Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 1 – September 2007 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.
Director's Welcome Welcome back! We hope that you had an enjoyable summer. Civic Engagement Course Grants, Debating for Democracy, staff additions, and preparation for the 2007-2008 academic year made the summer at Project Pericles exciting. The Civic Engagement Course Grant program is off to a strong start. This program, funded with support from the Teagle Foundation, the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, and Project Pericles, grants funds to faculty to facilitate the development, teaching and evaluation of 44 courses in more than 28 disciplines in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. Several courses are already being taught this fall. We are gratified by the enthusiastic responses we have received from colleges who received the grants and will provide details on these courses in upcoming issues of the Periclean Progress. We have been particularly busy planning the 2007-2008 Debating for Democracy (D4D) program. D4D is a campus-based program in which students research, develop their own opinions, and advocate and defend their positions on current policy issues of public import. The 2007-2008 Debating for Democracy program began earlier this month and concludes in December 2008. In addition to the six colleges who participated in D4D during the pilot year, we are pleased that at least fourteen new Pericleans will be participating in the upcoming program. The theme of the 2007-2008 program is "Democracy at Risk". Colleges will focus on one of three topics: Race, Income, and Access in the United States; Energy and the Environment; and Privacy and Free Speech in the Internet Age. We are very excited that so many colleges are enthusiastic about D4D and look forward to working with all of the students and faculty who will be participating in this rewarding program. We look forward to working with everybody to make the upcoming year the most productive year yet for Project Pericles and civic engagement. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director National Office Announcements Conferences: October 3-4-The Periclean Program Directors' Conference: This conference will provide an opportunity for Periclean schools to share information about program development, discuss current and future opportunities for collaborations, meet and work with fellow Pericleans, exchange best practices, and contribute to Periclean initiatives. The conference will be hosted by Hampshire Collegeand President Ralph J. Hexter and Program Director Mary Bombardier. For the first time, the planets have aligned and all 22 Periclean colleges will be represented at the meeting. December 12 - The Presidents' Council Meeting: At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of civic engagement and Project Pericles on their campuses. The Presidents' Council meeting will be hosted by the Teagle Foundation in New York City. New Address: In late September, Project Pericles will be operating from "a loftier perspective". We are moving from the 10th floor to the 19th floor. Our new address is 551 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1910 (same building, new floor). Our phone and fax numbers will remain the same: (212) 986-4496 (phone) and (212) 986-1662 (fax). Elizabeth Kaziunas has joined Project Pericles as the new Program Associate. Liz recently graduated from the Yale Divinity School with a MA. She received her BA cum laude in English and Religious Studies from Macalester College. Periclean Focus-The Environment Beginning this month, we have added a new section to the newsletter-the Periclean Focus. Each month, this section will focus on one topic that is generating interest on Periclean campuses, classrooms, and communities. We will ask members of the Project Pericles community to submit articles, best practices, and news related to this topic. In the last few months, issues related to the environment have accelerated across the country. Faculty, students, & administrators from Periclean colleges have become leaders in their community on environmental issues including recycling, coal burning, and climate change. Project Pericles has taken several actions in response to the interest in the environment. Civic Engagement Course Grants will fund the following environmentally themed courses: Allegheny College-Envisioning Environmental Futures, Berea College-Politics of Food, Chatham University-Citizen and Civic Engagement: Environmental Issues, Hampshire College-Agriculture, Ecology, and Society, Occidental College-Energy Conversions and Resources, and Wagner College-Business Law and Environmental Action. In addition, Project Pericles has selected Democracy at Risk: Energy and the Environment as one of three D4D topics. Students at six Periclean colleges will research, develop their own opinions and advocate their positions on this topic. This September, Bates College introduced the Bates Bikes, a fleet of 10 cruiser bicycles that belong to the newly created Bates Bike Co-op. Students, faculty, and staff can join the co-op for a $10-fee and use the bikes for short trips on and off campus. Also in September, Bates College and Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing service, announced a partnership to make Zipcars available on campus to faculty, staff, and students as an environmentally friendly alternative to the costs and hassles of keeping a car on campus. The partnership marks Zipcar's entry into Maine and extends Bates' commitment to provide sustainable transportation options that decrease the parking demand on campus. Occidental College received a $2.34 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that will make it possible for the Center for Food and Justice to establish and coordinate - in collaboration with the Community Food Security Coalition - the National Farm to School Network. The effort will link local farmers with school cafeterias across the country, improving student nutrition while giving small farmers access to a multi-billion dollar market. The National Farm to School Network will focus on five key areas - policy, networking, media and marketing, information services and training, and technical assistance - to support the farm to school movement. Pitzer College's new environmentally friendly residence halls were featured on NPR's Morning Edition on August 31, 2007. National desk reporter Mandalit del Barco interviewed President Laura Skandera Trombley and several Pitzer students for the education segment, titled "Colleges Create Eco-Friendly Dorms." Three new residence halls at the college - with living space for 318 students - will use less energy, less water and encourage more energy-efficient living through features - solar panels, low-flush toilets, and gardening space. The residence halls have received a gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership and Environmental Design system. Pitzer's project is the largest at any liberal-arts college in the nation to receive such recognition. Seven Pericleans (Bates College, Hendrix College, Macalester College, New England College, Pitzer College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Ursinus College) have joined Focus the Nation. Focus the Nation is coordinating teams of faculty and students at over a thousand colleges, universities and K-12 schools in the United States, to collaboratively engage in a discussion about "Global Warming Solutions for America". Focus the Nation will culminate on January 31, 2008, in the form of national symposia held simultaneously at colleges across the country. Every campus will also vote on their top five national priorities for global warming action, producing a campus-endorsed policy agenda for the 2008 elections. Pericleans in the Community Macalester College has developed a multifaceted partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society, In the Heart of the Beast Theatre, and other Macalester community partners on Lake Street. Over the past two years, twelve Macalester classes from a wide range of departments have collaborated with Macalester's community partners on Lake Street to develop innovative projects that document the community's history. These projects have resulted in a major historical exhibition, "Right on Lake Street" which opened at the nationally recognized MN History Center. The exhibition features Macalester student research and highlights Macalester students' experiences engaging Lake Street communities. The exhibit runs from September 18, 2007 through March 9, 2008. Click here for more information about the Minnesota Historical Society and here for more information on Macalester's project on Lake Street. Website of the Month Mobilize.org formerly Mobilizing America's Youth, is an all-partisan network dedicated to educating, empowering, and energizing young people to increase civic engagement and political participation. According to their website, Mobilize.org works to show young people how their lives are impacted by public policy and in turn, attempts to show them how to impact public policy. Resources and Publications The Saguaro Seminar, under the leadership of Robert D. Putnam, a member of the Project Pericles National Board of Advisors, has been conducting research on the inter-relation of diversity, immigration, and social capital since 2001. The first publication from this research, called "E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the 21st Century. The 2006 Johan Skytte Lecture" by Dr. Putnam appears in the June 2007 Scandinavian Political Studies Journal. The complete text of this article is available here. National Wildlife Foundation: The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) seeks volunteers to work on habitat restoration on public sites in areas in coastal Louisiana impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The primary goal of this project is to support habitat and wildlife recovery on public lands in coastal Louisiana. NWF will assist volunteers traveling from across the country with lodging once they're in the project area. To learn more, click here. MTV Choose or Lose: MTV's Choose or Lose seeks aspiring journalists to cover the 2008 election via written stories, blogs, and photos. As part of their collaboration with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Knight News Challenge, MTV is looking for one aspiring reporter from every state and Washington, D.C. Participants must be at least 18 years old by December 2007, reside in the state they are covering from January to November 2008 and have the ability to travel within their state and file at least one video, written, or photographic story per week. To learn more, click here. The Knight Foundation and MTV are also sponsoring the Knight News Challenge "Young Creators Award," a new digital journalism grant program for young people age 25 and under. The contest will award up to $500,000 to young creators with compelling ideas for using digitally delivered news and information to enhance physical communities - improving the lives of people where they live, work, and vote. The new award is a component of the Knight News Challenge, an annual competition awarding $5 million for innovative ideas using digital experiments to transform community. To learn more, click here. State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants: With the support of the State Farm Companies Foundation, Youth Service America is offering the annual State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant for youth across the United States. These grants of up to $1,000 support youth (ages 5-25), teachers, or school-based service-learning coordinators in implementing service-learning projects for Global Youth Service Day 2008. To learn more, download an application and grant guidelines here. The deadline to apply is October 16, 2007. Youth Noise Summits: Youth Noise Summits are workshops for students including time to share skills, network, and have fun. Summits are free two-day events about creating grassroots change in local neighborhoods. High school and college students who are passionate about finding real solutions to local problems are invited to attend. This fall, summits will be held in San Francisco, San Jose, Minneapolis, and Orlando. To learn more, click 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. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 8 – May-June 2007 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.
