Volume 2   Issue 4   Summer 2005

In This Issue:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

WACC HIGHLIGHTS

STUDENT / CAMPUS PROJECTS

BEST PRACTICES

DATES / ANNOUNCEMENTS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

FALL RE-ENERGIZES  WACC CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ACROSS STATE
Jennifer Dorr, Executive Director, Washington Campus Compact

It is a busy time of year as higher education institutions across our state transition from the somewhat slower pace of summer (I hope!) to the hectic schedule of a new fall term and the exciting potential that it always brings.

Our rhythms are similar at Washington Campus Compact (WACC). It has been a pleasure this fall to “get back to work” with all of you, our partners in civic engagement. An overview of our programs and upcoming activities reflects the deepening commitment of WACC and our partners across the state to our work.

Gatherings
Similar to last November’s gathering in Seattle, WACC is hosting the sixth annual Practitioners’ Meeting (formerly called the Members’ Meeting) on Nov. 2-3 in Spokane, Wash. As with last year’s event, we have invited member presidents to send up to four campus and community representatives to the meeting.

AmeriCorps Programs
Our AmeriCorps programs for 2005-2006 are busy as well.

• Since Aug. 1, Students in Service (SIS) has engaged students in community service in record-setting numbers while providing education scholarships for their service. WACC has more than 1,300 SIS scholarships available for higher education students in Washington between now and July 31, 2006.

• Campus Connections launched a new 35-member AmeriCorps team on Sept. 1. Placed throughout the state on campuses of WACC members participating in the Campus Connections program, these full-time members will continue the program’s successful history of engaging your students in service opportunities that meet a range of critical needs in your local communities.

• On Oct. 7 WACC submitted a proposal to renew its Campus Connections grant for 2006-2009. We gathered interest from WACC member institutions interested in hosting a Campus Connections member during the new grant period.

See articles about these programs in this issue at WACC Highlights.

Training/Development

• In partnership with Seattle University, WACC will offer a Service-Learning Course Constructions workshop on Oct. 21 at Seattle University. It is designed for two- and four-year faculty new to or having some experience with service-learning, and for community service-learning staff desiring more skills and training for working with faculty and course construction/revision.

• WACC’s newly formed advisory committee meets for the first time in October via conference call. A face-to-face meeting is scheduled in conjunction with the Practitioners’ Meeting in Spokane on Nov. 3. A few openings remain on the 14-member committee. Contact Julie Muyllaert if you are interested in serving. See related article in this issue at WACC Highlights.

• Soon, we expect to see a request for proposal from the Corporation for National & Community Service for Learn and Serve Higher Education funding. We will submit a grant proposal after contacting you for input.

I look forward to seeing you in Spokane in November. Enjoy this beautiful fall season.

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WACC HIGHLIGHTS

CAMPUS CONNECTIONS SETS SERVICE RECORDS IN 2005; NEW TEAM BEGINS
Laura Reedy, Student Engagement Program Manager (Campus Connections),
Washington Campus Compact

2005 has been an exciting and precedent-setting year for the Campus Connections AmeriCorps team. The 2004-2005 team celebrated its team graduation in Othello, Wash. at the Eagle Lakes Ranch Lodge. Collectively, this team of 33 AmeriCorps members recruited more than 4,000 volunteers. These volunteers provided 135,274 hours of service addressing critical community needs: the equivalent of 15 years, 160 days and 14 hours of nonstop service to Washington communities!

The 2005-2006 AmeriCorps team members began their 10.5-month terms of service on Sept. 1 and attended their Campus Connections orientation Sept. 6-9 at the Campbell Farm in Wapato, Wash. This intensive orientation covered a range of subjects including service-learning pedagogy, volunteer management, diversity, project management and higher-education student advising techniques.

On Oct. 7 Washington Campus Compact (WACC) submitted a proposal to renew its Campus Connections grant for 2006-2009. We gathered interest from WACC member institutions interested in hosting a Campus Connections member during the new grant period.

