David & Frances Brain Center for Community Engagement | Annual Report 2019-2020

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate

actions of its members.

- Coretta Scott King

Annual Report 2019-2020

Table of Contents 4

YEAR IN REVIEW

6

COMMUNITY PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS

8

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM & PROGRAMS

20

CAMPUS COLLABORATIONS & EVENTS

26

SERVICE-LEARNING COURSES

28

JACKET PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM

30

WHAT’s NEXT?

Photo: Alternative Spring Break New Orleans (Camp Restore)

YEAR IN REVIEW Creativity. Compassion. Contribution‌. these are 3 words that represent the 2019-2020 school year for the Brain Center. From the development of new initiatives and student support programs in response to COVID-19, to the care and support that our student community showed one another during these unpredictable and challenging times. It was a year of tremendous achievement - from recognition for programs such as the Jacket Philanthropy Program (Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award) to new opportunities that will take Brain Center efforts to the next level (All in Democracy Challenge).

Please enjoy this report which serves as a reflection on the people, partnerships and programs that have shaped individual lives, campus and the wider community over this past year.

Big thanks to our LHE Graduate Fellows:

Amanda Pacanovsky and Emily Sheetz Amanda and Emily both brought a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion to their work with Brain Center programs and students. They encouraged students, launched new ideas and will leave a meaningful legacy through their work.

THIS CIVIC MOMENT: COVID-19, RACIAL JUSTICE AND BEYOND At the core of our work in the Brain Center is student leadership development, fostering civic responsibility and empowering active engagement….. Never have these skills and values been more essential.

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Challenges presented by COVID-19 led to innovation in remote service-learning engagement,

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COVID-19 also exposed disparities in healthcare, access to technology, and financial vulnerabilities within our student community which led to the quick development of the new Emergency Grant Fund,

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Continued tragedies of police brutality and systemic racism have activated new levels of commitment to anti-racism work and interest in the role that institutions of higher education can play in efforts for racial equity and social justice.

NEW: Emergency Grant Fund Launched in March 2020, the BW Student Emergency Grants Program helps BW students who are facing financial difficulty due to an emergency situation or one-time hardship related to the COVID-19 crisis. The funds are awarded to help alleviate short-term financial need. For purposes of this grant program, a financial emergency is defined as an unforeseen expense that, if not resolved quickly, could lead to a disruption of the student’s education, student's departure from the university or loss of momentum toward completion.

This fund is sustained through generous gifts from donors. Thank you to everyone who has contributed financially, support to students or those providing assistance in the grant process.

Thank you to our

Emergency Grant Committee C. J. Harkness

Veronica Drdek

Patti O’Grady

George Schiller

Danelle Baker-Miller

Kris Cunningham

William McGinley

Debby Brousek

145 Grants Awarded $16,450 Funding Allocated Top areas of need: Food, Rent/Utilities, Technology *As of May 2020

COMMUNITY PARTNERS, FUNDERS & SUPPORTE We must see the connectedness of these systems. We must find ways to work alongside one another for greater change. — Marsha Mockabee, CEO Urban League of Cleveland We know that there is power in partnerships — bringing together resources, ideas, and assets to tackle mutual challenges and build together towards a stronger future as a region.

Baldwin Wallace and the Brain Center is grateful for the tremendous learning opportunities that our non-profit partners present for our student volunteers, interns, and student leaders.

We encourage organizations who are interested in connecting with BW students, faculty or staff to share opportunities at: bw.givepulse.com

Heatmap showing centers of impact from Brain Center programs

COMMUNITY PARTNER ADVISORY COUNCIL Karen Cook

MetroHealth Community Health Advocates

Michael Parry

City Mission

Natalie Friedl

Slavic Village P-16 / MyCom

Paul Putman

Cleveland Foundation

Natalie Harper

Scranton Road Ministries CDC

Cindy Newton

Boys & Girls Club

Phyllis Harris

LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland

Lynn Scott

Malachi Center

Jessica Morgan

Greater Cleveland Food Bank

Thank you for your continued support!

