Better Together 2011-2012 Annual Report by South Carolina Campus Compact

Better

Together

A YEAR IN REVIEW

Going Far, 2011-12 VISTA

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

AN UPDATED PRESIDENTS’COUNCIL

A YEAR OF PROGRESS

& TRANSITIONS

Contents

3 SCCC President’s Council

6-21 Member Service Highlights Read about our members’ service highlights for the 2011-12 academic year. Together, we have greatly impacted poverty.

22-23 VISTA Abstracts

p21 I <3 My College Town Spartanburg joined together to give back to their community!

3 SCCC President’s

Council

4A 27

Year of Progress and Transitions— Read an introduction to the first SCCC Annual Report from Chairman DiGiorgio and a farewell from Kim Keel.

The University of South Carolina hosts four of 20 Summer

Associates

that were placed at seven of our member campuses. They will serve as summer VISTAs providing both direct and indirect service for their campus and surrounding community.

5 Newberry College as New Member We would like to extend a special welcome to Newberry College, the newest member of the South Carolina Campus Compact.

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Each of the 2011-12 AmeriCorps*VISTAs provided an abstract capturing what it has meant for them to be a full time volunteer over the past year. Learn about the amazing work that was achieved for our state because of their presence.

27 Healthy Families Obesity is a mass epidemic in the state of South Carolina. The Healthy Families AmeriCorps Program took on the epidemic with creative ways to teach and promote healthy lifestyles for our state’s future. An annual report published by South Carolina Campus Compact 2011-12 (published July 2012) Editor, Designer: Alexandra Persson

South Carolina Campus Compact SCCC is a coalition of 17 SC institutions working to promote and develop the civic purposes of higher education. Through this work, SCCC improves the ability of higher education institutions to partner with their communities to collectively impact local needs and provide real world learning for college students. Members of SCCC collaborate to share and seek resources and best practices to mobilize students, faculty, and staff toward this end. SCCC member campuses represent the full spectrum of higher education institutions, public and private, two and four-year, research universities, technical and community colleges, historically black colleges and universities and we partner with both urban and rural communities across the state to achieve our goals. The Presidentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Council includes all of the Presidents and Chancellors of our member schools. We would like to extend a special welcome to the newly appointed Presidents, Elizabeth Dinndorf of Columbia College and Dr. Maurice Scherrens of Newberry College! Dr. Marshall White, Jr. Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio Dr. David DeCenzo President Chairman for SCCC President Midlands Technical Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council Coastal Carolina College President of Winthrop University Columbia, SC University Conway, SC Rock Hill, SC Dr. David Swinton President Benedict College Columbia, SC

Dr. Jairy Hunter President Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC

Lt. Gen. John Rosa President The Citadel Charleston, SC

Dr. Henry Tisdale President Claflin University Orangeburg, SC

Dr. James Barker President Clemson University Clemson, SC

Dr. P. George Benson President College of Charleston Charleston, SC Dr. Caroline Whitson President Columbia College Columbia, SC Wishing you a happy retirement!

Elizabeth Dinndorf New President as of July 1, 2012 Columbia College Columbia, SC Dr. Elizabeth Flemming President Converse College Spartanburg, SC

Dr. Keith Miller President Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC

Dr. Maurice Scherrens New President as of May 18, 2012 Newberry College Newberry, SC Dr. Harris Pastides President University of South Carolina Columbia, SC Dr. Jane Upshaw Chancellor University of South Carolina Beaufort Beaufort, SC

Dr. Thomas Moore Chancellor University of South Carolina Upstate Spartanburg, SC

Dr. Benjamin Dunlap President Wofford College Spartanburg, SC

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2011-12: A Year of and Dear Friends, Over the past year, we have achieved many successes - in growth of membership as well as in positive outcomes and deliverables for each of our respective institutions and community partners. The Presidents’ Council decision to endorse the national Campus Compact goal of ‘Access and Success’ as our primary goal for the next year aligns with the notion that South Carolina’s challenges and social problems are bigger than any one organizational effort can undertake. Yet, the opportunity to develop the public will that is a requirement to change deeply entrenched systems is best found in our halls, on our grounds and among our sphere of influence - it is the most likely place from which fundamental change will come. The roots of complex problem-solving, requiring both inspiration, challenge, the motivation to act as well as reflect, to think and question and dream are most present in higher education surrounded by splendid minds, willing to question everything, and yet stop at nothing to help others in need.

