MakingService PartofCampus Life
Who Are We?
Why This Matters?
�� Ashley - Service
Coordinator: Leads student-run Days of Service and outreach initiatives.
�� Nishtha - Marketing and Communications
Coordinator: Promotes service through visuals, stories, and campaigns.
Studentswanttohelp butoftenlack direction. Accessible, meaningfulservice empowersstudents andbuildsastronger, moreconnected community.
Getting My Group Involved Our Evidence
We’reusingtwoforms:
Oneforlocal organizationsto requestvolunteersand anotherforstudentsto expresstheirinterest.
Makingiteasyto connectandmatch opportunitieswiththe rightpeople.
“Thankyousomuchfor arrangingthisweekend’s servicewiththeCCHRA!I justwantedtosaythat thatwasprobablythe bestSaturdayI’vespent atDickinsonsofar.”-Day ofServiceparticipant
“Ican’tbegintothankyou enoughforallyougot donetodayrepaintingthat room!You’rethebest!”Localpartner 02 04
CONVERSATIONSFOR PEACEANDJUSTICE BY:ANDREAGOMEZ ZAMORA
ABSTRACT:RAISINGAWARENESS:ITFOSTERSAWARENESSABOUTTHEHUMANCOSTSOFWARANDTHE IMPACTOFMILITARYCONFLICTSONINDIVIDUALS,FAMILIES,ANDSOCIETIES.BYFOCUSINGONTHE PERSONALSTORIESOFVETERANSANDTHEIREXPERIENCES,ITPROVIDESAHUMAN-CENTERED PERSPECTIVEONTHECONSEQUENCESOFWAR.
PROMOTINGDIALOGUE:THEPROJECTFACILITATESCONVERSATIONSABOUTPEACE,JUSTICE,AND CONFLICTRESOLUTION.ITHELPSBRIDGEGAPSINUNDERSTANDINGANDENCOURAGESDISCUSSIONS ABOUTHOWSOCIETIESCANHEALANDPREVENTFUTUREVIOLENCE.
EDUCATIONANDADVOCACY:ITOFFERSEDUCATIONALPROGRAMMINGTHATBRINGSATTENTIONTO TOPICSOFINTERNATIONALPEACEKEEPING,MILITARYETHICS,ANDGLOBALJUSTICE.THISCAN INSPIREFUTUREGENERATIONSTOCONSIDERCAREERSINDIPLOMACY,HUMANITARIANAID,AND CONFLICTRESOLUTION.
• COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT:THEPROJECTCONNECTSVARIOUSLOCALORGANIZATIONSAND INDIVIDUALS,ENCOURAGINGABROADER,COMMUNITY-WIDEUNDERSTANDINGOFISSUESRELATED TOWARANDPEACE.BYCREATINGPARTNERSHIPSWITHOTHERORGANIZATIONS,ITBECOMESA VALUABLETOOLFORFOSTERINGUNITYANDCOLLECTIVEACTIONAROUNDPEACE-BUILDING EFFORTS.
• MISSIONSTATEMENT:TOILLUMINATETHEHUMANDRAMAOFCONFLICT,HELPUSBETTER UNDERSTANDWARASAHUMANPHENOMENON,ANDILLUSTRATETHEIMPACTTHEUSEOFFORCEHAS ONSOCIETY…ESPECIALLYONVETERANSWHOHAVESERVEDOURNATION.
• SOMEEVENTSTHATTHEYHELD:INTHEPASTTHEYHAVEHOSTEDTHEARTISTTODDDRAKEANDHIS ARTWORK.ASWELLASTHEUKRAINEVIGIL,HOSTINGAFILMCITIZENGEORGE,ALONGWITHA PEACEBUILDINGWORKSHOP.THEYMAKEALLTHEEVENTSFREEFORTHEPUBLICWHOARE PASSIONATEANDHAVEASHAREDVISIONOFPEACEANDJUSTICEINOURCOMMUNITY
• FUNFACTS:THEPROJECTHASTHEGODDESSATHENAASTHEIRLOGOBECAUSEITDEMONSTRATES “THEIMPACTOFWAR,WHILEACTIVELYWORKINGTOWARDABETTERPEACE.”ATHENAISALSOTHE GODDESSOFWISDOMANDWAR,FEATUREDINHOMER’SLLIADASTHEWARRIOR-DEFENDER, PROTECTOROFCIVILIZEDLIFEANDOFARTISANACTIVITIES.
