2.21.2011

Poverty Awareness Week at Campbell


Did you know there's a trailer park adjacent to Campbell's campus? Beyond that, 17% of Harnett County lives in poverty. We're going to discover a lot more about poverty during Poverty Awareness Week at Campbell, April 4 - 8 on campus and in the community.

Posters will go up around campus listing the general events for the week and details of those events are below. For more information, e-mail Sara Acosta, AmeriCorps VISTA in the Office of the Campus Minister.

Note: Joining the Facebook event does not mean you've officially signed up. Use this online form.

Monday, April 4 
CUW: Hugh Hollowell Words from founder of Love Wins Ministries
Location: Turner Auditorium     
Time: 10 – 11 a.m.     
           
Faces of hunger Statistics about poverty posted around campus
Location: various classrooms         
Time: All day throughout the week
             
Letter writing campaign begins Address poverty with Congress
Location: Student Center               
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. all week
                
Tuesday, April 5
Service event: Beacon Rescue Mission Share humanity. 
Location: Dunn
Time: 2 - 4 p.m. (subject to change) 


FreeRice.com challenge How smart are you? 
Location: tables outside Student Center           
Time: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
**The winner of the challenge receives two free passes to Smithfield Cinemas! 

Toms’ A Day Without Shoes Feel what it's like to go without shoes.  
Location: whole campus              
Time: all day
**Please carry a pair of shoes with you in case a professor request you wear shoes.   Also, remember you MUST wear shoes in all the food locations on campus.

Wednesday, April 6
CUW: Interview with Hugh Hollowell
Location: Turner Auditorium          
Time: 10 – 11 a.m.


School of Pharmacy Health Fair
Location: Student Center Courtyard
Time: 12:30 - 2 p.m.
            
Can tower challenge Can your group build a landmark out of cans?
Location: Academic Circle
Time: 3 – 5 p.m.

Thursday, April 7
Day of prayer Sometimes the only thing you can do is tell God.
Location: prayer room in Dinah Gore bell tower
Time: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
           
Friday, April 8
Social media blitz Tell your friends and followers what you learned. 
Location: the Internet
Time: 24/7


2.10.2011

You are a piece of the pie: thoughts from a conference

You learn something new every day. In the case of Campbell's service learning staff, we learned a lot of new things yesterday.

Three professors and I attended the annual PACE (Pathways to Achieving Civic Engagement) Conference at Elon University. It's an opportunity for service learning professionals at NC Campus Compact member schools and their VISTAS to come together and share ideas about service learning. Think of it as a one-day think tank about service learning in higher education.

Leaders in higher education and service learning veterans shared remarkable words on the future of higher eduation and how vital service is to its survival. We heard a lot of anecdotes, statistics, and goals, but what I took away from the day was this: each student at each school is a piece of the pie. Pie is just a metaphor because I think everyone likes pie, but what I really mean is that each student at each school has a part to play in making the world a better place. I don't mean a fuzzy wuzzy "better place" where everyone hugs everyone for no reason and we all color before going to work in the morning. I mean a "better place" that accomplishes social justice, feeds all of its kids every day before school, and has recycling bins at each restaurant.

We learned about service efforts (service learning and community service) from different independent universities, public universities, and community colleges. Some concepts are working for them that we might practice, just as we're doing a few things they might benefit from. Everything in history started with someone testing out an idea.

I help myself understand concepts with pictures, so during one of the speeches I decided that the results of service function as the ripples in a pond. An act of service lives far beyond the time we spend serving, its legacy working outwards away from the person who first performed the act of service. If you've seen the tear jerker "Pay It Forward," you know what I'm talking about.

For someone with a lot of compassion or zeal to help others, wondering where to start can be daunting. Natural volunteers might want to fix everything with their efforts but realistically can only help one breath at a time. So, where does one start? Where you're most needed. Serving food at a shelter or reading to at-risk third graders isn't going to alleviate world poverty or put a plug in the O-zone between now and lunch time tomorrow, but those acts of service will start a powerful ripple effect that will pulsate through you and those who see and experience your service. Maybe some day your actions will lead to solving global issues. You have to start somewhere.


What act of service will start your ripple effect?


2.01.2011

Poverty Awareness... say what?

It's been six months since Campbell designated a staff member to organize and enhance service efforts on campus. While we're constantly learning and finding new and better ways to operate, this is an overview of what's happened and a preview of spring semester fun:

  • 9/11 Day of Service
  • Caring Camels tutoring placement program
  • Strengthening community partnerships
  • MLK Day of Service grant from NC Campus Compact
  • MLK Day of Service
  • Poverty Awareness Week
  • Alternative spring break/mission trip to Charleston, WV
  • Development of service learning classes 
 Those are the most palpable representations of service at Campbell, but of course the work behind the scenes is constantly buzzing also. The graduate schools take part in service, professors have been doing service learning for a while and some are just getting started. Conferences, webinars, newsletters, and listserv messages are all part of what's turning into something powerful. Not to mention the new First Year Experience program that will also encourage service!

What is Poverty Awareness Week, you ask? I'll be happy to tell you all about because it's going to be fun and enlightening. The idea behind PAW is to bring representations of poverty to the campus in order to educate the university community what poverty is, what it looks like, and what college students can to do fix it.

The dish:
  • April 4 -8
  • All events are on campus except a service project
  • The events will be creative, interesting, and informative 
  • We want your ideas! So far we have a can tower challenge, a day of prayer, etc. What do you want to teach your peers about poverty?  E-mail me to tell me your ideas!
How will you reach out this semester?