Post on 08-Sep-2018
EL PASO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM
MAY, 2010 VOL # 1 ISSUE # 2
VISIT US AT:
Dnn.epcc.edu/servicelearningprogram
Or email at:
servicelearning@epcc.edu
SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAM
MAIN OFFICE
EPCC Valle Verde Campus
Room A1314
(915)831-2489
(915)831-2204
We are making a difference…!
In the semester of Spring 2010, 544 students participated in Service Learning completing a total of
13,080 hours of service
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FAN!!!
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EL PASO COMMUNITY COLLEGE:
It has been a busy time for everyone, but the semester is almost over
and summer is here! This past semester, the Service Learning Program had a
lot of wonderful students providing service in our community, rightfully
guided by great faculty members. Some of our projects included:
Our program and Campus Life were part of United Way’s Alternative
Spring Break
Movie Day at Franklin Heights Nursing Home
Volunteer Fair 2010 took place on Feb 17th @ Valle Verde Campus
Submission of a grant through the Learn and America to implement
service projects focusing on STEM majors.
Participated with Habitat for Humanity and their annual Collegiate
Challenge
Easter Hunt at The Reynolds House bringing a day of joy to the
residents there.
Service Learning Recognition and Reflection Session this past April
24th, culminating service on Global Youth Service Day.
Dia de los Niños at Child Crisis Center of El Paso, with the delivery
of over 500 collected items.
The project “Hat Society” delivered over 350 collected items to the
Green House Cancer Foundation.
Presence at our local Global Youth Service Day Celebration, April
25th , at Cleveland Park.
Help us keep up with the good work!
Patricia Islas,
Service learning Coordinator
These past couple of months, the Service Learning Program
has been pretty busy with many projects and fairs and what not. First
of all, on February, we had our VOLUNTEER FAIR in collaboration
with Campus Life. With over 15agencies from all over El Paso, this
fair was intended to promote service learning and volunteering. All
these wonderful agencies took a day off their busy schedules to come
to the Valle Verde Campus and answer any questions or doubts that
our students may have.
We also had students go to Franklin Heights Nursing Home
every Monday to take the residents a “movie theater” like experience.
They seemed happy and thrilled to have youth come to them, watch a
movie and listen to their stories.
For the first time, our program in cooperation with Campus
Life, joined United Way and participated in the Alternative Spring
Break Program here in our Sun City. During this very expected week,
we had a total of 18 students that decided to trade their party time and
swim suits; for hammers, nail guns and all sorts of construction tools
to help built a house for low income families in our community
(Horizon). Students from Arizona State University, El Paso
Community College, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University,
and the University of Texas at El Paso worked on this house for a
week and were staying at a local church. These students were all
strangers at first, but the bonds they created in this short period of time
will last a life time.
At the same time, in a different side of town, our local
chapter of Habitat for Humanity was performing their annual
Collegiate Challenge. They had students from Massachusetts College
of Art, Bethel College, Air Force Academy and Marymount
Manhattan College. Each of these colleges were here in El Paso for a
week to help build a house in San Elizario. After long days of hard
work, once they got back to the place where they were staying, the
Service Learning Program students brought them a little fun with
Mexican food and treats and Karaoke system to sing and recharge
batteries, while sampling our local culture.
EVENTS
EPCC was proud to have 4 students participate in this
year’s Alternative Spring Break, all of which report to have had
the time of their lives. Andrew Avila and Cesar Alvarado shared
with us that they build a house, found out they are pretty good
communicators, they love to help and for Cesar, it even shows
him a foreseeable career path.
Andrew (left) shared with us a poem he wrote and I
believe it sums up perfectly their feelings about service.
I expected to lend a hand but after that week
I left a better man which was never the plan.
I met a group of people that I refuse to forget,
and with that said I made friendships that I’ll never regret. The
food was one of a kind,
if I said it wasn't of the best I’d be lying.
We helped build a house from the ground up, we helped these
families call a place home, like I said before the feeling of thanks
this big was never known.
