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Center for Community Engagement
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Vol. 5, Issue 9, Nov. 20, 2023

Melissa Calabrese and Sarah Toothman |

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Blue and Yellow logo: West Virginia University Center for Community Engagement

ACADEMIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT NEWSLETTER

Volume 5, Issue 9

November 20, 2023
 
The WVU Center for Community Engagement (CCE) aims to leverage university knowledge and resources to support effective partnerships with communities that enhance discovery through community-engaged teaching, scholarship, and action. The Center supports faculty, staff, and students in working with external partners to meet reciprocal and mutually beneficial needs and advance WVU’s land grant mission.
   /New WVU Partnership
WVU CCE and WVU Hub Federal Work-Study Program
For the Spring 2024 semester, Purpose2Action student placements will be funded through a new partnership with WVU Hub.  While serving in Purpose2Action, current undergraduate students at West Virginia University complete fifteen service hours weekly by offering support to a local community organization.

P2A mentor, Quinn Reid, expressed how this WVU Center for Community Engagement program assisted him in "contributing to the community in the ways I could best- utilizing the skills that were already in me and amplifying them."  With the financial support of WVU Federal Work Study, more students and community partners will feel the direct impact of academic engagement opportunities in West Virginia. 
Read More on WVUToday
   /Service & Learning Spotlight 
 
WVU Presidential Student Ambassadors served with the Appalachian Prison Book Project, which provides educational opportunities and resources to people incarcerated in the Appalachian region. During this service project, Ambassadors responded to the requests of incarcerated readers by packaging books that included personalized notes. The Presidential Student Ambassadors program promotes the values and ideals of WVU by cultivating a campus environment rooted in leadership, service, inclusivity, and academic excellence. Ambassadors enroll in WVUe 280, a designated service-learning course.  

Are you looking to connect a service project with the Appalachian Prison Book Project? Visit our CommUNITY partner's iServe page. 
   /MSA Food Packing Event
A collage of images from the Muslim Student Association at WVU meal packing event. Top image: A group photo of all volunteers in Islamic Relief t-shirts. Image 2: Meals of hope lentil meal package. Image 3: An Islamic Relief USA meal box with organization logo in dark blue. Image 3 and 4: Volunteers pack meals as a team in the gymnasium.
WVU Muslim Student Association and Islamic Relief USA collaborated to host a meal-packing event supported by student and community volunteers. Klarissa Brenneman, CCE Social Action Coordinator, assisted the MSA leadership in connecting to local community organizations. She also provided guidance and instruction for students to develop a large-scale campus event. In total, 30,000 meals were distributed across West Virginia with the partnership of Empty Bowls of Mon County, Helpful Harvest, WVU Rack, and Pantry Plus More. 
Six students stand around a wooden desk in the library while discussing a class project.
Are you planning to facilitate a
Service Learning class this spring?

Fill out this form: 
https://bit.ly/46WUFju

If you are teaching a community engaged course and would like assistance from the Center for Community Engagement, complete the interest form as soon as possible.

This form lets us know about your needs for partnerships, iServe user groups, class visits, contracts and/or evaluations.
   /WVU Opportunities
Writing Strong Narratives to Document the Impact of Your Work
WVU ADVANCE Center and Eberly Writing Studio invite faculty and advanced graduate students to attend a three-part workshop series on how to create narratives that highlight their commitment to educational excellence through diverse perspectives and inclusive engagement. 
Dates: Nov. 27, 1:00 PM | Nov. 28, 1:00 PM | Dec. 8, 11:45 PM

WVU Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium
This a campus-wide event that showcases WVU students' research and creative efforts. This event is open to all undergraduates but includes a dedicated emphasis on students graduating from the Research Apprenticeship Program. For RAP students, this event culminates two semesters of mentored undergraduate research, supportive coursework, and presentation preparation.  Your attendance is a fantastic way to support participants. This event is organized by the Office of Undergraduate Research.
December 2, 2023 l 1:00 - 5:00 P.M l WVU Mountainlair

WVU Art in the Libraries Faculty/Staff Exhibit Awards
Connect your scholarship with an exhibit to visually showcase community-engaged scholarship in new and experimental ways. These proposals can present a visual evolution of work, visualize research and influences, or answer a research question. 
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2023
   /Academic Community Engagement Consultations
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) works with faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate students within all disciplines to design or refine community engaged courses, programs, and reasearch.  The CCE is a resource hub; we aim to support your efforts in shaping impactful experiences for your students and partners.   

You're invited to schedule a conversation with the Academic Community Engagement team.
   /AmeriCorps Member Spotlight 
Meet WVU Potomac State VISTA, Lexus Middleton
The WVU Potomac State Community Engagement VISTA, Lexus Middleton. Included is the VISTA's headshot against a blue, topographic background with gold lettering. The following quote is included "I wasnt more students to know the opportunities that are out these and realize how easily they can make a positive impact"
Where are you from? Fort Ashby, West Virginia
 
What is the Overview of your role?
I am working to support Potomac State College by engaging students in community volunteerism and fostering connections with our nonprofits. The goal is to provide our local partners with extra hands and to offer students an opportunity to be part of a larger, and positive community. I want more students to know the opportunities that are out there and realize how easily they can make a positive impact. Creating connections between our campus community and the local community is key to achieving this goal. 
 
