COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. -Winston Churchill

Connecting the college and the community… Community Engagement Connecting the college and the community… for the purpose of fulfilling 1community needs and developing a deeper sense of 2civic engagement and 3academic learning! Community Engagement is quite the buzz word today. This is how we at Western are defining it. We want the activities we do in the community to be purposeful for both the community and the student. It is a way to expand academic learning but also a way to impact and grow our communities.

It Fits Our Mission! Western Technical College provides relevant, high quality education, in a collaborative and sustainable environment, that changes the lives of students and grows our communities. It is about providing students with relevant experiences in a collaborate environment and that will help to grow our communities. It really fits our mission and has the opportunity to make a great impact in the community.

Community Engagement = Benefiting Communities Service-Learning Volunteering Community Service Activity During Class Western Hosted Educational Events Collaborating on Current Community Events There are many ways a student can be “ENGAGED” in the community. These are the different ways that we are really promoting at Western. The way we think is most impactful for all involved is when a student is doing or PROVIDING a service activity, that is supported by the instructor, that directly connects to what they are learning the classroom, And includes reflection exercise before, during, and after the service activity. There are a mix of activities going on at Western. Some classes are doing Service-Learning – what I just described – and some are requiring students to volunteer for X amount of hours during the semester. We know students are volunteering in the community every day and we know that is a valuable experience for job searching. I – as the community engagement coordinator will support all of these initiatives – not saying one is better than the other. However, if I can find instructors who are on board to take their class-relevant service activity and turn it into a Western hosted Community Education event, that would be great!

Community Education New spin on Lifelong Learning (personal enrichment education) For community members Presented/ delivered by Western students using their skills learned in the classroom, under the advisement of the instructor May be in a classroom or may be in the community - facilitated as an outreach effort Academic experiences like these are terrific for student’s learning. Students retain information better when they practice what they learned or teach what they learned. Experiences like these will help our students grow academically and it’s a win for the community members who get to experience personal enrichment education.

Community Education Personal Enrichment Fair Car Care Clinic (Fall2013) Basic Computing Workshops IT Software & User Support Mock Interview Event Getting that job in a tough economy Upcoming events this Spring 2014 term

Current Work Assessing community interests and needs Meeting with instructors to support and build efforts Hosting events for instructors to learn about community engagement Helping students find volunteer opportunities

Current Work Developing promotional materials Using volunteers to help students get registered for health insurance on campus Opening a Food Pantry (Cavalier Cupboard) Working to establish a robust Fall2014 Schedule

BY THE NUMBERS 16 Classes where students completed Community Engagement activities 20 Programs where students completed Community Engagement activities 368 Students participated in Community Engagement activities through classes or standalone activities 1,721 Hours spent engaged in Service-Learning (This includes 746 hours spent prepping to serve. Of the 16 classes – 12 performed Community Engagement activities that classified as Service-Learning.) 1,868 Total hours given in service to the community $34,558 The dollar value of Western’s service hours to the community These numbers are based on responses to the online tracking form. We know that this is just a snapshot and expect to receive more data in future terms.

Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. -MLK Jr. Questions & Feedback Questions Feedback Advice Clarity Needed Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. -MLK Jr.