Director's Welcome I am pleased to announce that President Brian C. Rosenberg of Macalester College is the new Chair and President Richard Guarasci of Wagner College, the new Vice-Chair of the Presidents' Council of Project Pericles. Rosenberg and Guarasci will build upon the progress of Project Pericles during President David A. Caputo's(Pace University) two-year tenure as Chair. On behalf of all of us, I want to thank David for his extraordinary leadership and vision. This will be a busy summer at the Project Pericles national office. While continuing with the development of our signature programs, Civic Engagement Courses and Debating for Democracy, we will be organizing three major events:
Jan R. Liss, Executive Director A 2006-2007 RetrospectiveThis academic year has been a exciting and productive one for Project Pericles. Our progress is the result of the hard work and commitment of our Pericleans. A selection of accomplishments during the past year:
National Office Announcements Pace University awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters to Eugene M. Lang, founder of Project Pericles, during its graduation ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on May 23. Debating for Democracy Retreat: Sixteen representatives from the six Debating for Democracy pilot schools (Bates College, Bethune-Cookman University, Elon University, Pace University, Wagner College and Widener University) and Project Pericles staff were hosted by Bates College. Attendees discussed the pilot year of Debating for Democracy and designed the framework for the 2007-2008 school year. Next year's program will begin in September 2007 and will run through December 2008. The theme of the program will be Democracy at Risk. All Pericleans will be invited to participate. David Rippon joined Project Pericles as the new Assistant Director. Previously, he was the Associate Director at the JK Watson Fellowship, a program of the Thomas Watson Foundation and was the Director of Student Affairs in the Office of Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton Administration. He received his MPA from Columbia University and his BA from the Colorado College. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. Periclean Schools in Action Periclean Schools are increasingly becoming involved in initiatives to make their campuses better stewards of the environment. Allegheny College, Bates College, Chatham University and Pitzer Collegerecently signed, as founding members of the leadership circle, the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The commitment is a challenge to colleges and universities to develop a comprehensive plan to eliminate their global warming emissions and expand educational resources for students in the fields of sustainability and the environment. St. Mary's College of Maryland will be the first college in Maryland to use electricity from "green energy" only, thanks to a student initiative to fund the purchase of renewable energy credits. Students recently voted to tax themselves $45,000 a year and give the funds towards lowering the college's carbon footprint. The campus celebrated with an Earth Day Sustainability Soiree on April 21. Project Pericles at Hendrix College has designed an exemplary program to involve alumni-Hendrix Alumni Doing Democracy. The first program took place April 17 and featured two alumni who have successfully engaged in lobbying in the Arkansas legislature. Rosi Smith '78 is a professional lobbyist on health matters, presently serving as governmental relations director for Arkansas Children's Hospital; one of Smith's major projects was playing a vital role in the passage of the state's law banning smoking in most workplaces in 2006. Erin Vinett '98 was drawn to lobbying because of her interest in making breast feeding more acceptable in Arkansas; as chair of the Arkansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Vinett worked in her first legislative session in 2007 for the successful passage of HB 2411 that exempts public breastfeeding from the state's indecency laws. Hendrix College is one of 11 colleges and universities nationwide that have been selected to participate in "Deliberation about Things That Matter," a series of events sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa for teaching and learning deliberative skills through the discussion of major issues of meaning or value. Events at the 11 institutions will be funded by a $100,000 grant to the Phi Beta Kappa Society from the Teagle Foundation. Marcine Pickron-Davis, the Program Director at Widener University, and Robert Freiling, a Debating for Democracy student at Widener, presented at the American Democracy Project national meeting in Philadelphia. Marcine and Robert discussed the D4D project at Widener: "Dialogue, Deliberation, and Debate on Facebook and the First Amendment". Occidental College started the Great Strides program this fall. The goal of the program is to educate young girls about healthy eating patterns and exercise in an attempt to curb the growing rate of obesity and dietary related diseases affecting American children today. Once a week, a group of Occidental students goes to Garvanza Elementary to work with fourth and fifth grade girls. Presidents' Corner Pace University announced that its President, David A. Caputo, retired from the presidency on June 3. "We are deeply grateful for Dr. Caputo's seven years of achievements and devoted service to Pace," said Aniello A. Bianco, chairman of Pace's Board of Trustees. Project Pericles is pleased that Dr. Caputo will continue his service to Project Pericles as a member of the Board of Directors. The Pace Board of Trustees appointed Stephen J. Friedman, dean of the Pace University School of Law, to the position of interim president. Richard J. Cook, President of Allegheny College since 1996, announced that the 2007-2008 academic year will be his last year of active service as the college's president. President Cook is a founding member of the Project Pericles Presidents' Council and has been a driving force on the national stage in educating students to be engaged and productive citizens. Chatham College has been renamed Chatham University. The announcement was made jointly by S. Murray Rust III, chair of the Board of Trustees, and President Esther L. Barazzone. Chatham University will be a coeducational university with a women's undergraduate college at its heart. "After tremendous growth in students and degree programs, with 1,700 students from across the country and around the world, as well as 41 bachelor's degrees, 23 master's degrees and four doctoral degrees, the Board of Trustees and the administration realized that Chatham was truly a university in every aspect but its name," Mr. Rust explained. Website of the Month National Issues Forums is a nonpartisan, nationwide network of locally sponsored public forums for the consideration of public policy issues. It is rooted in the notion that people need to come together to reason and talk - to deliberate about common problems. Each year the National Issues Forums Institute identifies several public issues of national concern. Nonpartisan issue discussion materials are prepared that are intended to stimulate serious public deliberation about these issues by the public. The Issue Books section of the website provides free nonpartisan issue discussion materials on a variety of subjects ranging from civil rights to education. Resources and Publications Do Something, a not-for-profit organization that works to inspire, support, and celebrate young social entrepreneurs and community activists, is accepting applications for $500 grants for young social entrepreneurs for community action and sustainability projects. Visit the Do Something for more information. Coro Fellows Program: The Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs is a nine-month, full-time, post-graduate experiential leadership training program which introduces young public servants to all aspects of the public affairs arena. Sixty-eight Fellows are chosen annually through a highly competitive selection process. The Fellows Program in Public Affairs is conducted in Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and St. Louis. Applications will be available this summer at the Coro website. theScoop08.com: Two students are launching a "new" kind of paper this August. According to their website, thescoop08.com will be "a truly new kind of newspaper, in which readers matter more than editors, in which stories come from the bottom-up, not the top-down, in which every word furthers our mission of satisfying the curiosity and real needs of our audience, and in which innovation matters as much as, if not more than, convention." The project is seeking more than 100 student writers, multimedia experts and editors. There will be correspondents for each of the candidates, states and important policy areas. Students interested in participating should visit the 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 Volume 3, Issue 7 – March-April 2007 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.
Director's Welcome The past two months have been exciting for Project Pericles. A highlight of our pilot year of Debating for Democracy (D4D) was the Student Forum hosted by President Richard Guarasci and Wagner College. My thanks to everyone at Wagner who helped make the event such a success. It was inspiring to hear students from the six pilot schools (Bates College, Bethune-Cookman University, Elon University, Pace University, Wagner College and Widener University) present their research, explore their ideas, and build on their civic engagement work which is featured in this newsletter. At the Forum, Mark Hanis, Founder and Executive Director of the Genocide Intervention Network (GI-Net) and recent Swarthmore graduate, gave a passionate talk about how students can empower their community to affect change. Mark has been an advocate for organizations to divest funds in companies that support the government of Sudan, and cited this as a way for students to allow their university to make an impact. Recently, Hendrix College became the first Periclean institution to join the protest of genocide in Darfur through divestment. President J. Timothy Cloyd called the genocide an "internationally recognized atrocity that must be stopped ... We call on other colleges and universities ... to follow our lead and join the international movement to affect change in Sudan through the use of economic pressure." Jan R. Liss, Executive Director National Office Announcements The Teagle Foundation and the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation have each awarded Project Pericles $100,000 to continue the Civic Engagement Course (CEC) Grant Program Introduced in 2004: In the CEC Grant Program, Allegheny College, Elon University, Hampshire College, Macalester College, New England College, Pace University, Pitzer College, Swarthmore College, and Ursinus College together designed more than 40 courses that incorporated civic engagement into a wide variety of disciplines. The high quality and broad range of those courses were a testament to the success of the 2004 CEC Program and helped Project Pericles obtain the recent, generous grants. Believing that preparing students for civic engagement should be integral to the educational mission of colleges and universities, Project Pericles will work with faculty and administrators to explore the incorporation of civic engagement into academic programs. Project Pericles will be granting funds to faculty to facilitate the development and teaching of courses in a wide range of academic disciplines. After the courses have been taught and evaluated in 2007 and 2008 a White Paper based on the findings will serve as a guide for incorporating civic engagement issues into higher education curricula for wide dissemination. Contact the national office for more information about the previous courses, which include courses in American studies, art, Asian studies, biology, Black studies, chemistry, communications, computer science, English, environmental studies, history, international and cultural studies, law, literature and gender studies, management, media studies, music, nursing, physics, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, and world literature, contact the national office. Assistant Director Search, Project Pericles: Project Pericles seeks an enthusiastic, committed, and visionary individual to be a part of an ambitious program to rekindle the historic mission of liberal education. The Assistant Director is a full-time staff member who reports to, advises, and supports the Executive Director. Periclean Schools in Action Debating for Democracy Student Forum: The Debating for Democracy (D4D) Student Forum highlighted student research and progress on three important issues: immigration, voting rights, and privacy rights surrounding online social networking websites. Students from the six D4D pilot schools, Bates College, Bethune-Cookman