with the Middlebury ACE office, and the Sunday Night Group, which tackles issues of environmental sustainability and social justice. Alex also won a prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship to help him prepare for a career in international relations.
Finalists
Katherine Sprowl, Castleton State College
Katie works with at-risk girls in the Sand Hill Program, advising them
to stabilize their behavior and helping them develop a plan to reintegrate
into the community. Katie is vice-president of the Community Service Club,
helps lead Alternative Spring Break trips for Katrina relief, coordinates
Box City and Stuff A van initiatives, and volunteers for Dismas House,
high school girls, a local soup kitchen, a retirement home, and the Boys
and Girls Club, among others.
Jeremy Ellis, Champlain College
Jeremy is an active and founding mentor of Champlain's partnership with
the Milton Birchwood DREAM program and mentored a 9-year old boy for the
last four years. He has also organized service trips to New Orleans, founded
Food Fight, works at a local soup kitchen and more. He is involved in
Champlain's GET REAL Service Action group and holds a leadership position
in the Residential Life office. You'll be hearing more about Jeremy later.
Richard Maxwell Jr., Community College of Vermont - Burlington
Richard volunteers for the Winooski Community Justice Center's Offender
Reentry Program and has coordinated many community service projects to
build playgrounds through his position at Home Depot, including single-handedly
painting the Burlington Emergency shelter.
Brian Merrill, Johnson State College
Brian helps coordinate volunteer initiatives at JSC and has been a dedicated
Alternative Spring Break participant since his freshman year. Brian participated
in two trips and then led a very successful trip to New York City, which
focused on Prison Issues and HIV and AIDS, and he plans to lead a second
trip this April.
Kimberly Sober, Norwich University
Kimberly organized Norwich's first Alternative Spring Break trip to New
Orleans in 2006 and again in 2007. Kim leads fundraising efforts throughout
the year to support the Alternative Break trips and helped found the new
college Habitat for Humanity Chapter; one memorable activity was building
a large playhouse which was then auctioned off to support the trip.
Patrick Mager, Saint Michael's College
Patrick organizes the annual "Senior Prom" and the "Spring
Fling" dance for local seniors, is a leader for Saint Michael's service
pre-orientation TREK, and participates in the MOVE Correctional Volleyball
program. He works with homeless teens on Long Island, on sustainable development
in the Dominican Republic, and building homes in Kentucky. Locally, he
is a member of Saint Michael's Volunteer Fire Department and leads Campus
Ministry retreats.
Matt McGetrick, Southern Vermont College
Matt is President of SVC's Colleges Against Cancer Chapter, which he help
found four years ago and organizes dinners to honor those affected by
cancer. Matt leads the Big Brothers/Big Sisters club, and is a member
of Student Government. He organized an alternative spring break trip last
year to the Florida Everglades and plans to lead a trip to New Orleans
this year.
Sarah Friend, University of Vermont
Sarah has volunteered for the last five semesters with the SEEDS (Student
Environmental Educators Doing Service) program, which strives to educate
Burlington's K-5 students about the environment through games, stories,
and crafts. Because Sarah's lessons plans are innovative and creative
she has been promoted to a leadership position of the SEEDS program.
Florence B. Cornish, Vermont Law School
You've heard about Florence already but here's more: In addition to leading
fundraisers and food drives, and educating about domestic violence, Florence
has been a Student Ambassador (a highly selective position), a Schweitzer
Fellow, elected to the Student Bar Association, provides leadership on
organizations related to Diversity, Women's Law, and more, is a popular
Teacher's Assistant in the Academic Success Program and was one of three
students to represent the Law School at the 2007 ABA Regional Negotiation
Competition.
Madeleine
M. Kunin Public Service Award:
This award distinguishes one remarkable student from a VCC member institution
for his/her outstanding public service and leadership, demonstrated through
a spectrum of efforts. Through their sustained involvement, the recipient
establishes a linkage of their service to a larger social context and
a commitment to community impact. The recipient of this award models deeply
ingrained civic responsibility and leadership, evidenced by initiative,
innovative approaches to community issues, and effective community building.
Recipient
Jeremy Ellis, Champlain College
Four years ago, Program Director Chad Butt was describing the idea of
the DREAM Program at Champlain to a dorm full of recently arrived students.