These families have now a home they own, into the concrete,
walls, and nails their hearts are sewn.
One of the best weeks of my life that was not at all blown.
- Andrew Avila
We closed off a great year of service with the “Reflection
and Recognition Session”. On April 24th, we gathered students and
faculty that participated in Service Learning during the academic
year 2009-2010. During the first hour; Ms. Patricia Islas, Service
Learning Coordinator, gave a brief speech highlighting the
greatest accomplishments in the year and opening the reflection
session. The students were broken into focus groups, each one
with a facilitator, and each group had enough time to reflect on
their experiences.
After the reflection part of the ceremony was over, Dr.
Richard Rhodes and Mr. Claude Mathis joined us, and the
recognition part begun. We handed appreciation certificates to our
present students, faculty and community partners.
We also want to give special recognition to the following students
that went above and beyond in helping our community:
Peter Johnson completed a total of 288 hours of service. Velia
Ocon 256. Susan Lane 179.
After the ceremony, there was an Ice cream Social and cake for all
our guests. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, and if you
were not able to attend, we cannot wait to see you there next year!
During the spring semester, another great group of EPCC
students developed a campaign to collect as many items as they
could, with the Hat Society. Students strived to collect hats,
scarves, caps, earrings, and items for people that have or are going
through cancer and chemotherapy. May 5th, they took the entire
goods collected o the Green House Cancer Foundation. As it turns
out, they had over 350 items to give to the foundation.
All these hats, scarves and hats will go to the patients that need
them to feel better and prettier.
May started with a full load. On the 1st, a group of EPCC
students collected items for the Child Crisis Center of El Paso and
delivered them. Along with a “Dia del Niño” celebration for the
residents there and a day full of fun.
The Child Crisis Center of El Paso is an emergency shelter for
children from infancy to 13 years of age, and Family support services.
Students had over 500 items to donate including but not limited to:
diapers, wipe towels, baby and children clothes, toys, canned food,
cleaning items, etc. Following the arrival, students cleaned up the
facilities and helped organize and arrange all the clothing items the
center has.
For the cook out, students prepared hamburgers and hot dogs for the
children. They also handed out chips, juices, doughnuts, and ice-cream
treats.
After the kids were done eating, they all headed to the playground,
where students, staff and the children got to play many different games
and practice sports.
We meet again! On this second
issue, I want to stress the great work that our students,
staff and faculty have accomplished in the semester.
We managed to help a wide variety of industry sectors;
from nursing homes and health clinics, to our local
Habitat for Humanity Chapter and the International
Boundary and Water Commission. Plus all of our
community partners are grateful of the service
provided and gave us wonderful feedback.
On a more personal note, these past months
have been great. Joined the Young Leaders Society of
El Paso – UW which has given me the opportunity to
network with awesome young professionals here in the
city and with many people like Senator Shapleigh and
our Mayor John Cook!
Also, we had the honor to participate in the MDA
Stride and Ride Walk and painted a brand new Mini
Cooper like a tennis shoe, which was a lot of fun.
United Way’s Global Youth Service Day Celebration
was another event that we were able to attend and
helped recognize our youth in service!
Last, but certainly not least, I was fortunate to be a
guest speaker for YWCA “You got served” event at
Ysleta High School. The purpose of this event was to
inform students in their freshman year of High school
about volunteering, the importance of it and how easy
it can be performed. It was a very good experience and
we reached over 300 teenagers!
And this is nothing but barely starting! On
June, we will be participating in the Relay for Life
event at the Outlet Shopppes of El Paso to fundraise
for the American Cancer Society, if you are interested,
contact me or log onto
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=270
68 and get more information.
We will be offering Service Learning in the
summer. More projects are being created, we will keep
you posted.
With nothing more for now…Thank you for reading
our newsletter and we hope you get involved!
