http://blog.vcu.edu/community/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:01:53 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 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 http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/08/40_acts_of_caring_call_for_nom.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/08/40_acts_of_caring_call_for_nom.html Council for Community Engagement Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:01:53 -0500 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/fall_spanish_courses_for_vcu_f.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/fall_spanish_courses_for_vcu_f.html Continuing Studies Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:59:30 -0500 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 http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/lobs_lessons_summer_camp_serve.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/lobs_lessons_summer_camp_serve.html Lobs & Lessons Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:06:14 -0500 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 http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/emerging_nonprofit_leaders_pro.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/emerging_nonprofit_leaders_pro.html Especially for Nonprofit Organizations Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:05:11 -0500 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/summer_workshop_series_begins.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/07/summer_workshop_series_begins.html Summer Workshop Series Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:57:34 -0500 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/05/carver_community_cleanup_and_c.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/05/carver_community_cleanup_and_c.html AmeriCorps Wed, 07 May 2008 13:27:34 -0500 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/05/americorps_members_and_governo.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/05/americorps_members_and_governo.html AmeriCorps Thu, 01 May 2008 16:22:25 -0500 The contracts for the 2008 Summer Studies session will be sent out to instructors via VCU e-mail between May 1-6. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/2008_summer_teaching_contracts.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/2008_summer_teaching_contracts.html Summer Studies Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:32:36 -0500 The Summer 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art Flier has been posted. Click here to view the Summer 2008 Off-Campus Graduate Art Flier http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/summer_2008_offcampus_graduate.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/summer_2008_offcampus_graduate.html Off-campus Graduate Art Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:26:15 -0500 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/americorps_informational_sessi.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/americorps_informational_sessi.html AmeriCorps Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:41:45 -0500 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. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/global_and_national_youth_serv.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/04/global_and_national_youth_serv.html AmeriCorps Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:12:20 -0500 To view the document in full-screen, click the square in the upper right-hand corner of the newsletter (in the Scribd viewer). document.write(''); Read this doc on Scribd: The Carver Whisper Vol II var scribd_doc = new scribd.Document(2221805, 'key-1luzxt8zlpoetxo82g67'); scribd_doc.write('embedded_flash_2221805_9c4eq'); http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/03/read_the_jan_15_2008_issue_of.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/03/read_the_jan_15_2008_issue_of.html Carver-VCU Partnership Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:52:28 -0500 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 http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/02/20082009_community_engagement_1.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/02/20082009_community_engagement_1.html Council for Community Engagement Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:54:15 -0500 VCU's Virginia Mentoring Partnership shapes lives Mike Porter University News Services (804) 828-7037 mrporter@vcu.edu 1/31/2008 It's late Tuesday afternoon and classes have ended at Richmond's Oak Grove Elementary School. But for some students, the school day is far from over. Their voices echo down the otherwise quiet hallway. Inside the classroom, more than 30 students are drawing and writing and answering questions about themselves. "Cheeseburgers are my favorite food," said one boy. "I like the Washington Redskins," added another. "My mom is someone I look up to," said one of the girls. "My friends like me because I make them laugh," offered another. The students created personal folders with information about their favorite things and drew pictures of the people they look up to most in life. These "get acquainted" activities are part of "Powerful Beyond Measure," a nonprofit program linking Virginia Commonwealth University students with elementary school children who will benefit most from their attention and support. The VCU mentors spend time in the classroom with the children and their teachers each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. The mentors work more directly with the children after school on Tuesdays. "We have five platforms we focus on with the children," said Latoya Johnson, a VCU senior majoring in biology. "We're emphasizing health, education, philanthropy, economics and political awareness." The VCU student mentors serve as positive role models. They participate in "Powerful Beyond Measure" to give back to the community today and to prepare children for the future. "I feel as though we have a disconnect," said Mulu Gerima, a VCU senior majoring in political science. "Our generation is lacking leaders and the best way to help with the issues of tomorrow is to start building leaders today." A very different mentoring experience takes place 20 miles away at Chesterfield County's Cosby High School. Here, Seth Leibowitz, Ed.D., director of VCU's pre-health and pre-law advising programs, addresses a class of 42 students. All are interested in pursuing medical educations and careers. They ask about declaring majors, choosing courses and how to pay for it all. "The goal of this effort is to help the students think about which health profession they'd like to pursue, prioritize coming to VCU, and employ active learning by using technology," Leibowitz said. "We've offered a program like this to VCU freshman and thought it would be a good idea to offer it to students before they come to college." In addition to lectures from health professionals, this service-learning program matches pre-health VCU students with Cosby students in a mentoring relationship. VCU students help Cosby students learn about different health care careers, prepare a presentation on a specific health care profession and keep a journal about what they've learned. The high school students attend college courses with their mentor. "This whole program is helping me to sort things out," said Cosby sophomore Tim Owens. "I'm looking at where I want to put my focus, what I want to major in, what I'm thinking about doing as a job, and if that doesn't work out, what I would want to do instead." Mentors make a huge difference in the lives of children across Virginia and the nation and VCU's Virginia Mentoring Partership recognized that contribution during a special "Thank Your Mentor Day" forum and awards event on Jan. 30. The Virginia Mentoring Partnership is holding its next orientation to mentoring training session on Feb 12. Visit www.mentoring.org/virginia or call 804-828-1536 to learn more. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/02/virginia_mentoring_partnership.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/02/virginia_mentoring_partnership.html Virginia Mentoring Partnership Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:13:15 -0500 This semester’s Introduction to Conversational Spanish I, II and III classes for faculty and staff begin the week of Jan. 28. To register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/ and enter the keyword "Spanish." There is no financial responsibility for participants who are eligible for educational assistance or a tuition waiver. Participants should verify their eligibility with their department before registering. For more information, contact Anna Jones at ajones47@vcu.edu or 828-8831. http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/01/faculty_spanish_courses.html http://blog.vcu.edu/community/2008/01/faculty_spanish_courses.html Continuing Studies Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:29:06 -0500