MDC Changemaking 2017-2020 Impact Report

2017-2020 IMPACT REPORT

Changemaking Education and Social Innovation

Miami Dade College

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“What is CHANGEMAKER Education?”

CHANGEMAKERS

Changemaker Education

At its core, changemaker education sparks a sense of agency in students. It gives them real-life opportunities to understand problems and practice creative problem solving for social and environmental change. Looking a little deeper, changemaker education develops the mindsets, skills, and knowledge that students need to:

• Understand themselves, and social/environmental problems • Creatively identify solutions, and • Collaboratively facilitate thoughtful and effective change for the good of all

Courtesy of MillionsofChangemakers.org

“What is SOCIAL INNOVATION?” Social Innovation

A novel solution (e.g. product, process, technology, principle, idea, legislation, social movement, intervention, or combination of them) to a social/environmental challenge that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, and/or just than existing solutions – and for which the value created primarily benefits society over specific individuals.

Courtesy of Stanford Social Innovation Review

Who is an effective CHANGEMAKER? An effective changemaker employs key skills and mindsets to bring ideas for positive change to life.

EMPATHY [ˈempəTHē] (n.)

RESILIENCE [rəˈzilyəns] (n.)

The ability to understand another’s perspective and actively develop compassion for their feelings, experiences, and needs.

The ability to endure and persevere through challenging experiences, gaining insight and developing personal agency in the process.

REFLECTION [rəˈflekSH(ə)n] (n.)

ACTION [ˈakSH(ə)n] (n.)

The ability to intentionally engage in planned self-awareness, critically thinking about and evaluating immersive experiences and oneself.

The ability to proactively plan and implement activities to enrich oneself, build one’s community, and make the world a better place.

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

ATTRIBUTES

CONTENTS 4

Letter from Our Director

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Our Changemaking Ecosystem

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Our Collaborators

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Changemaking by the Numbers

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Our Ashoka Connection

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Our Collective Why: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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Our Efforts on UN SDG #2: Zero Hunger

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Our Efforts on UN SDG #13: Climate Action

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Our Efforts on UN SDG #16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

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Our Campus Changemakers: Hialeah Campus

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Homestead Campus

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Kendall Campus

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Medical Campus

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North Campus

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Padrรณn Campus

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West Campus

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Wolfson Campus

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Our Alumni Changemakers

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Join Us

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THE TIME FOR CHANGEMAKING IS NOW Dear MDC Family,

Sandra Louk LaFleur Director, Changemaking Education and Social Innovation Miami Dade College Board of Trustees Michael Bileca, Chair Carlos Migoya, Vice Chair Anay Abraham Roberto Alonso Marcell Felipe Bernie Navarro Nicole Washington Rolando Montoya, Interim President Credits Produced by Hatched www.hatchedmiami.com Carla Crossno, Principal Soledad Picón, Principal Sources/Inspiration Miami Dade College Foundation Impact Reports MDC’s The College Forum www.UN.org We See Changemakers, AshokaU My Changemaker Toolkit, AshokaU Marriott Ballard Center Annual Reports Special Thanks Karyne Bury, Production Support Jonieth O’Neill, Creative Support MDC Media Services Copyright © 2020 Office of Changemaking Education and Social Innovation Miami Dade College

Changemaking has long been an integral part of MDC’s history and these times call for us to double down on our efforts to ensure that our graduates lead not only in their workplaces but in our communities as well. As engaged and empowered citizens driven to reshape a world that is more just, peaceful and prosperous for all, our students become the powerful change agents we need today. To demonstrate our resolve and results in answering that call, we proudly present our first-ever, collegewide impact report on changemaking at MDC! A changemaker education provides our students with critical opportunities to deeply explore relevant challenges in our environment and communities, while putting to practice essential skills and mindsets. In this report, you will see a mere fraction of the incredible work being accomplished towards that vision and meet just a few of the many dedicated faculty and staff leading the efforts. To say that changemaking is not a solo act, but a very social one is an understatement, and at Democracy’s College we come together to ensure that a changemaker education is accessible to all.

Since we know “talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” our approach at embedding changemaking across the College focuses on accessibility, inclusion, and clarity. We do all of this as one collective.

It would be impossible to highlight or recognize every faculty, administrator, staff, volunteer or student involved in our changemaking efforts to date, and, frankly, that’s a good problem to have. Still, we hope that all of you who have played or continue to play a role in this critical work take pride in this report – this is OUR story. It takes all of us to power the impact that our changemaking efforts create for our community. To the thousands who have contributed in big and small ways, we are truly grateful.

There is great power in recognizing our role and our responsibility as an anchor institution of Miami Dade County – and our greatest asset in this work will always be our people. Through this commitment, we stand strong in the belief that the very individuals whose lives are often most impacted by the social and environmental challenges we seek to fix are those most valuable in the efforts to design solutions. We are extremely proud of our educators and students and of their efforts to bring about much-needed change for good. This is who we are – we are MDC Changemakers.

With deep gratitude,

Sandra Louk LaFleur

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

MDC Students: the Center of Our Changemaking Experience

Our changemaking ecosystem is vast - composed of the Earth Ethics Institute, the Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy, The Idea Center, Student Life, and our 8 campus IMPACT “change teams.� Our IMPACT teams are composed of change champions including faculty, administration, staff, and student leaders. This broad cross-representation keeps us focused on the different groups of students with whom we all work, ensuring that the student experience remains at the center of our efforts.

INSTITUTE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND DEMOCRACY

Knowledge center on civic engagement and democratic learning, voter engagement, faculty professional development and student leadership development

EARTH AND ETHICS INSTITUTE

Knowledge center on Earth Literacy, sustainability, faculty professional development, immersions, and student activities

STUDENT LIFE

THE IDEA CENTER

Collegewide center for student life activities, student government and leadership programming

Collegewide hub focused on innovation practices in entrepreneurship, technology, and social impact

IMPACT TEAMS

DISTRICT LEADERS & FUNCTIONS

Campus change champions (faculty, staff, administrators, students) promoting strategies and events for changemaking on the ground

Functional collaboration with key district teams such as Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, CIOL, Learning Resources, and many others

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OUR CHANGEMAKING ECOSYSTEM Earth Ethics Institute Championing Earth Literacy for Decades Nearly 45 years ago, Dr. McGregor Smith established the Environmental Demonstration Center on the Kendall Campus, and together with his colleagues envisioned a program centered on Earth Literacy. This transformative, paradigm-shifting perspective exploring cosmology, ecological principles, and the interconnectedness of all beings invites faculty and students to discover their role within the story of Earth and Universe and empowers positive change.

Today, the Earth Ethics Institute provides a rich array of Earth Literacy-infused resources and programs such as the GSELS (Global Sustainability and Earth Literacy Studies) program that confers certification to faculty members completing the requisite professional development training and recognizes student scholars completing a required number of courses.

EEI recognizes we stand at a turning point in human history where the choices made today will define the future of humanity.

“The need for Earth Literacy has never been more evident—a values-based education guiding us in developing an ethical relationship with Earth and her living systems. It allows us to discover our role within the story of Earth and the Universe, transforming our beliefs and actions to inspire positive change. Earth Literacy is transformational changemaking whose outcome is nothing less than a shift toward a new, holistic, ecological, systems-based paradigm.”

- Mike Matthews, Director, Earth Ethics Institute

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy Awakening Tomorrow’s Civic Leaders The Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy plays a principle role in changemaker education with its mission to transform learning, strengthen democracy and contribute meaningfully to the common good by awakening and empowering students for lifelong civic engagement.

