Community Engagement

Off-Campus Graduate Art Course, PAPR 605

2008-09-04T20:05:40Z

Please note: The painting class in Spotsylvania taught by Lynn Murphy will be held at Massaponax High School.

VCU Community Helps Elementary School Students Prepare for a New School Year

2008-08-26T19:06:10Z

VCU community helps elementary school students prepare for a new school year Mike Porter VCU Communications and Public Relations (804) 828-7037 mrporter@vcu.edu 8/25/2008 The Virginia Commonwealth University community is helping elementary school students in surrounding neighborhoods enjoy a strong start to the new school year. For the first time, VCU’s Welcome Week activities included a university-wide school supply drive. “We wanted to come up with a service project the entire VCU community could be part of,” said Meredith Schram, Welcome Week chair. “Anybody can participate. It’s not cost-prohibitive,” Schram said. School supply donation boxes have been placed in residence halls and other “high traffic” university buildings. Organizers hope students, faculty and staff members will fill the boxes with pens, pencils, notebooks, binders, paper, rulers and other basic school supplies. “Many of the schools start the year with a deficit, because some parents can’t afford to buy the basic supplies their children need,” said Ronald Brown, community development coordinator/liaison of the Carver-VCU Partnership. “This effort helps the students start the school year with what they need so the learning process is a positive,” Brown said. The Welcome Week school supply drive began Aug, 16 and continues through Sept. 5. Volunteers will then sort through the donations and deliver the supplies to Carver and Maymont elementary schools in Richmond. “And actually, we’re hoping we get so many contributions that we’ll be able to share any extras with other area schools,” Schram said. While many in the VCU community are donating supplies, others are donating their time. VCU staff members and students participated in the YMCA of Greater Richmond’s “Bright Beginnings” program, accompanying students from Carver Elementary School on a shopping trip to buy clothes for the school year. On a recent trip to the Mechanicsville Target store, 30 Students from Carver Elementary were paired with adults who helped them shop for two school outfits, shoes, underwear, a jacket and shoes. Each student could spend up to $100. They carried calculators to carefully track the costs. “This is a great way to give back to the kids,” said Stephanie Jones, a VCU senior majoring in accounting. “I remember how excited I was shopping for school. And I can see how excited the children are here today.” Jones plans eventually to become a teacher. Her work with Carver Promise has allowed her to form close bonds with children in their classrooms. “I usually see the students in school, so it’s fun to be doing something with them outside,” Jones said. VCU’s efforts to interact with the community are coordinated through the Division of Community Engagement. For the official VCU News Center story online, see http://www.news.vcu.edu/vcu_view/pages.aspx?nid=2605

Fall 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art Schedule Posted

2008-08-20T14:26:45Z

The Fall 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art schedule has been posted. Click here to view the Fall 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art schedule. Pre-registration is now open.

40 Acts of Caring Call for Nominations

2008-08-18T20:01:53Z

As part of VCU’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, the University will be highlighting its long-standing commitment to community engagement. The 40 Acts of Caring initiative will spotlight examples of VCU’s past, present and future partnerships that have contributed to the well-being of communities. These examples will appear on the University website and in other Anniversary publications throughout the year. Please help the 40 Acts of Caring Committee pay tribute to and celebrate the community engagement initiatives that you know about by completing this form to describe partnership projects in which you have participated and by sharing this form with others in your Unit. Broadly, an Act of Caring is any project, activity or initiative that partners VCU employees, students or alumni with local, regional or national/international communities. During the activity, VCU participants must be representing the University rather than acting as private citizens. Some examples of Acts of Caring include volunteer and community-service projects, service-learning academic course initiatives, community-based research, etc. Anyone may nominate an Act of Caring. Deadline for nominations is Monday, September 8, 2008. Click here to download the 40 Acts of Caring Nomination Form

Fall Spanish Courses for VCU Faculty and Staff

2008-07-31T14:59:30Z

Introduction to Conversational Spanish I, II and III and Spanish for Health Care Providers I, II and III will be offered this semester for faculty and staff from the week of August 20, through the week of December 15th. To register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/it/ and enter the keyword "Spanish." Tuition Waivers or Tuition Assistance may be used by those who qualify. Tuition assistance programs may not be applied to the tuition for these courses if the participant is already using the maximum allowable assistance within the current semester. Participants should check with their department or office to determine eligibility. For more information, or to be placed on the mailing list, contact Anna Jones at ajones47@vcu.edu or 828-8831.