When he finished his explanation, a freshmen named Jeremy raised his hand
and asked, "When do we start?" As Chad explains it, I first
thought that this was some overly ambitious freshmen, but I've come to
realize I couldn't be further from that first impression."
Now in his senior year, Jeremy is the final remaining founding member of the Milton Birchwood DREAM mentoring program, who, along with other Champlain students, went door-to-door in a 172-unit mobile home park to get the program started. Since then the program has doubled to include twenty strong mentors. During that time, Jeremy has been a leader, serving as co-chair, treasurer. This spring Jeremy, along with three other mentors, will lead the program's first "High Adventure" to Florida, marking the culmination of a year and a half of planning and fundraising. All throughout, Jeremy has been mentoring the same boy, now thirteen, and shown an amazing dedication to this mentee and his family. Jeremy has acted as a support network, connecting them to local resources, talking with guidance counselors and teachers, securing furniture donations for their home, providing emotional support to his mother, cooking them dinner, and on and on. "Jeremy has made a lasting impact on his mentee, his mentee's family, the Champlain DREAM Program, Birchwood Manor, and all of those he has worked with in his four years at Champlain."
Jeremy's has also dedicated himself to building and sustaining service programs at Champlain College. He founded the student action "Food Fight" that works with Sodexho staff to prepare soups and stews for what has amounted to over 150 meals for over one hundred homeless residents at the Salvation Army. This sparked student interest in addressing poverty and homelessness on campus, culminating in the now annual Tent City that raises funds for COTS. "Because of Jeremy's consistent and quiet dedication to these programs, a culture of caring has grown on our campus," says President David Finney.
Jeremy was among the student leaders who organized Champlain's first Alternative Spring Break trips to the 9th Ward of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and has been one of the dedicated students who return each year. He is an active leader in GET REAL, and holds leadership positions in the Resident Life Office, as Senior Resident Assistant, overseeing the development of campus-wide programming.
Jeremy's "has contributed enormously to the culture of service and
civic responsibility that has become a signature of [Champlain's] campus,"
and "personifies Governor Kunin's legacy of demonstrating how one
person can make change in this world."
Finalists
Corey Gray, Castleton State College
For the past three years, Corey has been a mentor and leader in the "College
for Every Student" Partnership. He recruited 50 students his first
year and overseen its growth to 150 this year. Corey is also the President
of the Student Association and led a drive to support CSC's signing of
the Talloires Declaration, committing the school to environmental sustainability.
Gail Pelkey, Community College of Vermont
For nine years, Gail has served as a member of the Waterbury Village Fire
Department Auxillary, raising funds for the fire department and the Ambulance
Service, and volunteered as a Youth Hockey coach's assistant. She helped
to organize the Vermont Hunger Banquet, raising funds for Food Works at
Two Rivers Center.
Derek Palmieri, Lyndon State College
Derek is involved in his community and on campus in myriad ways: as a
firefighter, a Boy Scout troop leader, and developing the New England
Transport Museum. He was elected Philanthropy Manager of his fraternity,
and, studying to become an emergency medical technician, Derek advocated
for the College to install 15 Zoll defibrillators around campus.
Emily Peterson, Middlebury College
A native of New Orleans, Emily cofounded the College's Hurricane Relief
Coalition. She has been involved with the college's organic garden for
four years, and helped a family in Thailand construct an organic garden
to serve as a model for the village. Emily was also an assistant for Ark
for Children in Botswana, serving adolescent AIDS orphans, which culminated
in a 50-page report for the organization detailing the psychological and
material deficiencies of AIDS orphans. In the word of one of her professors,
Emily is "one of the most outstanding students [he has] taught in
[his] 36 years on the Middlebury College faculty."
Kim Sorber, Norwich University
Kim is involved in many extracurricular activities, all of which serve
her community. Kim is NU's Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Chapter co-chair,
co-chair of the 1st Relay for Life, an AmeriCorps member, and volunteered
in Tanzania through the NU VISIONS Abroad Program. Through her leadership,
Kim "consistently demonstrate[s] the maturity, vision and dedication
(far beyond her years) to serve others."
Shaleen Crowley, Saint Michael's College
For the past four years, Shaleen has worked on HIV/AIDS issues with the
Student Global AIDS Campaign, and with the Ilula Orphan Program in Tanzania.
She has been a "Best Buddy," a mentor to a person with a developmental
disability, and worked with the After School Games Program at the Burlington
Boys and Girls Club.