Do you know about Civic Engagement at Dickinson?
SPO
SPO helps food insecure households in the Shippensburg community gain access to nutritious meals. Partnering with local food banks and large businesses, SPO supports more than 1500 families.
Moving Circles
Research Findings from Dickinson students
Moving Circles is a great way to get involved with people who share apassion and vision for a transformative future. Moving circles offers a space for a loving and just world for people of all ages to share their voice and help to make change.
Safe
Harbour
Safe Harbour's goal is to end homelessness. We are partnered with Dickinson's Delta Nu Chapter and have many ways for the community to get involved, from donor eventsto service opportunities.
Pardon Project
Pardon Project Cumberland County helpsgive people who have been convicted of nonviolent crimes a second chance. PPCC workswith convicts to apply for a pardon, which essentially removesa crime from their record.
Grant Donta, Noelle Artinian, Sadie Dussault, Minal Saldivar
Spotlighting Success
Abstract
Spotlighting Success explores the diverse meanings of success within the African American and Indigenous communities in Carlisle, focusing on how race, culture, and personal identity shape these definitions. The event provides a platform for community members to share their experiences and reflections, addressing how societal expectations and environment influence one’s understanding of success. Involving both Dickinson College and Carlisle residents, this event aims to bridge these communities, fostering dialogue and mutual understanding about the varying perceptions of success and the barriers and opportunities that shape them.
As the Carlisle Borough Ambassador, my goal is to serve as a liaison between Dickinson College and the Carlisle community, fostering collaboration and engagement. One of my main tasks is leading a passion project I developed over the year, which I aimed to strengthen connections and build positive relationships between the college and the Carlisle community.
How We Did It
To bring this project to life, we conducted extensive research in collaboraEon with the Cumberland Historical Society and Councilwoman Safronia Perry. In addiEon, I worked closely with my mentor, Sam, engaging in numerous planning discussions to shape the direcEon of the project. We decided to organize a panel featuring YveK Davis, Amanda Cheromiah, Safronia Perry, and Miss Thelma. Why a panel? We wanted to create a space for authenEc storytelling, and what beKer way to do that than by hearing directly from the voices of those with lived experiences. Their unique perspecEves and insights allowed us to deeply explore the themes we sought to highlight, ensuring the stories are shared in the most genuine and impacOul way possible.
Special Thanks
CCLA
Cumberland County
Historical Society
Emily Pawley
Jennifer Love
Kina Jefferson ’26 CCLA’s Carlisle Borough Ambassador
Carlisle Borough Ambassador
Amanda Cheromiah
Carlisle Borough
Miss Thelma
Safronia Perry
Sam Ha-DiMuzio
YveKe Davis
AftertheBell: TheImpactofAfteschoolProgrammingin anUnderservedCommunity
ByMaePolisandLucyJandoli
WhatisAftertheBell?
TheAftertheBellprogramisaYWCA-sponsoredprograminGrandview Court,agovernment-subsidizedhousingdevelopmentonthenorthsideof Carlisle,thatofferssnacks,gamesandactivitiestotheelementaryschool kidswholivethere.
We’vebeenworkingon:
SocialEmotionalLearning
Wenoticedthatsomeofthekidshaddifficultyregulatingthemselveswhenthingsdidntgo theirway,soweworkedonhelpingthemrespondtotheiremotionsinahealthyway throughstrategieslikedeepbreathing,goingoutsidetotakeawalk,distractingthemselves withafunactivity,orvoicinghowthey’refeeling.Wehavenoticedatremendous improvementinthekids abilitytorespondtounwantedexperiencesandtalkopenlyand candidlyabouttheirlives
EnforcingRulesandBoundaries
SomethingthatMaeandIhadtoworkondevelopingovertimewasclearrules andaconsistentstructureforthekids,becausewenoticedthatthekids behavedbetterwithplannedactivitiesandasharedsetofrules.Wealsocreated boundariesaroundrespectingthespace,askingforconsent,and communicatinginakindandrespectfulmanner.