Why did you join AmeriCorps?
I was already aware of the positive impact AmeriCorps could have on a community and wanted to play a more significant role in contributing to that impact.

What has been your favorite activity or accomplishment since starting your service?
I’ve partnered with multiple community organizations and posted specific volunteer needs on iServe. I’ve also interacted with students at recruitment events and worked with Potomac State College on improving techniques to drive student retention.
 
AmeriCorps West Virginia logo, blue and white
   /AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps VISTAs assist with building capacity and supporting the mission of host sites.  AmeriCorps VISTA members use their skills to develop, enhance, and sustain engagement programs.

VISTA members are awarded to West Virginia University, WVU Beckley, WVU Keyser, and Extension Service departments, colleges, and programs, including non-academic departments and programs.

Go to the Center for Community Engagement - AmeriCorps website to learn more about open positions or to become a host site.
 
/iServe Support

WVU Faculty, staff, students, and community partners may schedule a 1:1 iServe consultation for personalized support with navigating the special features of WVU's volunteer management system.  Book your appointment by emailing iserve@mail.wvu.edu. 
 
/Community Outreach and Resources

Strong community partnerships take time to develop. Jumpstart your Community Engaged course or project by contacting the Center for Community Engagement today!
We gathered some innovative external opportunities to inform and support your community engagement work, and to share your perspective on important topics.
   /Curated Reading
Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good: An Action Framework for Public Research Universities 
Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities
APLU's Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good Action Framework (2023) offers guidance to public research universities on the ways that they can support scholars to advance public impact research, Cooperative Extension, civic science, community-engaged research, and other forms of public engagement, with particular attention to the ways that diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice are integral to this work. 

Anti-Racist Community Engagement: Reflecting on a Transformative Summer Series
Campus Compact guest writer, Cristina Santana
A collection of articles detailing Campus Compact's summer series through thoughtful input on actively combatting racism and promoting equity through community engagement.

Developing and Sustaining Institutional Support for Community-Engaged Research
Vol. 34 No. 5 (2023): Metropolitan Universities
This anthology of research articles from Metropolitan Universities was created to further the discussion on the roles of higher education institutions in supporting community-engaged research. 

Preparing Students to Engage in Equitable Community Partnerships 
Temple University Press
This is a comprehensive resource for community-engaged professionals as they prepare students for building relationships when entering a community for learning or research purposes.
   /Engagement Scholarship Consortium
Professional Development Opportunities for ESC Members*
*WVU is a member institution of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.
   /Events, Workshops, and Conferences
Fall 2023 NSF Virtual Grants Conference | NSF Policy Office Outreach
Registration is now open for the NSF Grants Conference, designed to give new faculty, researchers, and administrators key insight into a wide range of current issues at NSF. Staff will provide up-to-date information about policies and procedures, specific finding opportunities, and answer attendee questions. 
December 4 - 7, 2023

Winter '24 Teaching Social Action Institute
This three-day virtual institute will introduce faculty and staff to an experiential learning approach for incorporating social action campaigns into either a semester-long course or a co-curricular workshop series. 
Application Deadline: December 15, 2023

Rural Serving Institutions Affinty Network Meeting | Campus Compact 
Sustained networking opportunities will be available to Affinity Network members through quarterly virtual meetings to share information and engage in discussion on areas of common interest and concern. 
February 7, 2024 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Spring '24 Teaching Social Action Institute 
This two-day, in-person institute highlights student campaigns seeking to change a rule, regulation, norm, or practice of an institution, whether on campus or in the community. 
Application Deadline: February 23, 2024

ARC Appalachian Leadership Institute
This institute is a comprehensive leadership and economic development training opportunity for people who live and work in Appalachia and are passionate about helping their communities thrive. Two members from each Appalachian state are chosen to participate. 
Application Opens: Spring 2024 

Summer '24 Institute on Teaching Social Action  This three-day, virtual institute will delve into a transformative experiential learning model, where students develop and launch a social action campaign of their choosing during the semester a course is instructed.
Application Deadline: May 24, 2024
 
View more opportunities on the CCE webpage: 
https://communityengagement.wvu.edu/faculty-staff/opportunities
Please share updates about your Academic Community Engaged efforts by emailing serveandlearn@mail.wvu.edu or by filling out this Qualtrics form: https://wvu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2gfaFOE62FiFfQq

The Center for Community Engagement team members are committed to:

  • Facilitating faculty and academic staff in integrating civic and community engagement experiences seamlessly into their coursework, research, and programs.
  • Empowering students to actively participate in positive change by providing opportunities for social action, leadership development, and meaningful engagement with civic and community initiatives.
  • Creating connections between community organizations and dedicated students, faculty, and staff who share a common goal of promoting positive social change
Did you receive this Academic Community Engagement Newsletter from someone else? You can subscribe here. 
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