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Center for Community Engagement
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Purpose2Action

 

I am forever grateful for my experience.

Purpose2Action Participant

Cohort 2, Spring 2023

Fill Out the P2A Application

The WVU Purpose2Action (P2A) program is a paid community engagement experience that places undergraduates with non-profit and public sector organizations to work on mission-driven projects. WVU undergraduate students from any field of study and academic year are encouraged to apply.

The P2A program stems from the Provost’s Academic Innovation Summit held in the Fall of 2021 as a response to a pressing need within our community, driven by a commitment to enhancing the academic experience, nurturing career skills, promoting mental health, and fostering a sense of belonging. At the heart of this endeavor was the desire to transform higher education and create meaningful opportunities for students in our community, particularly students who often face barriers due to financial stability. Named Purpose2Action, this program set out to empower students to discover their purpose and contribute to our local communities by placing students in meaningful, paid opportunities with WVU community partners.

Our host organizations (current WVU Center for Community Engagement community partners) address a wide range of social issues and work with a variety of populations locally and throughout West Virginia.

There are three available stages of the P2A program that students may work through:

  1. Stage 1: P2A

    Students begin in our traditional P2A program, being placed through a holistic process with a community partner with whom they will work alongside for a full semester. Additionally, this cohort of students learn more about critical personal and professional growth skills through development sessions, complete reflective exercises, and receive peer mentorship and guidance throughout their journey.

  2. Stage 2: P2A+

    Students are then given the opportunity to reapply for P2A+, an additional semester-long extension. Students in P2A+ frequently remain with the same partner, though at times, they may wish to experience a different pathway, which we also support. P2A+ participants continue to receive mentorship and growth opportunities, while also completing a reflective portfolio of their work.

  3. Stage 3: P2A Mentor

    Finally, we most recently have begun to utilize a peer mentor model, with students who have completed both P2A and P2A+ remaining in the program as ambassadors and mentors to their fellow students, while continuing to work with and for the community.

Students: Are you interested in giving back to your community? Would you like to volunteer more but also need financial support? Are you service-focused or have an interest in non-profit work? Would you like the opportunity to find a job that meets your passions, interests, and skills? Then this program is a fit for you. If interested in participating in Purpose2Action, please fill out the Qualtrics Interest Form below.

Fill Out the P2A Application

59% Increased Sense of Belonging
76% Increased Sense of Community Engagement
41% Increase in Development of Resilience Skills
34% Increase in Comfort on Campus
92% of Partners noted their communication skills also increased

Students who have completed the Purpose2Action Program:

Brinleigh Bailey – PACE Enterprises

Garrett Bender – Morgantown Public Library System

Elnora Brewer - Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Public Defender Corps

Devin Burton - Energy Express

Lee Capps - Project Rainbow WV

Samuel (Colin) Crowder – Old Hemlock Foundation

Sonny DeMasi – Mon County Solid Waste Authority

Kyleigh Edwards - The Shack Neighborhood House

Oscar Gabriel Enriquez – Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity

David Ezeigbo - Sleep in Heavenly Peace Mon County

Makel Galloway – Sundale Nursing Home

Dylan Gay – Catholic Charities WV

Shayleigh Hannigan - Energy Express

Mackenzie Hickey – Scott’s Run Settlement House

Kera-Jen Hindman – OLLI at WVU

Kaitlyn Harmison – The Shack Neighborhood House

Chloe Hatfield – The Shack Neighborhood House

Elizabeth Hausafus – Mountaineer Spay Neuter Assistance Program (M-SNAP)

Omar Ibraheem – PACE Enterprises

Daesha Jackson – WVU Nursery School

Derek Johnson – Operation Welcome Home

Jada Jeter – The Foundry

Morgan Kincaid - Morgantown City Ambassadors

Kristen Kleiner – CASA for Kids of Mon and Preston Counties

Elizabeth Lingo – Project Healthy Kids, Inc.

Emily Major - Libera

Megan McCullough - Milan Puskar Health Right

Mei Melton – WVU Nursery School and Stepping Stones

Katie Merrill – WVU Nursery School and Stepping Stones

Audrey Morrison – Human-Animal Bond

Brianna Myers – Milan Puskar Health Right

Mason Nettles - WVU Falling Run

Mykenzie Nottingham - Access 304

Kaitlynn Potter - Morgantown Public Library System

Corissa Raike – The Shack Neighborhood House

Chase (Quinn) Reid – WVU Nursery School and Stepping Stones

Roberto Quimi Rodriguez – Morgantown Public Library System

Leah Rogers – Project Healthy Kids, Inc.

Kyleigh Sampson - Wiles Hill Community Center

Stephanie Sarfo – The Salvation Army Morgantown

Maya Saxton - Libera

Julia Schmidt - West Virginia Water Research Institute

Sarah Seye – Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center

Danielle Stull – Human-Animal Bond

Sierra Tracy - Make-A-Wish Greater PA and WV

Morgan Vance – Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance WV

Gabrielle Washington – The Foundry

Ember Weber - Lauren's Wish Addiction Triage Center

Layla Williamson - Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center

Chancelor Winter – Human Resource Development Foundation

Madison Witmer – Operation Welcome Home

Jahna Wright - Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia

Melanie Zanabria – Sundale Nursing Home

Students who have completed the Purpose2Action+ Program:

Samuel (Colin) Crowder – Christian Help

Oscar Gabriel Enriquez – CASA for Kids of Mon & Preston Counties

Makel Galloway – Sundale Nursing Home

Dylan Gay – Catholic Charities WV

Chloe Hatfield – The Shack Neighborhood House

Elizabeth Hausafus – M-SNAP

Mackenzie Hickey – Scott’s Run Settlement House

Omar Ibraheem – American Red Cross

Jada Jeter – The Foundry

Derek Johnson – Operation Welcome Home

Morgan Kincaid - Morgantown City Ambassadors

Kristen Kleiner – CASA for Kids of Mon and Preston Counties

Elizabeth Lingo – Project Healthy Kids, Inc.

Alexandria Lindberg – Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council

Katie Merrill – Lauren’s Wish Addiction Triage Center

Audrey Morrison - Human-Animal Bond

Brianna Myers – Milan Puskar Health Right

Roberto Quimi Rodriguez – Access 304

Chase (Quinn) Reid – Human-Animal Bond

Leah Rogers – Project Healthy Kids, Inc.

Stephanie Sarfo - The Salvation Army Morgantown

Cheyenne Torres – Morgantown Public Library System

Gabrielle Washington – The Foundry

Students who have completed the Purpose2Action Mentor Program:

Omar Ibraheem – American Red Cross

Kristen Kleiner - CASA for Kids of Mon & Preston Counties

Elizabeth Lingo – Project Healthy Kids, Inc.

Agnes Mathenge - WVU Center for Community Engagement

Chase (Quinn) Reid – Human-Animal Bond

Stephanie Sarfo - The Salvation Army Morgantown