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Public Service News 1/16/2018

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The Carolina Center for Public Service (CCPS) publishes the Public Service News to keep students, faculty, staff and community members up-to-date on current public service resources, programs and volunteer opportunities. For more information on CCPS, visit us online at ccps.unc.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at UNCServes or join us on Facebook at Public Service and Engagement UNC Chapel Hill to learn more about what Carolina is doing in public service and engagement.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OPPORTUNITIES AT THE CAROLINA CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

1/20 – Davis Projects for Peace Award
1/24 – APPLES Service-Learning summer internship applications
1/31 – Buckley Public Service Scholars spring enrollment
2/5 – Apply to be a Community Engagement Fellow
2/6 – Outward Bound scholarships
2/7 – Ned Brooks Award
2/7 – Office of the Provost Awards
2/7 – Robert E. Bryan Awards
2/8 – Ronald W. Hyatt Rotary Public Service Award
2/8 – Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship
3/12 – Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars call for applications

INTERNSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS

1/17 – Carolina Navigators spring service-learning experience
1/21 – Community Empowerment Fund Advocate Fellowship
2/22 – Breakthrough Collaborative

EVENTS & MEETINGS

1/18- UNC MLK lecture and award ceremony
1/24 – Bone marrow donation/registry interest meeting
UNC Food for All campus-wide food drive

PUBLIC SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

SOAR literacy tutors needed
Volunteer teaching assistants needed
Join Enrich ELL
Alternative spring break opportunity
Spring baseball and volleyball coaches needed

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT THE CAROLINA CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE

1/20 – DAVIS PROJECTS FOR PEACE AWARD

The Davis Projects for Peace Award is open to all undergraduates at the 76 institutions (including UNC-Chapel Hill) that are part of the Davis United World College Scholars Program. Students are invited to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer. Davis Projects for Peace selects 100 projects judged to be the most promising and feasible and funds them at $10,000 each. Apply online through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal by Jan. 20.

1/24 – APPLES Service-Learning summer internship applications

APPLES Service-Learning is accepting applications for its summer internship program. Students intern at a variety of nonprofit and government organizations, receive a $2,500 stipend, and earn one hour of academic credit through the School of Social Work. Partial, need-based financial assistance is available to selected interns who qualify. Students are responsible for summer housing and travel arrangements unless otherwise noted. Apply through the APPLES Partner Portal by Jan. 24. For questions, contact APPLES Service-Learning.

1/31 – Buckley Public Service Scholars spring enrollment

Spring enrollment for the Buckley Public Service Scholars program is open until Jan. 31. All undergraduate students with at least four semesters remaining at Carolina can enroll in the Buckley Public Service Scholars program during the enrollment period. Transfer students must have three semesters remaining to enroll. When enrolling, students should sign up for an orientation session or make sure that they will be available for an orientation session the following semester. Enroll online through the Buckley Portfolio. For questions, contact bpss@unc.edu.

2/5 – Apply to be a Community Engagement Fellow

The Community Engagement Fellowship program awards a maximum of seven fellowships of up to $2,000 each year to develop and implement engagement or engaged scholarship projects that employ innovative, sustainable approaches to complex social needs and have an academic connection. Returning, full-time graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill are eligible to apply. Previous fellows are eligible to apply for an additional year of funding. To apply, submit a project proposal, sustainability plan, budget, applicant resume(s), a letter of endorsement from a faculty mentor and second letter from a community partner by Feb. 5 through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal.

2/6 – Outward Bound scholarships

The Carolina Center for Public Service awards Outward Bound scholarships for undergraduate students at UNC-CH to participate in a 28-day course over the summer through North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS). Recipients receive full tuition for the NCOBS course and Wilderness First Aid certification through its completion. Apply by Feb. 6 through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal.

2/7 – Ned Brooks Award

The Ned Brooks Award for Public Service honors the contributions and values of Ned Brooks, who has served the University since 1972, making significant contributions to the mission of service and engagement. The award recognizes a staff or faculty member of the UNC-Chapel Hill community who throughout his/her career has, in a collaborative and sustained manner, made a difference in the larger community. Full nominations are due by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 7, 2018. Online nominations will be accepted through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal. For questions, email ccps@unc.edu.

2/7 – Office of the Provost Awards

Nominations are being accepted for the Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Awards. Three Provost awards are given, one each for engaged teaching, engaged research and engaged partnership. The award requires a brief two-paragraph nomination submitted by Feb. 7. Selected nominees will be invited to complete a more detailed submission about their work by Feb. 28. Final selection will be based on both the initial nomination and the nominee application. Nominations are accepted through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal. For questions, email ccps@unc.edu.