University, Elon University, Pace University, Wagner College, and Widener University, met on March 10 - 11 at Wagner College to showcase their initiatives, highlight their collaborative efforts, and share research findings. After the Forum, Pace University student, Farah Elghazal, remarked, "Together, as a team, we encouraged each other to solve the problems. By doing that we had the opportunity of learning many new things and easily finding the answers to our questions. Overall I learned so much, made new friends, and enjoyed myself to the fullest." Immigration: Elon, Pace and Wagner held panel discussions or debates on their campus' about various subtopics of immigration, with representatives from a politically diverse group of students, faculty, and community members. Elon and Wagner both constructed a fence on their campus to educate the community about the construction of a fence on the U.S./Mexico border. The collaborative idea was developed during the fall D4D Student-Faculty Conference at Pace when the schools worked together. Pace and Wagner have both hosted Deepa Fernandes of WBAI radio's "Wake-Up Call" morning program, who gave a lecture based on her new book, Targeted: Homeland Security and the Business of Immigration.In Lewiston, Maine, there is a large Somalian immigrant population, Bates College students are implementing mentoring/tutoring programs to help Somalis learn English and other skills for employment. The students are also teaching immigrants about local and national laws and legislation that affect them. Voting Rights: Bethune-Cookman University students are beginning a three year project to increase voter turnout. Students have formed partnerships with the Community Chamber of Commerce, NAACP, and the Student Government Association to help educate students and the community on voter rights. Online Social Networking Websites: Widener University students have been extensively researching privacy rights surrounding online social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace. They have surveyed twenty peer institutions about policies regarding social networking and are working with the Widener administration to determine if a policy should be implemented on their campus. Widener will present their work at The American Democracy Project's annual meeting in June. The Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham College hosted program to educate and empower women to influence government through the development of advocacy skills: In February, the Center hosted "Ready to be Heard: Advocacy Training," a lobbying bootcamp program which taught women from the community and students on campus the basics of government relations. The goal of the workshop was to teach women ways to make their voices heard on policy issues they care about. Pace University Project Pericles hosted "Political Action for Human Rights Series:" In this series, Pace students call attention to critical local and global human rights struggles by hosting a series of panels and discussions. Pace University Project Pericles welcomed the authors of the Faith Club to discuss finding common ground. The event attracted over 250 students and community members. The Muslim Students Association together with Pace Project Pericles students hosted "Sociology of Torture," a panel that spoke to the Pace community about prison camp atrocities in Guantanamo Bay and around the world. Wagner College students launched week-long series on immigration: Co-sponsored by Wagner Project Pericles, El Centro de Hospitalidad, the African Refuge Center, and the Mosaic Coalition, the public events helped deepen students' understanding and appreciation of current newcomers to Staten Island. According to Wagner History Professor and Project Pericles Program Director, Lori Weintrob, "This [was] a 'border crossing' experience for our students. They...not only cross[ed] the border between the college and the surrounding community; they...cross[ed] the 'border of privilege' between affluent Grymes Hill and Staten Island's immigrant communities." To encourage dialogue, students displayed an outdoor art installation modeled on Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "The Gates," which consisted of over 25 sheets hung along five walkways throughout the campus. Each panel was painted by a student and highlighted an aspect of the wall being built along the border between the United States and Mexico. Widener University students and faculty helped build a high school in Bolivia: In an effort to provide students with global and international civic engagement experiences, Widener University President James T. Harris III and Widener faculty members and students traveled to Bolivia. The group spent ten days helping the community build a high school in conjunction with Amizade, a non-profit organization dedicated to volunteerism, community service, and improving cultural awareness in locations throughout the world. The group also learned about Bolivian culture, customs, and rituals. Beyond the service they provided, the students developed a deeper understanding of cultural differences, especially those relating to democracy and social responsibility. Periclean RecognitionBethune-Cookman College has been renamed Bethune-Cookman University: According to President Trudie Kibbe Reed, "this has been a part of the vision for the college since August of 2004." Jackie Mongal, President of the "new" Bethune-Cookman University national alumni association said, "We see the value of the university status and we want our alma mater to grow; we've come along way in our history." Resources and Publications NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education accepting applications for Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement Grants Programs: Learning & Leadership Grants provide opportunities for teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff to engage in high- quality professional development and lead their colleagues in professional growth. Applicants must be practicing U.S. public school teachers in grades K-12, public school education support professionals, or faculty and staff at public institutions of higher education. Visit their websitefor complete program guidelines. The application deadline is June 1, 2007. Patagonia Announces Guidelines for Environmental Grants Program: Patagonia provides support for environmental work through grants to nonprofit organizations. Patagonia funds environmental work that is action-oriented, builds public involvement and support, is strategic, focuses on root causes, and accomplishes specific goals and objectives. Most grants range between $3,000 and $8,000. Visit their website for complete program information and application procedures. The application deadline is April 30, 2007. PolitiCorps Accepting Applications for 2007 Summer Institute. PolitiCorps is a program that offers students the chance for political immersion and leadership training designed to engage and prepare college students and recent graduates for a life of public service. The institute will provide a combination of skills and policy classes, intensive field work, strategic planning exercises, and access to a broad network of activists, strategists, and policymakers. For more information, visit their website.Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until May 1, 2007. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation invites applications for Local Initiative Funding Partners:This initiative funds promising original projects designed to significantly improve the health of vulnerable people in their communities. Projects must be new, innovative, collaborative, and community-based. The application deadline is July 10, 2007. For more information visit their 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 Volume 3, Issue 6 – February 2007 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.
Director's Welcome Last month more than 45 representatives from 17 Pericleans were in New Orleans to attend the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) annual meeting. I was pleased to moderate a panel on one of our signature programs: "Project Pericles: Debating for Democracy (D4D) - - Mobilizing Students as Policy Advocates". The panelists -- Project Pericles Program Directors Tom Arcaro (Elon University), Marcine Pickron- Davis, (Widener University) and Lori Weintrob (Wagner College) and Bates College sophomore Jake Nudel -- presented our progress on this ambitious program where students research aspects of an issue and develop and advocate their opinions to educate the community and effect change. We focused on how college students contribute to the informed development of policy and civic activism on local and national levels to reinvigorate participatory democracy. You'll read more about the work of D4D in our upcoming meetings section below. President Marvalene Hughes of Dillard University gave a rousing opening plenary about rebuilding after Katrina. I had the opportunity to visit with her, Executive Vice President Walter Strong and Provost Emily Moore in their temporary administrative headquarters to discuss the strides that Dillardhas taken toward recovery and current problems and objectives. Dillard's strength and commitment to their students, faculty and community is contagious. The Periclean spirit is very much alive at Dillard as, with limited resources and unlimited vision and energy, they continue to provide students with an outstanding civically engaged education. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director National Office Announcements Upcoming Meetings: Debating for Democracy (D4D) Student Forum, March 10 - 11, 2007: D4D, a signature program of Project Pericles, provides a learning and advocacy experience that encourages students to research and develop thoughtful opinions and advocate them effectively. Students from the six Pilot Periclean Schools (Bates College, Bethune-Cookman College, Elon University, Pace University, Wagner College,and Widener University) will come together to present their research and progress on the topics they have been addressing this year which include immigration, voting rights, and privacy rights surrounding online social networking websites. The forum is being generously hosted by Wagner College on Staten Island and will provide students with the opportunity to think critically, build relationships, and contribute to the informed development of policy on local and national levels. Mark Hanis, a Swarthmore alum and founder of the Genocide Intervention Network,will facilitate a session on how to change policy through research, dialogue, and action. Periclean Schools in Action Elon University students travel to Honduras, for a sixteen-day service trip: In January, students from Elon's 2007 Periclean Scholars Class travelled to Honduras culminating their three years of work to help an underserved hospital build a kitchen and to perform other service work in the community. The students had raised more than $6,000 to construct a new kitchen for serving pediatric patients in the Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Their efforts were rewarded when the new kitchen opened on January 18. The kitchen enables students from the Centro Universidad Region del Norte to prepare daily supplementary meals for an average of 100 children in the emergency room and the cancer, neurosurgery and general wards of the hospital. Student Natasha Christensen and faculty members Jim Brown, Professor of History, and Raquel Cortés, visiting international faculty, participated in the opening along with the directors of the hospital. In accepting the keys to the new facility from Dr. Brown, Dr. Juan Carlos Zúñiga, director of the hospital, expressed his deep gratitude for the project, calling it a model for others to follow. The students also spent ten days working in Nuevo Paraiso, a community for orphaned, abandoned and abused children, and Flor Azul, a rural community and farm for 80 abandoned and abused teen-aged boys. The students donated $1,250 to purchase school uniforms and bicycles so eleven boys from Flor Azul can go to high school. To read more about their trip visit this website. Hendrix College initiates Pericles blog to broaden conversations about important topics on campus: A central goal of Project Pericles at Hendrix is to encourage discourse among all community members (students, faculty, staff, alumni, and those in the surrounding central Arkansas community) on important issues of the day. The weekly Hendrix Forum stimulates thoughtful and passionate discussion among community members about current topics. Each week a faculty member selects a topic and facilitates the community meeting. To continue discussions that spark from the Forum and to start new discussions, Hendrix has established a blog for dialogue. When the Forum topic for the week is announced, bloggers David Wagner (Director of Student Activities), and students Chad Sardashtiand Sarah Hughes post to open up conversation. Project Pericles Civic