Dr. Anthony J. Digiorgio Chairman, SCCC and President , Winthrop University

To leverage in a genuine and authentic way the opportunity for grassroots community members to work alongside of those who have dedicated themselves to the rigorous of scholarship, and together respond to the call to action to serve diverse communities, both local and global is the very ethos of the phrase ‘community anchor.’ I remain committed to leading SCCC to provide your campus both tools and skills necessary to achieve this unique leadership role in your communities, cities and towns. - Anthony J. DiGiorgio

As we embrace a transition year, I am pleased to introduce our first annual report celebrating the good work completed by each of our members throughout the past year. I know that with the talent and passion evidenced in these pages, we will attain new heights during the 2012-13 year. Best regards, Anthony J. DiGiorgio Chairman, SCCC & President, Winthrop University

Chairman, Presidents’ Council SCCC President, Winthrop University To all friends and fans of SC Campus Compact, It has been my pleasure to work with and get to know each of you over the past sixteen months and together with you, bring SC Campus Compact to a new iteration and different developmental phase. South Carolina has reached a critical mass in service learning and civic engagement, and is poised to reach new heights through your commitment to your students, your respective campuses and your communities. As you welcome Jessica Lynn, your new Executive Director, please keep up the excellent work of service learning and civic engagement in South Carolina and continue to move steadfastly forward, always better together. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Executive Director. Sincerely, Kim Keel African proverb www.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

Welcome -Billy Walker, Chairman of Newberry College Board of Trustees

Newberry, SC— Newberry College president Maurice Scherrens has become the seventeenth president to affiliate with South Carolina Campus Compact to promote service-learning and civic engagement activities in higher education in our state.

ing and civic engagement into both curricular and co -curricular activities, students are learning valuable life lessons in leadership, decision-making and civic responsibility.” Dr. Scherrens, newly named president of Newberry, agrees. “Newberry College has a strong legacy of service and leadership. Joining our voices with this strong council of higher education leaders will help us continue to impact our world in a positive, civically-engaged way.”

President, Dr. Maurice Scherrens

South Carolina Campus Compact is a growing coalition of colleges and universities committed to the promotion of community service, service-learning, and civic engagement. Operating as a presidents’ organization, South Carolina Campus Compact’s members include two year and four year, public and private higher education institutions throughout the state. SC Campus Compact now serves approximately 224,282 students on (17) member campuses across the state. “We are so pleased to share the news of our growing SC Campus Compact network. We know that with the leadership of President Scherrens, Newberry College will serve well our core mission of graduating active, engaged citizens,” said Dr. Anthony J. DiGiorgio, President of Winthrop University and Chair of the Presidents’ Council of South Carolina Campus Compact. “By incorporating service learn-

The concept of service learning is simple: it is an intentional student learning process through civic engagement and service with community partners. Through service learning curricula, colleges foster civic responsibility, help make coursework more meaningful and memorable through real-world application, and build the relationship between the college and the community.

Campus Coordinator, Dr. Joseph McDonald www.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

Benedict College Campus Highlight

“I can’t believe this is true. People helping us and expecting nothing. Thank you.” Those are the words of a Columbia resident who benefited from donations distributed by an alliance appropriately called Yes We C.A.R.E. In response to President Barack Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, the Benedict College Service-Learning and Leadership Development Program and a coalition of faithbased organizations formed Yes We C.A.R.E (Constituents Aligned to Respond Effectively). The service-learning initiative began on October 22, 2011 and concluded on Benedict College’s annual day of service on

April 24, 2012. Nearly 300 students helped collect and distribute resources to low-income and homeless residents in the Eau Claire community through a monthly One Stop Shop. A total of 787 individuals obtained gently used clothing and household items collected through donations. Additionally, students distributed social services information to aide participants. During the final One Stop Shop, Benedict College President Dr. David H. Swinton was present to recognize the efforts of interfaith collaborative partners from Grace Christian Church, Masjid As-Salaam, Ridgewood Missionary Baptist Church, and First Calvary Baptist Church.

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The Citadel Campus Highlight

November 8, 2011 marked The Citadelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Second Annual Arland D Williams Heroism Day. The Citadel cancelled formal classes on that day and each cadet participated in a pre-approved out of classroom learning experience. Everything from workshops to trainings were offered, but by in large, the most popular option was service learning. In a single day, 768 cadets taught 3,006 students in 13 Charleston County School District Innovation Zone schools about heroism and helped them make cards for their heroes and heroines, 266 cadets served 23 community partner agencies on site, 199 cadets participated in

direct service to an additional nine community agencies. All of the service opportunities offered on Heroism Day were facilitated by the VISTA office at The Citadel. Each service group contained at least one peer leader. Of the 1,102 cadets surveyed, 66.8% believed that their Heroism Day activity was a worthwhile use of their time. Those who chose to serve on Heroism Day felt that their time was well spent. The cadets who served as peer leaders developed their leadership skills. About 30 agencies in and around the Charleston area benefited from having cadet help on that day. www.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

Claflin University Campus Highlight

The Cinderella Project was the most inspiring activity this year at our institution. Twenty Claflin University students worked together to collect dresses and rendered a day of beauty for underprivileged girls to attend their high school prom. The thirty-three participating high school students thoroughly enjoyed the event and several of the students have asked to participate again next year. In total, 137 dresses were collected. Claflin University also developed an important partnership with the Free Medical Clinic. Students who are interested in pursuing careers in the medical field had the opportunity to give back to the community by volunteering

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their time at the clinic. Students expressed their joy during the time spent at the clinic and sincerely appreciated getting to know the patients. Like the Cinderella Project, Claflin University also hopes to continue and strengthen their new partnership with the Free Medical Clinic.