The Institute brings this mission to life by providing the MDC community with high quality opportunities for civic learning and democratic engagement (CLDE). Through these diverse learning events, the Institute aims to close South Florida’s civic empowerment gap and achieve a more just, participatory democracy through intentional programming that helps students develop the knowledge, skills, and agency to become active citizens.

Flagship programming includes academic service-learning, the Civic Action Scorecard, voter education and engagement, faculty professional development in CLDE, and hundreds of community-campus partnerships.

“The work of the Institute supports and enhances MDC’s commitment to changemaker education – through learning and practice, we help students develop the essential knowledge, skills and mindsets needed to be lifelong changemakers and public problem solvers. The Institute helps students take what they are learning in and out of our classrooms and apply it to deliberate, act, and lead in pursuit of the public good.”

- Josh Young, Collegewide Director, iCED

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The Idea Center Training Entrepreneurs to Do Well and to Do Good At MDC’s The Idea Center, programming is focused on building entrepreneurs that are ready to change the world and preparing changemakers to have an entrepreneurial mindset. Programs like Startup Challenge, CREATE, Scale Up Miami, and Impact Miami provide participants with the tools and guidance to develop their creative and innovative skills while testing their proposed innovations to build viable, feasible and sustainable solutions. Impact Miami, a five-day accelerator boot camp for early stage social ventures specifically assists purpose-driven individuals with a process to validate their business models.

Carla Mays and David Capelli participated in the last IMPACT Miami cohort (June 2020) with the intention to provide their social venture, #SmartCohort, with a COVID-19 reset. Committed to developing a more resilient Miami, #SmartCohort aims to build partnerships, equip local residents, and increase minority representation in urban planning. Beyond exploring topics such as cost modeling and rapid prototyping in IMPACT Miami, David specifically appreciated “creating relationships with other social entrepreneurs and building capacity in the ecosystem itself.” Based in Silicon Valley but supporting #SmartCohort in Miami, Carla shared, “Participation in Impact Miami provided a catalyst for restarting conversations with local partners, helping us to work better locally and to determine how we can be of better service.”

“Through our collaboration with the Office of Changemaking Education and Social Innovation, we build unique programming to support our students in transforming their ideas into actions towards a more sustainable, prosperous and equitable economy.”

- Gustavo Grande, Program Director, The Idea Center

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

Student Life Supporting MDC Students Across Their Learning Experience At MDC, each of our eight campuses has a culture as diverse as its student body.

Each offers opportunities for involvement, teamwork, and leadership. Student Life provides students with critical supports that facilitate and enhance their overall learning experience. Each dedicated Student Life team is committed to ensuring that MDC students receive a holistic co-curricular student experience, and through their student activities portal, SharkNet, students have access to clubs and organizations that match their interests or align with the latest news and information about campus-specific events.

Student Life plays a critical role in our collegewide efforts in changemaking as they are at the heart of campus life, ensuring that opportunities to learn about important issues or practice essential skills are made accessible to all. Our collaboration represents the best strategy at bringing changemaker education to the various student groups representing our student body.

As sponsors of our Student Government Association, Student Life also provides our most involved student leaders with valuable opportunities to hone their changemaking leadership skills in order to join in the work of enhancing campus culture and life for all.

“Student Life plays a key role in providing our students with life-long, co-curricular learning opportunities that enrich their success and development. Changemaking is at the heart and center of such opportunities that equip our students to be leaders of their communities and the world.�

- Dr. Jaime Anzalotta, Dean of Students, Wolfson Campus

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Impact Network MDC’s “Team of Teams” for Changemaking While each of the MDC institutes and departments directly involved in changemaking contributes critical knowledge and opportunities for skill building, it is the work of our collegewide IMPACT Network that brings it all to life on our campuses. To effectively execute this comprehensive collegewide initiative, the IMPACT Network serves as an innovative “team of teams” model comprised of eight campus committees and one district team – each of its 150+ members representing every corner of campus life, college operations, and academic departments.

As primary ambassadors of our work inside and outside the classroom, IMPACT committee members raise awareness of the value of changemaker education, spearhead innovative activities, and connect related opportunities for effective synergy. They are the true champions of changemaking across our campuses.

“Our campus IMPACT committees serve as a powerful force for advancing the College’s overall commitment to changemaking. IMPACT helps support, promote, and coordinate initiatives that are important to our students and our community. Miami Dade College is a pillar of South Florida and our changemaking efforts stretch far and wide.”

- Dr. Tom Uhle Jr., School of Education, IMPACT Chair at Padrón Campus

2020-2021 Impact Network Chairs HIALEAH

Dr. Karen Alvarez-Delfin Liberal Arts & Science Department Dr. Eric B. Terry Business Administration HOMESTEAD

Dr. James Michael Bennett Departments of Social Sciences & Humanities and Math & Sciences Lindsay Schriftman Learning Resources KENDALL

Dr. Catalina Aristizabal Department of Life Sciences, Health & Wellness Dr. Cynthia Z. Okoe The Honors College

MEDICAL

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Donna Fishkin School of Health Sciences Dr. Kelly Hernandez Learning Resources

Evelyn Rodriguez Campus Support Services Dr. Isabel Rodriguez-Dehmer English & Communications PADRÓN

Isabel Duque Learning Resources Dr. Tom Uhle Jr. School of Education

Dr. Trinidad Argüelles Psychology & Liberal Arts Joshua Fernandez Learning Resources

Dr. Eric Belokon Social Sciences Dr. Carmen Lopez Social Sciences Kelly Poppen International Student Services Laura Drosdowech Hospitality Management

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

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Changemaking by the Numbers (2017-2020) Annual average number of students enrolled in classes incorporating changemaker education

Total number of faculty involved in changemaker education

Annual average number of courses incorporating changemaker education

Annual average number of classes incorporating changemaker education

20,100 515 220 1,344 $

150,000+ Annual average number of service hours provided to community partners

250+ Current number of community partners involved in MDC changemaker education

$450,000+

Total dollars raised in support of changemaking initiatives at MDC

Sources: 2017-2020 MDC Annual Effectiveness Reports (EEI, iCED, CESI)

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OUR ASHOKA CONNECTION In Good Company In 2015, Miami Dade College was selected as an Ashoka U Changemaker campus. For nearly 40 years, Ashoka has been equipping changemakers to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges. Ashoka U is the higher education initiative of Ashoka, re-imagining colleges and universities as the incubators for the changemakers the world needs. Our director, Sandra Louk LaFleur, posed a series of questions to Marina Kim, Co-Founder of Ashoka U, about their collaboration.

Sandra: At MDC, we were so honored to have been selected by Ashoka U as a Changemaker Campus. What does it mean to be a Changemaker Campus?

Marina: Ashoka U couldn’t be prouder to call Miami Dade College a Changemaker Campus, one of just 45 in the world. Changemaker Campuses embed the skillsets of changemaking (e.g., empathy, collaborative leadership, teamwork, and innovation) into the culture, curriculum, leadership, and strategic priorities of their institution and student experience.

Sandra: Why was Miami Dade College selected as a Changemaker Campus?

Marina: Miami Dade College is one of the largest and most innovative institutions in higher education nationally. The College is extremely student-focused and sees higher education as a key to social and economic mobility. We are incredibly impressed by the institution’s deep commitment to equip students to achieve their maximum potential.