Engagement Courses (CEC) at Swarthmore College continue to encourage students to make a difference: This semester, Marjorie Murphy, Professor of History at Swarthmore College, is teaching "Social Movements in the Twentieth Century," a class which will end with a community-based learning project addressing labor rights. The course, which is intended to encourage social action, examines twentieth-century social movements and offers an understanding of how such movements evolved. After studying the intricacies of different social movements, students will be challenged to design their own. Professor Murphy first taught this class in 2004, as part of Project Pericles' Civic Engagement Course initiative. "[The class] started as an initiative to integrate social activism into the curriculum," Murphy said in the February 8, 2007 issue of the Swarthmore online newspaper, The Phoenix. The class modeled the final project on workers' education. "We put together all the curricula of labor education programs in a binder so if anyone wanted to set up a program, they could." This year's project will focus on the environment. "The general rubric is environmentalism and within that rubric we're going to organize a project to make some kind of social change within the public sphere," Murphy said. Periclean Recognition The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) chooses Wagner College to participate in the Core Commitments Leadership Consortium: Wagner College is among 18 institutions chosen to lead the first phase of a national initiative, Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility. "The initiative seeks to embed personal and social responsibility objectives pervasively across the institution in both curricular and co-curricular experiences as key educational outcomes for all students." Wagner College "was selected both on the basis of work already accomplished in the spirit of Core Commitments and on an articulated plan to deepen and extend that work on the Wagner campus." Wagner will receive a $25,000 award and will match that to provide students with "progressively challenging educational experiences." For more information on the initiative, please visit their website. Congratulations to Chatham College Periclean Program Director Allyson Lowe for being selected by the Fulbright Commission to participate in the 2007 Fulbright German Studies Seminar "Germany in a Changing Europe: Transatlantic Ties, Transatlantic Challenges." Resources and Publications Resources: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Announces Fresh Ideas: Improving the Health of Immigrant and Refugee Communities: The program aims to give immigrants and refugees the tools and support they need to improve and maintain their own health. Proposals must address ways for improving the health of immigrants and refugees by linking how social factors affect health outcomes. The next review deadline is April 13, 2007. Visit their websitefor complete program information. Youth Service America: Red, White, And Green Climate Change Grant: This opportunity offers $500 to young people between the ages of 15 and 25 and to organizations that engage young people. Applicants are expected to develop and implement a service-learning project about climate change that engages their community, policy-makers and candidates running for election in 2007 and 2008. Projects are welcomed where youth work in partnership with adults (parents, coaches, teachers, youth leaders, etc.) but the projects should be youth-led, and must take place between May 1 and October 31, 2007. Selected grantees will share the outcomes and next steps of their service projects with each other and with climate change experts. They will present their recommendations to high-level policy-makers. The deadline for applications is March 7, 2007. For application information, visit their website. Articles and Publications Recently released, a new text, Living in Democracy, attempts to reverse the apathy and ignorance of young adults in relation to politics and government in the U.S. Allegheny College Professor of Political Science and former Project Pericles Program Director, Daniel M. Shea, is the lead author of the book. President Ralph Hexter (Hampshire College) discusses his experience as "Being an 'Out' President" in the January 25th issue of Inside Higher Ed. Dr. Robert Strandburg, Rhodes College Project Pericles Program Director and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for Undergraduate Research and Service, comments on the Carnegie Foundation's new classifications for civic engagement in the January 16, 2007 edition of the online Memphis paper, commercialappeal.com. 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 Volume 3, Issue 5 – January 2007 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.
Director's Welcome From January 4-7, 2007 many of our Periclean Presidents attended The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) 2007 Presidents Institute in Tucson, Arizona. This year's institute addressed a wide range of topics including strategic vision, fundraising, board relations, enrollment management, institutional planning, and educational programs. The program began with opening remarks from Richard Ekman, President of CIC and member of Project Pericles Board of Directors. Our Presidents Esther L. Barazzone of Chatham College, David A. Caputo of Pace University, Trudie Kibbe Reed of Bethune-Cookman College, and John Strassburger of Ursinus College gave presentations and Michael McPherson, member of the Project Pericles Board of Directors and President of The Spencer Foundation, participated in the closing plenary. The meeting culminated with the presentation of the 2007 Allen P. Splete award for outstanding service to Project Pericles founder and Chair, Eugene M. Lang. The Allen P. Splete award is given to honor significant contributions made to independent higher education. 2007 is off to an exciting start as our Pericleans are working together to make a fundamental impact on civic engagement in higher education. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director National Office Announcements Upcoming Meetings: Annual Meeting of The Association of American Colleges and Universities: This meeting titled, THE REAL TEST: Liberal Education and Democracy's Big Questions, is being held January 17-20, 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana to address the Katrina disaster in terms of how to effectively prepare students to be responsible citizens and leaders in both times of crisis and relative tranquility. Project Pericles' "Debating for Democracy" is presenting a session titled "Mobilizing Students as Policy Advocates" to address how college students can contribute to the informed development of policy on local and national levels and reinvigorate participatory democracy. Click here. for further information on the meeting. For a current list of Pericleans who plan to attend, please click here. Periclean Schools in Action Chatham College sponsors program to educate women on the campaign process: The Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham College and the Pennsylvania Women's Campaign Fund are sponsoring a unique training opportunity, The Winning Edge Campaign School, for women interested in running for office as well as for those women who want to run political campaigns. The program, held January 19-21, 2007 will be based on the simulation of an actual campaign where participants will learn how to build a campaign from the ground up. The Program has already proven itself successful with the election of Lisa Bennington, a 2005 Campaign School graduate and Chatham alumna, to the Pennsylvania State House this past November. You can read about the Campaign School on Chatham's website. Odyssey Program grants totaling $63,000 will give 74 Hendrix College students and faculty a chance to extend their learning beyond the realm of the traditional college classroom: The Hendrix Committee on Experiential Learning awarded funding for eleven student projects and eight faculty projects for the Spring 2007 semester, which will allow students and faculty to participate in experiential learning projects that will take them from New Orleans to rural China and the Arkansas Delta to Spain. Projects include the exploration of Jewish heritage in Arkansas, the investigation of superheated water as an environmentally-friendly alternative to non-renewable petrochemical solvents, and a comparison of archaeological structures in ancient villages in Turkey, Greece, Crete, and England. New England College participates in local fundraising effort to help community school: Together with several local businesses and organizations, students from Project Pericles at New England College participated in the 20th annual White Birch Community Center Breakfast serving more than 200 breakfasts and hosting more than 20 crafters and vendors in order to raise money for classroom supplies for the Henniker Community School. Periclean Recognition Wagner College and Pace University curricular programs are praised in a recent report released by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): Wagner's curricular program, based in part on "learning communities" where students take a pair of courses together and then work in a local community that relates to the courses, was recently praised in the AAC&U report, "College Learning for the New Global Century." According to Richard Guarasci, Wagner's President, the idea is to produce "civic professionals," students with both knowledge in subject areas and the ability to apply that knowledge to societal problems. The report outlines curricular goals for all colleges based on four broad essential learning outcomes, noting that different kinds of institutions would assure these outcomes in different ways. The report also calls for colleges to operate under seven "principles of excellence" that would guide their curricular programs. Pace University is praised for putting principle #7 into practice: assessing students' ability to apply learning to complex problems. According to the report, Pace has made a comprehensive commitment to assessment as a way of strengthening both teaching and learning and works to provide evidence of a students' learning over time. Resources and Publications The American Democracy Project of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) calls for proposals: In order to assess how far the American Democracy Project has come and what the next steps in the preparation of citizens for our democracy will be, AASCU is requesting that colleges and universities submit descriptions of their programs and practices in areas including programs of civic engagement, civic skills, issues in civic engagement, how to undertake civic engagement, and assessment. Accepted proposals will be presented at the June 2007 conference. Proposals are due online by February 5, 2007. If you have questions about the submission process, please contact Cecilia Orphan at (202) 478-7833 or [email protected]. Hitachi Foundation opens nomination process for Yoshiyama Award honoring youth community service: The Hitachi Foundation presents the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community each year to ten high school seniors from around the United States on the basis of their community-service activities. The award recognizes exemplary service and community involvement. The deadline for applications is April 2, 2007. For more information, visit their website. IREX seeks proposals for Policy-Connect Collaborative Research Grants: IREX, an international nonprofit organization providing leadership and innovative programs to improve the quality of education, strengthen independent media, and foster pluralistic civil society development, has announced the 2007 Policy- Connect Collaborative Research Grants competition. This program seeks to support advanced research by U.S. experts in policy-relevant subject areas related to Southeast Europe and Asia, facilitate collaboration among and between U.S. and international scholars, and disseminate knowledge about Europe and Asia to a wide network of constituents in the United States and abroad. The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2007. Visit www.irex.org for more details. National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services invite grant applications for New Digital Innovation Program: The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities invite applications to a new digital humanities grant competition. The new program, "Advancing Knowledge: The IMLS/NEH Digital Partnership," seeks applications for innovative, collaborative humanities projects using the latest digital technologies for the benefit of the American public, humanities scholarship, and the nation's cultural community. The deadline for applications is March 27, 2007. More information. 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 3, Issue 4 – December 2006 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.