Clemson University Clemson University Campus Highlight

One in three residents in Clemson are living at or below the poverty line, twice the national, state, and county averages. This stark fact was the impetus for the Poverty Simulation that the Active Citizenship Team (ACT), in partnership with Gamma Sigma Sigma, hosted this past spring. The students of ACT (liaisons for the Civic Engagement office), were driven by recent efforts of the Pickens County United Way.

‘one month’ (comprised of four, 15 minute intervals). Participants were placed into various family situations, ranging from single parents to nuclear family units, and volunteers acted as various community agencies (like schools, employers, banks, etc). Over the course of the ‘month’ the participants had to complete day-to-day tasks: going to work, paying the bills, buying food for their family, and taking care of their children.

The United Way has been spearheading a coalition focused on increasing access to emergency needs (food, shelter, etc.), creating awareness of poverty in Pickens County, and finding long-term solutions to eliminating this poverty. Through serving on the coalition, the Civic Engagement team has gained new insight into the needs of the community surrounding the university and was able to utilize the simulation as a tool to share this insight.

After the simulation, students reflected on their experience. An overwhelming theme during the reflection was that the event was “incredibly eye opening” and that the students “learned much more than anticipated.”

Forty-five students attended the simulation where they were assigned roles to play for the duration of

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Coastal Carolina University Campus Highlight

Coastal Carolina Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Volunteer Services Center was proud to start a service based retreat for students. This past April 11th students took part in an amazing retreat that focused on community service and leadership training. This retreat allowed the volunteer services center to be showcased for their commitment to service and their ability to produce wonderful leaders on our campus. The retreat was started by a group of students wanting more out of the typical volunteer experiences. They believed that if they could connect with each other on a common ground of service, they could bring changes to the community. Participating in various leadership activities the group came together in the idea that by helping one another we are helping ourselves grow into

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civically engaged individuals who are making a change. Student leaders led the group through a variety of activities in which they shared their personal stories in order to forge relationships. The group came together to discuss issues that we face every day. They began to trust one another and come together on a common ground of a love for service and a need for leadership. The group shared with one another and became friends but most importantly, they served. They served their community and took the time to reflect on what that meant to them. We hope that the retreat will continue and that the students will shed their knowledge to other future leaders on campus.

College of Charleston Campus Highlight

This year, in addition to serving 10-15 hours a week at a Charleston area non-profit, each student in the Bonner Leader program at the College of Charleston focused on the issues of the water crisis, outreach to the elderly, animal advocacy, human trafficking, and community enrichment. The 26 Bonner Leaders broke down into issue groups, with each group responsible for preparing and presenting an educational piece during one of the weekly meetings. These issues were explored both locally during Service Saturdays and during alternative break trips. The freshmen and sophomores traveled to

Puerto Rico where they worked with facility upkeep for a substance abuse shelter and rebuilt trails in a portion of the rain forest inhabited by the endangered Puerto Rican parrot. The juniors and seniors, in response to an 8.0 earthquake in Pisco, Peru, worked on various disaster relief projects. During Engage & Empower week in April, each issue group planned and hosted an event for the entire campus focusing on their topic.

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Columbia College Campus Highlight

Columbia College, partnered with St. John Baptist Church and the Square Foot Gardening Foundation, to develop a model project to improve diabetes prevention in Columbia, SC. The program, developed by VISTA member Jamie Opdyke, combined monthly Crock Pot cooking lessons, walking programs, and community gardens. We began our gardening at St. John with the pre-school. They planted seeds into two gardens that have grown into vegetables they pick for lunch and snacks. The project culminated with an event in March, which engaged over

100 students and community volunteers who dropped 10 gardens, four fruit trees, Muscatine and Blackberry bushes for the Church and community. After completing our initial goal with St. John, we began with Grace Christian Church in May. This will lay the foundation to move deliberately through each faith-based organization in 29203. Our project intends to be a model, now funded by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

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Converse College Campus Highlight

In 1889, the founder of Converse College might have very well been speaking to the needs of the 21st century world when he said that the “well being of any country depends much upon the culture of her women.” In an effort to instill this core value of service in our students, Converse fosters its relationship with its community partners to recruit volunteers. 12,224 hours of community service were contributed to the Spartanburg community during the 2011-2012 calendar year.

gram and Team H.O.P.E., and Serve Spartanburg, Hunger and Homelessness Week, Alternative Spring Break, MLK Day of Service, Impact Day of Service, and the Don’t Throw it Away Collection Drive, faculty, staff and students all contributed to Converse’s service efforts. This is a significant accomplishment for a college with a total student population, both undergraduate and graduate, of 1,263.