Sandra: What have you personally appreciated about the Ashoka-MDC Collaboration?

Marina: Over the course of our partnership, we have been struck by the unique leadership qualities at all levels of Miami Dade College. It has been an honor to work closely with you and Dr. Pascale Charlot (President, Kendall Campus) as our key champions for social innovation and changemaking at MDC. The high level of engagement and commitment of your faculty,

staff, and senior administrators to advance student success and community impact is impressive and ensures that all students are equipped with skills that will enable them to lead fulfilling and rich lives.

Sandra: How are the students at MDC uniquely positioned to drive change in Miami and beyond?

Marina: Ashoka’s entire philosophy is about how “those closest to the challenges are also those best equipped to address them.” The unique life experience that each student brings is a key asset that gives them power to know what types of new models or interventions would be most effective. These students are the experts about their own communities.

Students are naturally wired for innovation and bringing fresh thinking for what is possible. We have seen this time and time again. We believe that there is a goldmine of untapped talent and potential in the student base of MDC that is hungry for an outlet.

Sandra: We are living in interesting times. What kind of leadership does this moment call for?

Marina: Now more than ever, the world needs our future leaders to be capable of grappling with complex, interconnected challenges like the ones we’re facing - a global pandemic, increasing polarization, systemic racism, and climate collapse.

Sandra: Beyond taking on a leadership role/ stepping up as a leader, who among us can be a changemaker?

Marina: It is important to show everyone that changemakers are NOT special unicorns or super-heroes.

The most powerful leaders of change are the ones that are rooted in community and rooted in core values. The more MDC can help its students understand what communities they identify with and what values they want to live by, it can help students identify and use their power, experience, and skills to make positive change and impact. This can be something that

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

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CHANGEMAKER CAMPUSES

everyone can be supported to do as a life-long journey, not just a student journey. A changemaker can contribute in a variety of ways over the course of their lives – and it can have an impact on their families, in their communities, in their professional life, and beyond.

Sandra: Marina, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about MDC and changemaking.

Marina: Of course! We are proud to support Miami Dade College and your changemakers – you make us proud!

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OUR COLLECTIVE WHY: THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Changemaking Education Fosters an Active, Engaged Citizenry “Miami Dade College is a place where aspiration meets vocation and the bridge between the two is changemaker education. For faculty, changemaker education can be leveraged to enhance student engagement and catalyze learning through high-touch, high-impact teaching. Changemaking is not simply a tool for faculty to use; it is an essence, a state of being that can be sparked and cultivated through intentional and inspired teaching practice.

Changemaker education for an MDC student connects the individual with the community in a way that fosters active, engaged citizenry. Promoting empathy, changemaker education develops an understanding of the importance of advocacy, activism and social impact.

Recognizing changemaking may have a propensity for the esoteric, Miami Dade College has framed its changemaker education around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to bring a tangible and actionable aspect to the work that resonates with students and faculty alike.

As a cornerstone of the Miami community, MDC elevates its graduates to higher levels of personal and economic prosperity, and changemaker education brings to bear its implicit connection to community coupled with the inherent fortitude of its students to make a positive and lasting impact on the student, community and world.“ - Dr. Julie Alexander, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

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What are the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Through the pledge to Leave No One Behind, countries have committed to fast-track progress for those furthest behind first. That is why the SDGs are designed

to bring the world to several life-changing ‘zeros’, including zero poverty, hunger, AIDS and discrimination against women and girls.

Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets –individuals, groups, and institutions alike. The creativity, know-how, technology and financial resources from all corners of society are necessary to achieve progress with the SDGs in every context.

The role of higher education in tackling these goals cannot be understated, and MDC is doing its part.

Source: United National Development Programme

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OUR EFFORTS ON UN SDG #2: ZERO HUNGER

ZERO HUNGER BY 2030: A Changemaking Opportunity Food insecurity is a grim reality in the U.S. and across the world. It’s a top priority for the United Nations, and a changemaking opportunity for students at Miami Dade College.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals lists zero hunger as second among 17 goals the body hopes to accomplish by 2030. MDC’s Earth Ethics Institute uses the goals as semester-long challenges for students across academic disciplines. Through their Global Sustainability and Earth Literacy Studies (GSELS) program, faculty members include the selected topic in their curriculum. The challenge to students: rethink how food is grown, shared and consumed.

“These initiatives come from high-impact, campus-wide learning communities that we employ, and every term, a different topic becomes fertile ground for discussion and sharing ideas,” said Michael Matthews, EEI’s Director.

Students at North and Padrón campuses tackled the food issue creatively. They designed a tabletop game and an Escape from Poverty obstacle course, and gave

poster and video presentations of their research on poverty and hunger at on-campus symposia.

“I’m concerned with the overproduction of food and food waste,” Omeiya Rahman, a North Campus biology student, said. “Millions of dollars a year are spent unnecessarily and the fallout of overproduction affects people’s health and the climate.”

Rahman, a student assistant at the Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy, a co-sponsor of the North Campus symposium, led a discussion on food responsibility and local awareness. She invited Feeding South Florida, a food bank that serves the county’s food-insecure population, to bolster the urgency of local action.

“I enjoyed the earnest interest of the people who participated. Everybody was asking questions and had real discussions about solving this issue,” she said.

Courtesy of February 2020 College Forum, written by Abel Folgar

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

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MDC PROFESSOR WINS $10,000 FOR CAMPUS FOOD PANTRY When Miami Dade College humanities professor Sarah Garman (pictured below left) realized some students had to choose between buying textbooks or groceries, she started the school’s first student-run food pantry in 2014. Stocked with donations from faculty, students and staff, the pantry has thrived. The model has been so successful that it was duplicated on other MDC campuses.

In recognition of the project’s impact, Garman was named a TIAA Difference Maker 100 Honoree. The recognition comes with a $10,000 donation to the North Campus food pantry.

The gift, part of a $1 million giveaway from the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, celebrates 100 “extraordinary people who are devoting their lives to improving the world and shaping a brighter future,” according to the organization.

To cope with growing needs at the food pantry, Garman devised a creative form of fundraising: a sponsored High Tea Party. At the event, school departments

purchase tables to decorate, and compete for titles such as Most Beautiful and Most Creative.

“It has become the signature event at the campus, and that is saying something because we have hundreds of events every month,” Garman said. “This year we sold out — over 40 tables, and we raised over $4,500. The pantry and High Tea have really brought the campus together for a good cause, the best cause — our students.”

Courtesy of February 2019 College Forum

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COLLEGEWIDE STYROFOAM BAN CREDITED TO STUDENT SUSTAINABILITY CLUB As president of MDC’s environmental sustainability student group, the Yes! (Youth in Environmental Sustainability) Club at Kendall Campus, Maria Parra spearheaded an effort that began in 2017 to ban styrofoam containers on MDC’s eight campuses.

While the focus on banning styrofoam began with the Kendall Campus Yes! Club, it grew to include the North Campus Yes! Club and emerged as the final project of a team of students that traveled to Iceland as part of an IDS course on sustainability. Ultimately, the students presented their proposals to former Miami Dade College President, Eduardo J. Padrón who instituted the ban collegewide.

Maria and her peers rallied the support of the College to begin offering sustainable alternatives. When Maria graduated last year, her peers carried the cause forward, signing petitions and working with College staff to negotiate new contracts with external service providers. Today their work has paid off. Maria shares, “When we speak up about what matters, we get heard.

