vsu student-community engagement
DESCRIPTION
Virginia State University (VSU) is working with Southside Community Partners to establish a Student Ambassador program as part of VSU President Miller's Building a Better World initiative. Funded by The Cameron Foundation, this program will encourage and educate students about the importance of community services through one-day, weekend and on-going service-learning partnerships with community-based organizations.TRANSCRIPT
Student-Community Engagement Info
SessionPresented by:
Virginia State University &Southside Community Partners
Agenda:
• Welcome & Introduction
• Building a Better World
• Student Engagement Overview• Q&A
Serving those who Serve our Community
Helping community stakeholders to connect, discover, & engage with resources and people so they can more effectively deliver programs and activities that improve the quality of life for residents in Southside VA.
Connect to Studentswww.ConnectSouthside.org
Grant DetailsO Community service as central focus of VSU
outreach missionO 16 student ambassadors with various
majors, classifications, backgrounds will work with agencies in The Cameron Foundation service area in a two semesters terms
• Supervised by Community Outreach Coordinator and Community Service Committee of faculty and staff
• Students will work, one day, weekend and on-going projects
Grant Details cont.O Students will have the opportunity to
be mentored by various non-profit leaders
O Student ambassadors will encourage and educate all students on campus about the importance of community service
O Demonstrate to community based organizations the benefit of partnering with VSU
Project Goals to Address:
O High poverty ratesO High drop out ratesO Low high school
persistence ratesO Low 4 year high
school graduation rates
O Connecting VSU students and staff to community based providers
Objectives• Address the immediate needs of citizens with
compassion in a way that empowers citizens• Develop life-long commitment to volunteering in
African American college graduates and possible commitment to living and working in the Cameron Foundation servicing area.
• Create a relationship where area pre-college students model VSU student and aspire to seek a college education
• Fostering communication, cooperation and coordination among service providers and VSU students to build healthy relations
• Empower citizens by working hand in hand with VSU students on community service projects
Trojan Ambassadors for Community Togetherness (TACT)
O PurposeO To make an
impact in the tri-cities area, and learn from those we are helping; to carry our lessons with us and apply them to our future endeavors.
MissionO Mission: To Identify, To Form, To Develop,
and to DocumentO Identify: We identify non-profit organizations and
assist with their current plan of action. i.e programs, activities
O Form: We form a relationship with the staff and their targeted community.
O Develop: We develop a strategy where T.A.C.T members can use their specialized skills to further advance the current efforts of the organization.
O Document: We document what we have learned/acquired in order to fulfill our purpose.
Values & PassionO VALUES: We value being hospitable
and diverse, as well as having passion, integrity, and working as a team.O The core values of T.A.C.T serve as a
catalyst for our actions and overall fulfillment of our purpose.
O Passion: Each member of T.A.C.T is driven and dedicated to carrying out our services in the tri-cities area.
Defining our WorkO Community Service
-Collaborations with local non-profit, governmental and community based organizations designed to improve the quality of life for the community and residents.
Defining our Work cont.
O Service Learning - A method of teaching that combines formal instruction with a related service in the community.
O Servant Leader - Someone who is a servant first, who has responsibility to be in the world, and so he or she contributes to the well-being of people and the community
Types of Work
•After-school programs
•Tutoring and mentoring
•Community gardens
•Work in food pantries
•Building playgrounds
•Assist with repairing homes
•Community health fairs
•One day, weekend and on-going projects
Current Community
Partners
• YMCA•First Baptist Church of
Petersburg•Colonial Heights Food Pantry
•Rudi Johnson Foundation
•Southside Community Partners
• M2 Algebra Project
•Dinwiddie County Registrar’s Office
• You? (Seeking more community partners)
Student Learning Objectives
• Gain better understanding of and appreciation of service learning and community service.
• Become more knowledgeable about the Cameron Foundation service area and become aware of prominent issues facing the region
• Enhance the ability to see the issues through a variety of lenses and formulate perspectives that incorporate those lenses
• Develop a greater understanding of themselves and how to apply knowledge gained in their engagement activities
• Be inspired for deeper engagement and service to the region
Call to Action • Work with non-profit
and community based organizations to support their mission
• Expose students to the good work that is being done in the community
• Keep our talented students here in the community
• Work side by side with residents
• Serve as positive role models for students in our community
Contact Information
Rebecca Eisenman Rudi Jackson
Southside Community [email protected] x 2013
Virginia State University – Dept. of Students [email protected]