2/7 – Robert E. Bryan Awards

Nominations are being accepted for the Robert E. Bryan Public Service Awards. Five Bryan Awards will be given for a specific effort (rather than an overall record) exemplifying outstanding engagement and service to the state of North Carolina. Bryan awards will be given to recognize an outstanding undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty member, staff member and officially recognized student organization. The award requires a brief (two-paragraph) nomination submitted by Feb. 7. Selected nominees will be invited to complete a more detailed submission about their work by Feb. 28. Final selection will be based on both the initial nomination and the nominee application. Nominations are accepted through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal. For questions, email ccps@unc.edu.

2/8 – Ronald W. Hyatt Rotary Public Service Award

Applications are being accepted for the Ronald W. Hyatt Rotary Public Service Award. Two awards will be given, one (up to $3,000) for an international project and one (up to $2,000) for a local project. If the local project involves members of the Chapel Hill Rotary Club in some way, there is a possibility of additional funds. Undergraduate or graduate students at the UNC-Chapel Hill are eligible to apply, individually or in teams. Applicants must be continuing their studies at UNC-Chapel Hill in the following fall semester. Applications can be submitted online through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal by Feb. 8. For questions, email ccps@unc.edu.

2/8 – Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship

Applications are being accepted for the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship. Eligible applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill continuing their studies at UNC-Chapel Hill in the semester following their fellowship. Applications are accepted through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal until Feb. 8. For questions, email ccps@unc.edu.

3/12 – Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars call for applications

The Carolina Center for Public Service is accepting applications for Class VII of the Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars program (FES). FES brings together selected Carolina faculty from across campus to engage in a two-year experiential, competency-based curriculum designed to advance their engaged scholarship. Up to 10 faculty members are selected every other year. The program is highly interactive and experiential, involving field visits, exposure to ongoing projects, and discussions with community and faculty partners. Applications are accepted online through the Carolina Center for Public Service Application and Nomination Portal by Monday, March 12. For questions, email ccps@unc.edu.

INTERNSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS

1/17 – Carolina Navigators spring service-learning experience

Carolina Navigators is a highly selective academic, undergraduate service-learning program at UNC. Throughout the semester, students learn about global education and increase their own intercultural competence, both online and in face-to-face meetings by creating global education resources for K – 14 students and educators in North Carolina. Apply by Jan. 17.

1/21 – Community Empowerment Fund Advocate Fellowship

The Community Empowerment Fund is a local nonprofit that combines relationship-based support with targeted financial services to assist homeless and near-homeless members of the community in gaining and sustaining jobs, housing and savings. Applications are open for the Community Empowerment Fund Advocate Fellowship. Apply by Jan. 21.

2/22 – Breakthrough Collaborative

Are you interested in education, teaching and leadership? Consider applying to Breakthrough Collaborative. Breakthrough tackles the opportunity gap with middle-school students across the country. Through nine-week summer residencies, fellows gain more than 100 hours of leadership and teaching training. Fellows receive a living stipend and housing may be available for its 25 programs in cities across the country and in Hong Kong. The summer 2018 application deadline is Feb. 22.

EVENTS & MEETINGS

1/18 – UNC MLK lecture and award ceremony

UNC will host its 37th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Lecture and Award Ceremony at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 18 in Memorial Hall. United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch will deliver the lecture. Tickets are free, but due to limited space, reservations are required through Carolina Performing Arts. For details on this and other UNC MLK celebration activities, visit the University Office for Diversity and inclusion.

1/24 – Bone marrow donation/registry interest meeting

Learn more about the Be the Match bone marrow donation 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Jan. 24 at the UNC Blood Donation Center at the N.C. Cancer Hospital. The session will debunk fears about bone marrow transplants and participants can be swabbed to join the bone marrow registry. To make a platelet donation appointment, visit UNC Health Care Blood Donation Center or email platelet@unchealth.unc.edu.

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UNC Food for All campus-wide food drive

UNC’s Employee Forum is hosting its Food For All campus-wide, year-long food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, and Carolina Cupboard. This drive also contributes to Harris Teeter’s Million Meals Challenge. Donation booths will be set up at several special events and bins will be placed in strategic locations on campus. Donations will be accepted through March 9.

