WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF CIVIC & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
2020-2021 ANNUAL REPORT
THE OFFICE OF CIVIC & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (OCCE) IS THE HUB OF COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVITY AT WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY. IN THE SPIRIT OF PRO HUMANITATE, THE OCCE ENGAGES COMMUNITY PARTNERS, FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS TO CREATE MEANINGFUL SOCIAL CHANGE.
LET TER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Office of Civic & Community Engagement (OCCE) embodies the university’s motto—Pro Humanitate—by connecting community partners, residents, students, faculty, and staff to meaningful opportunities for social change. This work takes many forms – philanthropy, direct service, advocacy, social justice, community-based teaching, and research. My team and I are honored to work alongside campus and community partners to advance these goals. On the pages that follow, we celebrate a few examples of our work this year. In 2020-21, the global pandemic exposed longstanding inequities in food access, housing, employment, education, and economic development. I am exceedingly impressed by the ways in which students, faculty, and staff moved quickly to meet needs in our community. For example, three days after WinstonSalem/Forsyth County Schools moved to virtual instruction, the OCCE launched a virtual tutoring program, connecting 425 Wake Forest students with children for free, weekly tutoring sessions. The Campus Kitchen continued to operate with committed student volunteers, delivering 2,247 meals to the Winston-Salem community. We reimagined campus traditions and exceeded fundraising goals to support the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. For a comprehensive picture of community engagement during the pandemic, please explore the COVID-19 Response Timeline in this report. At the same time, faculty, staff, and students grappled with complex issues and engaged in action for social change. In 2020, Deacs Decide facilitated virtual conversations about pressing policy issues in our state and across our country. For the first time, members of the campus community could walk to a polling location at the Winston-Salem First Assembly, and Wake Forest was named a Voter Friendly Campus. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the OCCE launched several programs to engage movements for social and racial justice. As these efforts continue, we stand in solidarity with marginalized populations on our campus and in our broader community. We affirm our shared humanity and remain deeply committed to justice work. I am convinced that our work has never been more vital. As we prepare for a return to in-person civic and community engagement for the upcoming academic year, I am eager to connect with students, partners, faculty, and staff. Please visit us in the Benson University Center; we look forward to seeing you! Sincerely, Marianne, Magjuka, Ed.D. Executive Director, Office of Civic & Community Engagement
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2020-2021
IMPACT
2,465
WFU students engaged
11,526
Student service hours logged
$328,966 Economic impact of student service
$666,058 Cash resources secured
*Includes cash resources secured by AmeriCorps*VISTA members
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EDUCATION OUTREACH Signature programs from the Office of Civic & Community Engagement provide Wake Forest students the ability to improve education equity in our community in a variety of ways, including tutoring, mentoring, and literacy programs.
D.E.S.K.
DISCOVERING EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT KNOWLEDGE
On April 22, 105 Wake Forest students gathered - masked and socially distanced on Poteat Field - to create captivating learning spaces for local school children. Traditionally, WFU students visit Old Town Elementary School to meet their designated elementary student and design their desks. Then, the children come to campus for several hours to paint their desks and enjoy fun, spring activities. Because of the pandemic, children met with Wake students via Zoom, where they helped create the blueprints for their desk designs ahead of time. Due to the virtual nature of the event, additional local elementary schools were able to participate in the festivities for the first time. In partnership with the Forsyth Promise and Inspire340 schools, a total of 37 desks were customized and provided to children from eight different schools throughout Winston-Salem.
MLK READ-IN On January 23, 138 children throughout Winston-Salem logged onto their computers to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the 12th annual MLK Day Read-In. Organized by Wake Forest, Winston-Salem State, and HandsOn Northwest North Carolina, the event promotes Dr. King’s legacy of service, literacy and community empowerment through hands-on activities and reading. Typically face-to-face, this year’s Read-In was virtual for the safety of the children, their families, and the volunteers. Participating children received complimentary kits featuring
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two children’s books, school supplies, and healthy snacks. In all, 276 age-appropriate books, including a civil-rights themed read, were provided. Together, 117 WFU and WSSU student volunteers guided children through three themed activities: “Gratitude,” where they wrote a letter to someone for whom they are grateful; “Advocacy,” where they supported a special cause and created a sign; and “I Have A Dream,” where they wrote a collective poem around their own personal dreams as well as those they have for their community.