Mortar Board, Crescent, The Bonner Leader Prowww.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

Charleston Southern University Campus Highlight

Charleston Southern University would like to highlight the establishment of a student chapter of the national organization All Girls Allowed as an official student organization on campus. All Girls Allowed is dedicated to eradicating China's one child policy, to protect the lives of baby girls, empower women and educate people about this injustice and it its consequences. The University and founder Chai Ling have a wonderful working relationship and took actions toward philanthropic collaboration during the past academic year. South Carolina Campus Compact VISTA, Lanita Sumpter, along with Dr. Hester Young and a core group of www.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

interested students have done wonderful things with this new partnership. The chapter became a sanctioned organization through the student government association in the fall and got right to work. Their biggest accomplishments for the year were presenting the 37 seconds campaign during various campus events, raising $75 for mothers in China, donating baby gifts to my sister's house, and food to a local children's shelter. Currently, the chapter is 30 members strong and members are looking forward to doing even more next year.

Greenville Technical College Campus Highlight

The first Greenville Tech Gives Back opportunity was offered in March, 2012. Eighty volunteers from Greenville Tech. representing faculty, staff, and students assisted with the Greenville Forward Gardening for Good project. Volunteers at eight community gardens prepared soil, pulled weeds, mulched, and more. These gardens provide a local source of healthy food and ensure that Upstate shelters have fresh produce. In May, 30 volunteers completed two projects through Hands On Greenville Day. One group painted offices for a hospice

provider. Another group gardened and played bingo at an assisted living facility. In June, volunteers will pack and sort food at Harvest Hope Food Bank. One shift filled quickly and a second shift was offered, so that 50 volunteers can now participate. Response to this initiative has been very positive. Each opportunity has filled, and in the case of Harvest Hope, some people are being asked to wait until the next event is scheduled. These service opportunities allow volunteers to spend time in an informal setting getting to know students and colleagues from other departments. As Greenville Tech. celebrates 50 years of growing Greenville, Greenville Tech Gives Back has allowed the college to grow the community in a meaningful way through service and to engage staff and students in the process.

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Midlands Technical College Campus Highlight

Of our many service and engagement activities this year, we were fortunate to expand our work with the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) as well as form a new partnership with the Lexington Two Coalition.

high school students from the Midlands Middle College in researching synthetic drugs, reflecting on their research, and creatively presenting their new knowledge through theater and song.

Along with our usual decorating of the Ronald Mcdonald Home for holidays, we provided dinners and gifts for the parents on Mother’s and Father’s Days. In addition, we worked with the Lexington Two Coalition’s Rise Above It project to involve

The success of this project makes it highly likely that we will continue this partnership in coming years.

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University of South Carolina Campus Highlight

During the 2011-2012 academic year, the University of South Carolina displayed a renewed commitment to strengthening servicelearning initiatives. In the fall of 2011, the Coordinating Office of Community Engagement was formed to serve as a central coordinating portal through which all stakeholders in service at the University and in the Columbia Community can enhance their current service-learning activities. In January, 2012 the Office of Student Engagement hired an Assistant Director of Service-Learning, Dr. Dottie Weigel, for the first time. With over 40 service-learning courses taught in the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012, students impacted the Columbia community with their expertise and knowledge in various disciplines

ranging from nursing, to engineering, to education. After attending the final presentations in Karen Malliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service-learning course, Communicating for a Cause, a staff member of the South Carolina HIV/Aids Council shared this, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were all astonished by the thoroughness and sensitivity given to the issue, organization, and mission. In all sincerity, it was an emotional experience, bringing some of us to tears that this group of intelligent and articulate young people could encapsulate the seventeen years of SCHAC and present a plan of which we were in such desperate need.â&#x20AC;? It is because of testimonials like this that we know that USC students are truly impacting the community. www.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

USC Beaufort Campus Highlight

The University of South Carolina Beaufort hosted the City of Bluffton’s Relay for Life on our campus. The event was cancelled early due to rain, or really torrential downpour and lightning at 10:30pm right after we finished the limbo competition. Organized chaos followed, as we tried to pack up several tents, an inflatable movie screen and hundreds of Relay for Life’s signature luminaries. The students amazed me, none of them abandoned the group and they all worked tirelessly and quickly to pack everything up. It took about an hour and

all of them were completely drenched but they continued to work hard. I was proud of the money they raised for Relay that night, but I was more proud of the strength of character they showed when things didn’t go according to plan. Bluffton’s Relay for Life raised over $19,000 and USCB students raised over $1,000. That was cool too. Many thanks to Ed Heberling and Paige Kegley for chairing the event as USCB representatives.