I’m proud of our work; it gives me hope for our future.“ The achievement of the styrofoam ban has served as an inspiration for current student leaders on the North Campus. Claudia Rodriguez, a 2019 and 2020 Sustainapalooza student leader, and her peers have started a petition to ban plastics. While a leader in this campus movement to educate students about sustainability, she is also learning herself. As they gather feedback about banning plastic, they have heard from students with disabilities that straws are essential for them. Claudia says, “We don’t want to alienate people with this ban, so we need to consider the needs of all of our students.”

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

OUR EFFORTS ON UN SDG #13: CLIMATE ACTION

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BRAINSTORMING CLIMATE ACTION SOLUTIONS

As the first public institution of higher education to be designated a Changemaker Campus by the prestigious Ashoka U, Miami Dade College is deeply committed to supporting social innovation education. Core to the commitment is the belief that there is a changemaker in each of us – with the potential to improve the world in big and small ways.

That’s why the College’s Office of Changemaking Education and Social Innovation (CESI) recently teamed up with The Idea Center at MDC and the United Nations Association Miami Chapter to host Voices for Change: Activating Our Collective Impact, a workshop that aimed to spread awareness and brainstorm solutions in support of climate action, one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The event included MDC students and a panel of local experts, including Miami-Dade County Chief Resiliency Officer Jim Murley, CLEO Institute founder Caroline Lewis, Microsoft’s Miami Civic Engagement

Manager Lucas Hernandez, and Frances Colón, former deputy science and technology adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State.

“The panel set the stage by making climate issues relevant to our daily lives,” said Sandra LaFleur, director of CESI at MDC. “The workshop explored what individual paths to changemaking could look like.”

Workshop attendees discussed actions to address local climate change.

Personal commitments included everything from changing energy consumption habits, to developing a climate action social media campaign, to supporting a green business tax.

“We wanted our participants to come up with realistic commitments that work for them,” LaFleur said.

Courtesy of November 2018 College Forum, written by Ashley Portero

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OUR EFFORTS ON UN SDG #16: PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS MDC STUDENTS STEP UP, WIN CHALLENGING EARLY-VOTING FIGHT Miami Dade College’s Kendall and North campuses were added to Miami-Dade County’s “early voting” sites after a persistent group of MDC students took over a county budget hearing to plead the case for the extra locations.

It was a major victory for the students, whose advocacy and speaking skills reflected deep knowledge of the topic as they pressed their case with the County Commission and MDC alumnus Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.

All of their hard work paid off: with 11,324 ballots cast during the two-week early voting period, MDC surpassed all other Florida college and university campuses with early-voting sites.

The Honors College student Rebecca Diaz, leader of the student advocate group, said getting the MDC sites added was not only a triumph for the Miami-Dade community, but an inspiration for young people who may question the value of their civic contribution.

“In our current political climate, many students have felt powerless, like we didn’t have a place in our democracy. This success proved that isn’t the case, and that, as a huge portion of the electorate, we deserve to participate in the political process.” Diaz told the commissioners the early-voting sites were necessary so that more MDC students could conveniently vote. County residents also voted at the sites.

“This is an incredible testament to the power of advocacy and civic engagement, and the truest example of democracy in action. I am extremely proud

of our students, and the faculty and staff who have mentored them throughout the process. It is because of your commitment that MDC continues to advocate for the preservation of our democracy.” – MDC (Emeritus) President Eduardo J. Padrón’s message to the College about early-voting sites.

“I may have been at the forefront this time, but we came together as a group,” she said, adding that she and her peers received support and advice from MDC administrators and student organizations before attending the commission meeting.

“The College came together to push us forward.

That’s why we won.”

Courtesy of November 2018 College Forum, written by Ashley Portero

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

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DAYLONG EVENT ENCOURAGES CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ACROSS MDC CAMPUSES Voting is a big deal for Miami Dade College’s civically engaged students. In 2018, a group of them spoke up at a county budget hearing advocating for an early voting site on campus. Their successful appeal swayed Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez to open not just one, but two campus polling sites.

That victory showcased their passion for changemaking and participating in the democratic process.

They showed it again in September of 2019, during the seventh annual National Voter Registration Day, when students from MDC’s iCED hosted public registration events across the College’s eight campuses.

“My goal has extended beyond helping students with the voter registration form; it is to also connect them with democracy and make them recognize their influence on it,” said Maria Paura, an economics major in The Honors College at MDC, Wolfson Campus. As an Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Ambassador – a non-partisan, civic engagement movement of student leaders – she is determined to maintain the campus voting sites for years to come and to continue volunteering at registration days as a way to engage her peers one-on-one.

Joshua Young, director of iCED, considers this kind of student engagement a major factor in making democracy work. “Voting is our society’s great equalizer. No matter our station in life, income or social status, every citizen age 18 and older has the same power of one vote,” he said. “Citizen participation is crucial.”

National Voter Registration Day appears to have increased turnout by MDC students, especially during midterm elections, which historically draw a low number of voters to the polls.

Young said voters under 30 have low participation rates, and lower still are minority voters.

A report by the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, a research group, showed that the rate of MDC students who registered during registration day events and then voted in any type of election increased 30% between 2014 and 2018.

The report also indicated more students are choosing to vote early, up 21% since 2014 across all registered MDC students, with minority voters making up a large portion of the percentage growth.

Courtesy of November 2019 College Forum, written by Abel Folgar

WHY STUDENTS REGISTERED In their own words...

“To be a voice for people who don’t have more opportunities.”

“I love living in a democratic and free country.”

“Because my voice is important and I want a say in what is being decided for me.”

“I vote for a better future for my siblings.”

“I vote because it helps my community.”

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Let’s be Changemakers

HIALEAH “Miami Dade College has always played a major role in leading social change in our community. Since its inception it has embraced and promoted diversity and inclusion. When MDC opened its doors in 1960, it demonstrated its commitment to social change by welcoming African American students while the Miami Dade County school district and all the other community colleges in Florida were still segregated. In addition, MDC has embraced the endless waves of immigrants seeking freedom or simply a better way of life.”

Students Take on Role of Educators to Increase Disability Awareness For the last three semesters, Hialeah Campus Professor Sherri Sinkoff and ACCESS (Disability Services) Director Corrinne Lockamy have invited students to explore various disabilities through research, interviews, community exploration, interaction, and presentation. Students in SPC1017 courses are provided a set of questions to begin their work, encouraging them to define the disability, explore its history, and compare perspectives on the disability between the United States and countries abroad. Reaching out to individuals diagnosed with these disabilities and conducting research into community-based and national agencies serving these populations provides additional insight to students while building their empathy.

In this service-learning project, student teams present their findings to peers after conducting research, frequently incorporating activities, games, and simulations to further engage them.

Since each group is assigned a different disability, the SPC1017 students—and other classes that observe—are always exposed to fresh content with greater detail. In the fall of 2020, student teams will produce materials digitally that will acknowledge and celebrate Disability Awareness Month and serve as reference pieces for additional disability awareness training across the Hialeah Campus. Sherri congratulated Corrinne

Dr. Anthony Cruz President, Hialeah Campus

on the effort, “We had wonderful, insightful, educational, and empathetic lessons. The students had a great learning experience, and we all smiled at learning about the many accomplishments of people with disabilities.

We also shed some tears over how difficult life can be and how cruel people can be towards individuals with disabilities. I believe the students have learned more empathy and a desire to assist and support all people.”