Marta P. Ramos
Mramos20v@epcc.edu
(915)831-2204
ENGAGED SCHOLAR
This time Roswitha Saenz was kind enough to give us a little time from
her busy schedule and granted us an interview. Dr. Saenz was born and raised in
Germany, and moved to the United States 30 years ago. She went to the Medical
School of Frankfurt in Germany and she got her degree in Human Medicine. Back
in 1987, she started as a part-time instructor here at EPCC, but she has been a full
time faculty member for 12 years.
Dr. Saenz is an avid advocate for service learning. She presents Service
learning in her classes’ syllabus as an excellent opportunity to apply theoretical
knowledge. Most of her students opt to do service learning and she is the instructor
with the highest amount of students participating in our program every semester.
She encourages students to learn outside the classroom.
Teaching by example, Dr. Saenz is an active church member and serves
as a judge in science’s fairs all over the El Paso area. She participates in activities
related to health but also communication and music. Dr. Saenz is also a music
composer and singer and uses her talents in different ways. She sings in several
events such as the Christmas celebrations for the Senior Adult Program with Mary
Yanez. She edits music and converts it from cassettes to compact discs and
collaborates with Dr. Carl Smith and the El Paso City Chorus in doing so. She is a
50-years experienced baker and uses her skills to bake, donate for non-profit
organizations, churches and EPCC. She also advocated about good health on
radio. Sunday, May 2nd, she talked about women’s health in 1060-AM on a show
called “Dios te Ama” where she has participated previously discussing different
health issues. She actively participated in our past Dame La Mano Thanksgiving
Lunch.
In addition, Dr. Roswitha Saenz is also part of several committees in the
Health Department. She participates in the R.I.S.E. Program (Research Initiative
for Scientific Enhancement), which provides students with the tools to succeed in
college, transfer to a four-year university, and pursue a biomedical research career
and a Ph.D.
Bonus Fact: Dr. Saenz is trilingual on a daily basis.
She speaks German at home, Spanish at church and English at the college.
AMERICOPS VISTA
Column
Midyear temperature check
Roswitha Saenz MD.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
AmeriCorps VISTA is having its annual week of
service and to honor that, we will have information
tables coming to your campus to let you know how you
can join and gain the unmemorable experiences.
For further information, please contact Marta P. Ramos
at (915) 831-2204.
USEFUL LINKS These links are web pages with lots
of opportunities to volunteer locally
and all over the globe. You can also
sign up to get recognition for your
service or even get resources to
conduct a project on your own!
www.texascampuscompact.org
www.geturgoodon.org
www.dosomething.org
www.YSA.org
www.servicelearning.org
www.youthlink.org
www.GYSD.org
www.volunteermatch.org
www.serve.gov
www.vistacampus.org
These events offer you an opportunity to give back to the community and have fun at the same time! For
further information, call the agency or call the Service Learning office.
June .06/04 – Relay for Life at Outlet Shoppes of El Paso with the American Cancer Society
.06/06 – National Cancer Survivors Day with Candlelighters of El Paso
.06/13 – Bike Run with Candlelighters of El Paso
.06/18 – Father’s Day Dance – Fundraiser with Candlelighters of El Paso
CAMPUS COMPACT RESOURCES
Books & Publications: Get Looking In, Reaching Out, By Barbara Jacoby and Pamela Mutascio.
A must have book for service learning professionals!
Recruitment: New York Campus Compact has opened recruitment for 14 AmeriCorps VISTA
positions across New York State. Available positions are posted on our website, and applications can
be accessed through My AmeriCorps. Please forward to potential applicants.
Conferences: Texas Campus Compact Presents the Summer Community Service Learning
Professional’s Conference, featuring keynote speaker Maureen Curley, National CEO of Campus
Compact. For more information visit www.texascampuscompact.org.
SUMMER I
-Applications: before June 25th
-Timesheets: before June 25th
-Reflection Session: Wed, June 30th
.
ASC Board Room
SUMMER II
- Applications: before July 30th
-Timesheets: before July 30th
-Reflection Session: Wed, August 4th
.
Location TBA
Dates to keep in mind!