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USC Upstate Campus Highlight

USC Upstate had a wonderful 2011-2012 academic year. Our freshmen students in our University 101 classes dedicated almost 2000 hours to the Spartanburg community in service work during the Fall semester and many of our student organizations worked with agencies ranging from Big Brothers Big Sisters to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. In March, ten USC Upstate students and two faculty/staff members travelled to

Charleston, S.C. and Florida to participate in the annual Alternative Spring Break Trips. Five students spent their break in Charleston working with Goodwill Industries and Camp Happy Days and five students spent their break just outside of Lone Oak Florida working with the Florida Trail Association. We are excited for the 2012-2013 academic year as we gear up for our first year with the VISTA program and the redevelopment of our Service Learning components!

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Winthrop University Campus Highlight

This past year, Winthrop University experienced one of its greatest civic engagement achievements with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Celebrated annually on Dr. Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday, January 16th, the day has been an excellent opportunity for Winthrop students to serve their community through on- and offcampus volunteering. This year, Winthrop sent over two hundred students, along with faculty and staff, out into the Rock Hill community to serve its residents who were in need. The nearly dozen projects that

students volunteered for ranged from picking up trash along the highways to delivering meals for the elderly to packing lunch bags for children in need. The Day of Service was a part of a two-day celebration of Dr. Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and work, with a memorial and candlelight vigil held in his honor by the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. It was an excellent opportunity for our students to learn and grow through service.

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Wofford College Campus Highlight

Looking back at this academic year, there are a lot of milestones we could reflect upon. One project in particular that Wofford is exceptionally proud of is the College Town Service Initiative. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a one-day, community wide service event, which incorporates the collaboration of all seven colleges and universities with over fifteen community partners in Spartanburg County. This service event allows students from all of the colleges to come together to serve and network for future collaborations in the community. What was so inspiring about the en-

tire event is that student leaders from all of the colleges and universities worked with the Wofford and Converse VISTAs to help lead other groups of students at their service site and in reflection. To see that initiative with only an infrastructure set up by the VISTAs was incredibly inspiring. Both Woffordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VISTA and the other VISTAs in Spartanburg are lucky to have such supportive students in this College Town.

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S.C. Campus Compact

Supervisor: Tondaleya Jackson SCCC VISTA: Kendra Smith*

Supervisor: Dr. Conway Saylor SCCC VISTA: Brittany Bounds This year, I had the opportunity to serve at The Citadel. We had projects going on all year long. My favorites to coordinate were Science Night and Fine Arts Night for a local elementary school. I loved seeing an event all the way through from brainstorm to clean up. The most fulfilling parts of these events were twofold: watching the elementary children get excited to learn and watching our Citadel cadets interact with the children. One reason I chose VISTA was because I wanted to ignite passion for service in college students. In the past year, I saw passion ignited and I would not trade it for anything!

Tondaleya Jackson & Kendra Smith

Working as an AmeriCorps* VISTA with Campus Compact has afforded me the wonderful opportunity to serve alongside Benedict College students and community members in raising awareness for hunger and poverty issues faced by residents in our community. Throughout the academic year, we have served community partners and residents in the Midlands as well as the LowCountry. This year, I have been able to witness students obtaining the passion to serve others and gaining the knowledge of how service-learning can provide the foundation for a career in service or other future endeavors. Samantha Farmer, Dr. Conway Saylor & Brittany Bounds

Supervisor: Dr. Conway Saylor SCCC VISTA: Samantha Farmer As a VISTA at The Citadel I became an integral part of building upon a recent corps wide service learning requirement for Leadership 211. I was able to watch cadets who would have otherwise remained on campus and in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Citadel Bubbleâ&#x20AC;? branch out and serve their community (and in some cases, their neighbor at the soup kitchen located down the road from The Citadel). Cadets engaged in service by participating in one day service events led by their peers and semester long service commitments. Each service opportunity in connection with our wonderful community partners helped the Charleston community in the areas of poverty, education, health and disabilities, or environment.

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Supervisor: Allison Sabb Glenn SCCC VISTA: Brandon Priester Allison Sabb Glenn & Brandon Priester

In my three years working as an AmeriCorps*VISTA, I have had the opportunity to learn so much. Being able to help the students of Claflin University where I served and graduated from gave me a great sense of accomplishment. Showing and teaching the students what it means to give back to the community in which they live gave me great joy. Alongside Mrs. Allison Glenn we encouraged the students and staff of Claflin University to take a hard look at the community and tasked them to help make a change. We made great changes for the people in the Orangeburg community and I know more great changes are still to come.

Note * indicates re-enrolling VISTAs for the 2012-13 academic year!

