a letter from marianne magjuka
The Pro Humanitate Institute (PHI) celebrated important milestones. In July, PHI moved to Benson University Center. We are thrilled to be back in the center of campus; visit us in Benson 506! We welcomed two new staff members: Irving Zavaleta-Jimenez, program coordinator, and Jenn Rubin, operations manager. In December, we marked the 20th anniversary of the Academic Community Engagement (ACE) Fellows program, which has engaged 119 faculty at Wake Forest.
PHI continues to promote food security and access in Winston-Salem. In the summer, we hosted a USDA Summer Feeding Program, which provided free breakfast and lunch to about 100 children in Freedom Schools. We launched the Kids Cooking Coalition, a six-week nutrition and cooking-skills program for children at four community organizations. In addition, the Campus Kitchen cooked 2,676 meals, delivered 22,433 pounds of produce, and raised $2,958 dollars through the annual TurkeyPalooza program. We are excited to host the regional Campus Kitchen Pop-Up Conference at Wake Forest in March.
As we look forward to the spring semester, we are excited to highlight a few key opportunities for engagement. In March, students will embark on Wake Alternative Break trips to Chicago, IL, New Orleans, LA, Shenandoah Valley, VA, and Otway, OH. We will also launch an inaugural trip for alumni and students to serve together in Warsaw, NC. On March 23, the campus community will come together for Wake N Shake, a campus-wide dance marathon to raise money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. In addition, faculty and community partners continue to share best practice and grapple with local issues in our PHI Knowledge Communities. It will be a busy, productive spring!
Mark your calendars for our annual banquet on April 16; we hope to see you there!
HIT THE BRICKS
On Thursday, October 4th, the campus community gathered together for another successful Hit the Bricks! The energy on the Upper Quad was tangible as hundreds of students and faculty came out in teams to run and walk laps, raising both money and awareness in the fight against cancer. To end the event, participants walked in a remembrance lap for cancer victims and survivors and gathered in front of Wait Chapel to hear from a powerful student representative who has been personally impacted by cancer.
Overall, the event raised $60,118.50 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund. As part of an unrestricted fund, this money is used to support innovative research at the Wake Forest Comprehensive Cancer Center. This brought the 2018 donation total to a new annual high of $525,578.92
project pumpkin
On October 24th, Project Pumpkin celebrated its 30th year with nearly 600 Wake Forest students, faculty and staff gathered on Hearn Plaza for trick-or-treating, carnival games, entertainment, and educational activities. This year, 500 students came from local schools and agencies to participate in the Candy Land-themed event. Wake Forest students escorted children around the quad for an afternoon of fun that brought together the campus and the Winston-Salem community. In early October, the Project Pumpkin team also engaged around 200 children in seven community based “plunges”, where Wake Forest student leaders went to participating schools for theme related games and activities. These events expanded the total reach of the event to nearly 700 local children.
PROJECT PUMPKIN BY THE NUMBERS
15 local schools and agencies participated in the days' festivities with the help of 24 Wake Forest University student leaders, and student organizations. Over 100 activity booths sponsored by student organizations and academic departments flanked the Upper Quad while 394 student volunteers helped children enjoy the afternoon.
deacs decide 2018
In 2018, PHI convened Deacs Decide: Election 2018, a collaborative, campus-wide civic engagement project aimed to (1) Raise awareness about issues at stake in the midterm election; (2) Educate the campus and Winston-Salem community; and (3) Register students, faculty, and staff to vote. Students, faculty, and staff coordinated across offices and departments to support election engagement initiatives.
On September 12, Deacs Decide officially began with an on-campus launch party that featured civics trivia, prizes and giveaways, voter registration, candidates, and civic organizations. It provided a festive start to the election season, and allowed Deacs Decide committee members to advertise upcoming programs and events. Highlighted by three other programs, Deacs Decide included (1) the first campus screening of Capturing The Flag, a documentary about voter suppression in North Carolina during the 2016 election; (2) a forum on the North Carolina Education Policy, informing voters about the state's funding system, the impact of recently-enacted education policy changes, and policy changes with the potential to improve the education system; and (3) a deliberative dialogue on Immigration Reform, which discussed the merits and limitations of proposed reforms.