I am pleased  to serve Campus Connections as the new program manager. We have a great team this year, and I look forward to working with them and with our campus partners.


STUDENTS IN SERVICE OFFERS $1.8 MILLION IN 1,300 EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
Lee Wiles, Student Engagement Program Manager (Students in Service),
Washington Campus Compact

Washington Campus Compact’s Students in Service (SIS) program has charged into action. The 2005-2006 program year began on Aug. 1 and enrollment paperwork is filling our mailbox. That’s good news because we have more than 1,300 scholarships available for higher education students in Washington between now and July 31, 2006.

The 2004-2005 program year that ended on July 31 was one of unprecedented growth for SIS, which quickly became one of the largest AmeriCorps-affiliated programs on the west coast. More than 600 students in Washington state became SIS members to serve their communities and, in the process, earn education scholarships. Over the course of their AmeriCorps terms, these students will contribute more than 250,000 hours — approximately 28.5 years worth of time — to improving their human and natural environments. The estimated dollar value of their service will exceed $4.3 million. In return for their time and effort, SIS members will receive more than $800,000 in scholarships.

The numbers reported above for the 2004-2005 program year are all more than twice as high as those that could be reported for the previous program year.

The impact of SIS members will be even greater during the 2005-2006 program year. A quick glimpse at the numbers displays the massive support this program provides to communities, organizations and individuals around the state. Over the course of their AmeriCorps terms, Washington students who enroll during the 2005-2006 program year will contribute more than 620,000 hours — approximately 71 years worth of time. The estimated dollar value of their service will exceed $10.5 million; SIS members will receive more than $1.8 million in scholarships.

These numbers for the 2005-2006 program year reveal that SIS has again more than doubled in size and potential impact. In some cases, the numbers are almost triple what they were for the 2004-2005 program year. We are excited about this growth and look forward to working with our partners on member campuses to engage students in service.

All the positive effects of the service performed by SIS members are too great and diverse to fully know and report. We only get glimpses of the great acts being performed every day of the year by these students who serve while also attending college and tending to other demands on their time and energy.

SIS is also developing in ways beyond an increase in numbers. In future newsletter issues, I’ll report more about other improvements. In the meantime, we've had fruitful SIS orientations with our program partners across the state. We're encouraged by your enthusiasm!

WASHINGTON READING CORPS ENDS SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM YEAR; LAUNCHES 2005-2006 WITH NEW STAFF
Heather Weaver, Education Specialist (former), Washington Campus Compact

Washington Campus Compact’s Washington Reading Corps (WRC) is a literacy program that in the 2004-2005 year involved 21 full-time AmeriCorps and VISTA members in eight area elementary schools. The WRC program achieved many notable outcomes during this year:

• 610 K-6 students tutored in reading

• 780 K-12 students engaged as peer and cross-age tutors

• 83 community members engaged as volunteer tutors

• 32 individuals involved in youth-driven civic engagement projects

• more than 40,000 total hours of tutoring

• active partnerships with local middle schools, high schools and libraries; Skagit Valley College; Western Washington University; Department of Social and Health Services; Skagit County Community Action Agency; Skagit County Best SELF; Educational Services District 189 and numerous area businesses and foundations

For the 2005-2006 program year, Washington Campus Compact is very happy to welcome Linda Schnee as our new education specialist and Quinn Slayton as our new WRC VISTA leader.

Linda has a wide-ranging background related to education and national service, including teaching English to multi-age classrooms in Poland and coordinating a Retired and Senior Volunteer Program in Seattle. Linda received a Master of Arts in organizational psychology from Antioch University Seattle.

Quinn just finished a year serving as a VISTA in conjunction with the Washington Service Corps Ready Corps project in Tacoma, Wash. Quinn received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.