Director's Welcome Seasons Greetings! As 2006 comes to a close, Project Pericles reflects on the tremendous accomplishments that have occurred in the past year including the hiring of a new National Office staff, the addition of two new schools - Bates College and Spelman College, our redesigned website, our first National Board of Advisors Meeting, and the launch of a new Project Pericles signature program, Debating for Democracy. One of the exciting initiatives that we will be focusing on in 2007 is the development of a new Civic Engagement Course (CEC) program which will help facilitate the development of Civic Engagement courses on Periclean Campuses. The first CEC program, which ran from 2003-2005, resulted in the development of over 40 courses in a wide variety of disciplines. Reflecting on the many accomplishments of 2006, I eagerly await 2007 as Project Pericles continues to deepen its mission. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director National Office Announcements Upcoming Meetings: The 2007 Council of Independent Colleges Presidents Institute: The Periclean Presidents' Council will be attending this year's meeting titled, "The Anticipatory Presidency and the 21st Century Campus" which will be held in Tucson, Arizona on January 4 - 7. Several Periclean Presidents will be among the presenters who will address a range of topics important to presidents as they anticipate the future of their institutions including strategic vision, fundraising, board relations, enrollment management, institutional planning, and educational programs. To help facilitate collaboration among the presidents, Project Pericles will host a breakfast meeting for Periclean Presidents on January 6. We are pleased to announce that Eugene M. Lang will be the recipient of The 2006 Allen P. Splete Award for Outstanding Service and will be honored at the awards ceremony. The award, given to an individual, publication, or organization for significant contributions to independent higher education, recognizes national leadership through ideas and commitment, on behalf of private colleges and universities. For the complete program click here. Annual Meeting of The Association of American Colleges and Universities: This meeting titled, THE REAL TEST: Liberal Education and Democracy's Big Questions, will be held January 17-20, 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana and will address the Katrina disaster in terms of how to effectively prepare students to be responsible citizens and leaders in times both of crisis and relative tranquility. Project Pericles' Debating for Democracy will present a session titled "Mobilizing Students as Policy Advocates" to address how college students can contribute to the informed development of policy on local and national levels and reinvigorate participatory democracy. For further information on the meeting, please visit their website. For a current list of Periclean attendees click here. Periclean Schools in Action More from Student Choices Student Voices... Elon University students create a forum for discussing political issues: Elon students Ian Hull '07 and Garrett Kachellek '07 established an online polling community to help facilitate the discussion of provocative issues, help individuals learn how to research and discuss election issues, and to get the campus involved in debating national issues. For more information or to participate in the polling process, visit Elon's website. Hendrix College honors World AIDS Day: Daniel Whelan, Assistant Professor of Politics at Hendrix College, led a Hendrix Forum discussion on AIDS and HIV testing on the eve of World AIDS Day, December 1. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the AIDS pandemic's visible presence in the United States. The Forum, sponsored by Hendrix College as part of their Project Pericles activities, introduces a new topic every week and provides an opportunity for students and the community to discuss significant issues of the day. The Forum was designed to encourage thoughtful and passionate, yet civil, discussion. Swarthmore students work to promote Arab-Israeli dialogue on campus: Nate Allen '08 and Phillip Issa '09 established Speak for Peace, a student- run discussion group in an effort to promote dialogue on Swarthmore's campus about the Arab-Israeli conflict. The group, which holds weekly meetings, is working towards making people feel more comfortable with controversial dialogue through activities that encourage students to reflect upon their opinions. They recently sponsored two events, "Breaking the Silence," a lecture by a former Israeli Defense Forces sniper, and a lecture by an Israeli conscientious objector titled, "The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Building Bridges Between the Youth." The group has moved from merely discussing differing viewpoints to analyzing policy, and how their views are aligned with policy ideals. Louis Rosenberg '09 commented, "[After the meetings] I understood the perspectives of others and how they were informed. We've all developed mutual understandings, and we're becoming friends." Wagner College sponsors Citizenship Workshop: "How to Become a Better Citizen:" In November, Beta Phi Beta and Project Pericles on Wagner's campus co-sponsored a workshop to help students become informed citizens. The students distributed pocket constitutions, registered people to vote, held a mock citizenship test and signed students up to participate in an online game called "fantasy congress." Similar to fantasy football, players join a league and choose 12 Congressmen and 4 Senators. Points are awarded to players depending on whether or not their league passes legislation. For more information on fantasy congress, please click here. Wagner College co-sponsors a forum with the Staten Island Immigrants Council on immigration reform: In November, the Immigration Forum was held to explore issues surrounding immigration and policy. The Forum featured speaker Tamar Jacoby, a leading national expert on immigration policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Ms. Jacoby focused on the contributions immigrants make to the United States, taking the position that immigrants work at jobs that many Americans do not want. She commented that many businesses depend on immigrants and that "immigrants create more jobs because without [immigrant labor in America] to fill lower-level positions, there would be no manager, chef, or maitre'd." Other speakers included Wagner College Project Pericles Program Director, Lori Weintrob, and a number of undocumented or formerly undocumented Polish and Mexican workers and youth. Periclean Recognition Eight Periclean Schools are selected for The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's new Community Engagement Classification: Congratulations to Allegheny College, Bates College, Elon University, Pace University, Pitzer College, Rhodes College, Spelman College, and Widener University, for this outstanding recognition. Colleges and universities elected to participate in this process by submitting extensive documentation describing the nature and extent of their engagement with the community. This approach enabled the Foundation to analyze elements of institutional mission and uniqueness that are otherwise not represented in national data on colleges and universities. According to Alexander McCormick, who directs the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education project, "the Community Engagement Classification is an exciting move in Carnegie's work to extend and refine the classification of colleges and universities. It represents a significant affirmation of the importance of community engagement in the agenda of higher education." For a list of all the schools selected, visit their website. Pitzer College's involvement in an education nonprofit organization helps it reach national recognition: Jumpstart, a national early education nonprofit organization, is among the 43 winners of the 2007 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards who are entrepreneurs who "change the world." Jumpstart has a very strong presence on Pitzer's campus and Karen Magoon, Jumpstart Program Site Manager, feels very fortunate to have had them as a resource since 2000. Ms. Magoon further commented, "the commitment of Pitzer's students to making a significant, lasting impact in their community has allowed the program to grow into new sites and has allowed Jumpstart to utilize a diverse student body." Jumpstart currently engages 3,100 college students at 64 sites in 19 states, reaching nearly 12,000 children. Resources and Publications Lumina Foundation for Education and the Association for the Study of Higher Education Announce Fellowship Program: The key objective of this initiative is to promote innovative scholarship by creating an intergenerational community of scholars who will examine social, institutional, and policy barriers to opportunity and student success. The grant will fund eight to ten dissertation fellowships a year for a three-year period. The deadline for applications is May 10, 2007. For more information, please click here. Nominations are being accepted for the John W. Gardner Leadership Award: Presented by Independent Sector, the John W. Gardner Leadership Award is awarded each year to an individual working in the voluntary sector who has advanced the common good by building, mobilizing, and unifying people, institutions, or causes. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2007. For further information, visit their website. Nonprofit Sector Research Fund Invites Applications for William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship for Minority Students: The fellowship, offered three times annually, is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are members of minority groups. The Hearst Fellow serves as an intern with the Nonprofit Sector Research Fund. Through this program, the fund seeks to introduce a diverse group of students to issues relating to philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit organizations. The Summer 2007 internship deadline is March 15, 2007. For requirements and application information please click 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. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 3, Issue 3 – November 2006 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.