Stephen Nappi, Southern Vermont College
Stephen is a horseback riding instructor, a co-captain of the SVC baseball
team, Activities Chair of the Office of Campus Life, and is a Big Brother.
"In all instances, Stephen brings a unique skill set for helping
to bridge communications between his peers and other adults in authority;
each constituency looks to him for this on many occasion."
Engaged Community
Partner Award:
This award is given to one community partner (individual or organization)
per VCC member campus that has worked to support the civic mission of
their partnering campus. Community partners are vital links for engaging
campuses and students with communities to meet critical needs. This award
is intended to recognize a community partner's involvement with the campus
community.
Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (Castleton State College)
Brett Patterson educated students in several Anthropology and the Environment
classes about green waste management processes. Students went on to write
a comprehensive recycling system plan for the College, which was implemented
by a campus "Green Team" that included Brett. Casella has sponsored
and/or participated in Green Campus Kickoff, Civic Engagement, Sustainability
and Earth Day events.
Linking Learning to Life/ Rich Tulikangas (Champlain College)
Linking Learning to Life runs a dual enrollment program that allows high
school students to take classes at Champlain, hosts events with Champlain's
Access & Success and the Office of Admission, and has designed a new
scholarship to attract Burlington High School service leaders to a four
year scholarship and service leadership at Champlain.
The Upper Valley Haven and Sarah Sennott (Community College of Vermont)
The Haven serves families struggling with poverty in the Upper Valley
by providing shelter, education, food, clothing and more. CCV partners
with the Haven in The Homework Club, in which CCV students provide mentoring
and homework help to children living at The Haven, for Harvest for Hunger,
and in service-learning classes.
Marli Rupe and Poultney Mettawee Natural Resource Conservation District
(Green Mountain College)
Marli offers service-learning projects, volunteer opportunities, and four
or five internships a year for GMC students. She has collaborated with
faculty to write conservation-related grants and proposals, assess Green
Mountain College's Cerridwen Farm, and coordinate the ECO EXPO, an event
in which GMC students educate local schools on environmental issues.
Laraway Youth & Family Services and Greg Stefanski (Johnson State
College)
Laraway Youth and Family Services has two main programs: a therapeutic
substitute care foster program and an alternative education program. From
1999 to fall 2007 Laraway hosted 17 interns from JSC, nine of whom were
later employed by Laraway, as community support workers, behavioral counselors,
or instructional aides.
Northern Communities Investment Corporation and Jon Freeman (Lyndon
State College)
Jon and NCIC approached the LSC Recreation Department for help with GIS
mapping they needed to site towers for NEKwide broadband Internet access,
an important part of the project, since the Kingdom is a hilly region
that requires careful siting of transmitters to be effective.
American Cancer Society-Relay for Life/ Kara Dudman & Ross Lieb-Lappen
(Middlebury College)
Relay for Life has become one of the most important annual events for
the Middlebury community, and is a unique and fruitful partnership between
the American Cancer Society, the greater Addison County community, and
Middlebury College. From early planning through the final weekend, the
whole Realy for Life experience creates a seamless divide between College
and community and provides exceptional leadership opportunities for Middlebury
students.
Marsha Hoffman (Norwich University)
Marsha has connected Architecture, Civil Engineering, Nursing, and Computer
Science service-learners to local organizations, while also working with
student volunteers. She has also helped NUSL brainstorm a potential service-learning
non-profit consulting practice to be administered by Business and Management
students.
John F. Kennedy Elementary School and Nancy Devost (Saint Michael's
College)
Saint Michael's students have worked with the JFK Elementary School for
more than 30 years. Saint Michael's MOVE office works closely with Nancy
of the Winooski school system to coordinate programs for the growing refugee
and immigrant population, including a family-based mentoring program,
and an afterschool "Homework Club" for JFK English Language
Learners.
The Bennington Museum and Stephen Perkins (Southern Vermont College)
As Executive Director of The Bennington Museum, Stephen performs as a
teacher, facilitator, mentor, and program developer for SVC students.
Mr. Perkins collaborated with a "Quest for Success" class to
create audio podcasts for the Museum, has made the museum available for
events, and spoken on campus.