In their work with the WRC program, Linda and Quinn have had instrumental roles in coordinating and supporting fall member development trainings and events, including: 

•  WRC Member Orientation (Bellingham, Wash.), Sept. 1-16

• Washington Service Corps SERVES Institute (Yakima, Wash.), Oct. 17-20

•  AmeriCorps Launch (Seattle), Oct. 21

•  Make a Difference Day service project (Whatcom/Skagit counties), Oct. 22

WACC ADVISORY COMMITTEE A REALITY; MEETS IN OCTOBER
Julie Muyllaert, State Network Director, Washington Campus Compact

The first meeting of Washington Campus Compact’s newly formed advisory committee will take place in October 2005 via conference call. A face-to-face meeting has been scheduled in conjunction with WACC’s Practitioners’ Meeting, Nov. 3 in Spokane, Wash.

Fourteen representatives from member campuses and partnering community agencies from around our diverse state will participate in this work. Committee members were nominated by practitioners in the field and member presidents. To date, the following individuals have been appointed to the advisory committee:

• Galina Sinekopova (Eastern Washington University) representing eastern Washington four-year public universities

• Kent Koth (Seattle University) representing western Washington faith-based institutions

• Sima Thorpe (Gonzaga University) representing eastern Washington faith-based institutions

• Mark Hower (Antioch University) representing independent colleges and universities

• Melanie Brown (Washington State University) representing eastern Washington research universities and branch campuses

• Michaelann Jundt (University of Washington) representing western Washington research universities and branch campuses

• Rhosetta Rhodes (Spokane Falls Community College) representing eastern Washington two-year public community colleges

• Mitzellah Ah-Fook (Edmonds Community College) representing western Washington two-year public community colleges

• Zoë Freeman (Pike Market Senior Center) representing western Washington community partners

The purpose of the advisory committee is to serve the Washington Campus Compact (WACC) membership by providing formative input, relevant information, guiding advice and timely feedback to the executive director and staff regarding strategic planning, program development, assessment and other related projects, events and initiatives.

The roles of advisory committee members are to:

• serve as advocates for the interests of the entire WACC membership and the organization

• represent their respective institution-type, cohort (faculty, service-learning staff, etc.), geographic area and other applicable constituents

• serve as liaisons with respective campus- and community-based colleagues — and colleagues from other campuses in their geographic region — regarding information, issues and initiatives related to WACC

On behalf of WACC staff, we look forward to working with the advisory committee and thank them for their commitment to serve. We believe the committee’s work will enhance our professional networking and community engagement efforts and empower us all to achieve our educational goals.

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STUDENT/CAMPUS PROJECTS

NWIC'S CENTER FOR SERVICE LEARNING HELPS STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY PULL TOGETHER
Michelle J. Vendiola, Service-Learning Coordinator/Faculty, Northwest Indian College

The world is our classroom! This philosophy is the guiding force behind service-learning as the art of teaching at Northwest Indian College (NWIC). We recognize how much knowledge our elders and others in the community can teach students, providing students with a holistic balance to their education while students give back to the community.

NWIC’s Center for Service Learning was established in 2003 to help facilitate and support service-learning on campus. The Center is designed to help support faculty efforts to incorporate community-based experiential learning into their curriculum and build strong community partnerships with the college. The Center has been funded in part by a grant from the American Association of Community Colleges, Broadening Horizons Through Service Learning and the Corporation for National & Community Service.

With the establishment of the Center, NWIC has increasingly incorporated service-learning into its curriculum as a productive and culturally relevant way to support learning objectives. Service-learning tremendously benefits and positively impacts the students’ lives and the health and healing of the community.

For example, in spring 2005, a longtime dream of having a community garden was realized at Little Bear Creek, the elders residential center. Service-learning students from the Introduction to Native American Studies (NASD 110) and Developmental Psychology (PSYC 201) courses joined forces with Lummi Head Start, NWIC campus clubs, supporting advisors and an Environmental Sciences class to plant the garden and bring it to fruition.

The community garden provides fresh fruits and vegetables to the elders living at Little Bear and reintroduces to the community the practice of gardening for healthy living. All excess vegetables are donated to the reservation food bank. The whole community benefits from this project.

A service-learning project at Northwest Indian College, the community garden at Little Bear Creek residential center provides fresh fruits and vegetables to the elders living at the center and reintroduces to the community the practice of gardening for healthy living. All excess vegetables are donated to the reservation food bank. The whole community benefits from this project.

WWU CULTURAL EXCHANGE HELPS TSUNAMI SURVIVORS REBUILD
Brian Heinrich, Communications Coordinator, Washington Campus Compact

In June, I had the opportunity to travel to India as part of a tsunami relief effort with 10 Western Washington University (WWU) students, two faculty members and my wife, a WWU staff member. The purpose of the trip was two-fold: 1) to perform relief work, that is, to assist in a construction project that will employ local labor using local products and suppliers in creating a park to be used by thousands in the future, and 2) to experience a cultural exchange and, in doing so, to try to understand the nature of disaster and how people change and survive.

Two students inspired and organized the trip. They sought out a host organization to assist with the trip (AMURT, www.amurt.net) and to facilitate our relief efforts in the affected southeastern region, near the town of Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India. AMURT, an acronym for Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team, is part of a larger international socio-service organization called Ananda Marga (www.anandamarga.org). Ananda Marga is committed to, among other humanitarian endeavors, integrating the world through cultural exchange activities. AMURT had participated in various relief efforts around the world for some time, but had never coordinated student efforts. It had mainly focused on cultivating and engaging volunteer teams in an affected area, along with extensive international fundraising. AMURT had already been active near Nagapattinam in body recovery efforts and establishing traditional relief operations such as food delivery and working with other nongovernmental organizations in providing housing.

For our trip, AMURT worked with the local government to coordinate a tsunami relief project reconstructing a children’s theme park that had been destroyed. The completed park will contain a children’s playground, a community center with an open-air theatre, a restaurant, a memorial for the victims and other public facilities. While it may seem that this project wouldn’t be very high on the list of the government’s priorities, it’s important to understand that one of AMURT’s goals in a disaster-affected area is to empower survivors and restore the local economy, which it will do through this project.

The Indian government confirmed the project only after determining that this project’s priority aligned with its overall tsunami relief efforts and had the blessing of officials from the state of Tamil Nadu and the municipality of Nagapattinam. AMURT secured land, a contractor, local suppliers and local laborers to build the memorial and public commons area. To complete the project, AMURT asked us to raise the necessary funds to cover project-related expenses. Having determined a course of action to assist the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the tsunami, the government wanted to be sure that this project would be completed and would benefit those affected.

This part of our trip was, for me, the most interesting and most unexpected. First, the students sincerely wanted to do so much for those affected by the tsunami and, once the building began, to do more for those who had suffered. Part of the challenge was that our portion of the project was to dig a trench in the sand for the foundation of the park with shovels. I admit that initially it was hard to see how this was helping the locals.

As we started working on the trench, the contractor was adamant that our work be documented as much as possible. He videotaped and photographed our work and made sure that we took  many photos. This seemed strange at first, but on the second day, the local representative from the town government unexpectedly arrived to view our progress. During his visit, the video recorder never stopped and the contractor made sure to introduce us to the official and to get photos of us with the official or with him watching us work. The videotaping was for AMURT’s own record, but it was also a testament to the dedication of the students. In addition, it had an unexpected but very positive effect on the most powerful local government official in charge of the tsunami relief work. Satisfied with our sincerity, the official waived the remainder of bureaucracy and later also proved beneficial to AMURT’s other endeavors there. So, our work served as an important public relations benefit for the project.