Director's Welcome November has been a truly historic month for Project Pericles. On November 13th, the Ford Foundation hosted the inaugural meeting of the National Board of Advisors of Project Pericles. The meeting, "Building Our Future", was co-chaired by Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker and Kurt L. Schmokeand was held jointly with the Project Pericles Board of Directors. Susan V. Berresford, President of The Ford Foundation, opened the meeting. Throughout the day-long meeting members of many Periclean constituencies (Presidents, Program Directors, Trustees and students) gave presentations. They highlighted our many accomplishments since Eugene Lang founded Project Pericles in 2001. The National Board of Advisors and Board of Directors met to discuss the past, present and future of Project Pericles and to explore issues related to expansion, funding, and strategic goals as Project Pericles moves forward to extend our mission and build our future. The participants were instrumental in making recommendations on how we should focus our energies in the coming years. One of the highlights of the meeting was the first public presentation of the Ford Foundation's research report, "Liberal Education and Civic Engagement." Dr. Steven Lawry, President of Antioch College and Director of the Ford Foundation Liberal Arts Research Project, presented the report's conclusions for discussion. The report "surveys and assesses recent efforts by U.S. colleges and universities to cultivate in their students the intellectual skills and values conducive to lives of civic engagement." Project Pericles is featured as a "more pedagogically powerful experience of education for civic engagement" resulting from "greater integration between classroom-based and experiential learning" and is a model well worth replicating and learning from. "Project Pericles has some distinctive qualities that merit careful attention." To read the report, visit http://www.fordfound.org/publications/recent_articles/civic_engagement.cfm Elizabeth Farrell, a reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, attended the entire meeting and wrote a piece for the November 24th issue. The article is available (for subscribers) at: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i14/14a04101.htm Based on feedback from the Program Directors' Conference, the National Board of Advisors Meeting, and the upcoming Presidents' Council Meeting, over the next several months the National Office will work to enhance existing programs, and develop new initiatives. I look forward to building on our significant progress and tackling the challenges that lie ahead with renewed strength, vision and vigor. My personal thank you to all of the Pericleans for their interest and valued input. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director National Office Announcements Upcoming Meetings December 8 - The Presidents' Council Meeting: At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will discuss matters relating to the governance, sustainability, and growth of Project Pericles and 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 Rockefeller Brothers Fund in New York City. Periclean Schools in Action "Student Choices, Student Voices" drive for student political involvement applauds an impressive 2006 array of Periclean campus and community election initiatives. Chatham College works to increase student voting numbers: The Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham has been working with students since summer orientation to register voters, encourage political action and voting in Pittsburgh (where they live most of the year). The Center developed a system to track student requests for absentee ballots, election information, and registration that helped them reach more than 400 Chatham students with voter information. Hendrix College sponsors a voter education program: At the end of October, Project Pericles on the Hendrix campus sponsored the "Know Your Ballot Program" to help familiarize people with the voting process. The program, free and open to the public, included an overview of the voting ballot by Jay Barth, Hendrix Associate Professor of Politics and Project Pericles Program Director. Further, the Faulkner County Election Commissioner and Hendrix Biology Professor Bruce Haggard explained and demonstrated new voting devices. Political candidates were on hand to present brief statements about their campaign platforms and to respond to questions from the audience. Swarthmore College students featured on the Public Broadcasting System's election night program: Eight Swarthmore students, interviewed by political correspondent Gwen Ifill, gave their perspectives on issues that shaped the election. They emphasized the importance of voting with particular reference to students generally in establishing bases for bipartisan solutions to social issues. The interviews were broadcast live on PBS's "Newshour with Jim Lehrer." In addition to election related activities, Pericleans are also developing new initiatives and hosting newsworthy events on their campuses: Pace University sponsors Democracy in Action week: Pace University's Project Pericles and Student Leaders for Democracy in Action established a "Democracy in Action" week to address compelling issues including the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, the impact of global warming, and the imminent dangers of a nuclear arms race. One highlight included a lecture by Imam James Yee, the former U.S. Muslim Chaplain from Guantanamo Bay. Another highlight was the Think Outside the Bomb Conference, which attracted high school students, college students, alumni and professionals from the Western United States for a series of participatory discussion panels, workshops, and skills training on political organizing, nuclear disarmament global security, and environmental sustainability. Pitzer College student establishes Dining With Democracy Speaker Series: Dining with Democracy, a new lecture series aimed at bringing today's leaders to Pitzer College with the goal of inspiring tomorrow's leaders, was established by Pitzer senior Nick Kislinger. "I set out to establish a forum in which students could be exposed to discussions with prominent politicians at both the local and state levels. Following talks that are open to a general audience, a small group of students, faculty and staff meet and discuss politics over dinner with the invited guest. The more intimate dinner setting provides an excellent opportunity for members of the Pitzer community to exchange thoughts and ideas with the politicians," Kislinger explained. Consumer advocate, lawyer, author, and 2000 presidential candidate Ralph Nader kicked off the speaker series on October 25. Rhodes College students build mock refugee camp: Students built a mock refugee camp on Rhodes campus last month in order to promote awareness of the current Darfur conflict and to foster education and understanding about the current refugee situations taking place around the world. At the Rhodes Mock Refugee Camp, 20 student guides provided information about the current situation in Darfur. Photographs of Sudanese refugees in actual camps were on display and a food distribution, medical, and school tent was set up. Widener University hosts immigration discussion: Widener Law School invited the legal community, general public, students, faculty and staff to join a discussion focused on immigration issues. Sponsored by the school's student chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, with support from the Black and Minority Law Students Association, speakers included Elena Park, head of the immigration practice at the law firm, Cozen O'Connor, and Dr. Agapito Lopez, a retired ophthalmologist who represents Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties on the Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. Park spoke on federal agency policy and legislative trends involving immigration, placing special focus on how these trends have impacted Pennsylvania residents. Dr. Lopez spoke about the history of migration into the United States, including the changing immigration laws, and possible political and social motives affecting immigration policies. Periclean Recognition This past month, three Periclean institutions have been recognized for their excellent work in education and civic engagement. Congratulations Chatham College, Elon University, and Rhodes College for their continued dedication and commitment to bridging higher education and civic engagement. The Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy at Chatham College is recognized for its commitment to civic engagement: In October, the Center received the 2006 Good Government Award from the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh recognizing the Center's work, both on the campus and in the community, to empower women students and citizens for public leadership. Elon University Sociology Professor and Project Pericles Program Director Tom Arcaro has been named the 2006 North Carolina Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Dr. Arcaro, the first Elon professor to receive this prestigious recognition, is recognized for his extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching, based on four criteria: impact on and involvement with undergraduate students; scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contributions to undergraduate education at Elon; and support from colleagues and current and former students. Upon hearing this exciting news Julie Bourbeau '06 commented, "Dr. Arcaro has unparalleled passion and enthusiasm for his students, his classroom, and the global community at large. He works tirelessly on social issues and research, but is equally tireless in his dedication to relationships with his students and family. Everything Dr. Arcaro does is with his whole heart and I feel lucky to have been his student." Rhodes College is named to President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll "With Distinction for General Community Service": The 2006 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, presented in cooperation with Campus Compact was designed to increase public awareness of the contributions that college students are making within their local communities and across the country through volunteer service. At Rhodes, more than 80 percent of students participate in community service, and recently Rhodes College has adopted a curriculum that recognizes the synergistic relationship between service in the community and learning in the classroom. According to Rhodes College Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Project Pericles Program Director, Robert Strandburg, "As with laboratories and internships, service engages the student in discovery learning; it provides context for what the student is studying in the classroom, and most importantly creates opportunities for independent problem solving and the exercise of reflective judgement." Resources and Publications Resources: American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) announces "Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility" call for applications: AAC&U invites colleges and universities to submit a proposal to become part of a Leadership Consortium to test and adopt new ways of deepening students' sense of integrity, ethical obligations to self and to others, and responsibilities as citizens in a diverse democracy and interdependent world. AAC&U seeks applications from colleges and universities where presidents, academic and student affairs leaders, faculty, and students commit to actively working together to engage issues of personal and social responsibility as features of a contemporary liberal education. For more information, visit: http://www.aacu.org/core_commitments/about_cfp.cfm The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards is accepting entries: The awards recognize outstanding works that contribute to our understanding of racism or appreciation of the rich diversity of human cultures and are given for both fiction and nonfiction. Submission information can be found at the awards program website: http://www.anisfield-wolf.org/ Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center announces application process for research fellowships: Approximately 40 fellowships are awarded annually by the Ransom Center to support scholarly research projects in all areas of the humanities. Each year the fellowship program has a special topic. This year's topic is "In Times of War." Special consideration will be given to research proposals that address and investigate the transatlantic cultural exchange of ideas, but proposals do not have to relate to the special topic to be eligible for fellowship support. The deadline for applications is February 7, 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/about/fellowships/ Microsoft Research seeks tech proposals from colleges and universities for tablet technology in the classroom: Microsoft Research will use this RFP as a catalyst to encourage educators to apply resources toward the revising, updating, and validating of curriculum and pedagogy in conjunction with tablet technology in higher education. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2007. For submission information, visit: http://research.microsoft.com/erp/ National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC) Offers Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Mini-Grants: The National Association of Service and Conservation Corps, in cooperation with the Corporation for National and Community Service, is offering mini-grants to support service projects as part of the 21st anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. These mini- grants will support service activities designed to alleviate conditions of poverty in communities and engage disadvantaged youth. NASCC will fund organizations that mobilize volunteers, especially disadvantaged youth, to undertake service activities to benefit impoverished communities. For application information, visit: http://www.nascc.org/ The National Youth Leadership Council is accepting applications for the Alec Dickson Servant Leader Award: The award honors exemplary leaders who, through their actions, compassion, creativity, and courage, have inspired the service- learning field, positively impacted the lives of young people, and motivated others to take up the banner of service. Deadline for applications is January 22, 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.nylc.org/ Youth Service America/Youth Venture Program invites applications from young social entrepreneurs: Ventures must be youth-led and designed to be a lasting, sustainable asset to the community; and be a new organization or a new program within an existing organization. Ventures can be school-based clubs, community organizations, or for-profit or nonprofit businesses. The deadline for applications is December 18, 2006. For more information, visit: http://www.ysa.org/ Publications A research study on "Student Engagement in a Flexible Model of Service Learning in Information Systems Curricula" was recently published in the Journal of Informatics Education Research. The study by James Lawler and Zheng Li, both of Pace University, reviews what impact two Centers at Pacehave had in engaging students in helping community agencies and challenged citizens with computer Web technology. The November 8 issue of Inside Higher Ed explores this year's increased turnout among young voters from the last mid-term election in 2002, and highlights mobilization efforts on college campuses. Allegheny College, Elon University, andHendrix College are three of the schools highlighted. New England College and Project Pericles at New England College were featured in the November 13 Boston Globe article, "Students to renovate Mississippi homes" and on WCAX's website, the local CBS television station. 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 3, Issue 2 – October 2006 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.