ERS Brain Center Grant Awards | 2019-2020 •

Campus Election Engagement Program Fellowship Funding—Jackets Engaged Arthur B. McBride Sr. Family Foundation — funding for Jacket Philanthropy Program

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Zilber Family Foundation— funding for Jacket Philanthropy Program

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George W. Codrington Foundation— funding for Jacket Philanthropy Program

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Harry K. & Emma R. Fox Charitable Foundation— Jacket Philanthropy Program

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Harvest for Hunger Hot Meal Program Grant— funding for Campus Kitchen Project

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DESICH COMMUNITY IMPACT SCHOLARSHIP 14 BW students received $2500 Desich Community Impact Scholarships, supporting their education and recognizing their on-going commitment to community service.

Sustained support from the David and Frances Brain Leadership Endowment for BW programs fostering leadership skills and promoting the understanding that it is the responsibility of all leaders to give of themselves to enhance their communities.

Thank you to Susan Bixler ‘72 New BW Board member and alum, Susan Bixler, has been a champion for Alternative Breaks and efforts for social justice. THANK YOU to Susan who has generously provided housing, meals, community and personal connections to multiple Alternative Break groups, and has forged a powerful new connection between BW and the Equal Justice Initiative. This partnership has launched a new student organization and many possibilities to come! Thank you to Susan for all that you do!

Thank you to Agnes & Jack Dover The Brain Center would like to recognize the generous contributions of Board Chair Agnes Dover and husband Jack, who have donated to create an endowed fund for the support and sustained development of future Brain Center programming. This fund will be used to expand opportunities with Alternative Breaks, including the development of curricular Alternative Breaks, as well as programs addressing campus food insecurity, and the development of a campus civic innovation fund.

View thank you video from Brain Center leaders.

STUDENT

“Working with the Brain C It has kept me afloat, driv best?" My best experien and I am forever grateful because it is an office on others and work as a team

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Committed leaders In addition to their roles and responsibilities with their individual Brain Center team, all leadership team members commit to: •

Brain Center Fall leadership retreat

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Serve as site leaders for Saturday of Service

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Social Change Summit Change leaders

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Monthly Brain Center workshops and trainings

Student Leadership Team p

Alternative Breaks Campus Kitchen

College Exploration Jackets Engaged SERVE

Weekly Service Progra

Our student leadership team represent

25 unique majors.

Center has given me a sense of direction and purpose. ven, and constantly asking myself "Am I doing my nces and relationships has come from the Brain Center When I talk about the Brain Center, my face lights up campus where everyone's main purpose is to help m. “ - Ryan Simmons, College Explorations

programs:

s

ns

ams

“I became a member of the Brain Center leadership team because I believe that students and young people should be more politically active. More young people need to know that our generation has a voice and educating people on how to become a more active citizen helps us all realize our potential. “ - Leah Kent, Jackets Engaged

30

students made a 1-year commitment to serve on a Brain Center leadership team.

Pictured below: 4 Brain Center Leaders + our LHE Fellows attended the National IMPACT Conference at Arizona State University (February 2020)

ALTERNATIVE BREAKS 71 BW students participated with Fall,

Winter and Spring break trips in 2019-2020.

33

An additional students were registered for Alternative Summer Break trips that were cancelled due to COVID-19.

2019-2020 Alternative Break Trips Fall

Cleveland, OH

Winter

Suicide Prevention & Awareness Food Insecurity *inaugural JLB Affinity Trip

Winter

Food insecurity

Washington DC

Winter

Chicago, IL

Spring

Youth & Trauma Civil Rights *inaugural CIG Affinity Trip

Spring

Civil Rights

Selma, AL

Spring

Food Insecurity

New Orleans, LA

Summer* Summer* Summer*

Indigenous Communities Rural Poverty Urban Poverty

Fort Thompson, South Dakota Radford, VA Atlanta, GA

San Antonio, TX

Atlanta, GA

*Summer Break trips were cancelled due to COVID-19, however several trip leaders chose to host fundraising campaigns to support the work of their partner organizations raising over $1000.

DID YOU KNOW? All Alternative Break participants engage in pre-trip curriculum through 6 team meetings, and attending a day-long program retreat prior to travel.

Alternative Break Fellow: Fall 2019

Peyton Flasco (YJ4L ‘19) had previously served as the BW Alternative Break Student Director for 2 years, as well as serving as an intern with the national association Breakaway for 2 summers. Therefore, when a need for program leadership arose during Fall 2019 Peyton stepped up to lead and support the AB team. Peyton and the team helped to launch new components of the AB experience—including the new AB Basics workshops. Big thanks to Peyton for your continued leadership with the Brain Center and wishing you all the best in your next service endeavor—serving as a Team Lead for Americorps NCCC for the Northern Region.