New England Grassroots Environment Fund and Ginny Callan (University
of Vermont)
NEGEF offers grants to small organizations and individuals throughout
New England. As part of a "Community-based Research" course,
UVM students assessed NEGEF's impact on its grantees. NEGEF has supported
UVM student service-learning and research projects with many of its grantees,
including the Jericho/Underhill Land Trust, Northwest Citizens for Responsible
Growth, and the Orange County Headwaters project.
Peace & Justice Center (Woodbury College)
Peace & Justice Center staff taught a Community Organizing and Advocacy
course, and engaged students in their Economic Justice and Livable Wage,
Peace & Human Rights, and Racial Justice campaigns. Projects range
from testifying in front of the legislature on mandatory paid sick days,
to organizing community members to develop after school programs in Barre.
Campus/Community
Partnership Award:
This award is intended to recognize one exceptional partnership between
a campus and (a) community partner(s). This is a collaboration that works
together in mutually beneficial ways to produce measurable improvements
in people's lives and enhance learning in the process. Campus/Community
partnerships have the capacity to model creative, deep, and sustaining
approaches to community problem-solving, and this award is intended to
highlight an exemplary established partnership that has enriched the outcomes
for both campus and community.
Recipient
Addison County Farm Worker Coalition/Middlebury College
Organizations comprising The Addison County Farm Worker Coalition include:
Open Door Clinic, People of Addison County Together (PACT), Addison County
Home Health, the College's ACE office, as well as "students, Middlebury
faculty, doctors, dentists, business people and community members, who
are working together to provide support and service and give voice to
Mexican and Central American workers in Addison County."
As PACT Coordinator Cheryl Mitchell writes, "Together we strive to improve the quality of life for migrant farm workers, our Vermont farm families, and our county and State, overall…improvements have been made that not only service migrant farmers, but also benefit other Vermont farm workers and Vermont farm families who often have very low incomes." As the Coalition addresses a variety of human services, they are all provided with support from Middlebury College students, staff, and faculty, as well as other community members.
Middlebury faculty, such as Ana Martinez-Lage teach courses that engage students with migrant farmers. Gloria Gonzalez' research on related issues is shared at coalition meetings and she is able to tap into resources for the coalition as a result of her connections.
Both Ana and Gloria are able to tie their courses to projects that directly address needs identified by the coalition. Their students gain additional language practice as well as opportunities to learn the culture, while offering translation services at doctors offices, clinics, the hospital, on the farms, and other locations, providing vital bilingual services that would otherwise not be available.
But the College's role is not limited to a particular course or individual
connection; rather it incorporates service, academic service-learning,
cultural events, individual student and faculty research, co-curricular
outreach, public meetings, independent study, and even informal soccer
games.
Middlebury's ACE Director Tiffany Sargent writes, "Given the breadth
of support for this partnership among students, faculty, and staff, there
is a solid effort to sustain and continue to grow the partnership between
Middlebury College and the Farm Worker Coalition."
Finalists
College For Every Student/Castleton State College
Castleton State College has partnered with College For Every Student to
foster, support, and sustain Pathways to College, Mentoring, and Leadership
through Service. For the past three years, Castleton students have mentored
and hosted college visits for Castleton Elementary and Mettawee Community
students, now grown to involve over 200 college students.
Laraway Youth and Family Services/Johnson State College
Laraway serves as a consistent placement for all of Johnson State's extended
classroom experiences, from service to service-learning to internships.
Since 2006, Bonner Leader students are committing to a designated role
at Laraway for eight hours a week for two years. JSC students run a mentoring
program for Laraway Youth, Shooting for Goals, and Laraway staff collaborate
closely with JSC's Non-Profit Management program and serve on committees.
Sexual Assault Crisis Team of Washington County/ Norwich University
Bobbi Gagne, SACT Executive Director, has provided services to students,
faculty and staff who have been victims of sexual harassment or assault.
Bobbi collaborated with nursing students to create a folder of SACT materials,
and criminal justice students to create a booklet for victims about undergoing
the process, from an incident of sexual assault to the hospital to the
role of the SACT and through the court system.
New Sudan Education Initiative/ Saint Michael's College
The New Sudan Education Initiative (NESEI) is a small non-profit organization
that is comprised of former Sudanese refugees and a global network of
supporters working together to help sustain peace in South Sudan. In May
2005 SMC students traveled to work with Sudanese refugees living in camps
in northern Uganda.