Director's Welcome This past month Project Pericles held two pivotal conferences: The annual Program Directors' Conference and the Debating for Democracy Student/Faculty Conference. On October 12-13, Program Directors from our Periclean colleges and universities gathered in New York City to discuss collaboration and future Periclean programming. On October 14, we held the Debating for Democracy Student/Faculty Conference where students, faculty, and staff from our pilot schools, Bates College, Bethune-Cookman College, Elon University, Pace University, Wagner College, and Widener University,came together for the first time to discuss active engagement and democratic processes. Both conferences provided an opportunity for schools to meet one another, share best practices, and plan for the future of Project Pericles. We would like to thank The New School University, Pace University, and Wagner College for hosting these two conferences. With the November elections less than a month away, our Periclean campuses have been busy hosting events and rallying students. In this issue of the newsletter, you will get a glimpse of what some campuses are doing to inspire students, faculty, and staff to take action. We commend our Periclean colleges and universities for integrating Periclean values into their schools' infrastructure, and look forward to showcasing them in future issues of the newsletter. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director Project Pericles ® Announcements Upcoming Conferences November 13 – The National Board of Advisors Meeting: This inaugural meeting, held jointly with the Board of Directors, will be an opportunity to present and discuss the progress of Project Pericles. Hosted by the Ford Foundation in New York City, the meeting will address the exciting opportunities and future plans to extend the envisioned impact of our mission. December 8 – The Presidents' Council Meeting: At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will discuss matters relating to the governance, sustainability, and growth of Project Pericles, and will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of Project Pericles on their campuses. The Presidents' Council meeting will be held in New York City and will be hosted by The Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Congratulations to Bethune-Cookman College on its new Center for Civic Engagement: One of President Trudie Kibbe Reed's top priorities since taking the helm in 2004 has been establishing a Center for Civic Engagement. The doors to the new Center were opened in September. The Center, serving as a Student Union, will be a place where students can gather, town-hall meetings will be held, and where community members can meet for events. Elon University tops in the nation for community service: Elon University has been named one of the nation's top three universities for community service, earning a Presidential Award in the first President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, announced by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The award, presented during an October 17 ceremony in Chicago, includes a $5,000 prize from the Case Foundation to support community service activities and a certificate signed by President George W. Bush. Elon University President Leo M. Lambert accepted the award, and Elon senior Katie Franck, who has been an active volunteer throughout her college career, spoke at the event, providing a student perspective on the value of service. One of the exemplary programs highlighted in Elon's nomination was Project Pericles. Project Pericles ® in Action Campuses take action in the Periclean initiative Student Choices, Student Voices: Allegheny College's Center for Political Participation Receives $150,000 Grant to Register Voters: The Center for Political Participation (CPP) at Allegheny College has received a $150,000 grant to register young voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Coordinated by Young Voter Strategies and funded by a $3 million grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Community College Voter Registration Project is part of a nationwide, nonpartisan effort to register 350,000 voters in 2006. The CPP will recruit and train student leaders at 30 community colleges in Ohio and Pennsylvania to organize voter registration brigades and register 20,000 18-24-year-old voters on campus and in their communities. "Registering to vote is an important threshold for other levels of involvement," says CPP Director Daniel M. Shea. "Once young people register and vote they tend to become habitual voters and engaged citizens." Bethune-Cookman College students partner with the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation to help boost voting at the polls: Bethune-Cookman students are working collaboratively with the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation to register 5,000 college students to vote in the Daytona Beach mid-term elections this November. As Davion Lewis, a Bethune-Cookman student, commented, "The overall challenge is getting students to realize the importance of voting. What we first have to do is raise within them an unwavering belief in the importance of engaging in that civic duty." St. Mary's College of Maryland solicits help from professors for the upcoming elections: The Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary's College of Maryland and the American Association of University Professors launched "Professors at the Polls" to address an acute shortage of election judges. Under this program, faculty from St. Mary's College of Maryland and other Maryland colleges and universities, both private and public, will be serving as election workers. This venture has been endorsed by numerous Maryland officials and elected representatives. Swarthmore College students help fight genocide: Together with the National STAND (Student Taking Action Now: Darfur) Coalition, Swarthmore students are organizing to host six student anti-genocide conferences throughout the United States. These two day conferences will connect students fighting genocide in Darfur, train them to be effective advocates, link them with community groups and celebrate their achievements. Each conference will feature an array of academics, policy makers and advocates in the anti-genocide movement. For more information, a general agenda, and conference dates please visit: www.timetoprotect.org. Wagner College hosts panel discussion to engage women in electoral politics: State Senator Diane Savino, Assemblywoman Adele Cohen, former Staten Island GOP chairwoman Leticia Remauro and Julienne Verdi of Young Democrats led a panel discussion in October to discuss ways that women can and should be involved with electoral politics. Widener University students celebrate Constitution Week: Widener University kicked off its participation in the Periclean initiative, Student Choices, Student Voices, by hosting several activities to celebrate Constitution Week (September 18-21). Widener's Political Engagement Committee provided students with voter registration forms so that they could register to vote in the upcoming November election, distributed copies of the Constitution, and invited former members of Congress to speak on current issues at Town Hall Meetings. Widener also hosted a Panel Discussion, featuring Law professors Alan Garfield and Stephen Henderson, and Widener students,on personal technology and free speech. Periclean Constituency Involvement Swarthmore College's Board of Managers has established a $500,000 endowment that will generate income of at least $25,000 annually to support groups of Periclean students who propose and implement significant social and civic action projects. It is intended that these projects will have the potential to promote systemic change in conditions that underlie societal problems and that reflect values of fairness, diversity, opportunity and democracy. The fund will be administered by the college's Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility. Periclean Connections Project Pericles welcomes Mark A. Vander Ploeg to our National Board of Advisors. Mr. Vander Ploeg is a trustee of Macalester College and recently completed a six year term as its Chair. He is the Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Head of West Coast Origination, and Co- Head of Consumer Industries at Merrill Lynch. Grants and Resources Scholarship Opportunities: The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation invite nominations for the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards. The deadline for applications is Novemeber 9, 2006. The awards support the teaching and research careers of newly appointed faculty in the chemical sciences. Please visit www.dreyfus.org for more information. Oracle Education Foundation invites students and teachers to take part in ThinkQuest International. ThinkQuest International 2007 is open to students between the ages of 9 and 19 and their teacher- coaches. The program promotes collaboration and cross-cultural learning by encouraging students to team with peers in other regions to develop web sites on educational topics. The deadline for submissions is April 16, 2007. Please visit www.oraclefoundation.org for more information. Two New Books Foster Student Engagement: Allegheny College's Daniel M. Shea has coauthored, "Living Democracy" with Joanne Green of Texas Christian University and Christopher Smith of Michigan State, and co-edited "Fountain of Youth: Strategies and Tactics for Mobilizing America's Young Voters" with John C. Green of The University of Akron. The books, published this year, help bring young Americans into the political process and help scholars and practitioners understand the complexities of youth civic engagement. 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 3, Issue 1 – September 2006 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.