(Pictured below: Sherri Sinkoff, Kelly Kennedy, Victor Garnica, Corrinne Lockamy)

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Bringing an Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching Social Issues

While she infuses nearly all of the United Nations SDGs into her coursework and in her roles as a Phi Theta Kappa advisor, Faculty Scholar, and Salzburg

Global Fellow, she places unique emphasis on the issue of inequities. “Changemaking, to me, means that you are willing to do the hard work that comes with wanting to make the world a better place - not only for those you love or those you work with but for those you have never met, never will meet, or just haven’t met yet.”

EMPATHY

Hialeah Campus English professor, Dr. Kelly Kennedy-Everett (pictured above right), learned about changemaking on a faculty trip to Salzburg, Austria. When she returned from the trip, she immediately went to work on imparting this knowledge to colleagues, friends, family, and students. After revamping her coursework, she started an interdisciplinary project known as The Global Citizenship Initiative where various social issues are identified and faculty, across different disciplines, work collaboratively to present the topics with more depth to their students. This upcoming academic year, they will focus on the rights and responsibilities of voting.

Driven by the notion that it is important to feel compassion for others, she encourages other to be unafraid to speak their truth and to roll up their sleeves to do the hard work that needs to be done. She invites her faculty colleagues to engage in a conversation about including changemaking in their courses, advising, “There is no limit to the topic or curricula or space where changemaking can make an impact. It is within the reach of us all to make a true difference.”

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Let’s be Changemakers

HOMESTEAD “Miami Dade College is a civic, economic, and educational leader that serves as a primary source of social and economic mobility in Miami Dade County.

MDC students are active in civic engagement, which is a core learning outcome, and campuses often serve as the focal points for communities to discuss social issues and plans of action. MDC responds to something fundamental and necessary in our character that dreams of possibility.”

Dr. Jeanne F. Jacobs President, Homestead Campus

Student Changemakers Gain Professional Conference Presentation Experience On April 19, 2019, the Homestead Campus hosted a Changemaker Showcase attended by 160 students, faculty and staff. A campus-wide event that emerged from past individual classroom symposia supported by partnerships between faculty and learning resources staff, the Showcase was designed to highlight and recognize the work of Homestead Campus students on social innovation and social change projects. Lindsay Schriftman, director of Learning Resources, explained, “As this grew, it became difficult to manage… in order to scale and make it accessible to more students with different types of projects, we changed the format to a showcase.”

Individual students and groups were encouraged to present any project or idea that was designed to change our community for the better. Projects emerged from course assignments, service-learning activities, community service projects, student clubs programming, and volunteer work outside of MDC. Issues presented by students in past showcases vary widely, from human trafficking to prison reform to saving the bees.

Designed to provide students with an opportunity to participate in a professional conference poster presentation, amongst a collegial crowd, the non-competitive event conferred “Student Changemaker” status on all participants.

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Our Common Humanity: Infusing Science Education with a Systems Approach

In both his classes and research at the Homestead campus, Dr. Araujo-Pradere introduces a system approach, starting with specific applications but later introducing systemic examples. Awarded a President’s Innovation Fund award (along with his colleague, James Ley), his students have an opportunity to conduct hands-on astronomy.

Through their research, which focuses on the impact of solar activity on our planet, his student researchers have shown a clear grasp of the importance in considering the system rather than just the components by connecting the global

considerations of their work to society at large.

He shares, “I consistently insist on the importance of thinking as a member of humanity; how our actions, regardless of how minor they may seem, may impact all.” Though not typically thought of as changemaking activities, these opportunities to combine the technical knowledge learned in his class with community and social purpose are great examples of how changemaking education can be – must be - embedded in any discipline.

REFLECTION

Dr. Eduardo Araujo-Pradere (pictured right), Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, believes that student-driven experiences are the basis of changemaker education. “Through these experiences, we pursue the development of social and academic skills including teamwork, empathy, critical thinking, systems thinking, and leadership. Faculty members play a role in forming the next generation of social actors and global thinkers, possessed with empathy and determination to take on the great challenges that humanity is facing in the short run.”

Dr. Araujo-Pradere encourages his colleagues to start with local examples, expand to global ones, and ensure that students feel they are part of the solution for the most urgent and critical issues we face. “Most importantly, have your students learn by doing.”

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Let’s be Changemakers

KENDALL “Social change must continue to be led by the needs of the students rather than the agenda of the institutions. Now more than ever, students are finding their power by relating to their intersectional identities as strengths rather than weaknesses. As a result, they are demonstrating more initiative, courage, and investment in the world. It is beautiful to watch them confidently take up more public space in multiple ways.“ Handcrafting Ceramic Bowls to Benefit Students Facing Food Insecurity Started in the early 1990’s to raise money for a Michigan community, Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement by artists and crafts people in cities and towns around the world to care for and feed the hungry in their communities. Inspired by this national movement, the sustainable dining characteristics of ceramics, and the essential work of the student food pantry, Assistant Professor Ray Morales led the development of a fundraising event to address food insecurity at Miami Dade College Kendall Campus. He loved the direct connection this event could create between the student body and the College overall.

His goals for the Kendall event were to engage students in community service that would directly assist their peers and to create an immediate impact by raising funds for the student food pantry. The concept included the selling of handmade bowls (made by students), which could then be “filled” through the generous donations of coffee or soup, made possible by the campus café. The proceeds made from the selling of the bowls would go to support the food pantry on campus.

Dr. Pascale Charlot President, Kendall Campus

The program launched two years ago with nearly 50 ceramics program students participating. Eager to build on their success, Ray, his colleague Assistant Professor Yomarie Silva, and the Kendall Sustainability Team wanted to expand the scope and create a cross-disciplinary event.

The expanded team included students from a variety of courses including 2D Design and Color Composition, Marketing and Product Development, Graphics, Graphic Design, and Sculpture.

Together, the team eventually crafted a shared mission statement and an event logo.

Over the past two years, the Empty Bowls program has engaged a few hundred students overall, across a variety of disciplines. The interconnectedness of the different activities involved in Empty Bowls creates a clear example of the opportunities we all have to make change happen for the benefit of all. Ray sums up the project best, “With hard work, skill and a common purpose, you can make beautiful things happen.“

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Serving Homebound Miamians during Coronavirus Pandemic In response to COVID-19, Kendall Campus student Jessica Gutierrez co-founded Buddy System MIA, an incredibly responsive changemaking initiative during a time of crisis.

To date, the group has recruited hundreds of volunteers across Broward and Miami Dade counties to run errands for individuals with underlying health conditions. Volunteers are matched with an at-risk individual in their area, and offer support by doing their grocery shopping and picking up their prescriptions.

Buddies adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines and sanitize the products they deliver on their Buddy’s front doorstep. More than 1,000 South Floridians have been served since March of 2020, and the team is expanding their efforts in response to the needs they have encountered

after their launch, such as establishing community refrigerators to address food insecurity.

Jessica works on much off the “behind the scenes” administrative work of Buddy System MIA, building their processes, developing their systems and organizing volunteers.

She reflected, “Everyone is good at something.

The work is in organizing our talents.”

ACTION

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Let’s be Changemakers

MEDICAL “By engaging in numerous community events with our partners at the Miami Rescue Mission, Camillus House, and Women’s Heart and Breast Initiative, to name only a few, MDC Medical Campus students, faculty and staff continue to demonstrate changemaking in action by addressing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. We are proud and poised to tackle the social issues within our community and demonstrate changemaking in action.”