“I have been asked so many questions about my trip and all I can say is that you have to go on one. There are no other words to say then life changing. “ - San Antonio participant, Winter Break 2019 “I know that I'm no superhero, but as a result of this trip, I see myself as someone who can take action. I can participate in efforts to help causes and put in my voice. I don't want to be a bystander anymore or just a volunteer I am ready to get involved and get hands-on experience.” - Washington DC, Winter 2019

“This was enlightening towards my education at BW, as well.

I can take everything from this alternative break and apply it to my academics. Knowing that this is all contributing to my future purpose. With prospects to become a physician, this will allow me to recognize what a compassionate citizen is serving to the public health, and I'm beyond ecstatic to begin.” - Washington DC, 2019

CAMPUS KITCHEN  Food Recovery: Combatting food waste

 Community Meal: Addressing food insecurity and building relationships

 Leadership team: Empowering student leaders

Campus Kitchen Leadership Team Beyond the Meal: This year we continued our partnership with our neighbors at Quarrytown Berea through our monthly community meal and on-going activities designed to address social isolation, health and wellness within the residence. From August through March we provided over 350

meals and engaged 98 BW volunteers.

Changes ahead: The National Campus Kitchen Project merged with Food Recovery Network. We will launch a FRN chapter at BW and our partnership at Quarrytown will continue and grow as a new Weekly Program.

WEEKLY SERVICE PROGRAMS

99 1,535 8

BW Volunteers at West Side Catholic Center

BW Volunteers

Service Hours

Partner Organizations Recreational activities with children at Boys and Girls Club after school program Healthy food activities with children attending Kids Cafe at CPL's South Brooklyn Branch Arts, crafts an conversations with women staying at YWCA’s Norma Herr Women’s Center Social skills development with young men at Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility Child care for the Family Matters program at West Side Catholic Center Mentoring of Berea-Midpark High School students through Women Empowering Women program

In school support for immigrant & refugee teens at International Newcomers Academy @Thomas Jefferson Serving meals at St. Vincent DePaul’s St. Pat’s Hunger Center •

JACKETS ENGAGED “Education is a human right with immense power to transform...

Jackets Engaged continued its work engaging the campus community in the democratic process through voter registration, voter education, and get-out-the vote activities.

Campus Presentations: •

Social Change Summit

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Brain Center Student Leadership Team Meetings

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6 classes– modified presentation to be more interactive

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Honors Program Junior Visit Day

Voter Registration and Education Tabling: •

Summer Orientations Involvement Fair Service Fair

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Monthly tabling in the Union

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Donut Forget to Vote

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Be a Smartie

Additional Activities: •

Hosted 3 Debate Watch Parties

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Visual Display of NSLVE results (pictured above)

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Social media campaigns for fall election, democratic primary, Census participation and more

...on it’s foundation rests the

ALL IN CHALLENGE Building upon the work of Jackets Engaged and #BWVOTES, BW answered the call to be ALL IN during Fall Semester 2019.

By enrolling in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge BW joined over 500 (now 600+) colleges and universities across the U.S. in committing to: Increase student voting rates, help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship, and make democratic participation a core value on their campus.

Convene a campus-wide committee that includes members from academic affairs, student affairs, and the student body, as well as any other relevant stakeholders.

Develop and implement an action plan to improve democratic engagement.

Participate in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) in order to measure student voter participation rates.

Click here to view BW’s 2020-2021 Action Plan!

e cornerstones of freedom, democracy & sustainable human development.� -Kofi Annan

SERVE: Students Engaging, Reflecting, and

MLK Day of Learning brought together Berea-Midpark High School & BW students to facilitate educational activities for 153 local 3rd graders

58 students contributed 270 hours of service to 9 organizations

170 gifts collected for Cuyahoga Cty. Division of Children & Family Service’s Hope for the Holidays Drive

Annual +

Sup Satur

d Volunteering Every Year SERVE has a rich history of coordinating annual events and Super Saturdays. These events enable students to contribute to the community without making a big time commitment. In addition to the annual projects, this year’s Super Saturdays included service with MedWish International, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, and the City of Berea’s leaf raking project.

Events +

per rdays

SERVE collaborated with Explorations Study Abroad for Super Saturday Project with Medwish International as part of I Heart Travel Week.