Kirit Dave’, the representative of our host agency AMURT, ensured that we had opportunities to experience the local culture and to interact with as many people as we could. Again, this led some in the group to question how effective we were at “tsunami relief efforts,” but I found it to be one of the highlights of the trip. I really believe that part of our efforts, part of our service, was the cultural exchange that we were able to experience. This exchange is central to AMURT’s broad outlook on creating awareness with regard to the plight of poor and suffering people in the world.

I had many rewarding conversations with local people about subjects beyond the tsunami. One conversation I remember vividly was with a 14-year-old boy about his bike and if it would be sufficient to ride in Bellingham. He had a nice seven-speed bicycle and I assured him that it would be a great bike. He asked if I had a bicycle and how many speeds it had. I was a bit sheepish to reply 27. The look on his face ranged from humor to disbelief. On another occasion, when our bus stopped for a sick volunteer, a local villager invited us to her home. Her family warmly welcomed us to their hut, and they offered to fix us lunch even though they lived self-sufficiently by growing their own food and living collectively with an extended family.

I also talked extensively with one of our hosts, the construction contractor. He has many years of experience volunteering with AMURT, but he had never worked with Americans as volunteers. He was greatly impressed with the efforts and dedication of our group and particularly with our initiative to travel to help start this project at a time when many other groups had abandoned their efforts. I also spoke with many people who lost family members and their livelihoods to the tsunami. Their willingness to share their tragedy was humbling and a reminder of why I was there.

Since returning I have been asked, “How was India?” It’s a difficult question to answer because it was so many things. It was completely different than my expectations. I feel like we accomplished so much in exchange for so little in terms of fundraising efforts. During dinner on the eve of departing, we were asked to speak about our experiences and what they meant to us. This was a powerful experience; some stories were funny, some sad, some enlightened. I believe now what I said then: service to others includes giving not just to meet their needs, but to meet your own as well. Our expectations must be able to change accordingly, regardless of our service project.

I believe, then, that the trip was a success, that we did provide legitimate relief work in an area of need. And the exchange between cultures and people was powerful, one that will remain with me.

I thank AMURT’s Kirit Dave’ for his enormous effort and long hours to coordinate the trip with officials in India. Receiving government approval for our project in such a short amount of time was quite an accomplishment. He took care of many of our requirements and was essential to our trip’s being successful and rewarding. I also thank Dr. Steven Landau, the president of AMURT USA, for his medical guidance for the trip and AMURT’s organizational authorizations with WWU.  I give a special thanks to all the students for their dedication and hope, faculty members Chuck Lambert and Beth Stickley for their leadership and, most importantly, to my wife for making me believe that we can change the world.

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BEST PRACTICES

STRATEGIC PLANNING DRIVES SERVICE-LEARNING AT EWU
Patricia Chantrill, Communication Studies Faculty, Eastern Washington University
Virginia Hinch, Internship Programs/Students Offering Service Coordinator, Eastern Washington University

In the fall of 2003, Eastern Washington University (EWU or Eastern) launched a new approach to setting priorities in a climate marked by increasing enrollment and declining state support. Rather than let diminishing budgets and booming demand drive decision-making and goal-setting for the university, the provost and the faculty organization jointly proposed that academic goals should frame the institution’s plan for growth, capacity and resources. Together, they asked, “What are our priorities as an institution? Where do we want to go with regard to student learning?”

This perspective initiated EWU’s academic strategic planning process. Six work groups focused on issues ranging from student success and the scholarship of discovery to the environment for teaching and learning excellence, all within the context of Eastern’s public, comprehensive mission and the president’s “Vision 2010.”

The work groups identified and operationalized the key strategies for achieving what became the top three academic goals, with one concept emerging as the single-most galvanizing principle for the institution: 

• a rigorous and engaged student learning experience

• an academic community culture that supports and engages faculty throughout their careers

• an institution-wide commitment to community engagement that benefits the university, the region and the world*

“Engagement” served industriously as a touchstone in two ways: as the mechanism by which planning efforts would be accomplished (planning through engagement) and as the cultural transformation we wanted to achieve (planning for engagement). For all three goals, service-learning would surface as the key strategy for long-term implementation.