Dr. Bryan Stewart President, Medical Campus

Bringing the UN SDGs Into Her Classrooms Dr. Jemimah Mitchell-Levy (pictured below center) , Professor at the Benjamin School of Nursing at the Medical Campus, believes that changemaking means going above and beyond the status quo to make changes that positively impact the world we live. Through the various courses she teaches - which include Culture in Nursing Practice, Nursing Research, Foundations of Professional Nursing Practice, Community Nursing Practicum and Advanced Leadership Practicum - Mitchell-Levy ensures that the UN SDGs are infused throughout. Her primary areas of focus include SDG goals 1, 12, 13, 14 – making clear her belief in the connection between environmental health and individual health.

Dr. Mitchell-Levy partners with the Salvation Army to expose her students directly to the

needs of Miami’s homeless population, while also organizing events to educate her students and colleagues about different ways to protect the environment, from promoting healthier diets (e.g. Meatless Mondays) to reducing one’s waste footprint on the planet.

When asked why she considers herself a changemaking faculty, Dr. Mitchell-Levy explains she is “always thinking about how can I make the world I live in a better place, and I encourage my students to have this same mindset.

The fact is that we all are connected in this world and negative changes in one part of the world will eventually affect all of us.” She would advise her colleagues to “always include the UN SDGs in your teaching and challenge students to think of solutions that will address these goals.”

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A Campus-Wide Committment to Fight Human Trafficking Across the world, human trafficking affects tens of millions who are held against their will, with women and children representing more than 70% of human trafficking victims.

Against this backdrop, professors Dr. Marie Etienne and Dr. Ileana Pino (pictured facing page, on right, with Miami-Dade County State Attorney, Katherine Fernandez Rundle) of the Medical Campus are taking action. Beginning in 2017 with a symposium and seminars for faculty and staff, the duo has raised awareness about human trafficking on the Medical Campus, built programs and community partnerships to address human trafficking; and translated how the issue of human trafficking affects MDC Medical Campus students, faculty, staff and administrators.

Drs. Pino and Etienne also collaborated with their colleagues, Dr. Dadilia Garces and Dr. David Gonzalez, to develop an online Human Trafficking Awareness course for use as faculty professional development. They have also focused on providing students experiences beyond the classroom such as presenting at conferences and supporting in the development of immersion programs to assist migrant workers. Designed to help students build and demonstrate empathy, students have provided health screenings and

Still, the team knows there is more to do in support of UN SDG #5: Gender Equality. Their near-future goals include increasing involvement in policy matters, providing students opportunities to advocate on legislative matters via meetings with elected officials, and raising funds for a home health aide professional development program exclusively offered to survivors and for survivor mental health services to be deployed post-COVID-19.

Dr. Etienne’s words sum up this faculty team’s commitment, “Preserving human quality of life and dignity is very important to me, therefore, empowering survivors of human trafficking to maintain their self-worth and dignity has become an integral part of my work.”

ACTION

Inspired by their passion and dedication for the issue, Dr. Etienne and Dr. Pino were selected by Campus President, Dr. Bryan Stewart, to chair the Human Trafficking Taskforce of Miami Dade College Medical Campus, which has grown to eleven members over the last three years. Created to raise awareness and connect partners in this work, the January 2020 Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Summit offered continuing education for nurses, featured State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle as the keynote speaker, and attracted nearly 400 guests across morning and evening sessions.

education for participants in the Phoenix program at Camillus House, and, in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns, Dr. Etienne developed a series of human trafficking webinars, one of which featured three student panelists. Changemaker education is the way teaching and learning happens at the Medical Campus.

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Let’s be Changemakers

NORTH “Miami Dade College is an exemplar in leading social change toward creating public good. With two million students who have enrolled in MDC over 60 years, I proudly acknowledge that our work in educating students for social impact is at its highest degree of efficacy in this 21st Century. What strikes me most is the social consciousness of our North Campus students and their reflectiveness in what they can do to create positive social impact.”

Students Learn Leadership and Earth Literacy at Sustainapalooza In 2016, the climate resilience event at the North Campus started off as a grass-roots effort imagined by MDC alumna Priya Pershadsingh and supported by both the Earth Ethics Institute and the Institute for Civic Engagement and Democracy. Today, “Sustainapalooza” has transformed into a student-led, four day event modeled after a festival and it features art, music, speakers, and even troupes with modern dance performances related to climate change.

The annual event starts on the North Campus central lake with meditations designed to quiet the mind and encourage participants to develop a sense of place. and become open to biodiversity. From there, fairgoers parade to the site of the festival where student clubs collaboratively create a pop-up community focused on celebrating biodiversity. Connecting to climate, architecture, resiliency projects, and art, students participate in hands-on activities that emphasize diversity in dimensions related to sustainability. Claudia Rodriguez, a student leader of the 2019 and 2020 Sustainapalooza event offers, “As a spiritual person, having a shaman do a water blessing at the event was so peaceful. People don’t often consider the spiritual side of sustainability, they are mostly aware of the scientific aspects.”

To raise awareness about Earth Literacy, Sustainapalooza invites community speakers from organizations like CLEO and Catalyst Miami to educate participants on issues such as offshore

Dr. Malou C. Harrison President, North Campus

drilling and food insecurity. “We are focused on UN SDG #13 (Climate Action), but we also incorporate perspectives of the Earth Charter and the rights of the planet,” Stephen Nesvacil, EEI professional staff at North campus, shares. Extending the educational value and offering community impact, students can also experience both off-campus immersions such as service projects to clean up the Everglades, or on-campus initiatives like Seeds for Haiti, which packages bulk seeds to help re-establish agriculture in Haiti.

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Impacting the Film and TV Industry Through Works of WoSEDT

With the issue of gender (in)equality sitting at the center of the film and television industry, Professor Karayalcin and her students demonstrated

their efforts at changing this through their recent WoSEDT (Women of SEDT) Film and TV Showcase event.

REFLECTION

Professor Ece Karayalcin considers herself a changemaking faculty because she believes that each and every student can be a contributor towards positive change. As such, she creates projects and assignments in the School of Entertainment and Design Technology’s Film Production and Screenwriting department that provide students with opportunities to develop their own voice, while relying on collaboration and building relationships with other students. At the end of this process, students are able to shed light on an issue that is important to them while articulating their own vision or idea for change.

By highlighting and celebrating women in film and TV with movies that are produced, directed, written by their female students, the event raised awareness on the conscious and unconscious bias that often informs the decision making process within the male-dominated film and television industry.

Professor Karayalcin’s passion for both her craft and changemaking blends seamlessly - “If we enhance our teaching with a changemaking lens, we are expanding our reach beyond the walls of the classroom and we empower our students to not only grow as learners but as leaders who actively participate in shaping their future and contribute towards positive change for the good of all.”

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PADRÓN “The Padrón Campus is nestled in Little Havana, an epicenter of Hispanic culture in Miami. This campus serves nearly 5,000 students and offers an array of programs that are grounded in the concept of changemaking.

Changemaking is the essence of our premise. We produce hundreds of change agents every year who proudly serve and/or represent the vibrant and unique Little Havana community.”