PROJECT AFFINITY: Summer 2019 Learning Outcomes: Eight weeks of living together in the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood of Cleveland, interning at local non-profit organizations, and participating in weekly education and group service provides ample opportunity for students to develop civic skills and understanding.

Project Affinity helped me realize (or reaffirm) that I liked being involved in addressing community issues.

Because of my experiences with PA, my career goals include purposes that benefit others.

I believe I have the responsibility to use the knowledge I have gained at BW to serve others.

Project Affinity increased my understanding/skills:

100% AGREE

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”

- Meg Wheatley

Issue Education Snapshot •

Community Development & Gentrification

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Human Rights & Social Justice 101

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Impacts of Red Lining

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LGBTQ+ Advocacy and Services

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Power & Privilege

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Non-Profit Internship Partners: Boys & Girls Club

Old Brooklyn Community Development US Together West Creek Conservancy West Side Catholic Center

Refugee Resettlement Unconscious Bias, Racism & Cultural Competency

CAMPUS

COLLABORATIONS

SOCIAL CHANGE SUMMIT - January 202

This conference-style event takes place annually as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and in the spirit of MLK's legacy surrounding social justice. The program is open to all students and is designed to help students move from feelings of anxiety, apathy and angst with current events into ACTION for social justice and positive social change.

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Hana Najm (Student Director)

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Courtney Harris (Student Life)

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Hannah Schlueter (LaunchNet / CIG)

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Julie Robinson (Brain Center)

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Jessica Smith (Center for Inclusion)

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Christy Walkuski (Brain Center)

75 18 12

students participated in this full-day, conference style event

community leaders hosted sessions and participated in a networking lunch Issue education, and skill building for social change workshops were hosted

20 Issue Education sessions included: •

Writers in Residence: Freeing the Voices of Incarcerated Youth

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Fair Housing Center: Know your Fair Housing Rights

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Cleveland Collaborative: Human Trafficking 101

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Cleveland Peacemaker’s Alliance: Mentoring, Intervention and Prevention for youth

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#FlowForward: Menstrual Justice and Equity

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Venture Forward: Five Step Plan to Tackle Climate Change

Issue Education sessions included: •

Becoming part of the solution: Leveraging identity privilege for social change

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Integrating Values & Career

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Jackets Engaged: Achieving active citizenship

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Global inequality, Forced Migration & Human Rights (IRTF)

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Accessible Event Planning

MEET CLE: WELLNESS COLLABORATION

Thanks to funding from the BW Wellness Advisory Council we have been thrilled to continue to grow & expand our "Meet CLE: Wellness Edition".

This 1/2 day immersion program invites a small group of BW faculty and staff to connect through community and explore aspects of both personal and community wellness. Social, cultural, physical, and economic foundations are not only important factors for personal health and wellness, but also in the overall health and wellness of the community.

Program Goals: •

Meet new colleagues from across campus divisions / departments

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Learn about community assets in the city of Cleveland, including: physical space, innovative non-profit organizations, and passionate community leaders.

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Learn about opportunities for future community engagement, including in arts / culture and through community service or philanthropy

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Learn about opportunities and spaces to support both personal wellness and environmental wellness in the local community

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Leave with a personal community engagement action plan

Meet CLE: Aging Well | Fall 2019 Fall 2019 Meet CLE participants explored the aging process, special considerations for caregivers and services provided through BRI Care Consultation at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging; learned how the Elder Justice Center at Eliza Bryant Village is addressing inequity; toured the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland’s new home and learned about their SAGE program which provides opportunities with aging members of the LGBT community.

“The representatives from each location challenged me to think differently about parts of our population than I have in the past.” - Fall 2019 Meet CLE Participant “The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging provided me with some timely encouragement that there is a place I can go when I have questions regarding my parents' health and well-being in the near future.”

STUDENT RESOURCE PROGRAM A fall 2017 campus-wide study conducted by SOC 400 students revealed that 27% of BW student respondents were considered “low or very low” food security exposing challenges of food insecurity facing some of our BW community. The USDA defines food insecurity as, “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways" •

In Spring 2020 a taskforce conducted a campus listening tour to identify campus food resources, as well as other student resource programs to address financial vulnerabilities that may impact student persistence.

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A taskforce of faculty, staff and students participated in a documentary screening and discussion of “Hungry to Learn” providing insights into campus models

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Brain Fellow, Erin Neff, will launch the new “Swipe out Hunger” program at BW in 2020-2021 allowing students to donate unused meal swipes to peers in need.

EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE & EQLS In January 2020, EQLS and the Center for Innovation and Growth hosted : “Surviving Criminal Justice in America: the Power of Bearing Witness” An evening with Anthony Ray Hinton and Kuntrell Jackson interviewed by Adam Murphy.

Committed to continued engagement: The EQLS / CIG event was a catalyst for several new efforts, including the development of a new social justice student organization, Unite for Justice, which plans to host a Social Justice Speaker Series, as well as develop a studentled social justice dialogue program to bring campus together in dialogue around these important topics.

SERVICE-LEARNING SNAPSHOT

16

93%

(both S designated and un-designated)

of service-learning students “Agreed” or “Strongly Agreed” that they learned how they can use their BW education to make a positive difference in the community as a result of their service-learning experience .

service-learning courses

300 students engaged with

47 Community organizations

SERVICE-LEARNING FACULTY ADVISORY BIG THANKS to our dedicated faculty members who serve on the Service-Learning Faculty Advisory Council. This team works throughout the year to promote service-learning opportunities within their respective schools, to provide direction on the development of incentives and infrastructure to support the development of service-learning at BW, as well as supporting the development of new partnerships and programs.

Lisa Green (Faculty Chair)

Social Sciences

New Courses approved this year:

Swagata Banik

Public Health

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BIO 322: Plant Evolution (K. Flinn)

Karen Barahona

Humanities

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HON 290: Invisible Americans (A. Lebo)

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REL 105: Religion for the Citizen (E. Posman)

Kerry Bebie

Health & Physical Education

New Service-Learning Collaborative approvals: Brian Krupp

Math & Computer Science

Lori Long

Business

Sean Murphy

Conservatory

Jeannie Votypka

School of Education

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EDU 369: Language development and Emergency literacy (J. Votypka)

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FNC 369: Personal Finance (C. Asaad)

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MUC 201: Primary Instrument (M. Dobrea)

SERVICE-LEARNING COURSES Fall 2019 Child Psychopathology (PSY 316DS) - Dr. Anthony DiBiasio Community Health Planning (PHT 373S) - Dr. Emilia Lombardi Ecology (BIO 313S) - Dr. Katie Flinn

Grant Proposal Writing (309SX) - Dr. Paul Putman & Annie Heidersbach Human Resource Management (310SX) - Dr. Lori Long Humans & the Earth: Can We Coexist? (SUS 150I) - Dr. Frank Lebo Abnormal Psychology: Service Learning Collaborative (PSY 369)- Dr. Lisa Green

Spring 2020 Child Development (PSY 315S) - Dr. Lisa Green Child Maltreatment (PSY 220SX) - Dr. Lisa Green Commercial Spanish (SPN 260IS) - Dr. Karen Barahona Grant Proposal Writing (ENG 309SX) - Dr. Paul Putman & Annie Heidersbach Grant Writing & Administration (PHT 665) - MPH Program; Dr. Swagata Banik Health & Social Justice (PHT 375X) - Dr. Swagata Banik

Invisible Americans (HON 290DS) - Dr. Amy Lebo & Dr. Frank Lebo Literacy: Service Learning Collaborative (EDU 369S) - Dr. Jeannie Votypka Victimology (SOC 320X) - Dr. Carol Gregory

Thank you to our service-learning faculty for your innovation and dedication as we had to quickly pivot to remote instruction at the end of Spring 2020 due to COVID-19. We appreciate the commitment you demonstrated to your students and to our community partners during these challenging times.

JACKET PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM 6 courses

130 students 31 Community Partners $31,000 awarded

National Philanthropy Day Award - Jacket Philanthropy Program is an innovative, student-led, academic service-learning program. In Fall 2019 JPP was the recipient of a distinguished annual award presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) – Cleveland Chapter at the National Philanthropy Day celebration. AFP's 2019 Philanthropy Awards ceremony honored BW's JPP for "Outstanding Youth Philanthropy," one of just six awards. Eliza Bryant Village, nominated BW for the accolade, which was presented with a video highlighting the power of the JPP collaboration.

$205,500 Total grant awards in JPP history

JPP Celebration Goes Virtual 160 students, faculty and community partners logged in to attend the virtual JPP Grant Awards Ceremony when courses went remote in Spring 2020. In place of live presentations, students shared about their servicelearning experiences and grant proposals via a video gallery.