S.C. Campus Compact Supervisor: Jennifer Shurley SCCC VISTA: Amber Thacker “If you come to help me, you are wasting your time… But if you come because your liberation is bound with mine, let us walk together.” This past year serving at Clemson and working with folks in the Gantt Center for Student Life as they fight for Social Justice, this quote accurately captures a paradigm shift for me. I believe a lot of us in national service took this path because of a desire to help others, but it wasn’t until this year that I realized that is not sufficient. Serving as a VISTA at Clemson has truly showed me that in order to create real change, our intent cannot be a self -sacrificing one. Rather, it must be borne out of the realization that we are strongly interconnected and cannot live full lives as individuals until each member of our community has the ability to do the same. Amber Thacker & Jennifer Shurley

“

Supervisor: Paula Drummond SCCC VISTA: Sarah Chafe

Supervisor: Stephanie Visser SCCC VISTA: Laura Mewbourn

For the past year, I have served as the coordinator of the Bonner Leader program at the College of CharlesI have ton. The Bonner Leader Program is Paula Drummond & a scholarship program focusing on community service and leadership Sarah Chafe development. Each student is partnered with non-profits where they never lived out of the state of Massaserve 10 hours a week. We meet weekchusetts, so when I told my family I ly to educate the group on topics inwanted to move to South Carolina, cluding time management, study skills, you can imagine their surprise. Decidand policy development. I collaborating to be part of South Carolina Camed with non-profits to develop new pus Compact was a big step for me. Not only was I leaving behind my fam- placements, organized service projects, and developed lesson plans. I’ve done ily and friends but I was deviating trail work in the rainforest of Puerto from my plan. There was no year of service in the plan, but this detour may Rico, developed policies that should strengthen the program for many years have been the best one I could have to come, and built relationships with taken. This detour has actually proved 26 amazing students. not to be a detour at all, but just a new path. Thinking back on my year at Coastal Carolina, I will remember all the experiences that I have had. I took students on two alternative break trips, planned events for Hunger and Homelessness Week, started a volunteer services retreat, and helped students complete over 1,350 hours of community service. These students have reminded me of why I ultimately took a leap of faith and moved 17 hours from home. I did it because deep down my passion for service and leadership outweigh anything else. The joy I get in watching these students grow into civic minded individuals is undeniable. I am grateful to have watched them grow over this last year and they have certainly helped me to grow as well!

Laura Mewbourn & Stephanie Visser

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S.C. Campus Compact Supervisor: Mary Carlisle SCCC VISTA: Jamie Opdyke The highlight of my year, without a doubt, was earning trust in the community in which I live and work. Coming to South Carolina as an outsider has been incredibly difficult; when meeting with community members, they immediately noticed my strange accent and put up a wall. In the past, outsiders had come in, surveyed the community, and withdrawn without contributing anything substantial. I broke that barrier and worked with the community on a garden and improving their health through education and cooking lessons. Our zip code has improved dramatically, both in physical appearance and health statistics. Supervisor: Mary Carlisle SCCC VISTA: Katie Welborn Last Friday I took students to serve on Harden Street near downtown Columbia at The Free Medical Clinic. The clinic runs off of grants, donations, and hours and hours of volunteer time. The Free Medical Clinic, Inc., provides quality healthcare, at no cost, to residents of the community who cannot pay for such services and who have no health insurance. Students learned about the organization and then worked on data entry. We were very impressed with the Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work ethic and commitment to the organization. Even though the

front office was closed, he would hear the front office phone wring, stop what he was doing, walk all the way to the front of the building, pick up the phone, and address the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. His desire to help those in need was very visible.

Supervisor: Dr. Hester Young SCCC VISTA: Lanita Sumpter

After serving, a local frozen yogurt shop gave us free froyo for volunteering at the clinic. It's always encouraging to see local businesses support community service initiatives. ng

Dr. Hester You During my time & Lanita Sumpter at Charleston Southern University, I have had the privilege of building relationships and partnerships with some very amazing people including non profit workers, students, faculty, and staff. Some things that I am most proud to have been a part of are: estabJason Loscuito lishing All Girls Allowed & Kelsey Sherman as an official chapter on This has been a wonderful, campus, raising and deproductive year. Kelsey Sherman dedlivering over 350 pounds of non pericated a lot of her time to strengthenishables to a homeless shelter, recruiting existing community partnerships ing volunteers for three Habitat for and campus programs. She worked Humanity house builds, recruiting closely with other higher learning involunteers for a local after school prostitutions in Spartanburg on the MLK gram, donating over 50 books to a Day of Service and CSI Service Day. local elementary school, recruiting She helped manage the Bonner Leadvolunteers for Summerville Miracle er program and played a roll in the League all year, recruiting volunteers creation of a residential Summer Bonfor Stall High School and the amazing ner Leader program. Kelsey is exturn out for their school pageant, tremely grateful for the opportunities sending volunteers to Eagle Harbor and experience given to her by SCCC Boys Ranch, working with faculty to and Converse College; they will travel integrate service into their classes, and with her for the rest of her life. particularly any and every student that I have inspired to LOVE service. That was my greatest joy, inspiring people to go out into the community and donate their time to other people and actually find joy in it. If I have done nothing else, that would make it Jamie Opdyke, all worthwhile in my eyes.