Eastern’s history with service-learning as pedagogy and practice is paradoxical, but it also heralds a promising future. Though we are the only higher education campus in the state still operating without a formalized “center” or service-learning office, the last five years of initiatives have generated institution-wide advocacy and a core of energized practitioners determined to move the campus toward institutionalization and greater relevance in the surrounding communities.

During these formative years, Washington Campus Compact (WACC) served as our prime resource, both fiscally and philosophically, and led us to develop partnerships with the urban and rural communities we serve. WACC also helped to found the Inland Northwest Service-Learning Partnership (INSLP) with two community colleges, one Spokane-based research institution, two faith-based private colleges and the second largest K-12 school district in the state.

WACC also provided Eastern with civic engagement resources through the Campus Connections program with two full-time AmeriCorps members serving on Eastern’s campus as well as the Students in Service education awards. For the 2005-2006 academic year, Eastern garnered almost $123,000 in education awards for students serving in the community. Students from a wide range of disciplines — including social work, counseling education and developmental psychology, criminal justice, recreation management, urban and regional planning and the health professions — have accessed these education awards for the important work they are doing in the community.

WACC continues an important advisory role as Eastern focuses on engagement and service-learning. As the institution moves into its third year of planning, notably the “implementation” phase, existing service-learning initiatives across campus will take on a new, strategic tenor even as fresh engagement priorities are identified and funded. By the end of 2006, such initiatives as the provost-led Faculty Fellow’s Hub (of which a service-learning fellowship is but one of several key appointments) and the Service-Learning Scholars’ Learning Community (sponsored by the university’s Teaching and Learning Center) should realize greater integration and coordination in the new matrix of university priorities.

It’s an exciting era of change for the university, marked especially by new community partnerships and campus-wide commitment and motivation. Though cultural transformation is necessarily cumbersome and time intensive for any organization, Eastern has evolved into a truly engaged institution and, in a sense, has begun to fulfill its potential as a service-learning “center” in the region. It’s high time.

* from EWU’s Expanding Our Horizons, 2005 Strategic Planning Report, available online at http://websrv.ewu.edu/groups/academicaffairs/strategicplanning/Stategic_Plan2005.pdf

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DATES / ANNOUNCEMENTS

Sept. 1-16
WASHINGTON READING CORPS MEMBER ORIENTATION
Bellingham, Wash.

Sept. 6-9
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS PROGRAM ORIENTATION (2005-2006 TEAM)
Wapato, Wash.

Oct. 17-20
WASHINGTON SERVICE CORPS SERVES INSTITUTE
Yakima, Wash.

Oct. 21
SERVICE-LEARNING COURSE CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP
Seattle University

See workshop description and registration form.

Oct. 21
AMERICORPS LAUNCH
Seattle, Wash.

Oct. 22
MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY SERVICE PROJECT

Nov. 2-3
ANNUAL PRACTITIONERS' MEETING (formerly Members' Meeting)
Spokane, Wash.
The Davenport Hotel

Registrations due Oct. 26.

April 19-21, 2006
NINTH ANNUAL CONTINUUMS OF SERVICE CONFERENCE
Bellevue, Wash.

Ongoing
UPCOMING DATES & EVENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS
Check the home page of the WACC website for the latest updates.

Ongoing
CYBER ROUNDTABLE
a statewide gathering of service-learning and civic engagement practitioners on the second Wednesday of every month

To learn how you can join this informative meeting of colleagues, please contact Lorinda Anderson, Director of Civic Engagement at Central Washington University: 509-963-1643 or  lorinda.anderson@cwu.edu.

Ongoing
DIALOGUE FOR DEMOCRACY DOCUMENTARY AVAILABLE (DVD Format)
Download the Order Form. (requires Adobe Acrobat)

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