Leading up to Election Day and throughout Deacs Decide, students registered voters in dining halls, residence halls, and campus events. Additionally, they connected with local campaigns, and registered voters in Winston-Salem. For the first time, Wake Forest provided a shuttle to the polls during early voting and partnered with Human Resources to establish release time for all contract employees to vote.
PHI SCHOLARS LAUNCHES FOR 2019
PHI is excited to launch the PHI Scholars program as a way to recognize, support, and celebrate Wake Forest students who make a deep commitment to community and civic engagement. The key goals of this program are:
- Recognize students who engage with community and social justice practices academically, experientially, and through leadership.
- Connect the work that students do in the classroom, in co-curricular activities.
- Develop civic and justice minded student leaders equipped to serve as change agents in their communities and workplaces.
campus kitchen
In support of national Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Campus Kitchen hosted a series of events to provide students faculty and staff an opportunity to engage in action and reflection around the complexity of hunger and homelessness in our community. This year’s schedule was highlighted by Turkeypalooza, the 2018 keynote speaker and the non-perishable food drive.
turkeypalooza
The 14th year of Turkeypalooza was our biggest yet! During this annual tradition, Campus Kitchen prepares scratch made turkey dinners for its community partners in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. This event allows Campus Kitchen volunteers to take a break from their regular work flow and focus on the process of cooking and the importance of sharing a meal together. This year, Campus Kitchen used local turkeys, local sweet potatoes and fresh produce to craft a seasonal menu that featured a roasted fall vegetable stuffing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin cookies.
Turkeypalooza brings together individuals across campus while building relationships with the Winston Salem community. This year, nearly 100 student, faculty, and staff volunteers participated. This included over 24 hours of cooking shifts and daily deliveries to cook and serve 400 meals across the city. Special donations included 100 meals to Samaritan Ministries and 30 meals to Veterans Helping Veterans. Turkeypalooza relies on generous donations from the Wake Forest campus community; we are extremely grateful to all who gave this year!
With a focus on cooking skill, food tasting, and nutrition education the Kids’ Cooking Coalition helps equip the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and ability necessary to take control of their food future.
The Kids’ Cooking Coalition (KCC) began last year as a partnership between community member Margaret Savoca, who holds a PhD. in nutrition, and the Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest University to bring cooking classes and nutritional education to children in Winston Salem. During the first year, KCC engaged 36 elementary aged participants in six 90 minute lessons at three partner sites. Courses took place once a week at each of the community partner locations, so parents and children were already familiar with the site and schedules. Community partners for the pilot program included Positive Image Performing Arts, Cook Literacy Model School, and the YWCA Best Choice Center.
Building off a successful launch, the KCC has been active hosting a series of pop-up sessions across Winston-Salem. KCC has engaged nearly 100 children in food tasting and nutrition based games, which helps grow its network. To support the work, KCC has received grant-funding from Walmart, the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, and Reynolda Rotary Club. In addition, Campus Kitchen has developed a student team of twelve Wake Forest leaders, including three site coordinators and nine course instructors, to manage the various programs. KCC is preparing to launch another six-week cooking class on February 18th at three partner sites, and plans are in the works for a half-day summer camp in July! For more information or to support KCC, please contact Brad Shugoll at shugolbd@wfu.edu.
AMERICORPS* VISTA EXPANDS SERVICES AT THE TWIN CITY HARM REDUCTION
Twin City Harm Reduction Collective (TCHR), the only needle exchange program in Forsyth County, aims to reduce instances of opioid abuse by seeking to improve the health and lives of people who use drugs in Winston-Salem and surrounding areas.
Eli Bradley, a first year AmeriCorps* VISTA member with the Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition, works alongside TCHR to assist in building capacity and in the organization. During his second month of service, Bradley, along with Colin Miller, who directs the needle exchange program, worked with the city of Winston-Salem to apply for a grant that will dramatically expand the services that TCHR is able to offer in the community.