Supervisor: Jason Luscioto SCCC VISTA: Kelsey Sherman

Mary Carlisle & Katie Welborn

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S.C. Campus Compact Supervisor: Susan Gasque SCCC VISTA: Grace Crosby As Greenville Tech’s first AmeriCorps VISTA I had the opportunity to build the infrastructure of service learning at the college. I primarily “worked behind the scenes” to create a service learning handbook and website, meet with faculty members and community partners, and identify a service learning/volunteer management database. I learned early on the importance of networking with others interested in service learning projects. One service event that illustrated the significance of networking in a new environment was the food drive. By serving on the steering committee for the food drive, I met College Skills instructors with whom I later recruited for help with the coat drive in February and worked with on other projects. I also met the coordinator for Greenville Tech Gives Back Events and assisted her with planning and recruiting faculty and student volunteers to three service events that involved over 150 students and faculty members as participants.

Susan Gasque & Grace Crosby

Supervisor: Dr. Diane Carr SCCC VISTA: Dyrell Clark

Joseph McDonald as the Campus Coordinator! Supervisor: Dr. Jimmie Gahagan SCCC VISTA: Stephanie Gross

This year as a VISTA at Midlands Technical College, I created the first Health and Safety Carnival on MLK Day which included a blood drive for the American Red Cross. I gathered volunteers to participate at the Ronald McDonald House for Halloween decorating, a Thanksgiving Lunch and Learn, a Mother’s Day dinner and a Father’s Day dinner. In addition, I emailed numerous nonprofit organizations to plan a volunteer fair, helped with fundraisers, and for almost half the year I have served the community with the Midlands Middle College, the Lexington Two Coalition and LRADAC, spreading awareness about synthetic drug use and underage drinking. This year’s work has helped me redefine my career direction. Everything done this year was exciting, new, hard, adventurous, and most of all rewarding. Dr. Diane Carr & Dyrell Clark

In starting my second Dr. Jimmie Gahagan year with & Stephanie Gross AmeriCorps VISTA and Campus Compact I had no idea what to expect. After coming from a small, private, liberal-arts background in the north, I knew that my year in South Carolina would look quite different. Some surprises I expected. Others truly astonished me. My work at the University of South Carolina this year has been defined by the bright, thoughtful, and committed students that I have interacted with through service-learning. The dedication that students at USC have shown to community efforts is something that I have not witnessed before. Students learn about the community, try to understand complex issues, and then address these issues through programs and events that they deSupervisor: Dr. Joseph McDonald sign. I have witnessed multiple students’ progress ald Don Mc Dr. Joseph from classroom student, to community-based scholar, to engaged citizen. It has been a truly rewarding experience to be a part of the staff that helps to cultivate these students into leaders in service. Newberry College will host its first SCCC VISTA next year with their Director of Valued Based Learning, Dr. www.sccampuscompact.org - South Carolina Campus Compact

S.C. Campus Compact Supervisor: Jim Glasson SCCC VISTA: Elizabeth Burns This was my third term of service with AmeriCorps and my first as a VISTA. I was a little apprehensive about spending a year “capacity building” instead of through direct service but was determined to make as big a difference as possible by motivating college students James Glasson & to volunteer Elizabeth Burns with me. I’ve had the opportunity to convince business students to become certified to prepare taxes and to lead a bunch of college freshmen on an Alternative Spring Break where we tackled their fear of working with adults with developmental disabilities. Helping shape the students’ college experience and hopefully fuel their passion for civic engagement has been a truly rewarding experience. Supervisor: Kara Ferguson Kara Ferguson

University of South Carolina Upstate will host its first SCCC VISTA next year with their Program Coordinator for Student Life, Kara FerguEllin McDonough & son as the CamMatt Sohner pus Coordinator.