Creatingasafespace
AftertheBellinhabitsatownhouseintheGrandviewCourtneighborhoodthat theYWCAleases Thespacethatweuseincludesalargeopenroom,akitchen, andanupstairsarea Inthebeginningoftheinternship,thespacewasarranged withlongtablestakingupthewholeroom Inanattempttomakethespace seemmorewelcomingandlesslikeaclassroom,werearrangedittobeopen, withdesignatedareasforactivitieslikeartandreading.Thisgivesthekidsmore opportunitytosplitoffintogroups,doindividualactivities,andengageinfloor activitieslikedanceparties,giantJenga,ortwister Sincerearrangingthespace, thekidshavebecomemoreopentotryingavarietyofactivities,theyhave becomemoreconfidentintheirenvironment,andgainedalevelof comfortabilityinexpressingthemselvesthatwehadn’tseenbefore.
ImpactontheCommunity
LessonsandCreativePlay
OurlessonsatAftertheBelltendtocenteraroundcreativity Wedoalotofartwork-thekidsreally enjoypaintingaboveotherformsofart,andwehavefoundwaystousepaintingactivitiestospark conversations Usuallythisinvolvesmostsimplyengagingtheminconversationsabouttheirday,or theirfeelings,askingthemquestionsabouttheiridentitiesandgivingthemaspacetoexpress themselvesbothartisticallyandverbally Overthepastfewmonthswehaveobservedthatthekids haveopenedupmore,andbeganaskingtopaint,orevenperformplays.Whatismostimportant,is thatwedotheseactivitiesalongsidethem,whichwefeelhasbuilttrustandasenseofcomraderyin theprogram
Whileitshardtomeasureimpactonacommunityfromjustlessthanayearofservice,andbecausethekidsaresoyoungit’s hardtoknowhowthiswilltrulyaffectthemintheirfuture,itissafetosaythatwehaveseenamarkeddifferenceinthe behaviorsofthesekidssincewestartedworkingwiththem Thesedifferenceshavepresentedthemselvesinhowthekids interactwithus,howtheyinteractwitheachother,andthewaysinwhichtheychoosetoexpressthemselves.Onespecific waythatthishasmanifestedisinalevelofconfidencethathasgrowninthekids-eveninaverysubtlesense.Overall,the abilitytohavefocused,small-groupmentorshipmayprovetobebeneficialtothesekid'sdevelopment.
A Pop of Color: The Importance of Community Artwork
Dinela Dedic, Dickinson ‘27 – Community Engagement Fellow at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center
Abstract
Community Art and its Importance
My Work at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center
The Carlisle Arts Center (CALC) aims to strengthen the Carlisle community and make it a better place to live and work through artistic development, both for seasoned artists and novices alike. Through its mission, CALC recognizes the value of providing the community a voice through the arts. References
Community artwork is shared experience between community members regardless of income and social status that often serves as a platform for discussion based on shared values and beliefs (Bublitz et al., 2019). In some ways, community artwork can also shape the identities of such communities and beautify spaces in ways that symbolize the achievement that comes with collaboration (Bublitz et al., 2019). However, to continuously cultivate inclusivity in the arts, the experiences of all stakeholders must be considered and held at an equal weight while honestly evaluating the ways that the community can continue to improve.
I have been involved with the Carlisle Arts Learning center as a volunteer and a participant in its after-school programs since middle school. It has been an honor to continue fostering the welcoming environment that CALC has provided for me as an educator on issues pertinent to the Carlisle community.