Dr. Alanka Brown President, Padrón Campus

Teaching Empathy Through A Human Library Human Library events allow members of the community to share their unique life experiences with students so that they gain understanding and perspectives that could be vastly different from their own. Working closely with campus faculty, the Hibiscus Free Masons lodge, and the Miami Dade Police department, the Learning Resources team at the Padrón campus has sponsored a number of these events in support of their campus-wide focus on empathy.

Designed to build a positive framework for conversations, stereotypes and prejudices are challenged through dialogue with volunteers who act as “human books.” Participating “books” (i.e., volunteers) represent a wide diversity in identities – including different religions, sexual orientations, racial identities, occupations, and (dis) abilities. As such, the books collectively reflect a wide range of personal struggles and human conditions that others are not often aware of – conditions brought about by life experiences or attributes that are often disregarded in the mainstream.

At last year’s most recent event, participating students had the opportunity to “check out” fifteen featured Human Books. “On loan” for 15 minutes, students and volunteers shared rich interactions through safe and authentic dialogue.

Student feedback reflected the value of such an

experience: “Please host more events like this.

I have learned so much from someone I might have never had the courage to speak to - it got deep real fast.”

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Using Language and Writing to Prompt Social Change Padrón Campus English faculty Professor Oscar Gonzalez (pictured right) believes changemaking is education that empowers students to become active participants in their own learning. To him, a changemaking class connects course content to a student’s environment by asking students to think critically, explore, analyze, and evaluate societal issues in order to create plans for change.

Students must use their creativity, imagination, empathy and critical thinking for the transformation of their own world.

EMPATHY

At the center of Professor Gonzalez’s work lies the idea that writing and research allows students to become self-regulated learners who can explore ideas by being challenged to engage, care and learn. The social issues presented through the UN SDGs and explored by his students may vary from semester to semester, but they often center on the core issues of language,

immigration, post-colonialism, racism, and feminism. As a facilitator of student learning who approaches teaching with an empathetic devotion to understanding his students, Professor Gonzalez invites them “to imagine a better world and realize that they have the power or the agency to make that better world a reality.” In guiding them to be their best version as writers, readers and changemakers, he helps them tie the knowledge and skills learned in class to purposes that can benefit our greater good.

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WEST “I believe the mindset and skills of social change transcend the current realities of a pandemic and civil unrest. We miss opportunities when we focus solely on the present and let it define us, by choosing neither to connect to our past nor to consider our future. It is the past that reminds us we have the resilience to move through difficult times, and it is the future that depends on us to unite, to think critically, and to engage in the continual pursuit of equity. “

Dr. Beverly Moore-Garcia President, West Campus

Making School—and Life—Easier for Students Learning a New Language Four years ago, Bertha Cabrera helped start a critical service needed at West campus – additional support to assist students in the EAP (English for Academic Purposes) program.

scholarships, resumes, mock-interviews, events, and tutoring. Advising their mentees via phone, email, social media, or in-person meetings, mentors also help with class assignments and lessons.

The EAP Ambassadors Program was launched, and to date, nearly 50 student mentors have volunteered to support EAP students needing help in navigating MDC and other related dimensions of learning a new language and navigating higher education in a new country.

Cabrera shares, “What I have observed is camaraderie, a genuine desire to help and be helped, to engage in activities that they would otherwise not participate in like events inside and outside MDC, nurturing relationships and collaboration on both sides, appreciation, growing academically, and networking.”

Recruited by faculty and staff, the volunteer mentors in this program are trained and matched to EAP students requesting help through their professors or advisors.

Based on their academic and personal experiences, mentors assist mentees with applications for

Programs such as this one demonstrate that changemaking can both start with and benefit our own student body in meaningful ways.

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Changemaking As An Existential and Personal Journey Philosophy questions both the nature of the universe and the nature of human existence. Fundamental to scientific thinking, philosophy also engages in existential questions such as “what is it to be human?”, “what is the most just society?”, and most relevant for our time, “can our economic system face the challenges of environmental degradation?” West Campus Philosophy faculty, Professor Sarah Jacob (pictured right), considers these questions as she focuses a portion of her ethics class on the UN SDGs related to the environment, inequality, gender, race and poverty issues.

RESILIENCE

Changemaking emphasizes the empathic connection we have with others. Since, however, the history of Western thought emphasizes individualism, especially since the Enlightenment, Professor Jacob offsets this by incorporating Eastern and Western ancient philosophers into her curriculum – those who questioned what it means to be human and emphasized both individuality and interconnectedness as critical coexistent characteristics of the human condition. This aligns with one of her personal changemaking goals: is to decolonize her syllabus by bringing in more diverse voices.

Believing that passion is the root of all changemaking, Professor Jacob highlights that changemaking is not just about the external world but also about working on ourselves in our everyday lives. In acknowledging that we have the power to make choices and to create ourselves anew, she asserts, “The word changemaking sounds as if we must be active all the time, marching for justice and fighting for change. Although these are part of changemaking, they are not the only way changemaking occurs – changemaking is both a personal and social journey.”

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WOLFSON “The emphasis on changemaking at MDC prompts us to engage in reflection and action for personal and institutional change towards goodness.

Our present time alerts us to the fragility of civilization and the essential role of education in preserving and progressing it. Engaging students in changemaking moves their education beyond its utilitarian purpose to its emancipatory purpose. Perched on the shoulders of giants, we can dream of and realize a world that is healthy, free, and just.”

Dr. Beatriz Gonzalez President, Wolfson Campus

Food Insecurity Service Learning Project Helps Sharks in Need During the fall semester of 2018, Wolfson Campus students had a unique opportunity to gain awareness about hunger while providing critical assistance to families dealing with food insecurity. Additionally, they were encouraged to develop their own plans of action to more sustainably change the reality for many suffering from this issue. Students learned from experts at Feeding South Florida about food inequality issues in Miami through interactive dialogue, after which they volunteered in a food packing event to help feed the hungry in our community. Afterwards, students developed and presented their ideas for tackling food insecurity to campus leadership including commitments to collect food for the MDC Shark Pantry. With MDC serving over 100,000 students across the county, food inse-

curity is an issue that affects many of our own.

Today, the food pantry is still in operation, and during these regular food distributions, students are provided their own reusable food collection bag and invited to make their own selections.

Together, the Institute of Civic Engagement and Democracy, Wolfson’s Impact Committee, and Annielys Sosa Diaz, Director of Student Life, and Kesia Vasquez, Director of New Student Center led the development of this service-learning project. “This experience once again confirmed my belief that by planting a seed of empathy in our students through our programs, we can spark their passion to create meaningful change causing ripples of positive impact long after they graduate,” Annielys commented.

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Lifelong Volunteer Inspires Activism in Her Students Wolfson Campus Communications faculty Professor Melissa Grossman (pictured right) considers herself a tenacious and passionate agitator who always questions the status quo. She encourages her students to do the same, exposing her classes to the UN SDGs in order to inspire them to become active citizens. A lifelong volunteer across a variety of issues, she naturally sought opportunities to introduce her students to a life of service. Her aim is for students to explore their own passions and to find something that inspires them to become an activist—and most importantly, to become civically engaged and exercise the right to vote. While it is easy to feel overwhelmed by social issues and to witness unending need, she hopes her student changemakers will maintain their energy and resolve by focusing on the positives and their progress.

She agrees, “Education should be an opportunity to explore career paths that go beyond simply making money and that offer personal, social and civic fulfillment.”