WANT THESE DESKS TO GIVE THE STUDENTS A SPACE “ WE WHERE THEY CAN FEEL SPECIAL AND VALUED AND LOVED, ONE THAT WILL MAKE THEM ENJOY LEARNING. ” - CAROLINE WELCH (‘21)
FREEDOM SCHOOL Canceled the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wake Forest University Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School - hosted by the Department of Education, OCCE, Office of the President, and Office of the Provost - reopened its doors to 65 rising third through eighth-grade student scholars in June. For six weeks, children participated in the literacy and cultural enrichment program that provides summer options to children and strengthens family and community involvement. Rooted in an intergenerational leadership model, 10 Wake Forest
students helped to staff the program as Servant Leader Interns, implementing the curriculum which is designed to promote social, cultural, and historical awareness, and mentor the scholars. Pictured above: Students participate in the Discovering Education Through Student Knowledge (D.E.S.K.) event, painting desks for local school children. The event returned to campus for the 22nd time this year, after being canceled last spring due to COVID-19.
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VIRTUAL TUTORING Last March, as K-12 schools shifted to online instruction and Wake Forest students remained home for the duration of the semester, the Virtual Tutoring program began. As hybrid instruction continued throughout the academic year, Virtual Tutoring not only continued, but grew, establishing itself as a signature program with the Office of Civic & Community Engagement. Through the program, Wake Forest undergraduate and graduate students are matched with a Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School (WSFCS) K-12 student for weekly, one-hour virtual sessions in their area of need.
HOW VIRTUAL TUTORING HELPS
6,815
Hours spent in one-on-one virtual tutoring sessions
425
Wake Forest Student Tutors *32 students tutored two or more students per semester
382
Winston-Salem K-12 student participants *104 students were tutored year round
68
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools represented
43%
Participating K-12 students enrolled at a Title I school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system In February, the OCCE partnered with the Winston-Salem State University Mathematics and Science Education Network Program to offer once-a-week virtual homework support to WSFCS K-12 students enrolled in the program. In all, 28 Wake Forest students participated, providing 46 hours of homework support. (left) A student participates in a virtual tutoring session
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MENTORING IN MUSIC In an effort to provide music engagement to families and students in WinstonSalem/Forsyth County Schools, the OCCE partnered with Dr. Jacqui Carrasco and the Department of Music to create the Virtual Music Mentor program. In all, 41 Wake Forest students served as music mentors, providing 158 hours of one-on-one voice and/or instrumental lessons to 17 local K-12 students.
N.E.R.D. The Network of Educational Resources and Development (N.E.R.D.) - a training and leadership program for Wake Forest students interested in mentoring, tutoring, and educational advocacy - consists of 14 student organizations and 1,000 students committed to addressing education equity in our community. Unable to volunteer in schools this year, students in N.E.R.D. found creative ways to make a difference in the virtual environment.
N.E.R.D. GOES VIRTUAL WAKE ACADEMY
Wake Academy provided education kits for local children, putting together 500 STEM and art kits for two local elementary schools. At Cook Literacy Model School, 250 students had gooey fun while channeling their inner chemists by mixing glue, contact solution, baking powder, shaving cream and food coloring to make slime, while 250 students from Kimberley Park used paint brushes and brightly colored tissue paper to create a beautiful autumn sunset.
ENERGY EXPLORERS
Dedicated to educating the local community about the environment, the 31 members of N.E.R.D.’s Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA) work alongside the community organization of the same name and the WFU Office of Sustainability to help implement the Energy Explorers Program. With the help of AmeriCorps*VISTA, Annie Fullwood, the students helped to implement Energy Explorers, which teaches environmental issues to seventh graders in Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools. With the help of WFU students, PEA’s Energy Explorers program reached 1,446 WSFCS seventh grade students this year, with 85 virtual sessions in 24 different science classes led by N.E.R.D. students. (right) A staff member at Cook Elementary School sorts through the science kits provided by Wake Academy students.
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YOUTH ENGAGEMENT C OA L I T I O N USING FUNDING FROM YOUTH SERVICE AMERICA, THE OFFICE OF CIVIC & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PARTNERED WITH HANDSON NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND FORSYTH COUNTY YOUNG LEADERS TO CREATE THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT COALITION, AIMING TO INCREASE YOUTH SERVICE ENGAGEMENT IN WINSTON-SALEM.
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n an effort to involve young people in community engagement and outreach throughout WinstonSalem, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement offered eight mini grants to local youth - ages 16 through 25 - valued at $250 each to support their projects.
