By Daniel M. Asquino | MWCC President
With an estimated 150,000-plus hours of community service benefiting the region over the past 10 years, what, if anything, could possibly top the impact of Mount Wachusett Community College’s past Decade of Civic Engagement initiative? How about the Second Decade of Civic Engagement at MWCC? It begins with the start of this academic year.
A decade ago, following the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks, MWCC announced this initiative to inspire and empower students, faculty and staff to fan out into the community and make a significant difference in the North Central Massachusetts community – and beyond.
These countless acts of giving to others, whether through service learning projects incorporated into academic programs or through direct volunteerism, have touched the lives of neighbors in our communities and strangers around the world – from Massachusetts children and adolescents living in foster care, to soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, to those suffering in Haiti, Japan or Darfur, and thousands of others near and far. In fact, student involvement on this scale is why MWCC has consecutively been listed on the national President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service learning and civic engagement.
As we close the first Decade of Civic Engagement and enter the second, MWCC’s Center for Democracy & Humanity will roll out a variety of exciting new initiatives for the college community and the greater community. MWCC students will have the opportunity to take part in an array of programs that first and foremost serve others, but as equally important provide valuable real-world experience to include on their resumes.
MWCC is proud to participate in the burgeoning, national community college initiative The Democracy Commitment, as well as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ American Democracy Project. Through these initiatives, the Center for Democracy & Humanity will emphasize civic engagement in both a global and a local context. These exciting new initiatives include:
Fagan Forhan, director of Experiential Learning Opportunities and Civic Engagement, will work with faculty and staff to begin to integrate the “7 Revolutions” into curriculum of First Year Experience and introductory courses, allowing students a substantive way to view what is being learned in the classroom through the lens of “democracy’s students.” The program strategically examines seven major issues faced by each country/continent in the world, projected out through the year 2025. Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education Maureen Provost is piloting the first course integration this fall and workshops will be held for faculty interested in integrating this concept into their curriculum.
The Center will continue to work with faculty to develop and deliver quality service learning and internships or co-ops. The What’s Next Speaker Series also will be reintroduced this academic year, with a focus on disaster preparedness, response and recovery in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Beginning with student orientation and running through the month of September, students will be encouraged to engage in many volunteer opportunities in commemoration of the 9/11 anniversary.
A new Community Service Learning Course, taught by Associate Professor of Psychology and Sociology Julie Capozzi, will be implemented in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club this fall.
In addition, the Future Philanthropist Project will again be provided to students nominated by faculty members as an option for service learning. The Highland Street Foundation of Boston will provide $10,000 in funding for a second year for our students to disseminate into selected community projects.
The second Decade of Civic Engagement at MWCC is about to begin. I could not be more proud of the achievements made during the past decade and the significant accomplishments that are yet ahead.
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