PUBLIC SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

SOAR literacy tutors needed

The Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation: Adapted Recreation department needsontact Marian Kaslovsky.

Volunteer teaching assistants needed

Each year, The Power of the Dream holds a weekend class series to teach un(der)employed adults with autism/IDD how to create their own very small business, or micro-enterprise. Dedicated volunteers are needed to assist. No knowledge of disability or business is required, just the willingness to learn and help others. For more information and to sign up, see the online registration form.

Join Enrich ELL

Are you Interested in teaching English? Join Enrich ELL. Enrich offers free one-on-one English classes to adults in the local community. Volunteers meet 7 – 8 p.m. Mondays at the Chapel Hill Public Library and Wednesdays at Hargraves Community Center. Carpool is provided. If interested, visit Enrich ELL or email enrichenglishunc@gmail.com to get involved. No experience required.

Alternative spring break opportunity

Every year, Appalachia Service Project at UNC offers an alternative spring break trip into central Appalachia. Fourteen spots are available for students who would like to spend a week immersing themselves in Appalachian culture and providing critical home repair to a family in need. No construction experience is required. The all-inclusive cost is $200, and scholarships are available. Contact Appalachia Service Project for more information.

Spring baseball and volleyball coaches needed

Carrboro Recreation and Parks Department is accepting volunteer coaching applications for the spring baseball and volleyball programs. Coaches must organize practices, teach playing skills, prepare the team for games, bring enthusiasm and create a positive environment. Communication with players ages 6 – 10 years old for baseball and 10 – 13 years old for volleyball, parents and recreation department staff is also important. If interested, email Craig Wolfe.

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CCPS WEBSITE – FIND US ON THE WEB

The Carolina Center for Public Service (wccps.unc.edu) features the latest information about the APPLES Service-Learning, Buckley Public Service Scholars, and Faculty Engaged Scholars programs as well as details about Public Service Awards and Fellowships. You can also read stories of Carolina students, faculty and staff who are making a difference. The Carolina Center for Public Service: Connecting Carolina and Communities – be sure to bookmark the site. Learn more about what Carolina is doing in public service and engagement. Visit us online, follow us on Twitter at UNCServes or join us today on Facebook at Public Service and Engagement UNC Chapel Hill.

UNC’S DISASTER RESPONSE

Whenever disasters strike – in North Carolina, the United States or around the world – Carolina students, faculty and staff immediately ask, “What can we do to help?” If you are aware of disaster response or recovery efforts being coordinated on campus that you would like listed on this page, send an email to CCPS.

ABOUT OUR NEWSLETTER

The Carolina Center for Public Service (CCPS) publishes the Public Service News to keep students, faculty, staff and community members up-to-date on current public service resources, programs and volunteer opportunities. For more info on CCPS, please visit https://ccps.unc.edu. If you are involved in public service and would like to post an announcement, fill out our online request at https://ccps.unc.edu/news-events/public-service-news-listserv/next-weeks-listserv/. The deadline for inclusion is 5 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to Monday publication. The Public Service News is published only when class is in session, once per week during the academic year and bi-weekly during the summer sessions. To unsubscribe, click here or, send a blank email to leave-34847996-76489955.07b7484471051a00b41b3bf1990b60eb@listserv.unc.edu. Thank you.

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UNC community visits Tarboro to offer disaster relief

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Tarrboro Hurricane Matthew relief tripWhile disaster recovery efforts continue in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, the UNC community also continues to provide much-needed help through hurricane disaster relief trips. Fifteen members of the UNC community (seven undergraduate students, four staff, three faculty and one graduate student) travelled to Tarboro and Princeville, North Carolina Friday, Dec. 9 to help homeowners clean out their homes.

“Carolina students, faculty and staff care about service and were grateful for the opportunity to serve in partnership with communities down East”, said Kim Allen, program officer for faculty and campus programs at the Carolina Center for Public Service, who coordinated the relief trip in partnership with the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Leaving campus at 7 a.m. and returning at 7 p.m., volunteers worked alongside the homeowners and members of a work crew from Michigan.

Patricia Sullivan, associate professor in the Department of Public Safety, was one of three faculty members who volunteered. “Before this trip, I had never heard of Princeville and knew nothing about the plight of its residents,” she said. “It was sobering to see the extent of the damage caused by the flooding — almost every home uninhabitable and nearly all of each family’s belongings piled in front still waiting to be picked up and hauled away. It was good to do the little bit that we could and to learn more about the tremendous scope of the challenge facing the residents of this unique town. It was also wonderful to spend time with students, staff, and faculty in an entirely different setting. I would love to make a service trip like this a finals week ritual and I would especially welcome the opportunity to go back to work in Princeville.”