Outside the classroom, I help organize exhibits and fundraisers that encompass CALC’s mission; inspiring individual growth and fostering community engagement through the arts. Every year we hold events like Empty Bowls that benefit other local non-profits like Project Share, bolstering collaboration and community-building over soups served in the hand-made ceramics of hundreds of volunteers.
About Us. (n.d.). Carlisle Arts Learning Center. https://www.carlislearts.org/about-calc
M. G., Rank-Christman, T., Cian, L., Cortada, X., Madzharov, A., Patrick, V. M., Peracchio, L. A., Scott, M. L., Sundar,A., To, N. (Rita), & Townsend, C. (2019). Collaborative Art: A Transformational Force within Communities. Journal of the Association forConsumerResearch,4(4), 313–331. https://doi.org/10.1086/705023
Images Courtesy of Mo Geiger (2024) and the Carlisle Arts Learning Center.
Bublitz,
WhatmakesaCommunityStrong:HowEmpathyBuilds CommunityinCarlisle
ByAavaniJoshy,TaliaPerezandValerieLarsen
CarlisleVictoryCircle
CarlisleVictoryCircle(CVC)isanon-proftocatedn Carisewiththemissionoempoweringow-ncome studentsbyconnectingthemwthasupportve communiyhavalueseducaton,growthanddversity ThroughCVCstudenshaveopportunitestomeetat hgh-schoolmddleschoomeetngsorgotothe clubhouseThesemeetingsoferstudentsasupport systemwheretheycanreax,ak,dscusscurren events,exporethedverstywthnourowncommunty, oreventocometogeheromakeahome-cookedmeal Theseopportuntiescreateanenvronmenofempathy andsupportwhereoursudentsandgrowandthrve
MyroeasaoneoftheCommuntyEngagementFelows (CEF)internswthCarlsleVctoryCrclestopartcipate andengagemeanngfulywithhestudensAtCVCI acivelypartcpatena clubhousemeetngs,whereIbud meanngfureationshpswththekdsthroughengaging conversatons,playnggamescookingmealstogether, watchingmovesandsimplyhangingoutwhiehelpng fosteracommuniyosupportandtrustBeyondthe meetngs coaboratewthoureamonaweeklybasiso panthemedactivtessuchasdedicatngpartofAprlto susanabiyforEarthDayIdeveopessonpans,crat dnnermenusandorganzeavarietyofactviiesthaboth ceebrateandeducateourstudentsThsapproach,rooted nempathy,noonyensuresproductvtybutaso strengthensourcommuntybymakingeverystudentfee vauedandsupported
WhyisEmpathyimportant tocommunity? Empathyinour placements
WhatsEmpahy?
Empahysotendenedasheab tytoputyousefnsomeoneeses shoes oundesandpeopesemoonsandbudmeannguconnecons acrosseaonshps(Kznarc2014 Empathycompcatesan undesandngoanndvdua andhepsoneundersandwheeapeson maybecomngrom
EmpahyandCommunty
EmpahyandcommuntyconnecongohandnhandEmpahypaysava roenbudngasronge moeres entsocetyEspecayn mesofcrss hroughbudngasocaneworkofpeopeosupporandookoutorone anohe Knenberg,2015 Athesame me,connectngoyoucommuny canbudempahythoughge ngoknowpeopes vedexpeencesand storesChung&Kim2021)
Whepublcsocaspacesaremporanforsoca nkngwihn commun es hedecnngrateofnvestmen npubcspaceswhn commun essonherse(Pazzanese2024)Unforunateysudes suggesthaAmecasmoredisconnectedsocaysoaedandpoazed hanevebeoe-socoogcawokhas nkedtheacko nvesmentn pubcspacesosocaydsconnecedcommuntes(Punam2000 thasbeenencouragngoseenon-poisnCalseservngassoca spacesopeopefomdferentwaksof etoconnectandengagewth eachoherResearchproposeshatempahycanbeharnessedindvdualy hroughwtnessngothersdspayempahyespecalywhnvounteer setngs(Chung&Km2021)Non-potsassociaspacescannspre empahywthnhecommuny
WorkCited
Klinenberg,E.(2015).Heatwave:AsocialautopsyofdisasterinChicago.Universityof ChicagoPress. Murthy,V.(2022).Ourepidemicoflonelinessandisolation.U.S.PublicHealthService. Pazzanese,C.(2024).RobertPutnam’sBowlingAlonesoundedanalarmwestillhaven’t answered.TheHarvardGazette. Chung,Y.W.,&Kim,J.E.(2021).CanEmpathyHelpIndividualsandSociety?Through theLensofVolunteeringandMentalHealth.Healthcare(Basel,Switzerland),9(11). Krznaric,R.(2014).Empathy:Whyitmattersandhowtogetit.Perigee.