Supervisor: Jessalyn Story SCCC VISTA: Sarah Hager*

helped formulate the pilot program for an after-school reading initiative called the Reading Tent, and took my success with that project to create an in-school mentoring program for 2nd-5th graders called Book Buddies. As a long-time South Carolina resident, learning about a prevalent problem facing many young South Carolinians and being able to serve my state to help correct it has been a deeply rewarding experience. Supervisor: Laura Foster SCCC VISTA: Patricia Riley

My past year as a Jessalyn Story VISTA with SC Cam& Sarah Hager pus Compact at Wofford College is a year I’ll never forget. Being an alumnus of Wofford College, AmeriCorps has given me the opportunity to impact my school in ways I never could as a stuFor the past year I have dent. I work daily to support the Bontried to inspire college ner Scholars program in an effort students to go a little Laura Foster to strengthen our partnerships bit further, think a little with local non-profits. Seeing the & Patricia Riley bit harder, and give students’ compassion and dedicaback a little bit more, I’ve tion to their service in the community tried to accomplish this by building is nothing less than inspiring. I’ve also student leadership and the capacity of been lucky enough to work closely with the Winthrop Homework Clinic, Comanother SC Campus Compact VISTA munity Garden, Alternative Spring at Converse College, Kelsey Sherman. Break program, and working with Having her presence and support as we SOAR I’ve sent more emails and text planned several community wide sermessages then my inboxes can handle, vice projects has made my VISTA year drowned in excel spreadsheets, attendan incredible one to say the least. ed many committee meetings, always Supervisor: Ellin McDonough SCCC VISTA: Matthew Sohner

For the last year, I have been serving the community of Rock Hill, South Carolina through projects dedicated to improving literacy for local school children in low-income communities. I

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been in volunteer recruitment mode, and have had to accept that while change is slow it is incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned so much by being a VISTA that I’ve struggled to write this because for three years a VISTA is what I’ve been. It is hard to say good bye to not only a community and campus that embraced me but to a program that has defined who I am for so long. VISTA has been a life changing experience, the lessons I’ve learned I will take with me wherever I may go.

Summer Supervisor: Kim Keel SCCC VISTA Leader: Christina Soyden My, how time flies! During the past two years I have learned so much about South Carolina, Campus Compact and Higher Education. My experiences as a VISTA/Leader have been wonderful. I have met so many exceptionally inspiring and motivated people! Seeing this current year’s VISTAs from recruitment to completion has made me appreciate the dedication our campus coordinators have to the VISTA program. Having to say goodbye and start new with a different VISTA each year must be extremely bittersweet and is certainly a huge commitment. To our campus coordinators- Thank you- for smiling at us when you really want to roll your eyes and for bragging about our work, we couldn’t have done so much without your guidance. To our VISTAs- Thank you- you may have had weeks when you wondered why you decided to serve as a VISTA, but you are all outstanding young professionals. To our campuses- Thank you- for prioritizing community service, service learning, and civic engagement at your institution, we’ll have a better tomorrow because of your commitment. To our community partners, faculty and students- Thank you- it’s because of you that our world keeps turning! I’ve truly enjoyed watching SCCC grow, thank you!

& Healthy Families Supervisor: Kim Keel SCCC VISTA: Alexandra Persson This year I had the privilege to write about all of the wonderful service work that our 17 members have completed. I helped with the creation and maintenance of our communication vehicles including our monthly VISTA News, V-News, organic presidential and campus coordinator newsletters called SCoops, Better Together, and voila, Going Far! As a SCCC VISTA, I had amazing insight into what service means in so many outlets, mediums, and contexts. I learned a tremendous amount that I will cherish and utilize no matter where life takes me!

statewide strategic partner to pilot a common statewide evaluation of the impact of Summer Associates. Dr. Conway Saylor of the Citadel greatly contributed by generating the tools and methods. Our goal is to develop common metrics with the academic rigor that would qualify our combined program evaluations to be ultimately published as scholarly work. We are excited to examine the outcomes at the end of this year’s summer. This program is an excellent way in which campuses develop meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships with their communities.

This year our AmeriCorps Healthy Families Members have completed a variety of creative and innovative activities to help further healthy living initiative in our state. The Members make a difference in their communities, gain valuable civic and workforce skills, and upon completion of their term earn an education award.

This year 20 SCCC Summer Associates are serving at seven of our member campuses. The Summer Associates will serve as Summer VISTAs, providing both direct and indirect service to their community. In total, the Summer VISTAs will reach 17 community partners!

Kim Keel, Alexandra Summer VISTAs focus on a variety Persson & Christina Soyden of activities that surround the gen-

eral mission of South Carolina Campus Compact. The Program itself helps to empower the members, all of which are college students, to meet community needs. The Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics at The Citadel will be a

This year our AmeriCorps Members partnered with over 50 community partners and provided nutrition and wellness education and outreach activities to help build their capacity to offer nutrition and wellness curriculum. Nine schools participated in the program. A few examples of the variety and diversity of programming planned, created and delivered on nutrition education by our AmeriCorps Members at their community partner sites include Zumba, Tailgating Healthy on Game Day, lessons on portion sizes and nutrition labels, protein and dairy lessons, how to make fruit pizza class, a healthy habits program and much more!! This was the second and final year for the program, however ambition to continue the promotion of healthy lifestyles will remain with our compact.

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