Out of eighteen applicants, sixteen were high school students and two were Wake Forest students. Applicants had to propose ways to address a community need, work with a community-based organization, include a detailed budget request, and list desired outcomes. Proposals were reviewed and winners were selected by members of the Youth Engagement Coalition. In all, seven high school students and one WFU student were awarded the mini grants. Winners were notified by letter in December, received their funding in January, and had to complete their proposed projects by the end of the academic year. The Youth Engagement Coalition 2021 mini grant recipients included: • Kenya Cropps (RJ Reynolds High School, City With Dwellings, Bethesda Center) • Alston Gaillard (Parkland High School, Vienna Elementary School CARES Team) • Kiran Kapileshwari (Atkins Academic & Technology High School, HOPE of Winston-Salem) • Jenna Mayer (Wake Forest University, Action4Equity) • Ella-Brooke Morgan (West Forsyth High School, Big Brothers Big Sisters Services, Inc.) • Mitchell Rice (Reagan High School, Center Grove Church) • Grayson Weabil (East Forsyth High School, Next Step Ministries) • Berk Yalcinkaya (Forsyth Country Day School, Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools)
MINI GRANT SPOTLIGHT Kiran Kaplishwari used the grant funds from the Youth Engagement Coalition to grow winter crops in the Joe Childers Memorial Garden, which he founded in June 2020 to honor the life of former Atkins High School principal, the late Joe Childers. The garden brings together students from the Atkins community (pictured left) to help alleviate food insecurity in WinstonSalem via a partnership with HOPE of Winston-Salem, which distributes the harvested produce back into the local community.
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CAMPUS KITCHEN at wake forest
In an effort to keep volunteers safe, Campus Kitchen modified operations during the 2020-21 academic year, operating with just 40 dedicated student volunteers. Together, students pick-up, prepare, and deliver fresh produce and nutritious meals to community partners, repurposing food from campus dining and local grocery stores that would otherwise go to waste.
HOW CAMPUS KITCHEN HELPS
15,745
Pounds of produce recovered from local grocery stores
2,247
Meals prepared and distributed to community partners
1,860
Pounds of food recovered from campus dining
345
Average number of meals served per month
240
Average number of community members reached each week by Campus Kitchen services
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TURKEYPALOOZA 2020 Campus Kitchen welcomed 50 student volunteers to prepare 200 scratch-made Thanksgiving meals for various community partners including Azalea Terrace, N.C. Faith Health, Latino Community Services, and Aster Park. In partnership with the School of Business’ Graduate Service Coalition, Campus Kitchen raised $2,313.00 to pay for ingredients and support a non-perishable food drive for the community. Food Lion provided a matching donation for the food drive, which distributed 100 grocery bags to foodinsecure residents over the winter break. (above) Campus Kitchen students Kathryn McCormick (‘22) and Juliana Bernt (‘21) deliver Thanksgiving dinners to local residents at Azalea Terrace.
KIDS’ COOKING COALITION
Despite the challenges introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kids’ Cooking Coalition (KCC) returned for its fourth year of programming, with a new curriculum better suited for virtual delivery. Over the span of four weeks, 40 different children from 18 families joined one or more cooking classes taught by local Winston-Salem chefs. Chefs filmed from The Enterprise Center on Martin Luther King Dr., while children participated safely from their homes via Zoom. The Coalition provided most ingredients for the recipes; students picked up vegetables and proteins from local grocery partners, packed all the items at the Campus Kitchen and delivered boxes with all the necessary supplies directly to participating families the week of each class.
ON THE MENU
THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Campus Kitchen would not be possible without generous donations from campus and community partners.
WEEK 1 Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry with Chef Josh McGee, Y’all Company WEEK 2 Shrimp and Grits with Chef Terrell Anistead WEEK 3 Spaghetti Squash with Turkey and Tomato Sauce with Chef Shanta Faison, Twin City Catering Company WEEK 4 Ethiopian Stew with Chef N’Gai Dickerson, Homegrown Heroes 2020-2021 | 11
OFFICE OF CIVIC & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
COVID-19 RESPONSE On March 8, 2020, the OCCE began its last in-person program of the academic year as 36 Wake Forest students departed for the annual, week-long Wake Alternative Break program. Meanwhile, effects from a global pandemic were emerging across the United States, impacting campus and beyond. As the Wake Alternative Break came to an end, all in-person instruction had been suspended until further notice, and students were encouraged not to return to campus. At the same time, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement quickly developed new, virtual programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to engage students and members of the community from afar. As the pandemic continued into the 2021-22 academic year, and students returned to campus, the OCCE reimagined and modified programs to keep students and the community both safe and engaged. Staying true to its mission of Pro Humanitate, the Office engaged community partners, faculty, staff and students to create meaningful social change during a year like no other.