Faculty/ Staff Awards
Award for
Excellence in Community-Based Teaching
This award is given to one faculty member who has made
public service an integral part of their teaching. This award recognizes
innovative teaching methods through the use of service-learning or community-based
research, a commitment to student voice and development, and inclusion
of community voice and partnership.
Recipient
Hendrika Maltby, University of Vermont
An Associate Professor of Nursing. Rycki is interested in community partnerships
that provide a holistic approach to enhance health and quality of life
of populations at risk. She has incorporated service-leaning into every
course she teaches. While many people think that service learning in nursing
must take form in health care settings, Rycki shows her students that
variety of ways health is a part of our lives, and that hands-on community
experience can take many forms beyond simply working in healthcare settings.
In conjunction with UVM's Community-University Partnerships and Service-Learning office, Rycki received a grant and designed a course in Community Based Participatory Research, in which Rycki helped three of her students write research proposals for three partnering nonprofits in the community, and that research is being carried out this semester.
One of the students who traveled with Rycki's Public and Community Health Nursing class to study in Bangladesh, Ann Giombetti cited the ability to gain "global health perspective" as students spent their days in local villages speaking with families about their health needs and concerns for their families. "We were able to visit hospitals and clinics as well as travel with paramedics as they made maternal health check ups in outlying areas. As a result we were able to provide the University of Bangladesh with valuable assessment data that can be used to provide appropriate services to each of the villages we visited." Rycki plans to offer this course every year, and this year's class has outlined future projects, such as adopting a local high school where nursing students can offer a health education program for adolescent girls. Ann noted that, as a result of her trip to Bangladesh, "I have acquired a considerable amount of knowledge about cultural sensitivity that can be directly applied to my work in Vermont." Adds Ann, "Rycki reflects her love of the community to all of her students by integrating many different and unique service learning projects throughout her curriculum."
Rycki is currently on sabbatical in Western Australia, working with a
colleague who is conducting research with a local community on variety
of issues, including indigenous health and childhood obesity. She is also
completing grant applications for more community-based participatory projects.
Finalists
Ken Reissig, Champlain College
Throughout Ken's Secondary Education program, Champlain students tutor
Somalia-Bantu and Sudanese refugee students in English language and other
subjects at Edmunds Middle School. In this program of "reciprocal
teaching," Education students learn invaluable lessons about teaching
diverse populations and cross-cultural understanding.
Suzanna Gray Bliss, Community College of Vermont
In 2003, Professor Bliss suggested that CCV expand its annual Harvest
for Hunger program into Feast to Feed, a hunger banquet with an international
focus. Feast to Feed and the Vermont Hunger Banquet have raised thousands
of dollars for the Vermont Food Bank and the Salvation Army, and hundreds
of pounds of food to donate to the Vermont Food Shelf.
Nadia Horning, Middlebury College
Nadia taught a senior seminar entitled "African Government: The Political
Economy of the Neo-Patrimonial State," in which students worked with
the Association of Africans Living in Vermont and participated in programs
from storytelling nights to researching laws that discriminate against
refugees.
Patricia Delaney, Saint Michael's College
Patricia teaches an Introduction to Cultural Anthropology course where
students work with immigrant or refugee children and families, at the
King Street Youth Center, the VNA Family Room, and Champlain Elementary
School. Patty modeled service leadership by hosting a newly-immigrated
Turkish family until they could settle into an apartment of their own.
Thomas Redden, Southern Vermont College
Tom incorporates service learning and civic engagement into each of his
classes. His American Politics students have written to Congressmen, worked
with Bennington's town government, and helped form a Youth Advisory Board
addressing youth issues in the community. His Quest for Success students
were paired with veterans at the Veteran's Home.
Engaged
Scholar:
This award honors one faculty member for engagement as an integral
part of his/her teaching and research. This award recognizes an innovative
use of service in scholarship, commitment to communities, and work with
engaged campus-community partnerships. Through his/her leadership, the
recipient has made valuable contributions to the field of engaged scholarship
and serves as an exemplar of faculty citizenship to students, faculty,
and staff.
Recipient
Terry Bergen, Castleton State College
Terry has been teaching psychology at Castleton for 30 years and become
a faculty leader and inspiration at the College through his integration
of service and psychological research.
In Terry's Applied Behavior Analysis class, Castleton students put course material to work in Poultney High School where Terry knew there was a problem with bullying and antisocial behaviors. Under Terry's guidance, this project has become a "program," addressing bullying, leadership, pro- and anti-social behaviors, self-esteem and fitness, communication skills, school culture, and volunteer work at Poultney but also now at Mill River, Fair Haven High School, Washington Street School, Poultney Middle School, and others.