View Student Reflection Gallery

Read all about it! JPP gets published...

Dr. Lisa Green and Christy Walkuski have published an article in the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, sharing details of the 2018 alumni study.

Article: Green,L. & Walkuski, C. (2020). Paying It Forward: Does Teaching Philanthropy Change Behavior After Graduation? JNEL, 10 (20).

RECOGNITION & APPRECIATION Thank you to Dr. Lisa Green!

Dr. Lisa Green has served as the Faculty Chair of the Service-Learning Advisory Council for over 6 years.

As she transitions out of this role for 2020-2021 we want to express our sincere gratitude for her leadership, vision and advocacy serving as a champion for community engagement over the years! Students who have been impacted by Dr. Green’s work in service-learning shared some reflections: “I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Green in two service-learning experiences, and each experience has shaped my personal and professional development. Dr. Green’s love and passion for helping others within the community through service-learning is absolutely unmatched. Having Dr. Green as a professor, advisor, and partner within the JPP program has been the most valuable and meaningful experience during my time at BW. “ - Shelby Sprouse, JPP CA Spring 2020 “Experiences and people shape your life. One of the individuals who greatly helped to make opportunities possible and open my eyes, was Dr. Lisa Green. Dr. Green is a kind and wise woman who sees potential. She sees value and worth in people and she seeks to make you a better version of yourself. She challenges you and pushes you, but it’s because she sees what is possible. Thank you for the words of encouragement, the extra push, your mentorship, leadership, insight and wisdom.” - Delaney Hill, JPP CA Spring 2017 “Dr. Green strongly encouraged and supported engagement with the various community partners and students. Thanks to her approach, it was a fantastic learning and leadership opportunity, which left me with numerous connections in the mental health community to date.“ - Evelyn Zwolinski, JPP CA, Spring 2016

Thank you to Annie Heidersbach!

Annie Heidersbach will be departing from BW after 31 years of service. For many years Annie has been a champion for the sustained growth and development of the Jacket Philanthropy Program.

Annie has secured funds, taught the ENG 309 Grant Proposal Writing course, and inspired countless students through her training and mentoring to pursue professional work in the field of philanthropy.

We celebrate the tremendous legacy that Annie will leave with JPP and are proud to carry on her work in 2 exciting ways: •

Faculty, staff and alumni of the JPP program donated $31 to recognize Annie’s 31 years of service to a new fund in Annie’s honor that will support the JPP program Over $1000 has been raised.

•

Beginning in Spring 2021, 1 student will be recognized with a new “Student Grant Writer Award” in Annie’s honor. This award will recognize the talents of one JPP student, and present them with networking connections and professional development opportunities in the field of grant writing.

WHAT’S NEXT While we face uncertain times ahead, we approach our mission and work with absolute certainty knowing that civic learning, leadership development and community engagement continue to be an essential component of the BW mission and student experience. Below is a roadmap for the next year ahead…

(1) Strategic planning - We will engage all of campus and a wide community audience as we envision together about fulfilling the civic mission and responsibilities of BW. We will develop priority areas of focus and opportunities for continued development and growth through a new 5 year community engagement strategic plan.

(2) Commitment to racial equity and social justice - through our long-standing traditional programs, as well as new efforts and campus collaborations, such as the Civic LEADS series, we will continue to engage students and the campus community in civic learning, engagement, action and dialogue opportunities to advance social justice understanding and informed action.

(3) Civic learning across curriculum - we commit to continue developing our community of engaged faculty across disciplines, harnessing the energy and ideas from our ServiceLearning Advisory Council to advance community engaged teaching, service and scholarship across the curriculum.

(4) Innovative solutions to student barriers - through the development of a student resource center and emergency grant aid program we seek to institutionalize sustainable, financially responsible and accessible solutions to challenges such as food insecurity, which prevent BW students from persisting and completing their educational journeys.

(5) All in Challenge—Through the All In Democracy Challenge the Brain Center will serve as a catalyst for student political engagement in the upcoming election year, providing resources for voter registration, issue education and incentives for voter turnout.

(6) Continued innovation - from the exploration of re-entry programs to the development of a Sophomore Year curricular-based Alternative Break experience… the Brain Center remains committed to continued innovation while being responsive to community needs and student interests.

Act as if what you do makes a difference… It Does.