Additional UNC disaster relief trips will continue to be offered. For details and to register, visit UNC disaster relief trips. The best source of updated information is posted on a dedicated website at ccps.unc.edu/HurricaneMatthew. The center will continue to collect and share information about relief efforts.

Seminar Series on Engaged Scholarship: Making the Case for Community- Engaged Scholarship

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The first seminar of the Seminar Series on Engaged Scholarship: Making the Case for Community- Engaged Scholarship will be held 9 – 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19 in Toy Lounge, Dey Hall. During this interactive presentation, participants will explore aspects of developing, documenting and presenting their work in ways that promote greater understanding of the scholarly nature and potential impact of community-engaged scholarship. Sign in and refreshments are at 8:45 a.m. Register online.

The Seminar Series on Engaged Scholarship is sponsored by the Skills and Practices in Engaged Scholarship Consortium (Carolina Center for Public Service, Center for Faculty Excellence, Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and NC TraCS Institute). This series consists of four annual one and a half-hour sessions to promote community engagement and engaged scholarship being done at UNC-Chapel Hill.

 

Tenth class of UNC Buckley Public Service Scholars honored at graduation event

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Chapel Hill, N.C. – Two hundred and fifty-one members of the class of 2014 will be honored as Buckley Public Service Scholars (BPSS) May 9 at a ceremony in Memorial Hall, highlighting their years of service while at Carolina. All graduates will receive a Carolina blue and white cord to wear at commencement on May 11 to represent their achievement. To commemorate the ten years of graduates, former provost Richard J. Richardson will address the graduates.

The program, part of the Carolina Center for Public Service, supports and strengthens Carolina students’ commitment to service, connects them to others who care about similar issues and guides them through training and course work that make their service more effective. Launched in 2003, BPSS presently has 9 percent of Carolina undergraduates enrolled as participants. In 2011, the Center announced the establishment of the Walter White Buckley Jr. Endowment from an anonymous donor. This endowment ensures Buckley Public Service Scholars will graduate for generations to come.

To receive formal recognition, Buckley Public Service Scholar participants must have a minimum grade-point average, complete at least 300 hours of service, take one service-learning course and attend four skills-training workshops as well as complete a final refelction activity. Most of this year’s graduates exceeded these requirements, on average completing more than 450 hours of service. Fifteen students reported more than 1,000 hours each, and two students recorded more than 2,000. These students join the 1,365 past Buckley Public Service Scholars who have graduated since 2003.

“My experience in the Buckley Public Service Scholars program has been one of learning,” said graduating senior Emily Bushman. “I have learned that there is a deeper meaning of public service beyond simple volunteering. I have gained a strong sense of empowerment that comes from this deeper public service and have seen the communities and institutions I serve be empowered as well.”

Since the program’s inception, more than 5,635 students have participated, contributing 1.35 million hours of service. This year, participating students reported service with more than 1,000 organizations like UNC Hospitals, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle, UNC Dance Marathon, Relay For Life and Student U. The 2014 graduating class of Buckley Public Service Scholars reported 113,400 hours of service as of March 2014. Of those hours, 85 percent primarily benefited North Carolina, 10 percent other states and five percent other countries. With this tenth graduating class, there are now 1,616 Buckley Public Service Scholar graduates.

“These exemplary students spent their years at Carolina strengthening the culture of public service and community engagement,” said Lynn Blanchard, director of the Carolina Center for Public Service. “Through their dedicated participation, they fostered connections among the University, its students and North Carolina communities. We are excited to see these students continue their commitment to public service after graduation.”

Learn more about the graduating class in the 2014 BPSS graduation bulletin.

2014 Buckley Public Service Scholar graduates by county, state and country:

Alamance: Jesse Crayle and Lenzie Purcell

Buncombe: Sean Langberg, Ivy Palas, Nabila Ratani and Julie Uffelman

Cabarrus: Hannah Burris, Suzanne Jasmine, Elizabeth Rossitch and Lauren Silver

Camden: Lauren Forbes

Catawba: Kelly Boyd, Timothy McEachran and Georgia Titcomb

Chowan: Katelyn Blanchard

Cleveland: Alex Ledbetter

Craven: Phillip Healy

Cumberland: Kehinde Adeoti, Ann Atienza, Tanisha Edwards, Julia Hah, Alexis Leca, Rebecca Lee, Jessica Milbern, Britt Sikora and Sheila Spence

Davie: Elizabeth Davis and Taylor Moore

Durham: Amelia Ahern, Keia Faison, Daniel Jourdan and Emily Palmer

Forsyth: Samantha Bauer, Olivia Eskew, Stefan Hansen, Courtney Harriott, David Hill, Nicole Lawing, Jiwon Lim, Samantha Luu, Caroline Porter and Brynn Smith

Gaston: Yvonne Nguyen

Granville: Joseph Konstanzer and Sharessa Royster

Guilford: Obafunbi Abimbola, Gabriel Baylor, Madiha Bhatti, Leslie Blake, Schara Brooks, Joël Hage, Jessica Jenkins, Devyn McDonald, Logan Nail, Emily Pelehach, Katherine Simkins, Wendy Song and Laura Wert

Halifax: Hinson Neville

Harnett: Benjamin Blue

Haywood: Meredith Corn

Henderson: Ashley Roy

Hertford: Allen Jones

Iredell: Elizabeth Davis, Savan Kothadia and Mary-Claire Spencer

Johnston: Kathryn Cook

Lenoir: Juliana Saracino

Lincoln: Shelby Sugierski

Macon: Gaitry Aruwani

Mecklenburg: Laida Alarcon, Caroline Conner, Hope Davis, Neelesh Dewan, Holton James Dunville, Katherine Dyer, William Gerhard, Laura Grier, Grant Heskamp, Adriana Iturbide Rodriguez, Katherine Johnston, Avery Keese, Lauren Kowadlo, Conor O’Neill, Neal Patel, Vishalee Patel, Portia Polk, Claire Powers, Lauren Salvia, Megan Salvia, Zainab Shams, Anna Sturkey, Neha Vennekkat, Nicole Welsh, Caroline White, Devin White, Kate Wilson and Amberli Young

Moore: Emily Ott

Nash: Lein Soltan

New Hanover: Kaitlyn Brobst, Kathleen Hayes, Melanie Johnston, Abigail Terkeltoub and Lindsay Wright

Northampton: Kelsey Smith

Orange: Lisa Couper, Christopher Cunningham, Katherine Krantz, Hetali Lodaya, Robert Mook, Hoang My Huu Nguyen, Anneke Oppewal and Camille Sowder

Pender: Hannah Afify

Pitt: Jonathan Laprade and Lisa Owusu-Antwiwaah

Randolph: Rabiah Choudhary, Brooke Foster and Brittany Reeves

Richmond: Kiara Aranda

Rockingham: Lashawn Hart

Rowan: Mary Margaret Mills

Rutherford: Carsyn Butler

Stanly: Hope Wolf

Wake: Risikat Ademola, Natalie Allcott, Pooja Aphale, Swathi Ayyagari, Priya Balagopal, Minhaj Baqai, Ashley Beale, Mary Bitler, Sarah Broadwell, Shalini Chudasama, Jennifer Craven, Kenan Ender, Nora Fritz, Shyra Hall, Alexandra Hammer, Olivia Hart, Nariman Heikal, Anne Holmes, Nguyen Huynh An Le, Janice Lee, Meredith Lewis, Ceewin Louder, Alexandra Montaner, Renee Montpetit, Nikita Patel, Pooja Patel, Sheila Patel, Anna Perry, Grace Peter, Tyson Presnell, Sarah Pruteanu-Malinici, Julia Ramos, Christopher Rota, Matthew Ryan, Gautam Sanka, Farhana Shemna, Simone Trotman, Samantha Tulenko, Priscilla Tutu, Avani Uppalapati, Madhulika Vulimiri, Margrethe Williams, Caitlin Wood, Yiwen Wu, Linda Yang and Alekhya Yechoor

Washington: Sheev Patidar

Watauga: Aidan Berry, Emily Bushman, Kelsey Gustaveson and Emma Seagle

Arizona: Samantha Pfotenhauer

California: Carolyn Jeffries and Savita Senthil

Connecticut: Elise Hopkins, Molly Laux and Marisa Segarra

Florida: Elizabeth Ayers, Patricia Bajuelo, Michelle Bandklayder, Natalie Borrego, Paula Muñoz, Jennifer Neal, Julia Nething, Blake O’Connor, Myrna Perez and Shannon Steel

Georgia: Kelsey Aho, Sarah Barger, Mandy Eidson, Elizabeth Greenberg, Josephine Kooijman, Ellen McKnight, Matthew Meyers, Pooja Mohanty, Kelsey Pan and Courtney Sanford

Illinois: Kathleen Burch, Elizabeth Goslin, Anna Ollinger and Kyle Ann Sebastian

Kentucky: Raymond Barry

Maryland: Kristina Hsieh, Sara Robinson, Kristen Rosano and Margaret Vandeusen

Michigan: Kevin Claybren

New Hampshire: Kendall Nicosia-Rusin

New Jersey: Brittany Newman-Eckert, Kathleen Ughetta, Carlisle Uhlman and Rachel Uhlman

New York: Mykal Adams, Amanda Baldiga, Michelle Brant, Elke-Esmeralda Dikoume, Akilah Ffriend, Madeleine Hindenlang, Daranee Nasongkhla, Alexa Oyague and Rick Vavolizza

Ohio: Christopher Flesher and Hannah Smith

Pennsylvania: Christopher Felix and David Warner

Puerto Rico: Viviana Bonilla-Lopez

South Carolina: Kiaira Reed and Cheyenne Turner

Tennessee: Arthur Guyton and Anna Spickard

Texas: Niaisha Johnston, Ann Scavone and Zoe Wolszon

Utah: Zachary Alexander

Virginia: Samantha Halle, Kelly Mcdermott, Irene Newman, Katie Overbey, Taylor Price and Vishwajith Sridharan

Washington: Jasmine Kreig and Orlando Mendoza

Washington, D.C.: Lindsey Bargelt

Wisconsin: Liz Hawryluk

China: Chenxi Yu

Singapore: Gwen Hwarng

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UNC students, faculty, staff and organizations honored with public service awards

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Neighborhood engagement, promoting health literacy in the Latino community and expanding interpersonal violence prevention at UNC are some of the projects the University will recognize with 2014 Public Service Awards.

Eleven individuals and organizations representing students, faculty, staff and community partners will be honored Wednesday afternoon at the annual Public Service Awards celebration, sponsored by the Carolina Center for Public Service.

“Since its founding, UNC has been a university dedicated to public service,” said Lynn Blanchard, director of the center. “Through a variety of efforts, the work of these 11 individuals and organizations embodies this commitment, and we are proud to honor them as outstanding examples of Carolina’s engagement with the community.”

William Gentry, assistant director and executive programs director for the Community Preparedness and Disaster Management program in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, will receive the Ned Brooks Award for Public Service honoring his decades-long commitment to disaster preparedness and his impact in the field of emergency management. The award is named for Brooks, a Carolina faculty member and administrator for 40 years, in recognition of a sustained record of community service.

Three Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Awards will honor individuals and campus units:

  • Richard Goldberg, research associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, will be honored for engaged teaching. His students work with community organizations, health-care providers, teachers and job coaches to develop assistive devices for individuals with disabilities that will allow them to become more independent at work, at school, in their homes or int he community.
  • Kathryn Hunter-Williams, a lecturer in the Department of Dramatic Art, will be honored for engaged research for her work on the school-to-prison pipeline. Her project, None of the Above, explores the intersection of race, poverty, educational policies and incarceration through many different voices, including juvenile justice officials and the incarcerated.
  • The Supporting Change and Reform in Preservice Teaching in North Carolina (SCRIPT-NC), an effort of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center will be honored for community partnership with four community college early-childhood programs designed to meet the needs of all children in their communities, including those with disabilities and those who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Four individuals and one organization will receive the Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award, recognizing exemplary public service efforts:

  • Zack Kaplan, an American studies and political science double major, works with the advocacy and outreach team at the Marian Cheek Jackson Center in Chapel Hill’s historic Northside neighborhood. His goal is to help unify the neighborhood and alleviate the disconnect between students and permanent residents there.
  • Sarah van der Horst, a physical therapy doctoral student, works with Amigas en Salud to provide health literacy and other tools, ranging from exercise classes to nutrition information, to advance the health and independence of underserved Latinas in the Triangle area.
  • Robert Pleasants, interpersonal violence prevention coordinator and adjunct assistant professor of health behavior in the Gillings School, teaches the Leadership and Violence Prevention service-learning course, and he has created the related One Act education program for violence prevention. Each semester, Pleasants places students with community and campus organizations.
  • Kelly Hogan, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biology, teaches a service-learning course geared to increase blood platelet donation awareness. Through work with the UNC Blood Donation Center, Hogan’s students focus marketing and education efforts on diverse student groups and the local community.
  • Enrich ESL, a Campus Y committee, provides English tutoring to Chapel Hill’s Latino community, fostering connections and understanding to help address injustices and build stronger communities.

The inaugural Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship will be presented to senior biology major William Gerhard, for his work evaluating the effectiveness of new drinking water infrastructure systems on the Galapagos Island of San Cristobal. He also plans to work with local scientists to create a lab that can assess the effectiveness of water treatment and distribution systems on the island for years to come.

The Davis Projects for Peace Award will be presented to Multilateral Dialogue in the Prokletije/Bjeshkët e Namuna (Accursed Mountains), providing funding for senior geography major Kelsey Aho’s project to foster a multicultural dialogue promoting regional trust and stability.

Five Bryan Social Innovation Fellowships, eight Community Engagement Fellows and 12 North Carolina Outward Bound scholarship recipients will also be recognized during Wednesday’s event.

By Rhonda Beatty, Carolina Center for Public Service.

SMART Mentoring kicks off with mentor/mentee pairing

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SMART Match Day 6Pairing UNC students with area youth for positive mentoring experiences is what SMART Mentoring is all about. Recently, 24 UNC students participating in the SMART Mentoring program, part of the Buckley Public Service Scholars program, met their mentees to kick off a year of activities aimed at making a positive difference in the lives of their mentee.

“I am participating in [SMART] because I recognize the positive effects a mentor can have on young people and I would like to be that positive role model in someone’s life,” said Tavaris Baxter ’14, a SMART mentor. “I hope to gain a friend, someone I will be able to continue to have relationship with after I graduate and into his teenage and adult years.”

In partnership with Volunteers for Youth, SMART fosters meaningful mentoring relationships by providing a variety of activities for mentors and mentees, including workshops for study skills and goals setting, and activities like pumpkin painting and community gardening.

UNC students also enroll in two sociology courses to support their service-learning experience.

Learn more about SMART at ccps.unc.edu.

 

Buckley Public Service Scholars Class of 2013

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Two hundred and fifty-eight members of the class of 2013 Buckley Public Service Scholars were honored Friday, May 10, at a ceremony in Memorial Hall. Learn more about each scholar and their achievements.

bpss_graduates_2013

Ninth class of UNC Buckley Public Service Scholars honored at graduation event

Read the Buckley Public Service Scholars Graduate Bulletin:

BPSS Grad Bulletin - 2013 Cover Image

View pictures from the 2013 Buckley Public Service Scholars graduation:

Seventeen individuals, groups honored for public service

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University Gazette

Engaging young girls in healthy lifestyles, promoting interventions against interpersonal and relationship violence, and addressing the critical need for clean water are just a few of the public service projects the University honored during the March 26 awards ceremony hosted by the Carolina Center for Public Service. Seventeen individuals and organizations received honors.

“The breadth and depth of the efforts of these students, faculty, staff and University units exemplify UNC’s commitment to public service and engagement,” said Lynn Blanchard, center director. “The work they have done upholds the tradition of connecting the University’s mission of teaching, research and service to addressing practical problems, and we are proud to honor them.”

Stephen Caiola, associate professor in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, received the Ned Brooks Award for Public Service in recognition of his more than four decades of service through UNC Hospitals and the pharmacy school. His role at Carolina “is one of fulfilled service to others, largely through extending health care to every city and town across the state and beyond,” a nominator said.

Named for Brooks, a Carolina faculty member and administrator since 1972, the award recognizes a faculty or staff member who has built a sustained record of community service through individual efforts and has promoted the involvement and guidance of others.

After establishing the clinical pharmacy program at UNC Hospitals, Caiola worked with Orange Chatham Comprehensive Health Service to improve health care for the underserved in the community. He also involved pharmacy students as charter members of the Student Health Action Coalition, the oldest health affairs student-run clinic in
the country.

The center presented three Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Awards honoring service through teaching, research and partnerships:

  • Patricia S. Parker, associate professor of communication studies, was recognized for her work to provide students with an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting;
  • Rebecca J. Macy, associate professor in the School of Social Work, was honored for her work on interpersonal and relationship violence, especially in promoting safety and recovery from the trauma of violence; and
  • The Project GRACE Consortium was recognized for its work to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in African-American communities.

Five people and one organization received Robert E. Bryan Public Service Awards in recognition of their exemplary public service efforts:

  • Judith Blau, professor emeritus of sociology, was recognized for founding the Human Rights Center of Chapel Hill and Carrboro through her service-learning classes and connections with other campus organizations;
  • Barbara Renner, library services evaluation specialist with the Health Sciences Library, was recognized for expanding the reach of the YOUR HEALTH radio program, produced by the Department of Family Medicine;
  • Camille McGirt, a senior majoring in health policy and management in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, was recognized for her work with Healthy Girls Save the World, which promotes healthy bodies, minds and relationships for young girls in the area;
  • Meriwether Evans, a law student, was recognized for her work with the Pro Bono Program, ensuring that people without economic or political means can pursue legal claims and rights;
  • Charlotte Stewart, a law student, was recognized for her work to help found the Orange County Homeless Court, a statewide Veterans Legal Resource Network and the ACLU Voting Rights Education Project; and
  • The Campus Y committee Helping Youth by Providing Enrichment was recognized for its work to promote education to underserved students in the local area.

The Ronald W. Hyatt Rotary Public Service Award, named for the late professor of exercise and sport science and longtime member of the Chapel Hill Rotary Club, honors projects that represent the “service above self” motto of Rotary International.

A Drink For Tomorrow received the award for its work to raise funds and awareness for the global water crisis through Las Cocas Sustainable Water Project in Peru.

http://gazette.unc.edu/2013/04/02/seventeen-individuals-groups-honored-for-public-service/

Students connect with the community during alternative winter break

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The winter break is typically a time when students relax and go home to visit family and friends. But for a dedicated group of students participating in APPLES Service-Learning’s alternative winter break, the idea of rest and relaxation was replaced by a desire to serve others. A group of 10 students ventured to Pembroke, N.C. to serve and learn about rural poverty. Over the course of the five-day trip, they worked with community partners to learn more about the realities and solutions to poverty in a rural setting.

As a co-leader of the alternative break group, Alyssa Wadding ’15 gained valuable experience working with her fellow students and passionate community partners. “This trip taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader and it really opened my eyes to the possibilities of what can be accomplished through teamwork and persistence.”

Alternative break experiences provide students an opportunity to engage in efforts to elevate a social issue by engaging in service in a specific community. Students apply what they are learning, about rural poverty, at different sites in the area through direct and indirect service and advocacy work. The impact students end up making spreads deeper as strong and sustainable partnerships are built with the community partners that students work with during their trips.

Wadding appreciated the relationship built among the alternative break group and the community partners. Between meetings with community members, doing direct service work at the local Boys and Girls Club and a food pantry, and learning about the community’s culture, a lasting bond was formed with community partners. “I had the opportunity to work with many amazing people who came together to form a family that shared many meaningful experiences. I couldn’t have asked for better or more passionate community partners.”

A very special aspect of the alternative break process is the reflection portion of each trip. Students spend time reflecting upon their learning experiences both during the trip and following the students’ return. Wadding enjoyed the reflection process because it allowed her time to take a step back and really think about what she experienced each day and how it related back to her purpose for being on the trip. “With the whirlwind of activities it is easy to get caught up in just making it to the next event, so reflections added another dimension to the overall experience and they were definitely worthwhile.”

Office of the Provost Award celebrates university-community partnership

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As the nation’s first public university, Carolina has a long tradition of service to the state of North Carolina. Through the Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award, the Ned Brooks Award for Public Service and the Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Award, the University proudly recognizes outstanding engaged service and scholarship.

In 2012, the Center established an additional Office of the Provost Award to recognize an outstanding university-community partnership. The inaugural award honored the work of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention’s Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Core for focusing on problem solving through model collaborative relationships. Melvin Jackson, program director with Strengthening The Black Family, Inc. said, “In the last decade, UNC has been at the forefront in providing growing support for community-based organizations and leaders who have skills, knowledge and training to be equitable partners in community engagement.”

Alexandra Lightfoot, director of the CBPR Core added that CBPR Core’s project Community Engagement Consulting Models: Taking Them to Scale is a perfect example of responsiveness to community concerns and the development of strong community partnerships within its governance, community and intra-university units. “This award not only recognizes the value of engaged research; it also promotes the expertise of community partners in advancing the work of community-academic partnerships through community-based participatory research.”

“Our academies and communities have mutual visions, values and interests that are better served when we are working together, combining our resources and talents to improve our action and learning as we create a healthier, more just and caring North Carolina.”
~ Mac Legerton, executive director, Center for Community Action