ACTION

She wants her colleagues to know they can incorporate changemaking into their work by starting small. Whether it’s by adding one SDG to a homework assignment or expanding lectures to include one social or environmental justice issue, she emphasizes including service learning so that students get the chance to participate in their community. Her students have noticed

the impact of her approach to teaching this way – one recent graduate, Rodrigo Gomes, thanks Grossman for “not only helping me with my public speaking skills, but for also incentivizing me to be a changemaker in my career – and for always supporting my projects inside and outside the classroom.”

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OUR ALUMNI CHANGEMAKERS

Desmond Meade

Bachelor of Science, Miami Dade College, 2010 Juris Doctor, Florida International University, 2014

Liberating More than One Million Voices in Florida Desmond Meade is a changemaker. He orchestrated the reorganization and incorporation of a coalition comprising over 70 state and national organizations and individuals, and led the group to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida. For this work, Meade was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2019.

“I first got involved in this line of work because I am a person who previously had felony convictions and because of that, I lost my civil rights for life. We didn’t give up and because of that, over 1.4 Million people in the state of Florida have a voice,” shares Meade. “We can talk about wanting a better place, but until we actively put in that work to better our society, then it won’t be what we want it to be.”

Homeless when he first enrolled in the Miami Dade College’s Paralegal Studies program, Meade’s campus-based changemaking started with the Society of Law and Community Service. Desmond founded the organization “to enhance students’ learning environment and give them the opportunity to work with professionals in the legal field in informal, one-on-one sessions,” he said. “And, I wanted to expose them to community service, especially in dealing with the homeless, those in the foster care system and at-risk high school students.”

Meade went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in public safety management in MDC’s School of Justice and his J.D. from Florida International University School of Law, fulfilling a childhood dream.

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

Ayomidamope Adebiyi

Bachelor of Science, Nursing, Miami Dade College, 2017 Master of Science Candidate, Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, 2021

Improving Health Outcomes for Mothers Abroad and Immigrants at Home Nursing school alumna, Ayomidamope (Ayo) Adebiyi, is committed to serving women and children—both in the United States and abroad. Ayo founded Care for the Unreached, a nonprofit dedicated to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in rural and underserved communities in Nigeria. Through Care for the Unreached, more than 250 pregnant and new mothers have received free newborn care kits, prenatal and antenatal care follow-ups, and more than 150 newborns have received their immunizations to protect them from preventable health illnesses. Here in Florida, she led a team of registered nurses to provide free medical services in Immokalee, Florida – an underserved immigrant-based community, mostly dominated by farmworkers who have little to no access to health care. In 2015 and 2017, President Barack Obama recognized Ayo with the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her changemaking work and community service.

“The best thing that ever happened to me was MDC. It inspires you to pursue your passions and serve your community.”

Priya Pershadsingh

Associate Degree in Mass Communications, Miami Dade College, 2017 Bachelor of Science, Sustainability Studies, University of Florida, 2020

Inspiring Fellow Students to Pursue Earth Literacy In 2016, Priya Pershadsingh participated in an MDC-sponsored ecotourism trip to Mexico. This provided Priya with the inspiration she needed to co-found the sustainability event on the North Campus that would later become Sustainapalooza. Leading the student efforts in 2016 and 2017, she became an advisor in 2018. She knew she was getting somewhere when other students started calling her, “The Sustainability Lady.” After graduating from MDC with an A.S. in Mass Communication, Priya continued her studies at the University of Florida in Sustainability Studies.

Priya reflected that she was first exposed to sustainability issues during her first year at MDC, in the required English course taught by Professor Tina Lombard.

“That class changed my collegiate and career trajectory.”

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The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.

- Socrates

Be a Changemaker. Be MDC.

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What’s Next With Changemaking at MDC

Dear Changemakers, Receiving our Ashoka U renewal status as a Changemaker Campus in 2019 was an amazing testimony to the meaningful and consistent efforts our MDC family puts forth to create a world filled with changemakers. With roots that go deep into who we are and what we do, it is no surprise that we are recognized for infusing our work with passion, excellence, and the changemaking spirit – in so many ways. Yet, there is so much more we want to accomplish and push for as we approach our next exciting phase of growth.

This time of great change and uncertainty makes it critically important that we prepare our students to thrive in a rapidly shifting landscape with resilience and creativity. To meet this necessity, the launch of our new Jaffer Institute for Interfaith Dialogue and Education will deepen our practice of empathy as we explore the various intersections of identity and culture.

Lastly, following Ashoka U recommendations, we will continue to design and launch additional social innovation programming so our students can use their creativity to help solve current community issues by way of the new ideas and positive energy that are so critically needed right now.

On behalf of everyone at Miami Dade College, thank you for reading this publication. I hope you found it inspiring. To those who are already involved in our changemaking education efforts, thank you for your commitment to our students and impacting our community. To those looking for a reason or a time to learn more or join in, the time is now.

Be a Changemaker. Be MDC.

MDC is also focusing during academic year 20202021 on UN SDG #10 (Reduced Inequalities) as we explore issues of equity throughout all our changemaking initiatives.

Dr. Lenore Rodicio Executive Vice President and Provost Miami Dade College

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Ask Yourself, Why Not? “A few years back, having the encouragement of my peers and a “why not?” mentality made me comfortable in attending the Justice Hackathon sponsored by the American Bar Association.

And, also knowing that the goal of this event was to use something I’m passionate about, technology, to help mend the relationships of cops and communities of color really motivated me.

I often ask myself, “Why not?” or “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Those questions help me process and make difficult decisions in my life. Whether it was on campus with different clubs, group projects, or even past internships, I now understand that I have a voice and getting involved and changing things isn’t as hard as I made it out to be. Sure, some things are easier to affect than others, but if you are persistent enough, have concrete reasoning with evidence, you’ll get the ball rolling sooner or later.

I’ve also noticed that most of the time, people will agree with you and help you along the way.

My thought process for picking different companies to intern with has changed because of my experience with changemaking at MDC. Before, I wanted to work for a large tech company, make a lot of money, and have “impact,” but since realized that I had the power and ability to do so much more.

This summer, I had a good amount of internship offers from different companies. Still, I decided to work for Lyft because of its mission to transform cities and provide the most sustainable transportation options for everyone. With that said, I plan to work for companies or different products that have the goal of helping people live a better life. Changemaking has helped me realize that it isn’t all about me. I am in a position right now to help a lot of people, and my job is to act on that and try to help make the communities that I live in better places. “

Juvensen Jules

Associate in Arts, Miami Dade College, 2018 Bachelor of Science Candidate, Science & System Engineering University of Southern California, 2020

www.mdc.edu/changemaking

If Not Now, When?

At MDC, we are gifted with the opportunity of working with an incredible student body made up of individuals already poised to create great change for themselves and their families. When combined with the chance to support them in further developing their changemaking potential for the greater good, our work as a Changemaker Campus transforms.

We are all changemakers by nature - gifted with vision, values, and voice, but it can still feel overwhelming when determining how to take that first step to embed or further develop your changemaker education practice. While there’s no standard playbook, we are here to help you on your journey. Over the years, we have designed and curated a myriad of resources and opportunities to help you in joining the work of changemaker education – we are eager to meet you and continue our IMPACT together!

YOUR 2020-2021 IMPACT NETWORK CHAIRS

VISIT US ONLINE For resources, events, and contacts to help www.mdc.edu/changemaking www.earthethicsinstitute.org www.mdc.edu/iced www.theideacenter.co www.mdc.edu/studentlife

Let’s get started

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CONTACT US:

changemaking@mdc.edu