COMMUNITY IMPACT As the effects of COVID-19 rippled around the world, Wake Forest students and members of the Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition focused on making a difference in Winston-Salem. • As one of the AmeriCorps*VISTA members with Forsyth Promise, Victoria Latham (‘20), organized and managed an outdoor open house at Kimberley Park Elementary - a Title I school and member of the Inspire340 network - where students and families struggling with remote learning could come and speak to teachers, get help with technology, and connect to one another. The event also included free backpacks, school supplies for all of the teachers, free produce from HOPE of Winston Salem, and information about community resources for the 100 families in attendance. • Forsyth Promise AmeriCorps*VISTA members Sunny Calhoun (‘20) and Victoria Latham (‘20) supported the CARES Teams at four Title I schools by creating guides and processes to respond to low-income students and their families’ needs during the pandemic. The guides have proven to be a valuable resource for both the CARES Teams and other groups seeking to support students and their families in poverty.
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• Sierra DeVeaux (‘22), a 2020 Summer Associate in the Winston From Home internship program with the WinstonSalem Urban League, helped place more than 100 low-tomoderate income high school students in jobs last summer, even in the midst of a pandemic. • In her role as a Winston From Home Summer Associate for the United Way of Forsyth County, Bam Purcell (‘22), worked alongside the Housing Matters Coalition to launch and manage a virtual community resource center for individuals without consistent housing as the pandemic lengthened. • Through her time as a Winston From Home Summer Associate with the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, Savarni Sanka (‘21) produced a white paper outlining state-wide responses to COVID-19 and funding needs, which has been used to shape the Trust’s funding priorities, particularly in relation to rural health outcomes and health disparities.
BY THE NUMBERS • Since last March, the OCCE has engaged 1,659 unique Wake Forest students in completely virtual programming, not taking into account hybrid events that were both virtual and mask-to-mask in the 2020-21 academic year. • In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the OCCE launched 15 new programs, providing skill- and community-building opportunities for Wake Forest students, and resources for the greater Winston-Salem community.
MARCH 11, 2020
All in-person classes, both in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, suspended until further notice. Campus Kitchen suspends operations.
• From February 9, 2021 through March 30, 2021 the Campus Kitchen at Wake Forest provided the Tuesday meal for the 55 residents at City With Dwellings’ Winter Shelter, preparing a total of 440 individual meals in addition to its daily operations. • Participants logged 7,993 miles - equivalent to a direct flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Johannesburg’s Tambo International Airport - during this year’s Hit The Bricks. • Students helped preserve the experience of Winston-Salem residents during the pandemic with the six-episode podcast, “Behind The Face Mask: Stories of COVID-19.” Over 23 hours of interviews were recorded from 50 different community members.
MARCH 2020
• Since it first began in March 2020, participants in the Social Justice Book Club have collectively read 125,928 pages focused on anti-racism, organizing strategy, the climate crisis, and the power of anger in movement work. • Students in the Summer Research Collaborative - which focused on the impact of COVID-19 in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County - interviewed or surveyed over 200 community members for Wake Forest sponsored research projects. • Together, 63 students located in 21 different states provided 12,960 hours of service to 40 different community partners as full-time Summer Associates and part-time interns through the 2020 Winston From Home virtual internship program.
MARCH 15, 2020
Governor Roy Cooper announces all K-12 public schools in North Carolina will close for an undetermined time. WFU implements distanceworking arrangements.
• The first large-scale event to go completely virtual in 2020, Wake ‘N Shake engaged 1,034 dancers from across the country in a virtual, 12-hour dance marathon, raising $383,550.29 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.
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MARCH 18, 2020
The OCCE launches its Virtual Tutoring program with an interest form for WSFCS K-12 parents and guardians on Facebook, receiving 648 responses.
JUNE 15, 2020
APRIL 15, 2020
The Social Justice Book Club - consisting of students, faculty, and staff - meets for the first time to discuss “Emergent Strategy” by Adrienne Maree Brown.
IMPACT Since launching, the program has engaged 470 local school children and 496 WFU students, providing 7,744 hours of tutoring.
APRIL 11, 2020
Wake ‘N Shake takes place virtually, raising $383,550.29 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.
First day of the Winston From Home Virtual Internship program, placing 28 students in full-time and 35 students in part-time internships with 40 Winston-Salem community partners.
AUGUST 31, 2020 Campus Kitchen reopens, resumes operations.