Director's Welcome Welcome Back!We hope you had an excellent summer and are preparing for an exciting and productive year. Staff additions, Periclean Program planning, and conference preparation have made my first summer at the Project Pericles National Office very stimulating. We have been particularly absorbed in organizing a succession of conferences and programs which will help contribute to the development of future Periclean Programs and to the fulfillment of our mission. On the programmatic front, efforts to help campuses promote civic engagement continue to gain momentum with the launch of Student Choices, Student Voices (SCSV) 2006, the Debating for Democracy (D4D) Program, and the Periclean Program Directors' Conference in October. On the strategic front, our National Board of Advisors will meet for the first time this November and the Presidents' Council will meet in December. Over the summer, the National Office made two important staff additions, Mollie Kinnamon and Jonathan Aleshire. Mollie joined us on July 10th in the new position of Assistant Director, and Jonathan joined us on August 7th as the Assistant to the Executive Director. They may be reached individually at: [email protected] and [email protected]. Our communication capabilities are greatly enhanced by the redesign of the Project Pericles website. As we continue to evolve as an organization, so too, does the scope and depth of the newsletter. We hope this issue of The Periclean Progress inspires you to think about new Periclean initiatives and Periclean collaborations. We are looking forward to a great year. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director Project Pericles ® Announcements Conferences October 12-13 – The Periclean Program Directors' Conference: This conference is a special opportunity for Periclean schools to share information about Program development and activities, meet and network with fellow Pericleans, discuss current and future opportunities for collaborations, and inject new insights and ideas for future initiatives. The conference will be held in New York City courtesy of Pace University and The New School. The Conference kicks off on October 12th with a dinner hosted by President Bob Kerrey at The New School. The conference will resume the next morning at Pace University, Downtown Campus, hosted by President David A. Caputo. October 14 – The Debating for Democracy Conference: D4D, a signature program of Project Pericles, provides a learning and advocacy experience that encourages students to research and develop thoughtful opinions and advocate them effectively. Students and faculty from six Pilot Periclean Schools (Bates College, Bethune-Cookman College, Elon University, Pace University, Wagner College, and Widener University) will come together to share ideas for shaping the program and planning for our first year's program. The conference will be held at Pace University, Midtown Campus. November 13 – The National Board of Advisors Meeting: This inaugural meeting, held jointly with the Board of Directors, will be an opportunity to present and discuss the progress of Project Pericles. Hosted by the Ford Foundation in New York City, the meeting will address the exciting opportunities and future plans to extend the envisioned impact of our mission. December 8 – The Presidents' Council Meeting: At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will discuss matters relating to the governance, sustainability, and growth of Project Pericles, and will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of Project Pericles on their campuses. The Presidents' Council meeting will be held in New York City and will be hosted by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Program Director Search: Eugene Lang College, the undergraduate division of The New School, has established a unique Practical Arts of Citizenship Program that will be integrated into the school's curriculum. They are currently seeking a Senior Director for the Program that will bring students into learning relationships with major social action organizations in New York City. This builds on the existing prototypic Periclean relationship with the local "I Have a Dream" Program in Manhattan. Its philosophy is described as "making public service the ethical spine of liberal arts education" at Eugene Lang College. For information, please visit their website. Project Pericles ® in Action Student Choices, Student Voices: With the election season upon us, we are excited to announce the kick off of Student Choices, Student Voices (SCSV) 2006, the Periclean initiative that encourages the thoughtful political participation of students in the electoral process. SCSV initiatives rally students to examine social and political issues and actively employ the processes of our democracy to promote their views and objectives. During the 2004 election year, many Periclean schools participated in engaging SCSV activities. For example, Pace University conducted a workshop on how to "practice democracy." Tips on letter writing, action letters and petition signing were discussed so that students could then advocate on behalf of the candidates and issues they supported. Other examples from the 2004 SCSV Program included hosting public debates on issues relevant to the November election, sponsoring town meetings and open forums to discuss candidates and issues, and hosting panels to discuss issues from "what is democracy?" to how to lobby. What is your campus doing? In upcoming newsletters, we will be featuring stories relevant to the 2006 election and Student Choices, Student Voices. We are excited to hear about your innovative and inspiring ideas. Please email Mollie Kinnamon by October 3rd: Periclean Programs in the Spotlight Chatham College Works Collaboratively to Empower Young Women: In June, Chatham Collegesponsored The National Education for Women's (NEW) Leadership Pennsylvania for female students from public and private universities and colleges throughout Pennsylvania. NEW Leadership Pennsylvania is an intensive, weeklong residential leadership and public policy institute designed to educate and empower young women for future public participation and leadership. Their goal is to address the under-representation of women as public decision-makers and to emphasize how women can effect change through grassroots efforts. While students throughout Pennsylvania attended the weeklong institute, Chatham's involvement is distinctive: It involves both students and faculty advisors for a yearlong experience with students returning to campus to carry out an Engagement Project. This year's Project focuses on improving the status of women through active participation in their communities. Now in its seventh year, NEW Leadership Pennsylvania continues to impact lives. As one student commented, "NEW Leadership reaffirmed my desire to devote my life to public policy." Another student remarked that they learned the importance of taking charge and being confident was not arrogant, but, in fact, often necessary. Do you have examples of Periclean-initiated actions that address issues of local, national, or international concern? Email us at [email protected] Students Take Periclean Values On the Road: Elon University's 2007 Periclean Scholars Study Hunger in Honduras: Elon University students, faculty, and staff, recently returned from an inspiring trip to Honduras, where they spent three weeks collecting information on the social and political factors that contribute to widespread hunger in Honduras. They met with community leaders and conducted interviews with the regional director of the United Nations World Food Program, the regional director of the Honduran Ministry of Health, and the Bishop of San Pedro Sula. Students also spent time at the Mario Catarino Rivas Hospital in San Pedro Sula, a hospital with close ties to the Periclean Scholars Class of 2007. The students spent more than two years raising money to build a dining facility for the hospital's pediatric ward. The students will use the information they gathered in the interviews, along with video footage, to produce a documentary film examining the issues surrounding pediatric malnutrition in Honduras. A highlight of the trip came when the students were informed that their hard work paid off: plans for the new dining facility at the hospital were finalized and construction was scheduled. Congratulations Periclean Scholars Class of 2007! Spelman College Helps Revitalize Neighborhoods and Decrease Crime Rate: Students at Spelman College are helping to transform and revitalize the Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods, which border Spelman College. Through participation in the United States Government Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Grant, Spelman College has worked closely with the Atlanta Police Department, federal and city government agencies, and local civic associations to address residents' interests and concerns about the physical and social deterioration of the neighborhoods. As an essential part of the plan, Spelman students served as interns for PSN, collaborating with community residents to help them meet neighborhood goals, tutoring and mentoring in elementary schools, organizing neighborhood clean ups, and interacting with city government. The collaboration between academia, federal and city agencies, and local civic associations was a huge success. Crime has fallen fifty-two percent and the revitalization has energized residents, Spelman interns, and surrounding communities. While Spelman's formal involvement in the grant ends on September 30, 2006, several student interns, inspired by the work they began, will continue to volunteer or work as part-time interns after the grant has ended. Periclean Connections Governance As Project Pericles continues to grow, so does its importance and the scope of its charge. Integral to the development of policies and program concepts of Project Pericles, The Presidents' Council (PC) fosters communication among Periclean schools and promotes the understanding of Project Pericles. To facilitate responsibilities from the operation of Periclean Programs to standards for their evaluation, an Executive Committee was appointed in June by PC Chair, David A. Caputo (Pace University). Members are: Esther L. Barazzone (Chatham College), Richard Guarasci (Wagner College), James T. Harris, III (Widener University), Leo M. Lambert (Elon University), Jane Margaret O'Brien (St. Mary's College of Maryland), Brian C. Rosenberg (Macalester College), Larry D. Shinn (Berea College), and John Strassburger (Ursinus College). Congratulations to Project Pericles Board Member and former President of Teachers College at Columbia University, Arthur E. Levine, for his appointment as President of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Project Pericles welcomes Susan Westerberg Prager as the new President of Occidental College. A former UCLA Law School Dean, distinguished legal scholar, teacher, and academic leader, she is Occidental's first woman president. More. Grants and Resources Scholarship Opportunities: The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Awards for graduate students who are committed to developing academic and civic responsibility in themselves and others, and who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education, is accepting applications. The deadline is September 22, 2006. More. Youth Service America announces the 2007 Harris Wofford Awards. The Awards, created in 2002 to honor former U.S. Senator Harris Wofford (Project Pericles Board Member), recognize extraordinary achievements in three categories: Youth, Organization, and Media for actively contributing towards, "making service and service- learning the common expectation and common experience of every young person in America." The deadline for nominations is October 19, 2006. For more information, visit www.ysa.org or e-mail [email protected]. The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation invite nominations for the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Awards. The deadline for applications is November 9, 2006. The awards support the teaching and research careers of talented young faculty in the chemical sciences. Visit www.dreyfus.org for complete program information. Legislation for Consideration: There is a new bill in Congress called SAVE, Support American Volunteer Efforts, (HR 4387) that would provide a tax refund of up to $2,000 per year to any American who volunteers for a non-profit organization in the nation. The SAVE campaign is reaching out to non-profit organizations, colleges and universities asking them to help spread the word to their members, students, and volunteers to support SAVE. More. White House Internship Opportunity: The White House Internship Program offers an excellent opportunity to explore public service. Applicants are accepted for all three terms: fall, spring or summer. To apply, you must be a U.S. citizen enrolled in college or university, and at least 18 years old. The application deadline for Spring 2007 is October 13th. More. Articles: Dr. Daniel M. Shea, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Political Participation at Allegheny College, reflects on the pros and cons of hosting campaign events on campuses, referencing Vice President Dick Cheney's 2004 visit to Allegheny College, in the August 4, 2006 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education. More. Congratulations Periclean Schools! Included once again in the latest edition of "Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL): 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges," are Allegheny College, Hampshire College, Hendrix College, Rhodes College, and Ursinus College. The guidebook, written by former New York Times education editor Loren Pope, was written to help students, parents, and counselors find a good college match. The book profiles schools that excel at developing potential, values, initiative, and risk- taking in a wide range of students. Dr. Zach Messitte, Project Pericles Co- Program Director, and St. Mary's College of Maryland were featured in the article, "A chance to effect change: Small-town college yields big opportunity in politics," on August 11 in the Gazette.Net. Two articles were recently published by Dr. Lori Simons, a Widener University service-learning faculty fellow, and Beverly Cleary, research assistant, on service-learning research in psychology. "Student and Community Perceptions of the 'Value Added' for Service- Learners," can be found in the Journal of Experiential Education 28 (2), pages 164-188, and "An Evaluation of Academic Service-Learning Model: What and How Do Students Learn While Engaged in Service-Learning?" can be found in the National Social Science Journal 26 (2) pages 93-109. In the July 30th "Education Life Section" of The New York Times, Bates College, Elon University, Macalester College, and Pitzer College, are featured in stories, titled, "Southbound: Are Furman, Davidson and Elon the new Colby, Middlebury and Bates," and "Off the Beaten Path: Twenty colleges worth a trip, or at least a detour. Visiting Ann Arbor? Do Kalamazoo, too." These two stories explore regional differences among colleges. 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 |
Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
[email protected]
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions