The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter June 2011, Volume 7 Issue 5 National Office News
Each issue of the 2010-2011 Periclean Progress E-Newsletter features articles written by Periclean Faculty Leaders. In this issue, three Periclean Faculty Leaders (Marina Barnett from Widener University, Emily Kane from Bates College, and Maura MacNeil from New England College) provide brief updates on their work. The Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program ™ is supported by The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. Bates' Periclean Faculty Leader Organizes Community Talk: As part of its Harward Center for Community Partnerships' "Public Works in Progress" series, Bates College Periclean Faculty Leader Emily W. Kane recently organized a campus and community discussion on student perceptions of community-based research partners and the politics of knowledge. The presentation drew on an analysis of student journals from two seminars Dr. Kane teaches on "Public Sociology." Each seminar introduces students to competing perspectives on public sociology. Students engage in community-based research projects on social inequality in Lewiston, Maine. Dr. Kane explored the politics of knowledge in community-based research, asking how the students in her seminar viewed academic partners and community partners in the knowledge-making process. She addressed the extent to which students viewed knowledge as an academic "product" applied to or for community partners. This contrast was investigated in the context of readings and discussions that emphasized power in knowledge-making and ways in which the structures of higher education privilege formal scholarship. Dr. Kane said, "Where we choose to recognize opportunity and knowledge is not a statement of where opportunity and knowledge actually exist, but a reflection of more dominant and hegemonic values of society. I think that this is something that I have definitely taken away from this seminar... I realize (better) the difference that I can make in my own back yard alongside community partners through social change that depends precisely on the different types of knowledge that both community partners and I bring to the table due to our different experiences." Maura MacNeil and Inez McDermott at the Town Hall in Henniker, NH New England College Students Explore Town Meetings:Over the past year, ten students from New England Collegehave been exploring New Hampshire's signature form of local government, the town meeting, in a unique multi-disciplinary course titled, "Exploring Community in Our Towns: The New Hampshire Town Meeting." The course is taught by Maura MacNeil, Associate Professor of Writing and the Periclean Faculty Leader at New England College, and Inez McDermott, Associate Professor of Art History. The ten students presented their creative responses to their study of participatory democracy in an exhibition at the New England College Art Gallery on May 9. Work on view included photographs, drawings, paintings, manuscripts, plays, installations, and other mixed media works. Throughout the course, students have had an opportunity to interact with New Hampshire citizens on the concept of the town meeting, including Paul Wainwright, whose book of photographs, "A Space for Faith," explores New England Colonial meetinghouses, and Howard Mansfield, an author whose work examines New England traditions. Widener's Periclean Faculty Leader Delivers 2011 President's Lecture on Civic Engagement: Dr. Marina Barnett, the Periclean Faculty Leader at Widener University and Associate Professor in Widener's Center for Social Work Education, delivered the 2011 President's Lecture on April 11 titled "Taking it to the Street: Service Learning, Civic Engagement, and Community Based Participatory Research." Dr. Barnett borrowed the famous phrase "Takin' it to the Streets" from the Doobie Brothers as it aptly summarizes her incorporation of service learning into the curriculum. Her ability to engage students in research and projects beyond the limits of Widener's campus is what earned her the 2010 Fitz Dixon Award for Innovative Teaching and subsequently a spot at the President's Lecture podium. Dr. Barnett stressed that her students "work" to create a balanced assessment of a community: "We walk blocks in Chester to collect data. We walk the city to learn the city." She said that this type of research is what gets the students engaged with the community. "I want them to come back one day and comment on a new stadium or ask if Phatso's Bakery is still around." In her research, Dr. Barnettidentified that Chester, a city with more than 38,000 residents, has no supermarkets and only three places to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. With the help of Dr. Chad Freed, associate professor of environmental science, and his students, Dr. Barnett's class mapped the data they collected. Dr. Barnett hopes to continue this research endeavor with future classes to help bring the issue to light and hopefully initiate change in the city. Periclean News Periclean Colleges Name New Presidents: Bates College: Nancy J. Cable was recently named the Interim President of Bates College effective July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, after which she will return to her position as Vice President and Dean of Enrollment and External Affairs. Earlham College: John David Dawson is the new President of Earlham College. Dr. Dawson was most recently The Constance and Robert MacCrate Professor in Social Responsibility and Professor of Religion at Haverford College. Hampshire College: Jonathan Lash is the new President of Hampshire College. Mr. Lash has served since 1993 as president of World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank in Washington, D.C.. Ursinus College: Dr. Bobby Fong is the new President of Ursinus College. Prior to joining Ursinus, Dr. Fong, was the President of Butler University. Allegheny Students Lauded for Keen Business Sense: Allegheny College students showed off their business acumen at the Annual Gator Innovation Challenge held on the Meadville, PA campus on April 2. Eleven Allegheny teams competed for prizes totaling $1,750 submitting innovative business plans that included an aquaponics farm, a company that designs power strips, and a wellness center. Students Jordan El-Sabeh, Dan Johnson, and Elyse Schmitt won first place in the Gator Innovation Challenge for their plan for Unsoiled Agriculture, an aquaponics farm for growing lettuce and tilapia. The Gator Innovation Challenge is part of Alleghney's Managerial Economics Program, and was organized by economics faculty Chris Allison and John Golden. The panel of judges included three professors and two local businessmen. Swarthmore Students Travel to Washington, D.C. to Advocate for Pell Grants: Ten members of the Swarthmore College Democrats traveled to Washington, D.C.on May 2 to speak with Members of Congress and their staffs about the issue of federal funding for Pell Grants. " [The trip to D.C.] is something we've done in the past," Peter Gross '13, president of Swarthmore College Dems, said. "It's a great way to get experience in the political sector." In 2009-2010, almost eight million students nationwide received Pell Grants. Congress has voted to support the program through 2011. The Swarthmore College Dems want Congress to support the system in 2012 and many years into the future.The Dems chose to focus on this issue because it is relevant to many students at Swarthmore. Currently, about ten percent of Swarthmore students receive Pell Grants. The students met with Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a Swarthmore alumnus, and staff from Senator Carl Levin's (D-MI) office, also a Swarthmore alumnus, and Representative Rush Holt's office. Representative Holt was a Physics professor at Swarthmore. To prepare for the trip, the group researched the statistics behind Pell grants and developed a statement outlining how they believe Pell Grants are beneficial for the United States. Nick Allred '12, a Lang Scholar who attended the 2011 Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference, said, "We had been preparing for a month and it certainly helped: we knew what to say and our teams ran like well-oiled machines-except when derailed by gregarious staffers." This was the Dems' second trip to D.C. in three years to advocate an issue of importance to the Swarthmore community. This story was excerpted from a story that appeared in the Swarthmore Phoenix. Innovative Community-Based Learning Class at Drew: Drew University Political Science professor Patrick McGuinn has transformed his Public Policy and Administration course into a community-based learning class, joining colleagues in disciplines ranging from Chemistry to Theater in the largest single-semester offering of community-based learning classes in Drew's history. Dr. McGuinn's class introduces students to public policymaking and administration in America. It covers ideologies, values, and theories in public policy; the policymaking process; and public administration and bureaucracy. The students partnered with United Way of Northern New Jersey, researching and writing policy briefs on issues identified by that organization. Students gained an enhanced understanding of the policy challenges around housing, education, and anti-poverty issues as experienced by an organization attempting to address these needs in its community. Teams of students were assigned to each of the United Way's major issue areas: Income, Health, and Education. Each team wrote a report covering the background and political context of the issue; current policy landscape at the county, state, and federal levels; an organizational scan of public and private groups working on the issue; diagnosis of the policy problem; and possible policy alternatives. Students at Hendrix Survey Citizens on Freedom of Expression: Hendrix College students in Dr. Jay Barth's "Issues in Politics" course recently surveyed Arkansans on freedom of expression issues they discussed throughout the semester. Dr. Barth, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and Chair of the Department of Politics and International Relations, is the Project Pericles Program Director at Hendrix College. "In addition to examining the theme through the lens of the major subfields of our discipline (e.g. comparative politics, American politics, International Relations, political theory, etc.), the course also has as a common element an introduction to the research methodology of our discipline through a couple of small research assignments," said Dr. Barth. Connor Thompson, a freshman from Little Rock, is a student in the class and worked on the polling process. "We spend much of our time in class addressing these issues in the context of Supreme Court cases, which means we tend to grapple with the ideas of an extremely select (yet incredibly influential) group of people," he said. "Working on this poll has allowed us to see how a variety of people around the state feel about controversial topics related to free expression ... Having a poll such as this gives us the opportunity to examine the opinions of a much broader spectrum of individuals." This story originally appeared on the Hendrix College website. Upcoming Conferences November 2-4, 2011 Hendrix College Conway, Arkansas Project Pericles Program Directors' Conference This conference is an opportunity for Periclean colleges and universities to share information about program development and activities, network with fellow Pericleans, discuss current and future opportunities for collaborations, and inject new insights and ideas for future initiatives. November 9, 2011 New York City, New York Project Pericles Presidents' Council Meeting At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of Project Pericles on their campuses. The Presidents' Council Meeting will be hosted by the Ford Foundation. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at[email protected]. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, [email protected] Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 4 - April 2011 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include social responsibility and participatory citizenship as essential elements of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
"Debating for Democracy" National Conference Issue Legislative Hearing Participants Front Row: Ariel Finegold, Rosie Glenn-Finer, Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Eugene M. Lang, Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke, Jan R. Liss Back Row: David Rippon, Tyler Hanson, Brian Anderson, Nick Welna, Anna Fure-Slocum, Rachel Lochner, Nick Bemberg, Mingyuan Song, Jacob Porter, Sen. Harris L. Wofford, Constance Berry Newman 2011 D4D National Conference: On March 24 and 25, 64 student leaders from 27 Periclean colleges and universities joined practitioners, activists, and public policy experts for the third Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference. Hosted by Pace University, the conference provided a forum for attendees to collaborate, discuss, and debate our society's most pressing public policy issues, including income inequality, the federal budget deficit, the relationship between technology and democracy, and the importance of the non-profit sector in promoting social change. Throughout the conference, students were advised on how to take concrete steps to promote issues that they support and encouraged to go back to their schools to advance civic and political engagement as an element of higher education. At the conclusion of the conference, a student from The New School commented, "I think the most important piece that I walked away with from the conference was the knowledge that people - whether supporters of Project Pericles, guest speakers, or fellow students - are doing some incredible things in the world." During the conference, people participated in the following activities: Social Action Panel: To kick off the conference, students were treated to a panel of four leading social activists who shared their experiences from their undergraduate days to their current occupations. The panelists have spent a significant part of their careers helping people learn how to influence the leaders who make decisions on critical public policy issues. Panelist Jared Duval's book "Next Generation Democracy" describes a new approach to solving complex social problems. Rajeev Goyal has spent the past few years building a grassroots movement that has successfully influenced Members of Congress to allocate more money to the Peace Corps. Mandara Meyers leads workshops that encourage Teach for America corps members to seek leadership in politics, policy, and advocacy as a critical lever for long-term systemic change toward ensuring that all children in the United States have a genuine opportunity to attain a quality education. Scott Warren started an organization that trains college students to teach "action civics" to lower-income students. The panel was moderated by Jan R. Liss, Executive Director of Project Pericles. Following the panel, the students met in small groups for a workshop with the panelists. The students learned to develop their "public narrative", a powerful tool for connecting with people and mobilizing support for an issue or cause. They explored the essential elements of effective narrative, which can be used in electoral organizing and political advocacy. A student from Allegheny College said that "learning about the leadership initiatives that each of the panelists had taken reinvigorated my motivation to be proactive in advocating for things I am passionate about." Democracy and Technology: How are young people using technology to research public policy issues and present their opinions to elected officials? Is social media being given proper credit for uprisings that have taken place in the Arab/Muslim world? What evidence is there that social revolutions in the pre-internet era suffered from a lack of cutting-edge communications and organizational tools? These are some of the questions discussed during the "Democracy and Technology" panel. Moderated by David E. Van Zandt, the President of The New School, the panel included Gabriella Coleman, Assistant Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University; Elizabeth Eagen, Program Officer, Information and Human Rights and Governance Grants Programs, Open Society Institute; and Robert Millis, CEO, Hudson Media Ventures. D4D Legislative Hearing - Students Present Their Public Policy Solutions:A highlight of the conference was the D4D Legislative Hearing that started gathering momentum in the fall when, in response to a competition sponsored by Project Pericles, teams of students from Periclean colleges and universities drafted original letters to elected officials addressing a particular public policy issue. Project Pericles received 58 team letters from 27 Periclean colleges and universities for independent evaluation. A panel of judges with significant legislative experience selected five of these letters, each conveying a specific national or state issue, to participate in the 2011 D4D Legislative Hearing. At the hearing, the five finalist teams (Allegheny College, Carleton College, Hendrix College, Macalester College, and Swarthmore College) presented their letters to a Legislative Committee and an audience of students, faculty, Project Pericles Board and National Advisory Board members as well as community, education, foundation, and political leaders. The legislative committee included former U.S. Senators Nancy Kassebaum Baker and Harris L. Wofford; former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Constance Berry Newman; and former Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland Kurt L. Schmoke. The legislative committee asked each team questions pertaining to their respective letter and their presentations. A student who participated in the hearings said that they "helped me develop my thoughts on an issue I care deeply about, and present them in a persuasive way. It was also enjoyable to be part of a space where young people were sharing their work on political issues." The legislators selected Carleton College juniors Anna Fure-Slocum and Nick Welna as the winning team. Addressed to U.S. Congressman John Kline, their letter outlined their vision for meeting the needs and interests of students through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education (ESEA) Act, with an emphasis on greater student input and influence in the classroom. They will receive a $3,000 award from Project Pericles to develop an advocacy and education campaign to move their issue forward. The four semifinalist teams will each receive a $500 award also to be used to develop an advocacy and education campaign to move their issue forward. Links to all five letters are below. "A Letter to U.S. Congressman John Kline on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act," Anna Fure-Slocum and Nick Welna - Carleton College "A Letter to State Senator Mary Jo White on the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act," Brian Anderson and Mingyuan Song - Allegheny College "A Letter to State Representative Elliott Naishtat on the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact," Nicholas Bemberg and Jacob Porter - Hendrix College "A Letter to State Senator Richard J. Cohen on the Mental Health Model Curriculum Creation," Rosie Glenn-Finer and Rachel Lochner - Macalester College "A Letter to U.S. Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz on Implementing a National Financial Literacy Program," Ariel Finegold and Tyler Hanson - Swarthmore College Bryan Partridge, the Program Director at New England College, commented, "I really enjoyed the legislative hearings. The students were well prepared, there was a fantastic back and forth between the panel and the students, and the audience was clearly impressed by the entire event. My students were in awe of the experience." Day One of Conference Ends With Rousing Speech: The National Conference's first day was capped off with a celebratory dinner for more than 120 special guests, including students, Periclean presidents, faculty, Project Pericles Board Members and National Advisory Board Members. The evening began with Senator Harris L. Wofford announcing the winners of the legislative hearing competition. Arthur Levine, President of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Project Pericles Board of Director member, delivered the keynote speech comparing his experience growing up in the South Bronx with those of a group of teenagers coming of age in the same neighborhood nearly 40 years later. A student from Ursinus College said the speech was a highlight of the conference because it "embodied the social and political changes that need to happen at a deep level in the United States. He was honest and open and I appreciated that." Arthur Levine also presented Eugene M. Lang, Project Pericles Founder and Chair, with the 2011 Periclean Service Award in recognition of his many years of leadership service to Project Pericles and his commitment to preparing students to be effective citizens and leaders of their communities, nations, and the world. Students Debate Ways to Address U.S. Budget Deficit: The second day of the conference began with an exercise where students were asked to recommend their solutions for addressing the U.S. budget deficit. Prior to the conference, student attendees completed an exercise that was developed by David Leonhardt, a columnist for the The New York Times. In the exercise, people are asked to balance the federal budget by selecting from a menu of tax increases and spending cuts. On Friday morning, Richard Guarasci, the President of Wagner College, and David Rippon, the Assistant Director of Project Pericles, gave an overview of the federal budget process. The students were divided into six politically diverse groups. The students had one hour to agree to a plan for balancing the federal budget and were required to practice the valuable skill of compromising. At the end of the exercise, each team was asked to present their "balanced budget" to the entire group. A student from St. Mary's College of Maryland stated that this exercise "was the most valuable part of the conference because it allowed me to engage in a meaningful debate with other students." Income Inequality and Democracy: Most teams that participated in the budget exercise recommended increasing taxes on the top income earners as a way to address the federal budget deficit. Increasing taxes would also address the growing income gap between the top income earners in the United States and everybody else. To further discuss the growing income gap in the United States, Project Pericles invited four top thinkers on this important subject to address the conference attendees: David Callahan, Co-Founder and Senior Fellow, Demos; Jacob S. Hacker, Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University; Robert C. Lieberman, Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs, Columbia University; and Reihan Salam, Policy Advisor, Economics 21 and Columnist, National Review Online. The panel was moderated by Jennifer C. Olmsted, Associate Professor and Chair of the Economics Department at Drew University and Drew's Periclean Faculty Leader. The panelists provided an overview of the current income and wealth gap in the United States, discussed the decisions made by the federal government that fostered the wide income disparities, provided ideas on policy solutions that must be undertaken, and discussed how the income gap is harming our democracy. A student from Swarthmore College said, "I was blown away by the caliber of scholars you got - I've read one of Jacob Hacker's books!" Non-Profits and Democracy: The conference concluded with a panel entitled "The Role of Non-Profits in Our Democracy." The panel discussed the non-profit sector and provided advice for students interested in pursuing careers in the non-profit sector. The panel included Shena M. Elrington, Staff Attorney, Health Justice Program, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest; Jordan Kessler, Associate Director, Membership, Natural Resources Defense Council; Danielle Moss Lee, President & CEO, Harlem Educational Activities Fund; Ellen O'Connell, Vice President for Administration and Board Relations, International Rescue Committee; Michael Wise, Director of Youth Service, New York Cares; and Sondra Youdelman, Executive Director, Community Voices Heard. The panel was moderated by David Rippon, Assistant Director of Project Pericles. Following the panel, the students visited the office of one of the six non-profits. Many of the students said that the visit to the non-profit was a highlight of the D4D conference. A student from Allegheny College said, "Connecting with a non-profit organization in New York and being able to observe and talk about their work put the conference into a larger context for me." A student from Carleton College commented, "I had the opportunity to visit an organization that does the type of work that I would like to do in the future. And I absolutely loved it." Final Thoughts: When asked to sum up her thoughts about the conference, a student from The New School said, "There were so many great and important people at the conference and to have the opportunity to interact with them was incredible. I did not know what to expect coming to the conference, but it was better than what I could have imagined." A student from Pace University commented, "I was given the opportunity to meet with other students who shared my values. Also, I got to meet some wonderful human beings." Project Pericles appreciates the many people who helped make this conference such a success. We want to thank the students, who exhibited the desire to engage with each other and with the panelists; the Program Directors, who advised and supported their students over the year; the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for providing the financial support to make the conference a reality; the panelists who gave so generously of their time. We especially want to thank Pace University and its President, Stephen J. Friedman, and Project Pericles Program Director Mary Ann Murphy and Assistant Program Directors Heather Novak and Sangeeta Rao for hosting the conference. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at[email protected]. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, [email protected] Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 3 - February 2011 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
· National Office Announcements Pericleans Present at AAC&U Conference: "What is the global position of liberal education?" was the question at the heart of this year's AAC&U's Annual Meeting on January 26-29 in San Francisco, CA. The conference was attended by over 2,000 people including 109 Periclean presidents, faculty, and administrators. Pericleans were well-represented on the agenda, participating in more than 25 panels. The panel "Using Innovative Curricular and Co-curricular Programs to Prepare Students to Tackle Real-World Challenges," moderated by Project Pericles Executive Director Jan Liss, featured three Periclean Faculty Leaders: · Randy Larsen, Associate Professor of Chemistry, St. Mary's College of Maryland, discussed his course "Instrumental Analysis of Oil & the Gulf of Mexico Environment," that analyzes the BP oil spill from a scientific and humanistic perspective and employs novel pedagogical techniques to train students to be citizen-scientists. · Domenick Scudera, Associate Professor of Theater, Ursinus College, discussed his course, "Community-Based Theater and Civic Engagement" that uses theater as a tool to build bridges and involves students in assessing community needs and tailoring their work to address those needs. · Debby Walser-Kuntz, Associate Professor of Biology, Carleton College, discussed her upper level course, "Immunology," in which students gain experience in community-based research on environmental and public health issues and present their scientific research to community members and public health officials to help change health outcomes and benefit the community. The panel, "An Education for Citizenship: The Best Form of Career Education," discussed innovative ways in which colleges and universities are providing undergraduates with skills that allow them to "influence social values", "influence the social structure," and prepare for career paths that may not exist until 2030. The panel featured Jay Barth, the M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and Project Pericles Program Director at Hendrix College; Amy Koritz, Professor of English, Director of the Center for Civic Engagement and Project Pericles Program Director at Drew University; Project Pericles Assistant Director David Rippon; and Christopher Tinson, Assistant Professor of African American Studies and Periclean Faculty Leader at Hampshire College. Project Pericles hosted a reception for Pericleans at the meeting. The reception was an exciting opportunity for faculty and administrators to meet and discuss civic engagement activities. Presidents' Council Meets in New York: How can Project Pericles best collaborate with other civic engagement and higher education organizations? How can Periclean campuses work with foundations to develop new civic engagement programs? How might Project Pericles facilitate and encourage connections between civic engagement and international-focused programs and curricula? These and many other topics were addressed by the presidents of Periclean colleges and universities at the annual Presidents' Council meeting on December 2, 2010 at The Henry Luce Foundation in New York. Moderated by Wagner College President Richard Guarasci, the spirited day-long discussion addressed expansion, foundation relations, and future planning. Additionally, Project Pericles' Founder Eugene Lang shared his thoughts on the organization's progress and future, and Michael Gilligan, President of The Henry Luce Foundation, discussed the history of the foundation and the relationship between foundations and colleges in the new economic climate. The meeting concluded with a presentation by three Periclean Faculty Leaders: Benjamin Berger, an Associate Professor at Swarthmore College (Course: Democratic Theory and Practice); Thomas (T.J.) D. Eatmon Jr., Assistant Professor at Allegheny College, (Course: Environmental Education); and Jennifer Claire Olmsted, Associate Professor at Drew University (Course: Political Economy of Non-Profits.) Project Pericles thanks The Henry Luce Foundation and Michael Gilligan, and the Presidents and Periclean Faculty Leaders who helped make the meeting so successful. Project Pericles Launches Signature Periclean Faculty Leadership Program: In April, Project Pericles selected the first cohort of 26 faculty to serve as Periclean Faculty Leaders. These Periclean Faculty Leaders are championing civic engagement in their classrooms, on their campuses, and in their communities. During the 2010-2011 academic year, Periclean Faculty Leaders are creating and teaching courses in a wide variety of disciplines in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences that address issues of social concern, enrich curriculum, and enhance student social interest and involvement. They are also organizing campus-wide activities and/or preparing academic papers or projects. We thank The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for supporting this new signature Periclean program. Click here to view the complete list of 2010 Periclean Faculty Leaders and their courses. For each issue of the 2010-2011 Periclean Progress, a Periclean Faculty Leader will contribute an article. In this issue, Lisa Leitz, Assistant Professor at Hendrix College, discusses her course "Gender & Sexuality." Lisa Leitz Sociology classes frequently introduce students to a variety of disturbing social problems, and many students leave these courses feeling angry and frustrated by the inequalities and injustices they now see where they had once believed there was none. The faculty leadership grant from Project Pericles enabled me to require my students in my Gender & Sexuality course to take steps to ameliorate the problems they encounter. Students completed a group assignment I termed "civic engagement projects," which constituted the majority of their grade in the class. These projects were composed of three integrated parts where students were expected to: 1. Understand the theoretical and research based literature about a social problem related to gender and/or sexuality, 2. Determine how this problem affected their local community and what the local community was already doing about this issue, 3. Develop some type of product (event, pamphlet, website, etc.) that would be a part of reducing the problem in their community. The 20 students in this sociology course organized: a campus transgender housing policy (and secured a pilot gender neutral housing program), the state-wide rally for reproductive justice, a multi-hour campus conversation on the beauty industry, a men's march against gender-based violence, a campus workshop on sexual assault, and two pamphlets on sexual assault. There were several important lessons I learned as the projects progressed that I will address below as I detail the projects. The first step involved structuring the readings, lectures, discussions, films, and other classroom materials to provide students with a serious investigation into the variety and scope of issues related to gender inequality and sexual minorities. This is similar to what most faculty do in a course like this. Students engaged in this first step by choosing a problem area that they wished to focus on and creating a literature review of relevant research and theories. Next, students were to work within their local community and with local organizations and leaders on the issue. Students were allowed to define local as the campus, city, county, or state. Here is where students ran into problems. I expected students would work directly with an existing non-profit, student organization, or political advocacy group. However, I did not realize there are not as many groups truly active in this local community as there had been in the areas where I had seen similar student projects work well. Many of the campus groups students wanted to collaborate with were not meeting much if at all, and several of the area women's organizations were non-responsive to student inquiries. There were a few successful partnerships created. The group that created the first annual statewide reproductive justice rally did so with the Little Rock chapter of the National Organization of Women. Students organizing the men's march utilized a national campaign and collected donations for a women's shelter. The transgender housing policy and pilot program was developed in coordination with a Hendrix LGBT rights group. The Dean of Students made one brochure an official campus publication that will be passed out to all students. Those students who worked closely with organizations and/or campus officials had the most successful projects. In future versions of this project, students will conduct qualitative interviews with local leaders on their issue early in the semester before deciding on the final project. This will require significant guidance since many students do not know who to interview. These interviews will allow all groups to better understand the needs of the community and their preexisting programming. The students' products/events were all amazing. During group presentations I honestly fought back tears of pride, and numerous students sought me out to describe how impressed they were by the class's work. However, there are some more logistical difficulties with asking students to create projects such as these. The main problem is timing. In spite of the fact that students were introduced to the project requirements on the first day, and were expected to write about and meet with me throughout the semester, many students commented in their self-evaluation of the projects that they wished they had started earlier. In a class of 20, which amounted to seven groups, two groups' events took place during the first two weeks of the semester following the course. Although extensions and the lack of comparability between products can be annoying for any professor, I believe that flexibility is a necessary component for asking students to conduct projects like this. However, in future iterations of these projects I will build in more prodding to be sure the projects are completed within the time-frame of the semester. In conclusion, student comments demonstrate that these projects had an enormous impact. Students delved deeply into social problems and emerged with a sense of pride for having taken a step to address them. I believe this active engagement will have two enduring effects. First, students are likely to retain the knowledge about the social problems more because they feel connected to it. Secondarily, students learned that they can make a difference and the importance of each person's engagement with their community. But, you do not need to take my word for it; here are the words of one student: "Another important effect this project had on me was it really demonstrated how much you can accomplish. I think it is pretty cool that three random students could really get people thinking about an issue and put things in motion to make changes. None of us are affiliated with any specific group, and none of us knew each other before this class, but because of our project Hendrix will have gender neutral housing next year. It just showed me how possible it is to make a change if you just do the work. I don't think any of us planned on accomplishing something that would affect the school in this way when we started the class, but we did. I feel very lucky and proud to have taken part in this project." The Project Pericles website contains syllabi for courses being taught this fall and for other civic engagement courses including the 44 Civic Engagement Courses (CECs) that were taught at 16 Periclean colleges and universities from 2007-2009. We would welcome your comments and suggestions. The CEC program received generous support from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, The Teagle Foundation, and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. · News from Project Pericles Program Directors Wooster's Global Social Entrepreneurship Program Receives Major Award: The College of Wooster's Global Social Entrepreneurship program has been cited for excellence by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The group will receive an Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education - specifically internationalizing the campus through business education - at the Sixth Annual Best Practices in Internationalization Conference on March 18 in New York City. Established in 2009, Wooster's Global Social Entrepreneurship program aims to promote global citizenship and entrepreneurship through a collaborative effort involving students, faculty, staff, and alumni who serve as consultants for international agencies and organizations. The program has two primary components: an on-campus seminar in the spring and a six-week experiential-learning association with social enterprises in Bangalore, India, in the summer. This past year, the group worked with Dream a Dream, an organization that works with underprivileged children to inculcate life skills, and with Enable India, which provides training and placement services to Fortune 500 companies for people with disabilities. The objective, according to Amyaz Moledina, Project Pericles Program Director and the architect of the program as well as assistant professor of economics and co-director of Wooster's Center for Diversity and Global Engagement, is to network with local experts and provide an assessment of the programs through qualitative and quantitative analyses. "Students and faculty design a problems-based curriculum that is then studied from each student's disciplinary perspective and through the lens of the social enterprise they work for," said Moledina, who added that sustainability is one of the fundamental objectives of the program. "We are looking to work with these organizations over a longer period of time," he said. "Each year, a new group of students takes over where the previous group left off. Our business plan is based on collaboration, and awards like this indicate that Wooster's program is distinctive." Another noteworthy component of the program is its interdisciplinary approach, which involves students from a range of majors. Swarthmore Program Featured in Philadelphia.Com: Learning for Life (L4L) is a voluntary mutual learning program at Swarthmore College composed of student-staff-faculty partnerships. Partners design their own learning projects, which reflect their interests and expertise, and often result in lasting friendships. The program embodies Swarthmore's values of respect and social justice; all members of the community are responsible for its collective intellectual, ethical, social, and personal growth. L4L partnerships meet during several hours per week of the staff members' time, and work towards their personal learning goals. Partnerships explore computers, learn about physical fitness, study math, learn photography, and host their own radio shows. Through their adventures together, staff and students get to know each other and take advantage of the learning opportunities at Swarthmore. L4L is a program of the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility program, which supports the program with two student interns, meeting space, and advising. Philadelphia.com, the website of the Philadelphia Inquirer, recently wrote a story on the program and two of the program's participants: Adam Bortner and Donzella "Donnie" Franklin. Widener Students Help Others to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Memory: The Widener UniversityInstitute for Physical Therapy Education honored the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. by offering two free mobility clinics throughout the city of Chester on January 14 and 17. "These clinics enable us to give back to the community by using the skills we've acquired as physical therapy students and practitioners," said Jill Black Lattanzi, a clinical assistant professor in Widener's Institute for Physical Therapy Education. "It's our way of embracing Widener's call to students, faculty, and staff to celebrate Dr. King's legacy with a day of service." At each of the clinic sites, students and faculty members of Widener University Institute for Physical Therapy Education screened and cleaned mobile scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and canes to ensure that these assistive devices were in optimal condition. Residents who were unable to make it out to the clinics had their devices fixed at their home. The home visits were coordinated with St. Katharine Drexel Church in Chester. Widener University President Harris Receives Chief Executive Leadership Award: Widener University President James T. Harris III is the recipient of the 2011 Chief Executive Leadership Award for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II. District II is the largest of CASE's eight districts, encompassing more than 700 member institutions in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada. Awarded annually, the Chief Executive Leadership Award recognizes a District II member institution president, chancellor, or other campus CEO for outstanding efforts in promoting the understanding and support of education. Nominees must demonstrate the ability to create vision and inspire others; establish a positive image of his/her institution's stature in the community; and encourage innovations and risk-taking among employees. "We have worked very hard at Widener for the past eight years to make the university one of the nation's premiere civic engagement institutions," President Harris said. "It has truly been a university-wide effort involving administrators, faculty, alumni, donors, and students. So, while my name may be on the award from CASE, this recognition is really about the work my colleagues, our community partners and I have done together to advance our mission." Coats, Cans, and Cash for the Community Day: In November, the Richmond High School Student Council and the Earlham College Men's and Women's Basketball Teams held a Coats, Cans, and Cash for the Community Day as a part of the Men's and Women's Basketball Doubleheader against Oberlin College. The local community and Earlham community contributed 82 winter coats, more than 350 pounds of canned goods, and $150 in cash for those who are less fortunate in the community to use during these difficult economic times. To view the complete story, please click here. Allegheny Students Help Children in the Community: Four Allegheny College students helped fourth and fifth graders discover innovative ways to connect the arts and the environment during the Meadville Family YMCA's day camp this past summer. Each week, the Allegheny students led campers in projects that link environmental arts to the camp's weekly themes, which include personal identity, American heroes, and healthy lifestyles. The students' work is part of the Community Arts initiative of Allegheny's Center for Economic and Environmental Development. "We try to take the campers out of the 'this is what art is' mindset and inspire innovation in them," said Teresa Bensel, a studio art major and values, ethics & social action (VESA) minor from Meadville. "Art isn't necessarily a piece of paper with pencil marks on it-art can be anywhere." In mid-July, inspired by the work of eco-artist Andy Goldsworthy, campers created their own eco-art with materials from the nature trail at the Meadville Area Recreation Complex. They transformed leaves, flowers, rocks and twigs into temporary art installations along the trail, focusing on concepts such as shape and color. "The best thing about working with the kids is that they are at the age where they are already constantly thinking outside of the box," said Bensel. "It's always so much fun to hear the stories they tell and see what they can come up with." Also participating in the project are Allegheny students Matt Reilly, an art and technology major and computer science minor from Pittsburgh; Emma Cook, an environmental studies major and studio art minor from Conewango Valley, N.Y.; and Gretchen Wood, an English and environmental studies double major from Meadville, PA. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at[email protected]. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, [email protected] Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 2- December 2010 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
· National Office Announcements Project Pericles Welcomes Goucher College: Project Pericles is pleased to announce that Goucher College, a leader in educating young people to be effective citizens, has joined Project Pericles, bringing the number of Periclean colleges and universities to 29. Goucher College has many exciting civic engagement programs and is the first college in the United States to require all students to participate in a study abroad experience. Under its President Sanford J. Ungar, Goucher College, as a Periclean, will advance its civic engagement efforts. The Project Pericles Program Directors at Goucher are Emily Perl, Associate Dean for Student Engagement, and Michael Curry, Professor of Theater. New Presidents at Pericleans: Four leaders with a track record of promoting social responsibility and participatory citizenship in higher education have become presidents at Periclean institutions. Steven G. Poskanzer is the new President at Carleton College. Marlene Gerber Fried is the Acting President at Hampshire College. John E.F. (Jef) Corson is the Interim President at Ursinus College. Bobby Fong, the President of Butler University, will become the new President of Ursinus College this fall. David E. Van Zandt, the current Dean at Northwestern Law School, will become President of The New School on January 1, 2011. D4D Legislative Hearing Participants Continue Advocacy Efforts: Students from six Periclean campuses have been busy implementing the thoughtful advocacy and education plans that they developed over the summer. The teams are educating people in their community about their issue and trying to convince their Member of Congress to support their position on public policy issues. These six student teams were selected to participate in the legislative hearings at the 2010 D4D National Conference. This unique event provided students a forum to articulate their solutions to some of today's most important public policy issues by presenting original letters written to Members of Congress to a "legislative committee" consisting of former U.S. Senators Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Bob Kerrey, and Harris Wofford. Each of the six teams received an award from Project Pericles to fund an advocacy and education plan. We are highlighting the work of the teams below. Berea College, "A Letter Concerning the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL)" Charles Badger, Matthew Callo, and Amber Stanton This letter encouraged Congressman Bachus to vote no on HR 2587, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program Reform Act of 2009, which proposes that any revenue generated by the rehabilitation of abandoned or foreclosed property be deposited into a U.S. Treasury account for public debt reduction. The letter also encourages the Congressman to vote yes on HR 3204, which authorizes states and localities receiving emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to use those funds to renovate single-family housing in need of repair. Update: "During Berea College's spring break, we will travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with Members of Congress and others to discuss our proposal and the positive impact that neighborhood stabilization could have on local communities in need. We want to schedule time to discuss the bills with Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), the incoming chair of the House Committee on Financial Services (Congressman Bachus is also the original recipient of Berea's D4D letter, so this meeting will carry special significance to our team), as well as Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), incoming chair of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee and co-sponsor of HR 2587. We will also try and schedule some time with Representative Michael Turner (R-OH) who sponsored HR 3204." Carleton College, "A Letter in Support of a Holistic Federal Surface Transportation Bill to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)" Dan Levy, Logan Nash, and Charlotte Turovsky This letter outlined the team's vision for improving federal surface transportation policy, especially providing more funding for environmentally-friendly public transit and light rail. Update: "Since the conference, we have continued to work with local partners in the Northfield Grassroots Transit Initiative to promote more and better transportation options in our community of Northfield, MN. The initiative's current goal is to examine how to restore and improve rail and bus connections between Northfield and the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. To this end, we have been involved in discussions with local leaders, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council. On October 26th, we worked with the Grassroots Transit Initiative to hold a consultative summit about the corridor with community stakeholders. Carleton President Steven Poskanzer was there to open this pivotal meeting. We are also moving forward with our federal advocacy campaign, and are designing a social network site where users can post pictures, videos, and stories about where transportation policies have failed them. We then plan to aggregate these experiences into a presentation that we will deliver to our own federal legislators and make public online." Chatham University "A Letter Concerning Childcare Subsidies to Congressman Michael Doyle (D-PA)" Jillian Myers, Amber Phillips, and Laura Reigle This letter supported transferring the oversight of funding for childcare subsidies from the states to the federal government, in order to ensure that working parents continue to receive these subsidies. Update: "Since the conference, we have analyzed the issues surrounding our topic of childcare subsidies to determine how we can be most effective in our campaign. Because it appears that so many families are unaware of the subsidy and/or how to apply, we feel that education is the most valuable resource we can provide in the immediate future. As such, we have set forth to create a pamphlet with information regarding the current childcare subsidy, pertinent statistics, local childcare providers currently accepting the childcare subsidy and also a tear-off mailer that allows individuals to add their names to a petition regarding childcare subsidy expansion. The pamphlets will be distributed at targeted sites to provide maximum exposure to the families most in need. We plan to distribute the pamphlets to partnering organizations in January 2011. In April 2011, we will forward all petition signatures to our local, state, and federal elected officials to show our support for an expansion of the childcare subsidy program." Earlham College, "A Letter in Support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2009 to Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN)" Conor Hall, Mary Jones, and Hannah Hale Leifheit This letter urged passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2009, which would prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Update: "We met with Spectrum which is a positive transgender, bisexual, gay, lesbian, transsexual, and ally collegiate community organization with the purpose of providing support, engendering community, and promoting activism at Earlham College as well as in Richmond, Indiana and look forward to a letter writing campaign in the spring to Senators and Representatives regarding the need to include transgendered individuals in ENDA. Earlham hosts monthly Forums - morning presentations where preselected community members speak to both the Earlham and Richmond communities on a topic which serves to educate attendees. We hope to present in the spring. Day trips to the offices of Senators and Representatives and a weekend lobbying trip to Washington D.C. are also scheduled this spring. We hope to use Spectrum and Student Government to help reach out to the student body, use small information sessions to spread the word about ENDA and the need to protect gender identity, and help create a group of students who will accompany us around Indiana and to Washington D.C. to meet with our elected officials. To better understand the discrimination that takes place in the wider community and to educate Richmond on ENDA, we will meet with Richmond City Council, the Mayor, and the Human Rights Commission." Elon University, "A Letter in Support of the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act to Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)" Erin Mellett, Zachary Power, and Collin Watson This letter supported the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act, which provides funding for the development and use of small modular nuclear reactors, a transportable form of nuclear power. Update: "With the $500 awarded to us by Project Pericles, we plan to coordinate, in conjunction with the Sierra Club on Elon University's campus, a field trip to the Harris Nuclear Power Plant in North Carolina. This trip will provide students a greater understanding of the complex process of nuclear fission and will hopefully provide insight into the benefits of nuclear power. Following the field trip, we will design, publish, and disseminate posters providing basic, factual information about nuclear energy while outlining the environmental benefits of nuclear energy." Swarthmore College, "A Letter in Support of the DREAM Act to Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA)" Jovanna Hernandez, Katherine Lam, and Kimberly St. Julian This letter urged Senator Specter to reintroduce the DREAM Act, which allows undocumented children of immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least four years and who graduate from high school to pay in-state tuition at a state college. The author has a sister who would qualify for this program. Update: "We hosted many events this past year to educate others about the DREAM Act and to advocate for its passage. 1) We lobbied with other DREAM Activists in Philadelphia to encourage Senator Casey to support the DREAM Act. 2) We successfully petitioned with other student groups on campus to get President Rebecca Chopp to publicly endorse the DREAM Act and to write to Members of Congress on this issue. To achieve this goal, we organized and moderated a panel on the DREAM Act, which received significant attendance from Swarthmore students and faculty. The panel featured Judy Bernstein-Baker, an immigration lawyer; David Bennion, an immigration attorney and journalist; Maria Marroquin, the founder of DREAMActivists.org; Pamela Saldovar, an undocumented student at Temple University; and Daniel Mendez, another undocumented student. 3) We screened the movie Papers: Stories of Undocumented Youth on campus, as well as hosted a Parlor Party, called "Wake Up! DREAM Act Parlor Party", with coffee and snacks, to raise further awareness about the DREAM Act on campus. 4) Twenty Swarthmore students marched from Philadelphia to Swarthmore this past spring with DREAM activists on the Trail for Dreams NYC, in which five immigrant students marched 250 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C. to call for the immediate passage of the DREAM Act and a moratorium on the deportation of DREAM Act eligible students. 5) When the DREAM Act was up for vote this fall, we hosted a pizza and phone banking event in which Swarthmore students called their Senators to urge them to vote in favor of its passage. The Senate failed to collect the necessary 60 votes for cloture on the bill, and the bill was defeated on September 21, 2010. The struggle continues to get the DREAM Act passed." 2010 Program Directors' Conference Held at Elon University: More than 30 civic engagement leaders attended the annual Project Pericles Program Directors' Conference at Elon University on November 15 and 16. During the conference, Program Directors from 27 of the 29 Periclean campuses met to discuss issues of common concern. A group photo of the attendees appears above. Many of the Program Directors mentioned that they find this conference valuable because it allows them the opportunity to discuss important civic engagement issues with their colleagues from other campuses. One Program Director said, "I really enjoyed the collaboration. It was a very open environment that allowed people to exchange amazing ideas." The conference began with opening remarks from Eugene M. Lang, the Chair of Project Pericles, Jan R. Liss, the Executive Director of Project Pericles, Tom Arcaro, the program director at Elon, and Connie Book, the Associate Provost at Elon. The first day of the conference featured a lunch time discussion entitled "The Landscape of Higher Education Pedagogy and Service Learning" led by Alison Morrison-Shetlar, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Elon, and Peter Felten, the Director for the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning at Elon. In the afternoon, Jan Liss led a discussion on the Periclean Faculty Leadership Program that featured Brian Nienhaus, the Periclean Faculty Leader at Elon University. Nienhaus discussed the course he will be teaching this winter "Business and Sustainability." He will be taking a group of business students to Mexico to study this important issue. A highlight of the first day of the conference was presentations by Elon students on the Periclean Scholars Program, a program at Elon committed to raising the university community's level of civic engagement and social responsibility. Through global partnerships, each class of Periclean Scholars creates projects and goals relating to its country of focus and works on these from sophomore year through graduation. A Program Director commented on "the amazing things that students can accomplish when they are carefully guided over four years." Following a campus tour, the Program Directors attended a wonderful dinner at the home of President Leo Lambert and Laurie Lambert. On day two, Amy Koritz, the Program Director at Drew University, and Heather Novak, the Program Director at Pace University, led a discussion on "Making the Case for Civic Engagement in Lean Times." Heather Novak said that "being lean and leveraging relationships is critical." Amy Koritzdiscussed the importance of "looking for collaboration and synergies." Next, Adrienne Falcon, the Program Director from Carleton College, led a discussion on "Creating a Collaborative, Site-Based Curriculum." A Program Director said that this session helped them appreciate the different ways that civic engagement is "implemented, documented, assessed, and celebrated." The conference concluded with a session led by Tessa Hicks Peterson, the Program Director at Pitzer College, and Paul Schadewald, the Interim Program Director at Macalester College, on "The Role of the Public Scholar." Tessa Hicks pointed out that there are "a lot of ways this [public scholarship] is defined and practiced" and reminded people that there is a rich history in the development of public scholarship. Paul Schadewald discussed the importance of supporting public scholarship on campuses. A Program Director remarked that it "helped me think through the links between traditional scholarship and public scholarship more fully." Project Pericles thanks everybody who helped make this conference such a success, with special thanks to President Leo Lambert, Tom Arcaro and their colleagues from Elon University. Project Pericles Launches Signature Periclean Faculty Leadership Program: In April, Project Pericles selected the first cohort of 26 faculty from 26 Periclean campuses to serve as the Periclean Faculty Leader on their campus. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Periclean Faculty Leaders are creating and teaching courses in a wide variety of disciplines in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences that address issues of social concern, enrich curriculum, and enhance student social interest and involvement. They are also organizing campus-wide activities and/or preparing an academic paper or project. We thank The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for supporting this new signature Periclean program. Click here to view the complete list of 2010 Periclean Faculty Leaders and their courses. The Project Pericles website contains syllabi for courses being taught this fall and from other civic engagement courses including the 44 Civic Engagement Courses (CECs) that were taught at 16 Periclean colleges and universities from 2007-2009. The CEC program received generous support from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, The Teagle Foundation, and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. In each issue of the 2010-2011 Periclean Progress, a Periclean Faculty Leader will contribute an article. In this issue, Thomas (T.J.) D. Eatmon, Jr., an Assistant Professor at Allegheny College, discusses his exciting course "Environmental Education." "According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the U.S. Department of Education, each weekend children around the country are Thomas (T.J) Eatmon, Allegheny College inundated with more than 50 junk food commercials per hour as they watch Saturday morning cartoons alone and unsupervised. Though school is out, they continue to learn through a hidden curriculum. This curriculum teaches them that the wonders of life can be experienced indoors through television and the Internet, that relationships with people and places are not important, and that food is cheap, abundant, and comes from store shelves and fast food windows. While these children consume fast food values, middle school students enrolled in the Allegheny College Critical Thinking Immersion program, "Science, Technology, and Sustainability," spend their Saturday mornings teaching slow food values to local community members. This class is designed and taught by Allegheny College students as the community engagement component of my Periclean Faculty course "Environmental Education." Our goal is to utilize experiential learning and community engagement to create bridges between classrooms and the communities that contain them, while also strengthening relationships between communities and the ecosystems that sustain them. The interconnectivity of classrooms, communities, and ecosystems illustrates three themes that form the foundation of my environmental education course. The first course theme, education about the environment, emphasizes the importance of whole systems thinking in examining social systems, ecosystems, and interactions between the two. When we examine the hierarchy that exists within these complex systems, we find that social systems are a part of larger ecosystems and do not exist apart from them. Similarly, education systems do not exist in isolation, but are embedded in larger communities. Therefore the fate of communities and ecosystems are inextricably intertwined. The same is true of educational systems and their surrounding communities. However, knowing about complex interactive systems and environmental degradation is inadequate if we no longer care about our environment. Therefore the second course theme, education in the environment, emphasizes the importance of forming relationships with nature. As we build communities that are increasingly separated from nature, we destroy a kinship with nature that has developed over thousands of years. The result is a generation of citizens who associate the natural world with feelings of fear, anger, and control rather than feelings of love, sacrifice, and stewardship. We can expect such a generation to address environmental degradation with technological fixes that ignore the root causes of these issues. The third course theme, education for the environment, emphasizes the importance of using our knowledge and passion to take strategic actions that effect change. Our community engagement project is designed to allow Allegheny College students to gain firsthand experience in this area. Aquaponic systems combine aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soilless gardening) into a low cost, environmentally friendly food production technology. As part of their class "Science, Technology, and Sustainability," Allegheny College students use these systems to address the first theme of the course by communicating principles of ecological literacy and systems thinking. Students address the second theme of the course by facilitating semi-structured, open inquiry activities that allow the middle school students to interact with several aquaponic systems in our campus greenhouse. Middle school students then present a 250 gallon demonstration aquaponics system to community members on Saturday mornings at the Meadville Market House, the hub of the Meadville community and the oldest market house in continuous use in Pennsylvania. Here local produce such as meats, cheeses, milk, and value-added products are sold and a small diner provides customers with meals made from locally grown foods. This setting provides the perfect environment for the middle school students to speak with local community members about principles of ecology, increasing awareness of sustainable human-environment interactions. "Environmental Education" thus becomes education that recognizes the importance of the environment (social and ecological) in shaping the education process, while also recognizing the importance of the education process in shaping the environment. As information flows from Allegheny students to middle school students, from middle school students to community members, and from experiences with community members back into classrooms, feedback loops are created that reinforce our course goals and objectives. My role in the experience is one of a facilitator, relying on the self-organizing systems that have been established to become the sources of new knowledge and expertise. My hope is that new knowledge from new experiences will produce new ways of thinking in new leaders." · News from Project Pericles Program Directors Hendrix College Students Honored: Hendrix College's Model United Nations team was awarded one of six national "Best Delegation" citations at the 2010 American Model United Nations Conference last month in Chicago. One hundred colleges and universities and 1,500 student delegates attended this year's conference. The Hendrix team "represented" the People's Republic of China. Five Hendrixstudents also won separate Best Delegation honors for their work in three of the conference's simulations. Port Richmond-Wagner College Community Partnership: Wagner College's philosophy integrates community service with the college experience. The partnership established in 2009 between Wagnerand Port Richmond, a community in Staten Island, is an example of how students combine their studies with community service while also creating an extension of their own college community. The partnership is based on an understanding between Wagner and Port Richmond, first discussed in 2008 as a plan to expand upon the success of the Civic Innovations Program. In the past decade, the North Shore Staten Island community of Port Richmond, a primarily Latino community, has been struggling with high rates of poverty. However, there is growing opportunity along its commercial strip. Parties in both communities share in a desire to improve conditions through education and tap into the existing strengths by building significant, sustainable partnerships through three objectives: Meeting Educational Needs; Meeting Health Care Needs; Meeting Economic Needs. The submersion of students into the Port Richmond community is based on linking certain classes throughout the curriculum to specific agencies. Students have a chance to work with these agencies across all divisions of the college, from the Social Sciences, Humanities, Sciences, and the Arts. Professor Janice Buddensick and her business administration students develop financial education modules for elementary school children in the Port Richmond public schools. These are designed to aid children in after-school programs in learning about personal finances and the global economy. In the coming years, Wagner business and government students will work on more advanced versions of the program suitable for use by Port Richmond High School students and the adult community. Professors Dan Stuckart (Education) and Sarah J. Scott (Art History), the Project Pericles Program Director at Wagner, have developed a Freshman Learning Community program where students tutor Port Richmond elementary school children. Wagner students help the children learn about children's literature, elementary education, and global civilizations and material culture and the arts. In 2010 Wagner received a $100,000 grant from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. This award will be used to study the next two years of the program, with the aim of measuring the impact the program has on both the students and the community. In September, a day-long celebration was held highlighting the programs and people involved with the Port Richmond partnership. "The Making and Remaking of Port Richmond" hosted authors Phillip Papas and Lori Weintrob (Wagner College Professor of History), community members Steve Rugirello (fireman and long-time resident), Gonzalo Mercado, of El Centro, and Maria Morales, a new restaurant owner. The day's events included short lectures, a roundtable discussion, and slideshow on the past, present, and future of Port Richmond. Students, faculty, staff, and community members actively participated in the spirit of the Wagner Plan, offering a rich picture of the extended Wagner community. Widener University Featured in Newsweek Article on Making Community Service a Part of the Curriculum: Widener University was featured in an article in Newsweek on colleges and universities that are making community service and classes devoted to social change a part of the curriculum. In the article, a Widener student says, "I was especially attracted to this program at Widener because it is much easier to make a lasting change in a community when you have the support of the administration of the school." Widener University President Elected Vice President of CUMU: Widener University President James T. Harris was elected vice president of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) at the organization's annual conference. Founded in 1990, CUMU is the premier higher education resource for urban and metropolitan institutions that seek new ways of using their human and physical resources to address the problems of their metropolitan area. CUMU is a leadership organization bringing together presidents, administrators, and faculty to share best practices through conferences, seminars, networks, and publications, including the internationally recognized Metropolitan Universities Journal. The Coalition includes 80 member universities that represent over 50 metropolitan communities. For more information on CUMU, click here. Pitzer Students Join Jumpstart: This fall at the Claremont Colleges, forty students were chosen to join the Pitzer College chapter of Jumpstart, a national non-profit with the mission of working toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. Jumpstart Teams are placed in local preschools serving low-income families and, in partnership with the schools and teachers, college students implement a rigorous literacy curriculum and family outreach program. Jumpstart also strives to create future teachers and leaders in education by providing an extensive training regimen for its students and offering unique leadership opportunities in the classroom. Pitzer's Jumpstart Corps Members spend time in their teams planning and preparing for curriculum and brainstorming for successful classroom management. In November, Jumpstart at the Claremont Colleges launched the first of its Citizenship Training sequence. The Citizenship trainings allow space for students to study and reflect on community service, civic engagement and social responsibility. The first training focused on inequality in education and the structural causes for this inequality as well as the policy-based or non-profit-based solutions which have been proposed to address this inequality. Students discussed issues of inequality in education, the impact of poverty and inequality on children and learning outcomes, and different solutions which empower children and families to help break this cycle of poverty. With this study, Jumpstart Corps Members are able to better serve their children and design service projects which address some of the needs of the communities. Corps Members integrate with their communities in a series of service events-inviting the families from their partner preschool to attend events on the college campuses, providing family-friendly activities at a community-wide multi-cultural festival, serving food and organizing donations at a local food bank and working closely with the preschools to assess the needs and assets of that school and community to design resource days at the preschools. This story was written by Debbie Lieberman from Pitzer College. Grant from U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka Assists Periclean Scholars at Elon: Periclean Scholars in the Class of 2011 from Elon University have worked for three years to raise awareness of environmental issues in the nation of Sri Lanka. In January, the group will host a national conference there with support from a $5,000 grant from the American Cultural Center run by the U.S. Embassy. The January 22-23, 2011 summit will be overseen by Professor Crista Arangala, mentor of the Periclean Scholars Class of 2011, and Professor Tom Arcaro, the Project Pericles Program Director at Elon University, with support from partners and administrators from the University of Colombo and other leaders in and around the city of Colombo. The goal of the summit is to facilitate communication between distinguished scholars, globally recognized leaders, and invited guests on issues of environmental education and stewardship, focusing specifically on how these issues affect and impact the regions and peoples of Sri Lanka. Upward of 300 conference attendees are expected. Ten speakers are taking part in the summit, including two keynote speakers, and organizers believe the conference may generate media coverage from the likes of Sri Lankan news outlets as well as the BBC. Periclean Scholars have partnered with the University of Colombo, the American Cultural Center and Rainforest Rescue International to organize the event. This article was written by Eric Townsend and originally appeared on the Elon University website. First Rhodes Scholarship Awarded to Ursinus College Student: Aakash K. Shah, a graduate of Ursinus College, was recently named a Rhodes Scholar. At Ursinus, Shah majored in inequality studies, biology and neuroscience. A Goldwater Scholar and junior member of Phi Beta Kappa, Shah was on the varsity track team, worked with United Students Against Sweatshops in Mexico, and examined environmental health problems in Indian slums. He plans a career combining clinical and academic medicine with global health policy. Morehouse Students Visit Haiti for Spring Break: A group of Morehouse College students spent this past spring break in Haiti where they used most their time distributing food, water, and clothes to people who were devastated by the effects of the January earthquake. Morehouse seniors Jacques Pape and Ezekiel Phillips led the group that visited Haiti as American volunteers in the relief efforts. For Pape, a Haitian native, this trip was a chance for more people to witness firsthand what the conditions were like in the region. Pape said, "When everything happened I was the only student in the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) who went to Haiti. Yet one voice was only so strong. By bringing Morehouse students to Haiti, they serve as ambassadors for not just Morehouse and the AUC but the U.S. in general. For the first few days, the group provided food, water, and clothes for people throughout the Port-Au-Prince region. In one day, they laid the foundation for 150 homes in a small Port-Au-Prince province that hadn't been touched by any international organization up to that point. Pape and other Morehousestudents plan to go back during spring break in 2011. The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 1 – October 2010 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
· National Office Announcements Project Pericles Launches Signature Periclean Faculty Leadership Program: In April, Project Pericles selected the first cohort of 26 faculty from 26 Periclean campuses to serve as the Periclean Faculty Leader on each campus. During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Periclean Faculty Leaders are creating and teaching courses in a wide variety of disciplines in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences that address issues of social concern, enrich curriculum, and enhance student social interest and involvement. They are also organizing campus-wide civic engagement activities and/or preparing an academic paper or project. In addition, each Periclean Faculty Leader partners with a Periclean Faculty Leader at another campus. The partners consult with each other throughout the program. We thank The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for supporting this new signature Periclean program. Click here to view the complete list of 2010 Periclean Faculty Leaders and their courses. The Project Pericles website contains syllabi for courses being taught this fall and from other civic engagement courses including the 44 Civic Engagement Courses (CECs) that were taught at 16 Periclean colleges and universities from 2007-2009. The CEC program received generous support from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, The Teagle Foundation, and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. Each issue of the 2010-2011 Periclean Progress will feature an article written by a Periclean Faculty Leader. In this issue, Ben Berger, Associate Professor of Political Science and the Periclean Faculty Leader at Swarthmore College, discusses his course "Democratic Theory and Practice." Ben Berger Periclean Faculty Leader, Swarthmore College "Democratic Theory and Practice" "College courses are usually works in progress. Each of my courses has changed over time; syllabi, lecture content, discussion style and assignments continuously evolve. But none has transformed more than "Democratic Theory and Practice," my Periclean Faculty course. And none has taught me as much about the challenges and rewards of tying traditional academic learning to real-life politics and local community engagement. "Democratic Theory and Practice" pursues three lines of questioning. First, what is democracy, and why is it desirable? Second, what conditions does democracy require? Third, does the contemporary U.S. fall short of these requirements (and if so, what might be done)? In search of answers students read historical and theoretical accounts of democracy dating back to ancient Greece, as well as social science analyses of the present-day US. In other words, they read texts that question what democracy should entail and what American democracy actually comprises. They also read contemporary research on innovations that might improve democracy from the ground up. But those readings only fulfill part of our academic goals. Normative theories of democracy usually deal with abstract, general ideas and ideals. Empirical accounts of US democracy get more specific, but they still tend to operate at a level far removed from students' everyday experience. Community-based learning gives our lessons immediacy, reality and heft. It took me several years of striving to locate appropriate community partners, and several years more to solidify our relationships (which has actually been an ongoing process rather than a one-time achievement). Fortunately, Swarthmore encouraged me to keep experimenting and trying different approaches. That investment of time and patience has paid ample dividends. Before I could move toward the right kind of community partners, I had to find an appropriate community in which to situate our learning. Initially, I tried utilizing the entire Greater Philadelphia area, placing students with widely dispersed civil and political associations so that each student could find the best fit for his or her interests. But that approach failed to provide a unifying sense of narrative and purpose. Gradually, I refocused my efforts closer to home so that students might experience the complex fabric of democratic society in their own neighborhood. Two narratives emerged: democracy at the county level and a tale of two cities. Swarthmore College resides in suburban Delaware County, Pennsylvania, which for one hundred years was run by the kind of political machine normally associated with giant urban centers. Thus, for many decades residents of Delaware County effectively lived under one-party rule. (The machine's Republican affiliation was essentially non-ideological in the same sense as the Chicago machine's Democratic affiliation under the first Mayor Daley.) In recent years, the machine's control has lessened considerably but has not disappeared. Last year, I was fortunate to discover John Morrison McLarnon's book Ruling Suburbia, which chronicles a century under the Delaware County machine. My students read several chapters throughout the semester, and some of them work on local political campaigns (choosing their own candidates and party affiliation). Talking with Delaware County residents and working with local party organizations helps students to understand how government works at the county level and to personalize McLarnon's historical chronicle. Machine politics can produce high voter turnout and reasonably responsive government, but at the cost of accountability and dissent. Are machine politics less or more democratic than competitive systems plagued by citizen apathy? This year, part of my Periclean Faculty Leader funds will go toward bringing John McLarnon to Swarthmore from Millersville University, where he teaches, for a community-wide political discussion about the nature of political machines and the prospects for competitive democracy in our county. Within Delaware County, students experience a tale of two cities: the geographically proximate yet radically different communities of Swarthmore and Chester, PA. We read ample social science scholarship that claims a close correlation between socio-economic and educational resources, on one hand, and "social capital," political engagement, and political efficacy on the other. Swarthmore and Chester bring those statistics to life. The two communities occupy opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum and allow us to see, without the mediation of textbooks, how different kinds of environmental factors (income and wealth, educational resources, race and class, and the extent of a community's social connectedness, for example) can affect citizens' experience of democracy. My students and I visit Swarthmore's and Chester's city council meetings, talk with each mayor, meet with activists from each locality, and learn about their respective histories. Students who are not working at the county level may choose to intern with local government officials, work for city-specific political campaigns, or work with local activists who aspire to improve social and political conditions. Our aim is not simply to do things for other citizens but to do things with them, and in the process to learn about the ways in which citizens in different areas, from different backgrounds, think and talk about the experience of democracy. With the help of fellow citizens we look for ways in which the democratic process works and also ways in which it fails, not in order to condemn the "system" outright (although students are free to arrive at such a criticism) but to explore the means of making democracy work better. During this course's multi-year evolution my single most important lesson has been to seek out help from those best equipped to give it. Joy Charlton, Executive Director of Swarthmore's Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, has been a consistent source of resources and support. Cynthia Jetter, also of the Lang Center, has been an invaluable liaison with Chester community leaders and organizations. Dr. Dwayne Belgrave, a local clergyman and activist, has become both an academic collaborator and friend. These guides and others have helped me to develop a community-based learning component that complements our academic reading rather than standing aside as a separate activity. They have helped me to find community engagements that allow students to work alongside local residents in pursuit of goals that the residents have set. And they have helped me and my students to experience democracy - warts and all - not only in theory but in practice." Project Pericles thanks Ben Berger for this article and will update you on the innovative activities of the other 25 Periclean Leaders in upcoming issues of The Periclean Progress. Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ Brings Advocacy Training to 11 Periclean Campuses: Project Pericles is holding "D4D on the Road" training workshops at 11 Periclean colleges and universities during the 2010-2011 academic year. Each workshop gives attendees the tools and encouragement to mobilize support, persuasively communicate, and motivate people to act. The workshops are led by Mandara Meyers from The Center for Progressive Leadership (CPL), a national nonpartisan political training institute based in Washington, D.C. that has trained over 5,000 diverse leaders at every level of political involvement. Mandara is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. The workshops are open to Periclean students, administrators, faculty, alumni, and community members. Click here for workshop locations and registration information. The first workshop of the academic year was held at Ursinus College on September 24. Allison Cavanaugh, a student at Ursinus College, wrote a story about the workshop that appeared on the Ursinus website. The story is below. Attendees at Ursinus College "D4D on the Road" Workshop"Project Pericles hosted a six-hour 'D4D on the Road' workshop September 24 in the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art to give students the tools to initiate change and to motivate them to pursue their political goals. It teaches students to apply values to the discussions fostered by democracy. Ursinus' community service organization, UCare, organized the event. Professor Christian Rice, director of the Bonner Leader and Project Pericles programs, commented on what the conference was able to present to students, "D4D at Ursinus was a great opportunity for our students to learn the tools and skills necessary to engage the political process and effect change on an issue they care about. I was also pleased that students from Widener University, a fellow Periclean institution, participated in the workshop." The event united students who were interested in being active and influential members of society. During the workshop, students were encouraged to consider morals and methods associated with lobbying, organizing, and campaigning. Students shared their own ideas about important ethics in a society and ways that they could start making a difference. They discussed values and how they unite us as individuals despite differing political views. They participated in a mock debate and voting session concerning a bill that had recently been presented to the Senate. This gave them the chance to not only learn about persuasive communication, but to start putting it into practice as well. The conference seemed to encourage and impact the students who attended. Kristin Daly-Barnes, an Ursinusstudent, saw the workshop as motivational and informative, 'The most noteworthy lesson I took from D4D is that we students have the power to effect change in society - be it through community service, voting, writing to local representatives, or spreading awareness about important societal issues. What's more is that with this knowledge of our ability comes a responsibility to act upon it. The Ursinus community is filled with intelligent, forward-thinking leaders, and we cannot take the opportunities we have both been bestowed and earned for granted. Participants were clearly able to recognize the tools that the workshop taught as applicable to life as citizens.'" This article appears courtesy of Ursinus College and has been excerpted. New Program Associate at Project Pericles: Katherine Cross joined Project Pericles as the new Program Associate in August. Katherine recently graduated from Drew University with a BA in English. Please join us in welcoming Katherine to Project Pericles. · Campus News Former President of Ursinus College Passes Away: John Strassburger, the President Emeritus of Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA., who served as president for more than 15 years, died September 22. Dr. Strassburger was inaugurated as the 12th president of Ursinus College in January 1995, and retired this past June citing health reasons. A memorial service was held at Ursinus College on September 26. Stewart C. Goetz, professor of philosophy at the college, gave the eulogy, concluding, "Let us all be comforted by a time when John Strassburger encouraged us to have a better vision of ourselves." Dr. Strassburger was the President of Ursinus College when it became a founding member of Project Pericles. We will miss his advice and counsel. Allegheny College CPP Registers Voters, Continues to Examine Civility: Midterm elections notoriously draw less interest among voters, so the Center for Political Participation (CPP) at Allegheny College - along with College Democrats and College Republicans- got out there and encouraged people to register and vote. Student fellows of the CPP conducted voter registration drives. They registered 48 students, 18 of whom applied for absentee ballots. Also, senior fellow Megan McNallyand CPP Program Coordinator Mary Solberg visited the Crawford County READ Program in downtown Meadville October 4 to discuss the importance of voting. Five students and teachers registered to vote. College Democrats and College Republicans at Allegheny joined forces and did some old-fashioned tabling and dorm-storming in October. College Dems hosted a barbeque, featuring Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania's 3rd Legislative District. Together, the College Democrats and Republicans registered over 125 students to vote. Allegheny Poll on Political Discourse: A new survey commissioned by Allegheny College in partnership with Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) found that a solid majority of Americans, 58 percent, believe the tone of political discourse has become worse since Barack Obama was elected president. Additionally, the fall poll of 1,242 randomly selected registered voters (contacted by SurveyUSA) found that 41 percent of Americans believe the tone of campaigns this year is worse than in previous elections. Only 9 percent believe that campaigns are more positive than in the past, and 49 percent said things are about the same."Many of us assumed that the tone of politics would improve after the drama over the health care debate died down, but most Americans don't see it that way," said Daniel M. Shea, director of the Center for Political Participation and co-author of the survey. New England College Hosts Congressional Debate: The Center for Civic Engagement at New England College hosted a debate for the 2010 general elections for Congress in the first district. The debate between Democrat Carol Shea Porter and Republican Frank Guinta was held on October 19. New England College partnered with the Concord Monitor, New Hampshire Business Review, WMUR.com, and WGIR radio to sponsor the debate. Pericleans Appear on Washington Monthly List of Best Colleges and Universities: This fall, Washington Monthly ranked the top universities and liberal arts colleges based on their public good in three categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). Periclean universities that were ranked in the top 100 on the university list were Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Widener University. Periclean liberal arts colleges that were ranked in the top 100 on the liberal arts colleges list were Allegheny College, Bates College, Berea College, Carleton College, Dillard University, Drew University, Earlham College, Macalester College, Morehouse College, Occidental College, Pitzer College, Rhodes College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Spelman College, Swarthmore College, and The College of Wooster. Morehouse College was ranked as the top liberal arts college in the United States according to the Washington Monthly. A link to the entire story is available here. · Project Pericles Meetings and Workshops Project Pericles Program Directors' Meeting November 15 and 16 Elon University Elon, North Carolina This conference is an opportunity for Periclean schools to share information about program development and activities, network with fellow Pericleans, discuss current and future opportunities for collaborations, and inject new insights and ideas for future initiatives. Project Pericles thanks Elon University for hosting this meeting. Project Pericles Presidents' Council Meeting December 2, 2010 New York, New York At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of Project Pericles on their campuses. Project Pericles thanks The Henry Luce Foundation for hosting this meeting. Debating for Democracy National Conference March 24-26, 2011 Pace University New York, New York The Debating for Democracy National Conference will bring together student representatives from Periclean campuses to participate in a series of educational activities with leading figures in civic engagement Project Pericles thanks Pace University for hosting this conference. 2010-2011 D4D on the Road Workshops Saturday, October 30, 2010 Berea College, Berea, KY Saturday, November 6, 2010 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY Saturday, December 4, 2010 St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD Friday, January 14, 2011 Bethune Cookman University, Daytona Beach, FL (with Spelman College and Morehouse College) Saturday, January 22, 2011 Bates College, Lewiston, ME Saturday, January 29, 2011 Carleton College, Northfield, MN (with Macalester College) Friday, February 11, 2011 Goucher College, Baltimore, MD The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 6, Spring Issue – June 2010 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
National Office Announcements 2010 Periclean Faculty Leaders Announced: Project Pericles is pleased to announce the first cohort of 26 faculty members for the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program ™. The Periclean Faculty Leaders will champion civic engagement in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community. Click here to view the list of 2010 Periclean Faculty Leaders and their courses. Periclean Faculty Leaders will create and teach courses in a wide variety of disciplines in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences that address issues of social concern, enrich curriculum, and enhance student social interest and involvement. They will also organize campus-wide activities and/or prepare an academic paper or project, and will partner with a Periclean Faculty Leader at another campus and consult with them throughout the program. Twenty-six campuses will have a Periclean Leader who will work alongside the program director. Eleven of the Periclean Leaders are Assistant Professors and fifteen are Associate or Full Professors. Periclean Leaders will be teaching civic engagement courses in fields ranging from Immunology to Environmental Science to Non-Profit Management. Jan Liss, the Executive Director of Project Pericles, said, "We are so pleased with the quality and diversity of the faculty that were selected to participate in the Periclean Faculty Leadership Program and look forward to working with them to develop curriculum that will serve as models for faculty at campuses across the United States." Examples of the Periclean courses that will be taught in the upcoming academic year are: B. Welling Hall from Earlham College will be teaching "CIVIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLKIT FOR LEGISLATIVE PROCESS." Professor Hall's course will prepare students for civic engagement by helping students translate how the work that they do in the liberal arts classroom is directly related to effective engagement in the legislative process. Professor Hall said that "students with any liberal arts major may find that the skills and methods taught in the course will be useful preparation for internships and jobs in government or as lobbyists." Emily Kane from Bates College will be teaching "RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIOLOGY." Professor Kane's course will be a practical introduction to research methods used by sociologists, including survey research, content analysis, participant observation/field research, and qualitative interviewing. The assumptions of various approaches to social science research will be considered, along with application of methods of collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. These methods will be explored through a community-based research project in the Lewiston, Maine community. Dominick Scudera from Ursinus College will be teaching "COMMUNITY BASED THEATER AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT." In Professor Scudera's course, students will examine the history, theory, and practice of a variety of community-based theaters, and will design and execute performance work tailored specifically to their local community. Students will develop the ability to assess particular needs in the community and gain the skills to address those needs through community-based performance practices. We thank our selection committee for helping us review the impressive pool of candidates: David Caputo, President Emeritus of Pace University and a member of the Project Pericles Board of Directors; Richard Ekman, President of the Council of Independent Colleges and a member of the Project Pericles Board of Directors; Neil Grabois, former President of Colgate University, former Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a member of the Project Pericles Board of Directors; and Cynthia Graae, former Executive Counselor at Project Pericles.We thank The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for supporting this new Periclean program. Project Pericles Welcomes our New Pericleans -- Carleton College, Morehouse College, and The College of Wooster: Carleton College, a liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, Morehouse College, a liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia, and The College of Wooster, a liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio, have joined Project Pericles, bringing the number of Periclean colleges and universities to 28 (listed at the end of this newsletter). Project Pericles at Carleton College, Morehouse College and The College of Wooster will advance the civic engagement efforts fostered under the leadership of President Robert A. Oden Jr., President Robert Michael Franklin, and President Grant H. Cornwell, respectively. Our newest Project Pericles Program Directors are Adrienne Falcon, Director of Academic Civic Engagement and Adjunct Instructor in Sociology at Carleton College; Weldon Jackson, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Morehouse College; and Amyaz Moledina, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of Social Entrepreneurship at TheCollege of Wooster. Eugene M. Lang, Project Pericles Founder and Chair, says, "We welcome Carleton College, Morehouse College, and The College of Wooster as respected additions to the vibrant group of colleges and universities that is leading the way for higher education to raise the level of civic participation of students, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community." Eugene M. Lang Receives Honorary Degree from the American University of Paris: On May 22, Eugene M. Lang, Founder and Chair of Project Pericles, received an honorary degree at the 2010 Commencement Ceremony of the American University of Paris. It was his 33rdhonorary degree. The University cited Mr. Lang as "the leading American philanthropist in the field of education," having "fostered social responsibility and civic engagement in countless higher education institutions." The award recognizes Mr. Lang's lifetime of public service, as well as his distinguished career pioneering international business partnerships and innovative technology transfer, including developing important relationships between France and the United States. After the ceremony, Eugene M. Lang said, "The relationship between Project Pericles and the American University in Paris is a significant step in promoting the cooperation of education leaders in associating civic engagement as an essential element of liberal arts education." Civic Engagement Course (CEC) Program Featured in Change Magazine: The article "Incorporating Education for Civic and Social Responsibility into the Undergraduate Curriculum," by Jan R. Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, and Ariane Liazos was published in the January/February 2010 issue of Change, The Magazine of Higher Learning. The article is available here and is based on the recently published White Paper. The article discusses the recent Civic Engagement Course (CEC) program and analysis of the CECs that indicates that they share three learning outcomes: 1) the ability to recognize and view issues of social concern from multiple perspectives and to formulate and express an informed opinion on those issues; 2) the ability to apply academic knowledge to issues of social concern; and 3) the motivation and capacity to utilize these abilities in new contexts in order take action in the community. The article details replicable teaching methods to help students connect classroom content with problems facing local communities and inspiring a sense of accountability that yields higher-quality work. It discusses how civic education helps students acquire the knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to take action in their communities as socially responsible citizens. Periclean Panel at AAC&U Conference: Today's economic stresses affect both colleges and community organizations. A panel, "Engaging Students in the Classroom and the Community: Cost-Effective Strategies for Bridging Theory and Practice," discussed Project Pericles' recent Civic Engagement Course (CEC) program to sponsor the development, implementation, and evaluation of courses that incorporated civic engagement into the curriculum across a wide range of institutions and disciplines. Myrna Breitbart from Hampshire College, Ella Turennefrom The New School, Nancy Blank from Widener University, and Jan R. Liss discussed courses that included a community partnership that provided benefits for students and organizations at minimal cost. This session at the annual January meeting of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, D.C. shared best practices, challenges, and solutions. D4D on the Road Completes 2009-2010 Tour: Project Pericles held 12 D4D on the Road workshops between September 2009 and February 2010 at 12 Periclean campuses. More than 450 students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members from 20 Periclean colleges and universities participated in a workshop including students from some of our newest Pericleans-Carleton College, Drew University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. D4D on the Road is a six hour Periclean workshop program on Periclean campuses designed to provide novice and seasoned activists with the tools and tactics they need to get their message across to elected officials and the media. Workshop participants learned how to analyze federal and state legislation, contact their elected officials, the news media, and other community activists, and get involved in the democratic process. The workshops were led by trainers from Midwest Academy, a national training institute committed to advancing the struggle for social, economic, and racial justice. From local neighborhood groups to statewide and national organizations, Midwest Academy has trained over 35,000 grassroots activists from hundreds of organizations and coalitions including the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists. A student from Hendrix College said, "The most valuable thing about this workshop is that it gave me a new perspective about direct advocacy and best methods of approaching it. The workshop was awesome." A community member at the Bates College workshop said, "Every single piece of information relayed by the facilitator was valuable. A great experience. Fantastic!" A faculty member from Allegheny College stated, "The workshop was excellent. The facilitator is masterful, understood the energy of our participants and responded to it beautifully. He is an excellent presenter, his 'lecture' style worked perfectly, he's got a great sense of humor and it was just wonderful to work with him!" One of the facilitators, David Hunt, returned for another visit to Allegheny in April when he led a training session that focused on the history of community organizing and how community organizing has shaped our society. Project Pericles appreciates the support of the Spencer Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for funding the workshops and thanks the faculty and administrators who hosted a workshop, the staff of Midwest Academy, and the students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members who attended the workshops. Project Pericles will be announcing details on the 2010-2011 D4D on the Road workshops soon! Periclean News Berea College Wins CIC Grant: The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Walmart Foundation have selected Berea College for a $100,000 College Success Award. The grant is to be used over a two-year period for the creation of a pilot program to increase the success of first-generation students. Berea was one of 30 colleges selected to receive the grants. These colleges together with 20 CIC award recipients seelcted in 2008 will work together as a network to assist first-generation college students, learn from one another, and serve as models for other colleges and universities. According to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the six-year graduation rate of first-generation students at private colleges and universities is 61 percent, compared with only 44 percent at public four-year institutions. Berea will use the grant toward programs available to all first-generation students, specifically targeting students from "distressed" counties as designated by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The major programming component will be a student peer-mentoring program integrating academic, work, and residential aspects of the student experience. A faculty/staff program focused on providing supportive relationships to Berea's many first-generation students is also a part of this grant. The programs are based on research that shows that first-year first-generation students who develop supportive peer and faculty/staff relationships are more likely to persist in their studies and graduate. For more about the Walmart College Success Awards and the programs of Berea College and the other recipients, visit the CIC website. Carleton College Names New President: Steven G. Poskanzer will be Carleton College's11th president. Poskanzer is currently president at the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. St. Mary's College of Maryland Names New President: The St. Mary's College of MarylandBoard of Trustees named Joseph R. Urgo as the College's next president. Urgo currently serves as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Hamilton College in upstate New York. President Chopp Endorses Dream Act: On May 3, Swarthmore College President Rebecca Chopp shared her letter in support of the DREAM Act with the Swarthmore College community. Chopp cited the "passionate advocacy work of a number of students on behalf of the bill", which would enable undocumented immigrant students who entered the country before the age of 16 to enter college and the military, as well as qualify for low-interest student loans and federal work-study opportunities. President Chopp was influenced to write her letter after reading a letter that was written by Jovanna Hernandez, a freshman at Swarthmore. Jovanna's letter to Arlen Specter on this issue was one of the six finalist letters at the 2010 Debating for Democracy Legislative Hearings. President Chopp's letter, addressed to Senators Bob Caseyand Arlen Specter and Representative Joe Sestak, can be read here. Bernstein New Cosby Endowed Professor: Alison R. Bernstein, Vice President for Education, Creativity, and Free Expression at the Ford Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of Project Pericles, will be the new William and Camille Cosby Endowed Professor at Spelman College. After more than two decades at the Ford Foundation, Bernstein will leave her position to become Cosby Professor of Humanities concentrating on U.S. history and comparative women's studies. The recipient utilizes the post to expand the College's curricular offerings by designing a course rooted in her specific area of expertise, and facilitating interdisciplinary initiatives across the campus and with other organizations. The residency concludes with a special culminating event developed and implemented by the Cosby chair. "I am deeply honored by this invitation to join the Spelman community," Bernstein shared. "At this time in U.S. history, there is no more exciting intellectual opportunity than working with and learning from these students and faculty who are so committed to pursuing academic excellence and social justice. " Johnnella E. Butler, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, notes that Dr. Bernstein will bring to the Spelman curriculum a course on Native American women's history, an area of study that Academic Affairs aims to develop further at Spelman. Periclean Scholars at Elon University Develop New Pledge: The new Elon UniversityPericlean Pledge made its debut at the Periclean Induction Ceremony on April 22. The Pledge was developed by senior Kristine Silvesrtri as part of her "common good" project for leadership. The Periclean Scholars program at Elon is committed to raising the level of civic engagement and social responsibility of the entire university community. Students who become part of the Periclean Scholars program take a series of courses (one per school year) culminating in a class project of global social change. The project is designed and carried out by the cohort of students from each year's class.Elon University Pledge We pledge to... "Listen to our partnering communities, acknowledging they often have the best solutions to local problems. Learn about our partner communities' history and traditions, to better engage in culturally-aware dialogue. Assist our partners in community-run development projects that will enable their long-term success. Responsibly study, document, and publicize our partner communities' needs and desires. Be committed to building life-long sustainable partnerships, recognizing they take hard work and dedication. Embrace our lifelong journey of global citizenship through intellectual and personal growth." Elon Students Travel to India: Eleven Elon University students in the Class of 2012 Periclean Scholars program joined two faculty mentors in Jamkhed, India, in May through a trip made possible by the Carole and Douglas Bruns Endowment for International Service Learning. Professor Tom Arcaro, director of Project Pericles at Elon, and Associate Professor Martin Kamela are leading the experience involving the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP). Students will begin individual research projects and internships over the next few weeks while learning more about CRHP. The Carole and Douglas Bruns Endowment for International Service Learning funds scholarships to enable Elon students to spend a semester or summer abroad while participating in an internship and/or working with a non-governmental or non-religious organization. Allegheny, Penn DOT College honored for I-79 storm water system: The Center for Economic and Environmental Development (CEED) at Allegheny College and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have been honored for creating an innovative, sculptural storm water management system at the Interstate 79 interchange near Meadville. The system, In Praise of Land & Water: Revisioning Stormwater on Federal Highways, received the Diamond Honor Award for excellence for water resources at the annual award banquet for the American Council of Engineering Companies, Pennsylvania Chapter. CEED director, Professor of Art, and Project Pericles Program Director Amara Geffen served as the lead artist for the design of this award-winning project that stands as a national model, merging environmental art practices with innovations in stormwater management. The project uses land art strategies to demonstrate best practices in erosion control, water quality improvement, and other environmental and aesthetic aspects of highway projects, with an emphasis on the use of recycled and repurposed materials. General concept plans for this project were developed by students in Geffen's class "Introduction to Studio Art: Art & the Environment" and engineered by an interdisciplinary team. Earlham College Named Corporate Citizen of the Year:The Wayne County Chamber of Commerce named Earlham College its 2009 Corporate Citizen of the Year. This award represents the highest recognition given by the Chamber and is awarded to the business/corporation that most exemplifies being a good corporate citizen of the community. Wagner College Senior Wins Project Pericles Student Award: Megan Allen won the Wagner College Periclean Senior Award, given for an abiding and active sense of social responsibility and civic concern through academic work or community service. Allen served as president of Wagner College's Earth Club. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Delta international sociology honors society, Habitat for Humanity, the Promising Student Society and the Gardening Club. She interned at WE ACT (West Harlem Environmental Action Inc.), a non-profit organization dedicated to building community power to fight environmental racism and improve environmental health and policy in communities of color. Last summer, her concern for the environment took her to Hawaii, where she worked on four farms and learned about organic food production through the WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) Program. She was also active with Community Health Action and the Youth Access Program in Staten Island, and the Catholic Workhouse in Hartford, CT. Megan will select an organization to receive a donation in her name. Please click here for additional details. The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. 2010 Debating for Democracy National Conference Volume 6, D4D Issue – May 2010 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
Project Pericles Hosts 2010 D4D National Conference: On April 8 and 9, 60 student leaders from 26 Periclean colleges and universities joined practitioners, activists, and experts in civic engagement for a conference that was hailed as "a great occasion" by the president of a major foundation. Hosted by Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts in New York, the conference provided a forum for students and practitioners to collaborate, discuss, and debate our society's most pressing public policy issues, including the collapse of the newspaper industry and its impact on democracy, the failure of schools to educate lower-income students, and environmental degradation. Throughout the conference, students were given advice on how to take concrete steps on the social causes they support, and return to their campus and advance civic engagement in higher education. The students were enthusiastically welcomed to New York by Jan R. Liss, Executive Director, Eugene M. Lang, Founder and Chair of Project Pericles, and Neil Gordon, Dean of Eugene Lang College. The Road from Student to Social Activist: To kick off the conference, students were treated to a panel of leading social activists who shared their journeys -- some circuitous, some direct -- from their undergraduate days to their current civically-focused occupations. Following the panel, students met in small groups with the panelists to discuss their ideas for addressing the social issues that matter most to them. Project Pericles thanks our panelists and workshop leaders for sharing their expertise with students: Christopher Kush, CEO of Soapbox Consulting; Susan M. Liss, Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law; Mandara Meyers, National Director of Programs at the Center for Progressive Leadership; and Beth Coleman, a 2009 graduate of Berea College and leader of the team that won the 2008 D4D Legislative Hearing competition. The panelists all have spent a significant part of their careers helping people learn, express, act, and, most importantly, influence the key people in our society who make decisions on critical public policy issues. During the workshops, the students met with Christopher Kush, Mandara Meyers, Beth Coleman, and Mimi Marziani, counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, to practice developing strategies for social action and to give each other feedback. In Mandara Meyers' workshop, students were given the opportunity to deepen the understanding of their values and practice communicating and framing their issues from their values. In Christopher Kush's workshop, students learned how to write a formal and "heartfelt" letter to an elected official. In discussing their experience in the workshops, one student commented, "I loved the group workshops because they gave us a chance to pick [the panelists'] brains, and they were extremely motivating." Addressing the Education Achievement Gap in America: Students listened raptly as three education specialists discussed, and occasionally disagreed about, how to close the education achievement gap in the United States. Michael S. McPherson, President of the Spencer Foundation and author of several books on college access, discussed the findings from his 2009 book "Crossing the Finish Line," sharing that minority students have markedly lower graduation rates-and take longer to earn degrees-even taking variables such as income into account. Seth Andrew, Founder and Head of School of Democracy Prep Charter School, captivated the audience with his detailed account of founding a successful charter school in Harlem that prepares students for active citizenship - a school whose students' state test scores compare favorably with those from the most affluent districts in New York. Danielle Moss Lee, President and CEO of the Harlem Education Activities Fund, presented a different, non-charter model that her organization uses to help lower-income students attend college at rates far above their peers in the surrounding community. The panelists and audience members engaged in a vigorous debate on public schools and charter schools. Seth Andrew advocates for New York State to increase the number of charter schools so that more people will have access to successful charter schools, but Danielle Moss Lee argued that charter schools are not a cure-all and reminded the audience that many charter schools perform worse than public schools. The students praised the panelists for sharing "their insights and real, applicable knowledge." Our thanks to Leo Lambert, President of Elon University, for moderating the panel. D4D Legislative Hearing - Students Present Their Public Policy Solutions: A conference highlight, the "D4D Legislative Hearing," gave students a forum to articulate their solutions to some of today's most important public policy issues. The students presented original letters written to Members of Congress to a "legislative committee" consisting of former U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey and Harris Wofford. (Former Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker, slated to be the third legislator, was unable to attend when her flight was canceled due to bad weather. However, her questions and suggestions for the students were presented during the hearing.) The six teams who participated in the legislative hearing were selected by a panel of judges from a pool of 63 letters from 26 Periclean colleges and universities. (L-R) Former U.S. Senators Harris Wofford and Bob Kerrey, Jan Liss, Executive Director, and Eugene Lang, Founder and Chair of Project Pericles, congratulate the Berea College team of Matthew Callo, Amber Stanton, and Charles Badger, winners of the 2010 Debating for Democracy Legislative Hearing competition. The six finalist teams were: Berea College, "The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (HR 3204): Establishing Community Development Organizations in Economically Disadvantaged Urban Areas to Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL)" Presented by Charles Badger, Matthew Callo, and Amber Stanton This letter supports the passage of House Resolution 3204, which authorizes states and localities receiving assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes to use those funds to renovate housing in their communities in need of repair, rather than sending the funds to the Treasury for debt reduction. The author lives in a community receiving this assistance. Carleton College, "A Letter in Support of a Holistic Federal Surface Transportation Bill to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)" Presented by Dan Levy, Logan Nash, and Charlotte Turovsky This letter outlines the authors' vision for improving federal surface transportation policy, especially providing more funding for environmentally-friendly public transit and light rail. Chatham University, "A Letter Concerning Childcare Subsidies to Congressman Michael Doyle (D-PA)" Presented by Jillian Myers, Amber Phillips, and Laura Reigle This letter supports transferring the oversight of funding for childcare subsidies from the states to the federal government, in order to ensure that working parents continue to receive these subsidies. Earlham College, "A Letter in Support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2009 to Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN)" Presented by Conor Hall, Mary Jones, and Hannah Hale Leifheit This letter urges passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2009, which would prohibit discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Elon University, "A Letter in Support of the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act to Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)" Presented by Erin Mellett, Zachary Power, and Collin Watson This letter supports the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act, which provides funding for the development and use of small modular nuclear reactors, a transportable form of nuclear power. Swarthmore College, "A Letter in Support of the DREAM Act to Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA)" Presented by Jovanna Hernandez, Katherine Lam, and Kimberly St. Julian This letter urges Senator Specter to reintroduce the DREAM Act, which allows undocumented children of immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least four years and who graduate from high school to pay in-state tuition at a state college. The author has a sister who would qualify for this program. Audience members were struck by students' poise and detailed knowledge as they responded to the Legislative Committee's challenging questions. One student commented that the "legislative hearings were the most valuable part of the conference because it gave each student the opportunity to evaluate the winning letters" and "to gain tips about how to draft a concise and effective letter." Congratulations to the winning team from Berea College! The Berea team will receive a $3,000 award to fund advocacy and education activities, including lobbying trips and education workshops, related to the issue presented in their letter. During the hearing, the Berea team discussed how their proposal to finance the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes would help revitalize the team leader's hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Amber Stanton, the team's leader, said that "the legislative hearing not only allowed me to advocate for my community, but also taught me the formalities of advocacy. I look forward to using the funding to lobby and help rebuild neglected low-income communities." The other five finalist teams will each receive $500 to fund advocacy and education activities related to their issue. Sincere thanks to Senators Kassebaum Baker, Kerrey, and Wofford for providing our students with such an incredible opportunity. Day One of Conference Ends on a High Note: The conference's first day was capped off with a celebratory dinner for over 120 special guests, including students, Periclean Presidents, faculty, Project Pericles Board members and Project Pericles Advisory Board members. The gathering listened as Lourdes Rosado, Swarthmore College graduate and Associate Director of Philadelphia's Juvenile Law Center, and the Philadelphia Inquirer's 2009 "Citizen of the Year," delivered a keynote speech detailing her effort to have the convictions of approximately 6,500 juveniles vacated after it was alleged that two Luzerne County judges had received over $1.3 million each in kickbacks from a privately run juvenile detention center. Project Pericles was also proud to present Leo M. Lambert, the President of Elon University, with the 2010 Periclean Service Award in recognition of his nine years of leadership service to Project Pericles variously as the President of a founding Periclean University, a member of our Board of Directors, and inaugural Chair of our Presidents' Council. The award was presented to President Lambert by Eugene M. Lang. Four Social Entrepreneurs Who Turned Their Ideas Into Reality: How can a student turn his/her social action idea into a successful organization? To kick off day two of the conference, four highly accomplished social entrepreneurs shared their experiences starting non-profits, discussing the source of their inspiration and the challenges and rewards that they encountered along the way. Many thanks to our panelists: Adam Green, Founder and Executive Director of Rocking the Boat; Rebecca Onie, Founder and CEO of Project HEALTH; David del Ser, Founder of Frogtek; and Dorothy Stoneman, Founder and President of YouthBuild USA. During the panel discussion, David del Ser told students how his travels in Latin America convinced him to start a company that creates cellphone software for shopkeepers in Columbia that helps them better manage their inventory and improve their profits. David del Ser and the other panelists urged students to travel to different parts of the world so that they can better understand the poverty that impacts people around the globe. During the workshops that followed the panel, students had a chance to hear more about the panelists and get constructive advice on starting a non-profit. Students in Adam Green's workshop said that they appreciated his "real world advice" and said that his comments were very helpful for their stage of social entrepreneurship. Reflecting on her interactions with these social entrepreneurs, one student commented that "the most valuable part of the conference was learning how many of these amazing projects, which seem like huge ideas, got their beginnings. By seeing how naturally these projects started, it was easier for me to see how we can bring the tools we developed back to our campuses." Does the Current State of Journalism Threaten Our Democracy? During the conference's final panel, three professional journalists addressed the major threats to the field of journalism, and the related negative consequences for our democracy. We thank our panelists: Lisa Anderson, an Encore Fellow at the Columbia Journalism Review and the former bureau chief of the Chicago Tribune; Susan Robinson King, Vice President, External Affairs and Program Director, Journalism Initiative, Special Initiatives and Strategy, at the Carnegie Corporation of New York; and Maria Hinojosa, President of The Futuro Media Group and host of NPR's Latino USA; and moderator Grant Cornwell, President of The College of Wooster, our newest Periclean. During a key moment in the session, Maria Hinojosa asserted that one reason profits are failing for television news networks like CNN is because they "don't cater to Hispanics," the fastest growing demographic in the United States. At the end of the session, a student asked the panel if blogs were a possible replacement for newspapers. Lisa Anderson argued that blogs can't replace newspapers because blogs "don't have to be fact-checked before they are published." All three of the panelists agreed that blogs supplement newspapers, but are not a solution for the current crisis impacting newspapers. Possible solutions to these concerns were discussed, including government funding and university-based news gathering. One student cited the journalism and democracy panel as "exactly the kind of conversation we should be having about democracy." Youth and Commitment: A Truly Renewable Energy Source: The conference concluded with a lunchtime keynote, "On Youth and Commitment: The Only Truly Renewable Energy Source" delivered by Peter Harnik, Director of the Center for City Park Excellence at The Trust for Public Land. Students were regaled with tales that spanned the history of the modern environmental movement, including a first-hand account of the launch of Earth Day. Final Thoughts: When asked to sum up her thoughts about the conference, a student from Earlham College said, "It was very beneficial, educational, and inspiring to speak to and get to know people like Harris Wofford, Eugene Lang, and many, many others, as well as my peers who are involved in such wonderful ways." A foundation officer noted, "D4D is an impressive program that gets at the heart of liberal education, and the conference was a genuine pleasure." Project Pericles thanks the many people who helped us make this conference such a success. We especially want to thank the students, who exhibited an infectious enthusiasm throughout the conference; the Program Directors, who advised and supported their students over the year; the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for providing the financial support to make the conference a reality; and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts and its Dean, Neil Gordon, and Project Pericles Program Director, Ella Turenne, for hosting the conference. The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 1 – October/November 2009 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
National Office Announcements Inaugural Executive Director of Project Pericles Passes Away: It is with great sadness that we share the news that Dr. Karen E. Holt, the first Executive Director of Project Pericles, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, October 27. Karen was the inaugural Executive Director of Project Pericles, and we could not have asked for anyone better. With her warm and professional nature, and her personal affinity to the mission of Project Pericles, she developed a strong rapport and constructive relationships with numerous and diverse constituents of our Periclean schools, including presidents, faculty, Periclean Program Directors, administrators, and students. When Karen began her employment in 2003, Project Pericles was substantially in "start-up mode." By the time she left our organization in 2005, Project Pericles was solidly established as an organization of national import, with a diverse group of twenty colleges and universities actively committed to our mission and its objectives. Karen went on to do valuable work in the field of civic engagement, first as the Director of the Fanning Institute at the University of Georgia and most recently as the Assistant Vice President for Public Service at the University of Tennessee. Through those years, she also remained a Special Advisor to Project Pericles and a cherished friend. Karen will be missed dearly by all of us at Project Pericles. Project Pericles White Paper Shares Strategies for Incorporating Civic Engagement in the Classroom: The Project Pericles Civic Engagement Course (CEC) Program™ White Paper, "Civic Engagement in the Classroom: Strategies for Incorporating Education for Civic and Social Responsibility in the Undergraduate Curriculum," by Ariane Liazos and Jan Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, is now available online. The White Paper shares the learning of the Project Pericles Signature CEC Program and focuses on specific pedagogical strategies employed by the faculty to integrate education for civic and social responsibility into their courses, as well as the unique challenges of civic education. The analysis finds that most CECs shared three learning outcomes: the ability to recognize and view issues of social concern from multiple perspectives and to formulate and express an informed opinion on these issues; the ability to relate academic materials to their practical applications regarding issues of social concern; and the motivation and capacity to utilize these abilities to take action in the community. These three learning outcomes benefit students as they consider their personal places in the wider world. The White Paper also gives guidance on transferability to other institutions and disciplines; best practices that can be applied on a wide range of campuses; and an extensive bibliography. This program received generous support from the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, The Teagle Foundation, and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. Links to the syllabi for all 44 courses are available here. Welcome to Our Newest Pericleans, Drew University, Earlham College, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI): Drew University, a liberal arts college in Madison, New Jersey; Earlham College, a liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana; and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), a university with a strong undergraduate program in Troy, New York have joined Project Pericles, bringing the number of Periclean institutions to 25 (listed at the end of this newsletter). Project Pericles at Drew, Earlham, and RPI will advance the civic engagement efforts fostered under the leadership of President Robert Weisbuch, President Douglas Bennett, and President Shirley Ann Jackson, respectively. Our newest Project Pericles Program Directors are Amy Koritz, Director of the Center for Civic Engagement and Professor of English at Drew, Avis Stewart, Vice President for Community Relations at Earlham and Eddie Ade Knowles, Vice President for Student Life at RPI. They have hit the ground running and the three contributed significantly to our Program Directors' meeting at Swarthmore College. Eugene M. Lang, Project Pericles Founder and Chair, says, "We welcome Drew, Earlham, and RPI as respected additions to the vibrant group of colleges and universities that is leading the way for higher education to raise the level of civic participation of students, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community." Please join us in welcoming Drew, Earlham, and RPI to Project Pericles. We look forward to working with them in the years ahead. Program Directors Meeting Held at Swarthmore: This year, our annual Program Directors' Conference was hosted by Swarthmore College on November 2 and 3. During the conference, Program Directors from Periclean campuses met to discuss issues of common concern. The conference began with opening remarks from Eugene M. Lang and Rebecca Chopp, the President of Swarthmore College. The first day of the conference featured a discussion on civic engagement programs led by Brian Rosenberg, the President of Macalester College and the Chair of the Project Pericles Presidents' Council. During this discussion, Program Directors shared best practices, successes, and challenges they face at their colleges. Later in the day, Program Directors attended a poster session at the Eugene M. Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility at Swarthmore. Program Directors had a chance to speak with students from a variety of Swarthmore student groups including the Global Health Forum, Pemón Health, Saturdays of Service, Sudan Radio Project, Swarthmore STAND, the Village Education Project, and War News Radio. At the conclusion of the first day, Program Directors attended a wonderful dinner at President Chopp's home. President Chopp and President James Harris from Widener University addressed the dinner attendees. The highlight of the second day of the conference were visits to three community partners who work closely with faculty and students from Swarthmore College and Widener University. Program Directors visited the Chester Community Improvement Project, an organization that helps revitalize the City of Chester by building the base of home ownership; the College Access Center of Delaware County, an organization run by Swarthmore College, Widener University, and other Pennsylvania colleges that provides comprehensive college services; and Chester Eastside Ministries, an outreach ministry dedicated to serving and empowering the Chester community. At each of these sites, Program Directors spoke with Swarthmore faculty and students, and staff from the community group and learned more about the organizations. Project Pericles thanks everybody who helped make this conference such a success, with special thanks to everyone from Swarthmore College and its Lang Center for Civic and Social Reponsibility. Veitch Inaugurated as New President of Occidental College: On October 24, Jonathan Veitch was inaugurated as president of Occidental College. Veitch is a literature and history professor with degrees from Stanford and Harvard. Prior to becoming the President of Occidental, President Veitch was the Dean of Eugene Lang College at The New School. Eugene M. Lang spoke at President Veitch's inauguration. Mr. Lang said, "I believe that Jonathan Veitch and Occidental College are made for each other, and personally and through Project Pericles, will help make this a more just and compassionate world." "D4D on the Road" Hits the Road Again: "D4D on the Road" is a Periclean program that brings advocacy experts to Periclean campuses to deliver workshops designed to empower and prepare students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and community members to work within our democratic processes to improve the condition of society. These inter-campus workshops provide training in leadership development, media strategy, coalition building, developing an effective message, and electoral politics. This fall, Project Pericles has hosted seven "D4D on the Road" workshops at seven Periclean campuses: Allegheny College, Dillard University, Drew University, New England College, Pace University, Pitzer College, and St. Mary's College of Maryland. One of the most exciting aspects of the workshops is that students, administrators, and faculty from neighboring campuses get to work with each other. Students from Occidental College attended the workshop at Pitzer College, students from Chatham University attended the workshop at Allegheny College, and students from RPI attended the workshop at Pace University. The workshops are led by trainers from Midwest Academy. Midwest Academy is a national training institute committed to advancing the struggle for social, economic, and racial justice. From local neighborhood groups to statewide and national organizations, Midwest Academy has trained over 25,000 grassroots activists from hundreds of organizations and coalitions including the Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The interactive D4D workshop helps attendees understand the fundamentals of direct action organizing where people who share a concern can organize. They can agree on a solution that meets their needs and, with the strength of their numbers, influence elected officials and other officials to address their concerns. A faculty member who participated in a workshop said, "I would recommend the workshop to anyone who asks!" A student commented, "A veil has been lifted from my eyes! Now, I know how to analyze power and act on that analysis. Before, I felt powerless." Information on registering for a workshop is available here or by contacting David Rippon. A list of the 2010 workshops appears in the Project Pericles Meetings section of this newsletter. Project Pericles wants to thank the Spencer Foundation for supporting the 12 "D4D on the Road" workshops. Project Pericles Staff Lead Seminars: In June, Jan Liss was a faculty member at the Reed College Alumni College in Portland, Oregon. This year's program "Are the Humanities Still Relevant?" invited educators and others to examine the challenges and changes in the liberal arts curriculum over the past 40 years. Alumni guest teachers and Reed faculty members facilitated discussions on topics ranging from the rise of multiculturalism to the increasing dominance of technology. Participants undertook a critical review of contemporary arguments for making humanities the heart of a liberal arts education. Jan gave a lecture entitled "Making the Case for the Humanities and Social Responsibility." Pericleans Attend AAC&U Conference in Minneapolis: In October, representatives from eight Periclean colleges and universities were in Minneapolis, MN to attend The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) conference: Educating for Personal and Social Responsibility: Deepening Student and Campus Commitments. Jake Levy-Pollans, a recent graduate of Macalester College; Christian Rice, Project Pericles Program Director at Ursinus College; David Rippon, Assistant Director of Project Pericles; Karin Trail-Johnson, Project Pericles Program Director at Macalester College; and Billy Wooten, Professor of Communication at Berea College, led a workshop at the conference entitled "Partnerships that Prepare Students for Political Engagement and Participation: A Best Practices Workshop." They described strategies and models for developing partnerships among colleges, non-profits, and community organizations that result in programs to increase students' political engagement and learning. Project Pericles on CampusThis month, we are focusing on two programs at Periclean colleges (Allegheny and Ursinus) that provide students with meaningful work while simultaneously addressing the needs of community members. Through community-based experiences, these Periclean institutions have developed models to help students be effective leaders of their campus and community. Allegheny College During the summer of 2009, 38 Allegheny College students worked in collaboration with eight faculty, three staff, and countless community partners on projects in support of a sustainable Meadville, Pennsylvania, Periclean hometown of Allegheny. Student leaders worked with the various Civic Engagement Council programs and faculty and were provided internships, fellowships, and leadership positions funded through the Dean of the College's discretionary funds, the Farhner Fund for Community Engagement, the Bonner and Davies Leader's programs and the CEED and Civic Engagement Council (CEC) offices. Periclean summer leadership projects were organized around five strategic focus areas: Art, Beautification, and Community Development; Business, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development; Political Engagement and Policy; Energy, Environment, Health, and Sustainable Communities; and Education. Each program area involved research and program initiatives. Projects included:
Ursinus College An Ursinus College summer project has made it possible for more students to address social problems in their communities. Senior Elizabeth Cannon's summer project (which stemmed from a study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa and from her participation in Project Pericles' Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference in 2008) has resulted in a new community service office at Ursinus, and a new web site called UCARE (Ursinus Center for Advocacy, Responsibility and Engagement). UCARE was developed to assist students who want to make a difference in their classrooms and communities, and promote civic responsibility. The office organizes information on student-led service groups, weekly volunteer opportunities, post-graduation fellowships and regional, national, and international volunteer opportunities. It supplies information on community partnerships such as a local recycling center and meal services, and the college's own tutoring program for cleaning staff from Ursinus College who are learning English. Cannon, a Social Ecology and Politics double major, said that her experience with the Council for International Education Exchange Cape Town Service Learning Program helped her learn the integrated approach to community involvement. While participating in this program, she designed a program that empowered middle school girls in Cape Town through sports. "Last year, I had the opportunity to attend the Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference in New York City," she said. "The D4D conference promoted thoughtful and constructive civic understanding and involvement of students on all of the Periclean campuses. The experience helped solidify my interest in embracing a more active and creative role in advocating our ability on this campus to revitalize the vision of civic engagement." She went on to say that the "rationale for this project developed from the belief that Ursinus needed to better incorporate the ideology of Eugene Lang and Project Pericles in regards to the concept behind social awareness and participatory citizenship." Her summer project, called "Affirming the Legacy of Pericles," was one of 70 research projects completed in the Summer Fellows program at Ursinus College, which allows selected students to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor. News from Project Pericles Program DirectorsPitzer College Recieves Grant for College Access Program: Pitzer College faculty and staff, along with members of The Claremont Colleges, received a 2009 BLAIS Grant Award to complete the first phase of the Consortium for Area Revitalization Through Education (CARE) and launch its pilot program in North Long Beach, CA. Professors Martha Barcenas-Mooradian, Tessa Hicks Peterson (Project Pericles Program Director), Edith Vasquez, and Pitzer's Center for California Cultural and Social Issues Assistant Director Sandra Mayo will collaborate with faculty and staff from the other Claremont Colleges in CARE. The goal of the program is to create a federally-funded pipeline that draws disadvantaged minority students from elementary through post-secondary education, to become the centerpiece for a model of school-centered community revitalization. David Scobey Article Appears in Inside Higher Ed: An Inside Higher Ed essay by Bates Collegeprofessor and Project Pericles Program Director David Scobey suggests how colleges might respond to the decline of the American newspaper and the resulting loss of civic engagement provided by newspapers. Scobey suggests that colleges launch campus-based news operations, staffed professionally but also offering training and mentoring to students. Focusing on local issues, such news operations could "catalyze new forms of journalistic education... more organically connected to liberal learning, writing pedagogy and student engagement in public affairs," Scobey writes. "They might serve as a much-needed laboratory for the civic journalism movement." Project Pericles Meetings Project Pericles Presidents' Council Meeting December 1, 2009 New York City, New York At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of Project Pericles on their campuses. The Presidents' Council Meeting will be hosted by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Debating for Democracy National Conference April 8-9, 2010 New York City New York The Debating for Democracy National Conference will bring together student representatives from all Periclean campuses to participate in a series of educational activities with leading figures in civic engagement. The conference will be hosted by The New School. 2010 D4D on the Road Workshops Saturday, January 23, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania (with Swarthmore College and Ursinus College) Friday, January 29, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York (with The New School and Pace University) Saturday, January 30, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine Saturday, January 30, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota (with Carleton College) Saturday, February 14, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas (with Rhodes College) The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 6 – May 2009 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.
Periclean Students in Action Berea College student Beth Coleman (Left) and Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change in the Obama Administration, met in April to discuss mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. In April 2009, Periclean students from Allegheny College (Sam Rigotti and Megan Sullivan) and Berea College (Beth Coleman, Ken Johnson, Triston Jones, Sean Owsley, and Jamoria Reed) spent a week speaking to members of Congress and their staff, White House senior staff, and leaders of environmental advocacy organizations to urge action on legislation to end mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. Beth Coleman, a senior at Berea College and a member of the team that won the 2008 Debating for Democracy (D4D) legislative proposal competition, used a portion of Berea's $4,000 award from Project Pericles to fund the trip. During the week, the students participated in a number of meetings:
To read an article that Beth Coleman wrote about her exciting journey from the Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Event in New York in 2008 to the corridors of power in Washington, DC in 2009, click here. National Office Announcements New Program Associate at Project Pericles: Sarah Roberts will be joining Project Pericles as the new Program Associate in mid-June. Sarah recently graduated from Harvard College with an AB in Government. She completed an Honors thesis in 2009: "Depart to Serve Better Thy Country: Preparing Undergraduates for Citizenship at Harvard and in Democratic Theory." Sarah will be replacing Liz Kaziunas who is leaving Project Pericles to attend Syracuse University for a Masters in Information Management, focusing on human-computer interaction. Project Pericles thanks Liz for all of the wonderful work she has done during her two year tenure. We wish her well with her future pursuits. Swarthmore Will Host Program Directors Meeting: President-Designate Rebecca Chopp, Program Director Joy Charlton and the entire Swarthmore College community will be hosting the 2009 Project Pericles Program Directors meeting at their campus in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The conference will be held on November 2 and 3. Widener University President Jim Harris and Program Directors Marcine Pickron-Davis and Jim Vike are helping to organize the conference. This annual meeting is an opportunity for Periclean schools to share information about program development and activities, network with fellow Pericleans, discuss current and future opportunities for collaborations, and inject new insights and ideas for future initiatives. Periclean News Widener Celebrates Students' Civic Engagement Achievements: Widener University Student Project Day on April 17 featured student presentations on community-based research and course-related service projects in a range of disciplines. Science students presented on their use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to aid wildlife support and water quality efforts on a local subsistence farm, and also to generate GIS-supported recommendations to guide the Chester Shade Tree Commission. Communication Studies students delivered customized marketing and promotional campaign materials to three different area non-profit organizations. Business students in the senior management seminar presented their market research and business plans for two local start-up ventures and four existing small businesses. The interdependent relationships with local businesses were coordinated through the Widener Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Social Action Projects Completed at Swarthmore: The Eugene M. Lang Opportunity Scholarship Program at Swarthmore College supports six students from each class year over a three-year period. Lang Scholars receive advising and peer support as well as funding for a summer internship and the implementation of a major social action project. Projects completed by Lang Scholars graduating this June include:
Wagner Announces Civic Engagement Awards: The Wagner College 2009 Civic Engagement Awards were announced at a ceremony on April 23. The awards recognize and honor exceptional individuals and community partners who exemplify a sense of caring and responsibility for others and work to address community problems. The awards are given in five categories: Wagner faculty, Wagnerstaff, Wagner community partner, Wagner student, and Wagner department. Professor Patricia Moynagh, the Project Pericles Program Director at Wagner College, received the faculty award. In addition to the Civic Engagement Awards, Project Pericles gave its Senior Awards for "socially responsible and participatory citizenship" to David Hammill '09. During his tenure at Wagner, David was very involved in a number of Periclean activities including Debating for Democracy (D4D). Busy Spring Semester at Eugene Lang College: Eugene Lang College at The New School kicked the semester off by hosting a Debating for Democracy (D4D) on the Road workshop in February. In March, 14 students went to New Orleans to work with a local community partner, The Urban Conservancy. Students worked on projects around urban issues and interviewed community members and worked with grassroots organizations. In April, a student debate team from Eugene Lang Collegehad their first match with the Arthur Kill debate team, a group of incarcerated men at a prison in Staten Island. In May, students unveiled a mural they worked on with residents of the Chelsea Elliott Housing Project. Students have also been working with the same community to develop a sustainable community garden. Finally, Eugene Lang College will be sending a delegation of 17 students to South Dakota to build houses and learn about communities in the Cheyenne River Reservation through Habitat for Humanity. Alternative Spring Break at Macalester: Macalester College has sponsored four consecutive hurricane relief alternative break trips. In addition to a service component, the alternative breaks sponsored by Macalester have included opportunities to connect with Macalester alumni in both Gulfport and New Orleans, a Geology of Katrina Tour with the Chair of the Earth & Environmental Science Department at Tulane, and significant pre & post-trip preparation. Each group has shared their experiences and insights with the Macalester community after their return to campus. Exciting Year for Civic Engagement at New England College: This year, students at New England College have taken the lead on a number of important issues and now better understand the importance of civic engagement. The Environmental Action Committee (EAC) successfully reinvigorated the school's recycling program by monitoring the recycling in 20 buildings across campus. They have started to take this recycling program outside of NEC to the community and plan to work with the town of Henniker to get a community wide recycling program in place. They also worked with Chartwells, the campus food provider, to reduce waste in the dining hall. The Center of Civic Engagement at New England College created a student group called CiviCorps that organized two Congressional debates between US Senate and House candidates and organized a voter registration drive. In addition, they have been active with the refugee community in Concord, New Hampshire. Elon Students Increase Solar Cooking Throughout Ghana: Solar cooking has been dubbed, "The Simple Tool That Saves Women's Lives" and was recently featured in PARADE magazine, prompting a surge of interest in the topic. But for 2010 Periclean Scholars Kristin Shulz and Allison Brooks, solar cooking has been the topic of conversation for quite a while. The two students have teamed up to form a partnership with Ho Polytechnic to promote the use of solar cookers throughout the surrounding communities in and around Ho, Ghana. For Schulz, the prospect of learning about a different culture while devoting her time to service was a perfect fit. "In the past, I've been all over the place," says Schulz. "I always thought it would be neat to see how much I could accomplish if I focused all my energy on one project while working with a group of people." The idea of solar cooking was originally proposed to her by Dr. Brian Digre, director of the International Studies Program at Elon University and recipient of the Periclean Award for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility in 2008. Chatham University Welcomes State Representative to Discuss Anti-Discrimination Legislation:Chatham's Project Pericles program recently teamed up with the Social Work Department to present "A Conversation with Representative Dan Frankel". About 50 members of the Chatham community attended and many were able to talk one-on-one with Representative Frankel. Representative Frankel visited campus to discuss HB300, anti-discrimination legislation currently in the appropriations committee of the PA State House. This bill amends the 1955 PA Human Relations Act, to include "freedom from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression." Students were given an insiders view into the workings of legislation. Representative Frankel discussed the legislative process and the politics involved with negotiating the passage of a bill. His staff also provided tips on advocating to government officials. Social work students and others interested in the legislation attended and were able to ask the Representative questions about the bill as well as other current pieces of legislation. Bates Convenes "PWIPs": One of the core goals at the Harward Center at Bates College is to convene discussions that share the work of campus-community partnerships. The Public Works In Progress series (PWIPs) has been a key venue for such sharing and reflection. Now in its third year, PWIPs are lunch-hour talks by Bates faculty and staff about community-based research, project partnerships, or service-learning courses in which they are involved. The Center hosted 14 PWIPs in 2008-2009. The talks continue to draw about 25 participants a week, including a great mix of Bates faculty, staff, students, and community partners. The year in PWIPs included a diversity of disciplines, projects, and topics, from educational policy analysis to climate change research on the Maine coast to a video of a community meal created in an Anthropology class. The Harward Center was especially pleased to include presentations not only by Bates faculty and staff, but also by colleagues from Bowdoin College, Colby College, and the University of Southern Maine. The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 5, Issue 5 – March/April 2009 The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community. National Office Announcements "D4D on the Road a Big Success": Project Pericles held 12 "D4D on the Road" workshops between September 26, 2008 and February 20, 2009 at 12 Periclean campuses. The final workshop was held at The New School on February 20 with students from Pace University and Wagner College joining students and faculty from The New School for a inter-campus program. More than 450 students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members from all 22 Periclean colleges and universities participated in a workshop. "D4D on the Road" was a six-hour training workshop designed to provide novice and seasoned political activists with the tools and tactics they need to get their message across to elected officials and the media. Workshop participants learned how to analyze federal and state legislation, contact their elected officials, the news media, and other community activists, and get involved in the democratic process. The workshops were led by Soapbox Consulting, a Washington, DC based organization headed by Christopher Kush, the author of The One-Hour Activist. Soapbox Consulting is a leading provider of training seminars, workshops, and lobby days for many national associations including the American Cancer Society, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Human Rights Campaign and others. At the conclusion of the final workshop, students were asked for their comments on the workshop. One student from The New School said, "The workshop gives people the tools they need to be involved. People like me may have wanted to be involved in advocacy, but didn't know how. Now, I am certainly prepared." Following each workshop, we asked people to contact us if they took "an action" (i.e. volunteer for a political campaign, write a letter to an elected official, etc.) related to what they learned at the workshop. Here is a list of some of the actions that people took.
Project Pericles would like to thank the Spencer Foundation for funding the workshops, the faculty and administrators who hosted a workshop, the staff of Soapbox Consulting, and the students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members who completed a workshop. Periclean News Dean Julie Barchitta Passes Away: Dean Julia M. "Julie" Barchitta passed away on February 22, 2009 following a long battle with cancer. Julie had been a member of the Wagner College family since enrolling as an undergraduate in 1960. "Julia represented the best of Wagner: high professional achievement, a welcoming and inclusive personality, and a wonderful sense of humor," said Wagner College President Richard Guarasci. Dean Barchitta played in key role in designing the Debating for Democracy (D4D) program at Project Pericles and was strong supporter of civic engagement programs at Wagner College. The Project Pericles staff sends our condolences to her family, friends, and colleagues at Wagner College. A memorial service is scheduled in the Campus Hall Performing Center at Wagner College on April 24 at 10:00 am. Wagner College Program Featured in Chronicle of Higher Education: The Chronicle of Higher Education published a front-page story in its February, 27, 2009 issue on the Civic Innovations program at Wagner College. Civic Innovations, a strategic initiative, addresses needs of disadvantaged youth and is a collaboration between Wagner College and youth serving agencies on Staten Island. Civic Innovations promotes two program strategies: Community-Connected Departments (CCDs) and a Youth Advocacy Consortium (YAC). The model transforms college and community by implementing institutional and curricular changes that integrate service-learning pedagogy and civic engagement values, while utilizing college student and faculty expertise to enhance lives of disadvantaged youth. The model coordinates services and provides a means for community-based organizations to share resources and collaborate. A copy of the story can be viewed here. Pericleans on Corporation for National Service Honor Roll: The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs. The Honor Roll's Presidential Award, given each year to a handful of institutions, is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and is sponsored by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development. Honorees for the award were chosen based on factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. Overall, the Community Service Honor Roll awarded six schools with Presidential Awards. Eighty-three institutions were recognized as Honor Roll With Distinction members and 546 schools as Honor Roll members. Four Periclean colleges and universities (Berea College, Elon University, Macalester College, and Wagner College) were on the Honor Roll With Distinction and seven Periclean colleges and universities (Bethune-Cookman University, Occidental College, Pace University, Pitzer College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Ursinus College, and Widener University) were on the Honor Roll. Chatham University Develops Partnership to Promote Energy Efficiency: One of Chatham University's sustained partnerships is with Pittsburgh's Conservation Consultants Inc. (CCI). CCI is one of the 25 largest non-medical non-higher education non-profits in Pittsburgh with a mission to help homeowners improve energy efficiency from the individual to neighborhood levels. Students at Chatham have prepared educational materials for CCI programs and helped staff informational booths at the Pittsburgh home show. CCI's educational program is working with Chatham's children's programming at their new Eden Hall Farm campus to design age-appropriate nature education. These connections have been infused into Chatham's curriculum through environmental studies and general education core classes. These efforts are coordinated by the Chatham University Sustainability office and students in related courses. Americorps Program Expands at Allegheny College: A collaborative project of Allegheny College, Edinboro University, Mercyhurst College and Gannon University, the Children and Youth AmeriCorps VISTA Project of Northwestern Pennsylvania was selected to represent Pennsylvania in VISTA's annual report this year."I was particularly honored that our project was selected to represent Pennsylvania because it's a testament to the hard work of our partnership schools over the past six years and especially of the initial work of Allegheny alumnae Rebecca Gebhart '03 and Rebekah Gayley '03, the two VISTAs who were the architects of the entire project," said David Roncolato, project director and director of community service and service learning at Allegheny. The project addresses physical and mental health issues of children and youth in poverty and their families or households; offers assistance to parents with a focus on intergenerational programs; fosters communication and collaboration among different age groups; and enhances curricular and co-curricular education for children and youth in poverty. Thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes $201 million in funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service, agencies and organizations in Erie and Crawford counties will be able to host 28 AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) workers, about a third more this year than they hosted last year. National Civic Engagement News U.S. Senate Passes National Service Legislation: The U.S. Senate approved a bill on March 27, 2009 that would greatly expand federally sponsored volunteer programs. Known as the Serve America Act, the bill would triple the number of AmeriCorp volunteers to 250,000 and boost the educational stipend they receive to meet President Barack Obama's goal of teaming community service with tuition assistance. It creates new "corps" focused on health care, clean energy, education, and disaster response. A coalition of over 190 organizations, including Project Pericles, put this issue on the national agenda and helped get this important legislation passed in the Senate. The House of Representatives previously approved the legislation, but will have to vote on it again because of several amendments. House leaders have said they will try to pass the bipartisan bill in early April and President Obama has promised to sign it. A March 27, 2009 editorial from the Wall Street Journal discussing the bill can be viewed here. To subscribe, email us at [email protected]. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at [email protected]. "CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"® Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College • Bates College • Berea College • Bethune-Cookman University • Carleton College • Chatham University • Dillard University • Drew University • Earlham College • Elon University • Goucher College • Hampshire College • Hendrix College • Macalester College • Morehouse College • New England College • The New School • Occidental College • Pace University • Pitzer College • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Rhodes College • St. Mary's College of Maryland • Spelman College • Swarthmore College • Ursinus College • Wagner College • Widener University • The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Presidents' Council Chair: Brian Rosenberg, Macalester College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles ®," and its embodiment in the Logo, are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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