Because he is at heart a rigorous empirical researcher, Terry and his students evaluate their programs and initiatives at every step. He is continuously asking students for new ways to improve school climate and increase pro-social behaviors. In a video on the Castleton website. Terry's students are around a table reporting on their assessment of behavioral change as a result of their interventions. Students who are no longer in the course pursue independent study in order to continue to learn and participate. And students have reported their results to school boards, teachers, citizens, and even presented at two national conferences.
Academic Dean Joe Mark says in his three page letter supporting his nomination, Terry is a wonderful role model for his faculty colleagues, demonstrating again and again that civic engagement and service-learning are not only legitimate academic approaches, but integral methods in a liberal arts major that is very traditional, rigorous and graduate-school-oriented.
Joe says, "I can recall several meetings with faculty where Terry's
contributions about his experiences with service-learning were inspirational.
In at least one instance, Terry's comments turned what was becoming a
meeting full of faculty complaints about how hard service-learning was
into a positive meeting about how doable it was and how much it was worth
doing."
Finalists
Susan Sutheimer, Green Mountain College
Sue advocates teaching through service among her colleagues, champions
academic engagement through service with students, and tirelessly works
to weave service into the fabric of Green Mountain College. She has creatively
incorporated service-learning into her Chemistry classes, and published
and presented nationally on the benefits of engaged pedagogies to student
learning outcomes, using for evidence the work her students have completed-
from water testing for the local Conservation District, to analyzing unknown
compounds in the contents of a Civil War era medical bag for the Poultney
Historical Society.
Claudia Cooper, Middlebury College
Expanding her own research on Ethiopian children's literature, Claudia
recently taught, "Ethopia: Reading Culture, Writing Lives,"
where students traveled to Addis Ababa and worked at orphanages, the first
children's library in Ethiopia, a pediatric AIDS clinic, and a clinic
for malaria patients, AIDS orphans, and other chronic sufferers. She advances
the goals of Teacher Education through research, service and engagement
and encourages her students to become global citizens.
Diane Byrne, Norwich University
Diane revived Norwich's Teacher Education Program in 2003 and immediately
began to incorporate service-learning into the curriculum. Her doctoral
dissertation is on the attitudinal effects of service-learning on teacher
education students. Recently Diane reached out to the Psychology and Nursing
Departments to create partnerships with schools and clinics in Africa.
Patricia Siplon, Saint Michael's College:
Patricia's scholarly work is complemented by her active engagement with
policy issues of national and international significance. She draws her
students into active learning as she incorporates both local and international
service, research, and advocacy into such courses as Introduction to American
National Politics, Peace and Justice First Year Seminar, Politics of the
Global AIDS Pandemic, and HIV/AIDS in East Africa. As a Fulbright Scholar
in Tanzania, she helped bring HIV/AIDS treatment and orphan support to
a heavily HIV-impacted area in rural Tanzania and has also developed student
leadership by supervising or co-authoring with students engaged in high
quality academic research.
Campus
Leadership for Civic Engagement Award:
This award recognizes one staff, faculty, or administrator for their
leadership in advancing public engagement as a critical component of their
higher education institution. The award recognizes someone who has worked
towards the institutionalization of service, strived toward a shared vision
of higher education as a public good, supported faculty and students,
and formed innovative partnerships.
Recipient
William Wilson, Saint Michael's College, taught political science at Saint Michaels for 32 years before becoming provost in 2005. "It should be told how long and how deeply Bill has been a promoter of service learning at SMC," says faculty member Vince Bolduc. "20 years ago we went to a conference on service-learning and it was the first time I sensed how deeply Bill was committed to the concept. Bill employed service-learning l when he was teaching but his commitments to the practice became most apparent when he was appointed Provost. ….one reason that I was so happy to have him appointed at Provost was his support for service-learning."
Dr. Wilson supported faculty efforts to find an academic home for service-learning, and understood the need for stability and experienced staffing to create a sustainable Service-Learning Program. He thus worked tirelessly to include in the College's academic budget the funds necessary to staff Service-Learning and to strategically place it within the Academic Enrichment office. "He has set the foundations upon which service learning can continue to grow at the College" says Vince.