Whatwasamisconceptionwepreviouslyhadabout thecommunityofCarisle?
Lackofdiversty
Indifferenttosociaissues
Carlseasawhoeisaffuent/wel-off Lackofempathynthecommunity
CommunitymembersandDickinsonstudentsare verydfferent
Whatchangedthatmisconception?
Meetingmembersofseveradfferent backgrounds
ReguarvounteersatProjectSHARE
BothProectSHAREandCVCworkwithlowincomecommunities
ExposuretoalincomedemographcsnCarlisle
HowcanDickinsonStudentsbebettercommunity memberstothecommunityofCarlisle?
Volunteer/Connectwiththecommunity
Attendcommuntyevents
Supportocalbusinesses
GetoutoftheDickinsonbubble-exploreCarise
GetnvolvedwithCCLA
ProjectSHAREFarmstandisavtalcommunty initatvenCarlslePennsyvana,dedcatedto providingfresh,ocalygrownproducetoindvdualsand famiiesinneedOperaednpartnershipwthlocal communityandvolunteers,theFarmstandrefects ProectSHAREsmssontoightfoodinsecuritywith dgnty,compassion,andsustanabiiyByofferng nurtousoptonsnanopen-armarket-styeseting, theFarmstandfosterscommuntyconnectionswhie promotnghealhandoodaccessforal
AsthewoCommuntyEngagementFelow(CEF) internsattheProjectSHAREFarmstand,(Aavanand Vaare)wesupporttheday-o-dayoperaionsothe farmsandwhieengagngdrectywihcentsand vounteersWeassstwihaskssuchassettngupthe spaceoensuretsaccessible,ceaningupthespacein lnewthProectSHAREsmssonoprovdeoodwth dgntyOurresponsbiiesalsoncudecheckngnclents bookngheirappointmentsandhandingimporantdaareaedtaskssuchasentrytrackngandrefecionIn addtonoogstcasupportwehepbuldaposiiveand respectuenvronmentbyneractingwthciens, vounteers,employeesandearnngromthebroader communtyThsexperenceaowsustoconnect classroomlearnngwithcommunityactonwhegrowng bothpersonalyandprofessionalynourcommtmentto serviceandsocalequity
According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, majority of Americans feel we spend too much time on the disagreements of Republicans and Democrats and not enough time on the issues and policies affecting our local communities. In response to this, me and community leader John Flood had decided to create a political group focusing on the local issues affecting our community.
With this group we are creating a space where citizens and leaders of all political affiliations can come together and discuss the issues. We have had candidates such as Brian Allen who are Republicans come speak to us about his run for school board. As well as a core leader of the group, John Flood, being a Democratic Area Leader, and myself Samuel Pimental, being a Democratic Precinct Committee Person. Our mission is to continue to have this political diversity with our presenters and leaders.
MichelleCao&KaileySipe
DickinsonCollege-CenterforCivicLearningandAction(CCLA),AllianceforAquaticResourceMonitoring(ALLARM)
-Buildcommunityandsustain engagementandinvolvement
-Cultivateand/ordeepensense ofplaceandbelonging
-Shareknowledgeanddismantle scientificelitism
-Supportenvironmental stewardship,responsibility,and ethicsofcare
-Desireandabilitytomakea change