RFA #A361: Emergency Overdose: Local Mitigation to the Opioid Crisis for Local Health Departments and Districts from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, was awarded to TCHR in early November, with $97,000 in total support – successfully doubling The Collective’s current operating budget.
Ultimately, this award will allow The Collective to better reach a greater number of community members and stakeholders within Forsyth County. TCHR received the grant at the conclusion of 2018 and is looking forward to impacting those in need of assistance throughout 2019. For more information on the Winston Salem Community Action Coalition, visit our website here.
25 FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS JOIN FOURTH DASHCORPS COHORT
This fall, PHI welcomed its fourth Dash Corps cohort of 25 first-year students and 13 student mentors. Dash Corps is a year-long project-based learning program for first-year students that are placed on project teams with upper-class mentors. Each team is paired with a nonprofit that has identified a community need.
During the fall, students attended weekend retreats to gain additional knowledge on topics ranging from asset-based community development, project management, and community engagement. This spring, student project teams will work to complete their projects in partnership with coaches from Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods, New Communion Mobile Food Pantry, Love Out Loud, City with Dwellings, The Hispanic League, Imagine Forsyth, Experiment in Self-Reliance, The Shepherd’s Center, Twin City Harm Reduction Collective, and The Shalom Project.
ace fellows celebrates 20 years
PHI celebrates 20 years of the ACE (Academic and Community Engaged) Fellows program, which promotes and sustains community-engaged teaching, research, and scholarship.
Since 1998, 119 faculty have participated in the program from 27 different departments or schools, resulting in at least 100 service-learning courses or community-based projects. In December, PHI hosted a 20th Anniversary reception and featured the work of more than 30 ACE alumni across campus. Kami Chavis, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, and Michele Gillespie, Dean of the College, ACE alumnus, and 2010 recipient of the NC Campus Compact Engaged Scholar Award, gave remarks. To learn more about the 2018-2020 cohort of ACE Fellows, click here.
Do you teach a community-engaged course? Faculty teaching community-engaged courses can reach out to PHI for support and resources. Please use this form to submit community-engaged courses for the ACE designation. ACE courses represent all disciplines across the undergraduate college.
KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITIES
PHI hosts knowledge communities on topics that represent the intersection between scholarship and community action. Knowledge communities (funded by the Mellon Foundation) are co-led by a faculty member and a community leader and are open to join.
Current knowledge communities focus on the areas of Education (led by Renai Wisley & Dr. Danielle Parker-Moore), Environmental Justice (led by Marcus Hill & Dr. Rowena Kirby-Straker), and Immigration/Refugee Resettlement (led by Shereen Goma & Dr. Alessandra Von Burg).
Groups meet monthly and work to find ways for faculty at Wake Forest and community leaders to work together. To join one of these groups, please reach out to one of the leaders directly. PHI welcomes proposals for two additional knowledge communities in the 2019-2020 school year. For questions or to get more involved, please contact Shelley Sizemore or click here.
welcome Jennifer Mereby Rubin
Jenn joined the Pro Humanitate Institute as Operations Manager in December. New to Winston-Salem and the Wake Forest community, she will be assisting PHI with its finance, communication, and operational needs. Jenn joins us from the University of Florida where she worked in athletics, overseeing fan experience, engagement, and retention for the Gators. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she's looking forward to life in the Triad with her husband, Jon, and two dogs, Maggie and Ollie.
coming this spring from phi
February 20: Social Justice and Advocacy Training
February 22: Undocupeers Training
March 4: Preparing for Community Engagement Workshop
March 4: SNIP Applications Due
March 9-16: Wake Alternative Break
March 22: College Advocacy Summit
March 23: Wake N' Shake
April 4: Civic Identity, Leadership, and Reflection Workshop
April 5-6: Campus Kitchen Regional Pop-Up
April 10: D.E.S.K.
April 16: PHI End of Year Celebration and Awards Ceremony
Connect with the Pro Humanitate Institute through service, philanthropy, social justice education, democratic engagement, and community based learning.
Have questions? Want to get involved? Come visit us in Benson 506!
Credits:
Wake Forest University