Perhaps it is because of his Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.
Short list of ways Dr. Wilson has fostered Service Learning on SMC Campus:
- He spoke of its value publicly
- He brought involved students before the Board of Trustees to share their experiences
- He appointed a SL Board of experienced faculty and staff
- He established an annual stipend to support an intensive summer workshop to introduce interested new faculty to SL
- He supported a new staff position to oversee SL
"Bill has found the time and resources to put Service Learning high on the agenda, and he has done so quietly, with his characteristic charisma, great integrity and determination," adds Vince.
"Bill Wilson has modeled what it means to be an engaged campus
citizen," Political science colleague Grover said, when Bill announced
his plan to retire at the end of this year. "His impact has been
immeasurable." Wilson has been an inspirational figure and his commitment
to St. Michael's is appreciated, Grover said.
Finalists
Paul Derby, Castleton State College
Paul was among the first Castleton faculty to fully implement service-learning,
and has used it to engage students in creating a comprehensive recycling
program, completing a greenhouse gas inventory, and implementing creative
mechanisms to reduce campus energy use, putting his work at the forefront
of the "green campus" initiative. Paul served as the first faculty
coordinator for American Democracy Project, and was recently selected
as Castleton's first Civic Engagement Fellow.
Sarah Cohen, Champlain College
As Champlain's Literacy Librarian, Sarah encourages students to think
about solutions for today's greatest challenges. She coordinated student
leadership for Focus the Nation. She creates library displays on civic
and social justice initiatives such as global warming, civil rights, and
genocide. Sarah seeks out the best civic-minded work being conducted by
the faculty, and promotes said work through a wide variety of media channels
- library exhibits, e-mail alerts, as well as web-based channels such
as You Tube, Facebook, blogs, and more.
Tiffany Keune, Community College of Vermont
Tiffany's passion to bridge higher education with her commitment to the
Rutland community is evident in her work as a CCV administrator, instructor,
and as Chair of the Creative Economy's Sustainable Rutland. Tiffany has
taken students to Energy Committee meetings, created partnerships, and
organized forums, Iron Chef Rutland, and a local school art project.
Tim Thurber, Norwich University
Only in his second year at Norwich, Tim has incorporated service-learning,
partnered with the Northfield Boys and Girls Club for his Adolescent Psychology
course, been invited and trained to be part of the NU service-learning
Consulting Corps, is a member of Civic Reflections group, and provides
ongoing leadership and advocacy for service-learning.
Thayer Raines, Green Mountain College
As Professor of Outdoor and Recreation Studies, Thayer has infused service-learning
into his classes, as a matter of principle and practice. His students
are educators in the local schools, and his partners extend from the Poultney
Historical Society to Vermont Recreation and Parks Association, the Catamount
Trail Association, a local Forest and Farmland Center, and more.
Daniel Cantor Yalowitz, Southern Vermont College
In his second year at SVC, Daniel helped develop and institutionalize
a service learning based First Year Seminar at the College, training six
faculty and staff to instruct the new Quest For Success: The First Year
Experience course. He was recently named a national semifinalist by the
University of South Carolina's National Resource for the First Year Experience.
The Marc vanderHeyden Service to Vermont Award
Former Governor Phil Hoff made history in 1962 when he was elected
as Vermont's first democratic governor since 1854. Governor Hoff was then
elected twice more in 1964 and 1966. During his tenure he was known for
his pioneering efforts in the fields of environmental, development, and
social welfare programs. He also founded the Vermont District Court, Vermont
Student Assistance Corporation and the Judicial Nominating Board. Together
with New York Mayor, John Lindsay, former Governor Hoff created the Vermont
- New York Youth Project which brought minority students from the city
together with Vermont students to do joint summer projects at several
Vermont Colleges. Hoff would later say of his administration, "We
were proceeding on the basis that really there was nothing we couldn't
do, that we could get rid of poverty, that we could move the state along,
that we could provide a prosperous and enjoyable life for every citizen.
It was a very positive time." After his Governorship and an unsuccessful
Senate bid in 1970, Hoff returned to Vermont politics in 1980 serving
three terms as a state senator. In 1989, he co-founded Hoff Curtis, Pacht,
Cassidy, Frame, Somers, and Katims, P.C. were he continues to practice
today.
View descriptions of previous winners of VCC awards:
Questions?? Please contact John Coutley