Lobs & Lessons Summer Camp Serves up Information About Tennis and Life

2008-07-22T14:06:14Z

Mike Porter VCU Communications and Public Relations (804) 828-7037 mrporter@vcu.edu 6/18/2008 A bus pulls up to the intersection of Cary and Linden streets and 20 children quickly step off, one by one. It’s hard for them to control their excitement as they walk down the sidewalk and enter the Mary and Frances Youth Center, where another day of Lobs & Lessons summer camp is about to begin. Lobs & Lessons, offered by VCU’s Division of Community Engagement, began as an after-school program in 2004 to reach out to disadvantaged children in the Richmond area, promoting education and life skills through mentoring, tutoring and teaching tennis. The opening of the Mary and Frances Youth Center last September allowed Lobs & Lessons to offer its first summer camp through partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club, Northside YMCA and William Byrd Community House. About 100 children, ages 6 to 13, will participate in camps in June and July. “A full-blown summer camp is a big experience for our program,” said Kathleen Bowles, Lobs & Lessons program director. “It allows us to branch out and flex our muscles in terms of what we can do for the community.” In addition to offering tennis lessons, staff and volunteers will teach participants how to get along with others, control their emotions and practice healthy lifestyle habits. They’ll also be taught about the value of a college education and the importance of saving money. Participants will tour VCU buildings, check out art exhibits, swim and play soccer. Volleyball coach James Finley is allowing 20 of the children to participate free in a three-day volleyball camp in July. “We want to spend a lot of time with the kids as their friends and mentors,” Bowles said. “We’ll be watching their personal confidence, making sure they are open to new things and monitoring their behavior throughout the summer. It’s going to be a great experience for them and a rewarding experience for us.” For this news story and pictures, please see the following VCU News Center link: http://www.news.vcu.edu/vcu_view/pages.aspx?nid=2549

Emerging Nonprofit Leaders Program Honors its First Class

2008-07-22T14:05:11Z

6/4/2008 Cheryl Groce-Wright (left), director of the Collegiate School Learning Bridge, receives a certificate from Susan Wilkes, Ph.D., program director of the Emerging Nonprofit Leaders Program. The first class included 19 members who participated in eight months of nonprofit leadership training. Emerging Nonprofit Leaders is part of Especially for Nonprofit Organizations, coordinated by VCU’s Division of Community Engagement. Shawn McNulty (left), department manager for health outreach at the Fan Free Clinic, was one of two class speakers. “If this group is where nonprofits are heading, Richmond better watch out. We’re going to change the world,” McNulty said. At right, class speaker Katie Botha, director of corporate development at Special Olympics Virginia, said the class is “markedly better” for having participated in the program. “None of us is going to get rich and famous by leading in the nonprofit sector. But we do have a shot at becoming better people. And in my opinion, that’s a pretty good professional perk,” Botha said. For this news story and pictures, please see the following VCU News Center link:http://www.news.vcu.edu/vcu_view/pages.aspx?nid=2527

Summer Workshop Series Begins!

2008-07-01T20:57:34Z

June 23, 2008 The 2008 Summer Workshop Series for teachers begins! Over 225 teachers from 11 states will be participating in this summer's workshop series. Please visit the Summer Workshop Series page for more information.

Carver Community Clean-Up and Cookout

2008-05-07T18:27:34Z

The AmeriCorps program is hosting a Carver Community Clean-up and Cook Out event on May 16th from 12:00-4:00 to celebrate AmeriCorps Week. We are looking for volunteers to work beside AmeriCorps and community members. If you are interested in volunteering please contact 828-8850.

AmeriCorps Members and Governor at VA Conference on Volunteerism & Community Service

2008-05-01T21:22:25Z

Members of the VCU AmeriCorps program were able to meet Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine at the 2008 Virginia Conference on Volunteerism and Community Service held April 23-25.

2008 Summer Teaching Contracts

2008-04-25T18:32:36Z

The contracts for the 2008 Summer Studies session will be sent out to instructors via VCU e-mail between May 1-6.

AmeriCorps Informational Session May 1

2008-04-10T20:41:45Z

Need a job? Come to the AmeriCorps Informational Session on May 1st at 4:00. Located at the Marshall Street Annex at 1103 W. Marshall St. Call 828-8850 for more information.

Global and National Youth Service Day

2008-04-10T19:12:20Z

On Saturday April 26, the VCU AmeriCorps program will host a Global and National Youth Service Day event. For more information or if you would like to volunteer contact 804-828-8850.

Read the Jan. 15, 2008 Issue of the Carver Whisper

2008-03-03T18:52:28Z

To view the document in full-screen, click the square in the upper right-hand corner of the newsletter (in the Scribd viewer).

2008-2009 Community Engagement Grants

2008-02-06T18:54:15Z

The Council for Community Engagement announces its second cycle of funding available for faculty and staff grants for community engagement projects. Similar to last year, the critical criteria for the grants are that they must: be interdisciplinary; address a community-identified need; and involve a strong community partnership. The grant requests can be up to $20,000. For more information, contact Samantha Marrs at swmarrs@vcu.edu, or visit 2008 Request for Proposals