Volunteer and Community Service Center (VCSC)Annual Report

2014-15 Academic Year

Written by:

Kristi Hill, Director of Volunteer and Community Service Programs

Sarah Wolfson ‘12, Volunteer Programs Assistant

With strong support from: Eighteen dedicated student staff members

Table of Contents

Page:

Mission, Goals, Objectives & Learning Outcomes4

Office Personnel & Operations5

Student Volunteer Programs / Opportunities7

  • Self-Agency in Youth (SAY) Program 7
  • Service Corps7
  • Volunteers in Tutoring at Lawrence (VITAL)20
  • Lawrence Assistance Reaching Youth (LARY)21
  • Saturdays of Service (SOS) 21
  • Major Events22
  • Community Sponsored Opportunities 29

Student Outreach, Support, & Education29

  • Outreach 29
  • Pop-up Service 29
  • Residence Halls and Small Houses 29
  • Outreach Through Recognition30
  • Technology Usage31
  • Support31
  • Individual Volunteer Advisement31
  • Service-based Student Organizations/CCSE32
  • Summer Volunteer Opportunity Grant (SVOG)33
  • Education33
  • Social Justice Programming35
  • Volunteer Hours Management 35

Academic Connections 36

  • Office of Community-Based Learning and Research36
  • Conservatory of Music37
  • Waseda/TSA Program37
  • Civic Life37

Available Statistics38

  • Voyager Volunteer Activity38
  • VCSC/Service Corps/SAY Staff Assessment40
  • Senior Survey40
  • Additional Assessments

MISSION/GOALS/OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES

MISSION STATEMENT

Accurately capturing the work of the Volunteer Center was a focus this year and as a result a new mission statement and goals were identified. The office has changed dramatically the past eight years and has become more of a partner with the community on projects that have mutual gain and provide more of a civic learning experience for Lawrentian students.

The Volunteer and Community Service Center encourages advocacy, service, and learning on the Lawrence campus, connecting Lawrentians to needs in the surrounding community, creating an environment of mutual learning and growth, while providing service to local organizations and individuals. Working collaboratively with the community, we aim to create engaged citizens by building relationships, establishing partnerships, and providing meaningful service.

We accomplish this mission by:

  • Serving as an entry point to the volunteer needs of the Fox Cities and providing service to and learning from the community
  • Developing and sustaining programs that address systemic issues
  • Supporting the professional development and leadership needs of service-minded student leaders

In keeping with the tradition of its founding as a student-led initiative, the VCSC currently supports student-run programs addressing education equality, homelessness, environmental sustainability, child advocacy, arts programming, youth development and empowerment, and elder loneliness.

OBJECTIVES

1) Identify those needs in the community that match the strengths and/or interests of the Lawrence community through the Service Corps program model

2) Provide social justice education that informs students of social issues throughout the world and connect to available service initiatives and actions

3) Offer students low-commitment ways to get involved and eventually connect students to ongoing volunteer needs

4) Continue to better identify the needs of student leaders involved in service and provide resources that support leaders to better serve volunteer group members

5) Track volunteer efforts and share with the community at large as a means of reflection and promotion of volunteerism

LEARNING OUTCOMES

As a result of receiving services from the VCSC, students will...

1) Take actions to contribute to the welfare of the community and improve abilities to serve others

2) Develop a new awareness of community issues

3) Feel better connected to the community

4) Increase their confidence in solving real-world complex problems

Office Personnel & Operations

Due to financial support from the President’s office, the VCSC was able to sustain the student cultural support positions but was unable to sustain the full-time AmeriCorps VISTA member that worked in the VCSC from 2012-2014. The Self-Agency in Youth (SAY) program, a program connecting the volunteer needs of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley (BGCFV) Teen Center and the volunteer interests and academic needs of ethnically diverse Lawrentian students, was sustained but moved to the Roosevelt Middle School location. The Director of Volunteer and Community Service Programs became the primary supervisor and hired Jaime Gonzalez ’16 to provide to provide programmatic support to the cultural support team.

The Assistant Director/Residence Hall Director collateral was once again Sarah Wolfson who oversaw 3staff members(as compared to the 8 students this position was previously responsible for) working directly in the VCSC to run the department. These three students served as Office Managers and were charged with managing internal and external communications, coordinating large scale VCSC events (MLK, Jr. Day of Service, service trips), tracking student volunteer hours, implementing system of recognition for sponsors and participants and general office organization. She came to the position with strong skills in residence life, student supervision and social justice advocacy work. She supported the Office Manager team well and enhanced several large scale events.

The Director of Volunteer and Community Service Programs entered her fifth year in a full time position (previously served as the Coordinator of Internship and Volunteer Programs from 2007-2010) and oversaw 15 (as compared to 12 in 2013-14) students working primarily in the community as well as programmatic positions working primarily in the VCSC. She also provided some advisement and supervision to 12 students working through the America Read/America Counts program as Reading Partners, Math Partners and LMC Partners at Edison Elementary School.

In keeping with its founding, the VCSC continues to be the only department with all student-run programs on campus. There are numerous benefits to hiring students and providing them with many professional development experiences. This model allows the VCSC to provide meaningful employment to approximately 30 students who receive the support and training to then provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to all Lawrentian volunteers. This results in building civically minded leaders who can then share the message of service to all of their personal connections. A complete list of student staff positions during the 2014-15 academic year is provided below.

VCSC Office Staff
Kristi Hill / Director of Volunteer and Community Service Programs
Sarah Wolfson ‘12 / Assistant Director of the VCSC
Monica Montoya Paniagua ‘17 / VITAL Program Coordinator
Araceli Mena ‘16 / Promotions Coordinator
Aiden Campbell ‘16 / Office Manager
Olivia Kirchberg ‘17 / Office Manager
Kate Bellile ‘16 / Office Manager
Service Corps Staff:
Clara Imon-Pedtke ‘16 / Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley Volunteer Coordinator
Anita Li ‘18 / Brewster VillageVolunteer Coordinator
Elise Massicotte ‘15 / NAMI Fox Valley
Meghan Clark ‘16 / Riverview Gardens Volunteer Coordinator
Kiah Combs ‘18 / Building for Kids Volunteer Coordinator
Mary Rose Moss ‘15 / Fox Valley Literacy Council Volunteer Coordinator
Makenzie Nolan ‘16 / Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator
Self-Agency in Youth (SAY) Staff
Jaime Gonzalez ‘16 / Resource and Diversity Coordinator (and Summer 2014 intern)
Veronica Thao ‘18 / Hmong Youth Pride and Empowerment (HYPE) Coordinator
Cynthia Tobias ‘16 / Hispanic Or Latin@ Association of Students (HOLAS) Coordinator
Araceli Mena ‘16 / Hispanic Or Latin@ Association of Students (HOLAS) Coordinator
Edison Elementary Partners
Amelia Magdalene Bathke / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Marcus Malik Campbell / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Margaret Lynn Duris / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Lucinda Claire Pipkin / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Sadie Ellen Tenpas / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Rachel Irene York / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Cynthia Rebeca Tobias / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Abigail Grace Bowen / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Brianna Christian / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Abigail Dennis / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Cherise Amber John / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Delaney Ilah Olsen / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Sara Michelle Schliesman / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Adam Tenasaputra / Reading, Math or LMC Partner
Elizabeth Theresa Weekes / Reading, Math or LMC Partner

Student volunteer Programs

SELF-AGENCYIN YOUTH (SAY) PROGRAM

Overview

The Cultural Support Programs are an extension of the Self-Agency in Youth (SAY) Program which is now in its third year of providing volunteer and service opportunities through the Lawrence University + Boys and Girls Club of the Fox Valley partnership. The program completed its first year at the new Roosevelt Middle School Boys and Girls Club site with the Hmong Youth Pride and Empowerment (HYPE) program completing its 3rd year with the collaboration and the Hispanic Or Latin@ Association of Students (HOLAS) in its first year. Both programs support diversity-focused volunteer opportunities, with an emphasis on including ethnically diverse Lawrence students. Lawrence students continued volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club at Roosevelt Middle School to run two empowerment groups for local Hmong and Latin@ youth.

Programs Origins

In 2011, the VCSC secured a grant funded by the AmeriCorps VISTA program and managed by WI Campus Compact (WiCC). This grant allowed the VCSC to extend its community outreach efforts through the addition of a full-time professional staff person. This VISTA was charged with developing an anti-poverty project that both support a Fox Valley partner organization and offers Lawrence students meaningful hands-on learning experiences. In 2012, because of community need, the VISTA grant partner organization changed from the Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities (2011-12) to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley.

While last year the SAY Program was in its 2nd year and focused on finding ways to make the program sustainable and more student-led, it was also focused on establishing relationships with the school, staff, and a new cohort of teens.

Program Structure

2014-15 Program Student Staff Team

Araceli Mena ‘17HOLAS Coordinator 50 hours/year

Cynthia Tobias ‘17HOLAS Coordinator75 hours/year

Jaime Gonzalez ‘17Resource andDiversity300 hours/year

Coordinator

Veronica Thao ‘18HYPE Coordinator 150 hours/year

Resource and Diversity Coordinator Position Description Position Summary: The Resource and Diversity Coordinator will support Lawrence volunteer efforts that relate to the empowerment of diverse populations in the Fox Valley community. A primary responsibility will be collaborating with the HYPE Coordinator to provide resources, volunteers, and coordination for the Hmong Youth Pride and Empowerment (HYPE) group. The Resource and Diversity Coordinator will serve as a liaison between diversity-based student organizations and community agencies with volunteer needs.

Summary of Essential Job Functions:

1.Collaborate regularly with HYPE Coordinator to plan attend, and provide resources for weekly group sessions

2.Establish connections to recruit volunteers from Lawrence student organizations that can assist HYPE and other diversity-based programs

3.Manage volunteer applications and orientations for new volunteers interested in serving regularly

4.Document HYPE program efforts consistently, including service hours and guidelines for running the program

5.Create and implement workshops covering a range of topics related to volunteerism

6.Serve as a volunteer advisor by connecting diverse students and organizations to diverse focused community agencies

7.Assist with data entry and other VCSC related projects as needed

Cultural Support Program Coordinator Position Description Position Summary: The Cultural Support Program Coordinators will work collaboratively with teenagers from the local Boys & Girls Club at Roosevelt Middle School to lead activities relevant to teen needs and interests, with an emphasis on youth empowerment. In the past, these needs and interests have included topics such as: race/ethnicity, education, culture, interpersonal skills, openness to new things, and self-confidence.

Summary of Essential Job Functions:

8.Plan for and run a weekly group session focused on needs of (though not exclusive to) Hmong and Latin@ adolescents at Roosevelt Middle School

9.Build strong, supportive relationships with Roosevelt Club teens, using these relationships to create comfortable spaces in which teens can ask about culture, college, and the world of work

10.Meet and communicate regularly with other SAY-related staff on campus and at the Club, especially the Volunteer Center Diversity and Resource Coordinator

11.Organize curricula, attendance records and other paperwork related to HYPE and HOLAS

12.Follow typical volunteer procedures outlined by Boys & Girls Club, including maintaining confidentiality

13.Connect members of HYPE and HOLAS with Lawrence and Appleton community resources

14.Participate in staff development opportunities as appropriate, with emphasis on developing group facilitation skills

2014-15 Program Mission

Now, at Roosevelt Middle School, Lawrence students lead HYPE and HOLAS with a mission to foster empowerment in Hmong and Latin@ youth by creating a space to share ideas, bridge the gap of cross-cultural misunderstanding, and provide various activities focused on youth development and empowerment. Through weekly meetings and special events, the program hopes to promote the following traits in the teens so that they are comfortable and able to make educated decisions regarding academics and work later in life:

1) Cross-cultural competence including the Hmong and Latin@ culture

2) Academic support (homework help) & mentoring

3) Celebrating new relationships and building support

4) Learning about themselves

6) Exploring their community as well as going onto college tours

7) Preparing them for higher education opportunities

8) Self- Esteem, particularly in new situations and in the classroom

2014-15 Program Goals

Diversity: Continuing with the 2013-2014 program goals, the target focus for programming efforts remained the same, especially since we would be transitioning to a new site and with new key partners. The focus remains as follows: promotion of youth of color empowerment, with empowerment taken to mean participation in successfully “increasing personal, interpersonal and/or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life situations.” (Gutierrez 1990:149). This focus allowed for more direct discussion of racial/ethnic topics, relevant to Lawrence students and local teens alike. This became more important, especially with the creation of HOLAS during winter term and to follow the Boys and Girls Clubs goals of helping those who need it most.

Connections: This year the program focused on establishing and maintaining a strong relationship with the staff at Roosevelt Middle School and the Boys and Girls Club. The program maintained strong relations with the site director, the school counselor, and Lawrence staff. In order to reach our programming goals of exploring the community and attending college tours the program hoped to promote traits that would empower teens to feel comfortable and able to make educated decisions regarding academics and work later in life.

Sustainability: With the loss of the full time AmeriCorp VISTA, sustainability of the program focused on obtaining the following elements essential to sustaining the two programs for the year and into the following year:

1. Funding for team of (2-4) students to continue running the program

2. Identification and commitment of adult mentors at Lawrence and the Club to supervise the student team

3. Identification and training of students to run program

4. Funding for future programmatic needs program groups

Student Development: Deepen the support and development of (2-4) members of the student programs team. Provide personal and professional support to Lawrentians of color and help them better understand their own culture so they in turn can empower the teenage group participants.

Results

Diversity: A focused goal of promoting empowerment for youth of color can be linked to the highest number of HYPE attendees in attendance since the programs creation.With the recent creation of HOLAS, attendance is not as high as HYPE, however it is consistent in the members it serves.

HYPE serves a majority of first generation Hmong-American students whose parents are refugees from Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. A few of the HYPE teens also arrived in the United States between 2007-2009 with the last wave of Hmong refugees from the above mentioned countries. HOLAS also serves a majority of first generation Latin@s whose lineages stem from various Latin American countries, as well as students who identify as African-American/Black, Native-American/Indian, and Multi-Ethnic.

Curriculum for HYPE and HOLAS focused on fulfilling our mission to foster empowerment in Hmong and Latin@ youth by creating a space to share ideas, bridge the gap of cross-cultural misunderstanding, and provide various activities focused on youth development and empowerment. Through weekly meetings and special events, the programs promoted the following traits in the teens:

1)Cross-cultural competence including Hmong culture

2)Celebrating new relationships and building support

3)Learning about themselves

4)Preparing for higher education opportunities

5)Self-esteem

HYPE Attendance

Number of Teens / 29
Number of Programming Days / 22
Attendance Rate % / 44%

HOLAS Attendance

Number of Teens / 15
Number of Programming Days / 11
Attendance Rate % / 37%

Attendance at Roosevelt Middle School is highly dependent on the term/season and also has some cultural variance between groups. In fall term HYPE had small numbers beginning with a core of 10 teens and increased by at least one student each week. During winter term, attendance remained consistent with a total of 15-20 active teens. HOLAS was established in the winter term and served a total of 10 active members for the term. In spring term, however, attendance dropped significantly for a number of reasons:

1)Spring sports

2)Nice weather

3)Group time changes

All of these obstacles have been taken into consideration for programming during the 2015-16 academic school year.