AUGUST 6, 2020
The OCCE celebrates one year of operation.
IMPACT The 28 full-time WFU student interns contributed $309,230.00 of economic value to the WinstonSalem community.
JUNE 9, 2020
IMPACT The OCCE created 59 videos, for 303 minutes of content, that were viewed 19,343 times across both platforms.
MARCH 30, 2020
Community needs and resources are posted on the OCCE website, providing a list of local resources and opportunities for residents to help the local community.
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In response to the racial justice movements throughout the United States, a catalog of Social Justice resources including articles, books, documentaries and more - is made available on the OCCE’s website and social media platforms.
MAY 1, 2020
APRIL 13, 2020
The OCCE launches virtual programming through its YouTube and Facebook page with child-friendly content including Kids Cooking Coalition Instructional videos, Wake Reads, and STEM@Wake.
In response to student needs, the OCCE begins its Virtual Summer, which includes six new opportunities for WFU students to gain practical experience, no matter their location.
AUGUST 28, 2020
‘Expectations for Community Engagement’ - outlining guidelines for in-person service - is shared with the WFU community.
IMPACT Led by 13 WFU camp counselors, 96 local students participated in one of 8 week-long virtual camps, available at no cost to families.
JULY 6, 2020
Virtual Summer Camps begin for local K-12 children.
MARCH 1, 2021
OCTOBER 15, 2020
SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 A Community Conversation on COVID-19 discusses the impact of COVID-19 in the areas of food and health, education equity and nonprofit funding with various community leaders
After transitioning to prerecorded content last April, Kids Cooking Coalition re-launches with live, virtual programming.
Early voting begins in NC, Deacs Decide celebrates with ‘March to the Polls’, marking the first time students can walk to their one-stop, early polling location at Winston-Salem First Assembly.
IMPACT WFU is named a ‘Voter Friendly Campus’ for the first time after establishing a one-stop polling location within walking distance to campus.
JANUARY 23, 2021
The 12th annual MLK Read-In is held virtually for the safety of 138 children and 96 volunteers.
DECEMBER 14, 2020
The OCCE announces the first-ever recipients of the Youth Engagement Coalition mini-grants.
SEPTEMBER 30 2020 High Skill Volunteer Network launches.
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
Election Day. Deacs Decide offers free-rides to the polls for Wake IMPACT Forest students. Students raised $513,665.29 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund in 2020, surpassing $4,475,500 in total giving since SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 NOVEMBER 17, 2020 1980. Student-produced Campus Kitchen hosts podcast, ‘Behind The TurkeyPalooza, preparing Face Mask: Stories of 200 scratch-made COVID-19’ launches Thanksgiving meals and on Spotify donating 100 bags of OCTOBER 1, 2020 non-perishable goods for Hit The Bricks returns community members in a new, week-long format - marking the first in-person event for the OCCE. Students break a fundraising record, raising $130,115.00 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.
IMPACT Four local chefs taught cooking techniques and introduced new cuisines to 40 children through weekly zoom courses, available at no cost to families.
APRIL 12, 2021
After being canceled in 2020, D.E.S.K. returns to campus to provide 37 desks to local children.
IMPACT Five offices from WFU detailed how nonprofit organizations and community members can utilize University resources.
MARCH 27, 2021
Wake ‘N Shake returns to campus in a reimagined, five-day format after being completely virtual nearly a year prior. Students help raise $191,193.00 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund
JUNE 21, 2021
FEBRUARY 9, 2021
The OCCE hosts the ‘Get Connected to Wake Forest’ webinar.
The Freedom School at Wake Forest re-opens after being canceled the previous summer, welcoming 65 children to the six-week program. 2020-2021 | 15
BRIAN PICCOLO CANCER RESEARCH FUND Established in 1980 by Wake Forest students, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund is a fundraising initiative produced and coordinated by Wake Forest students and the Office of Civic & Community Engagement. For 41 years, WFU has supported cancer treatment and research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical in honor of Piccolo, the Demon Deacon and NFL football star who lost his life to cancer at the age of 26. Students have raised over four million dollars for the fund. Each year, students coordinate several philanthropic events, including Hit The Bricks, Wake ‘N Shake, and Pump Up For Piccolo.
LIFETIME IMPACT
Since the fund began in 1980, Wake Forest students have raised $4,798,910 for the Wake Forest Baptist Health Comprehensive Cancer Center. Funding has supported:
The clinical trial phase of a new drug for pancreatic cancer. Early results have shown an increase in survivorship by months, possibly years. Seed funding for the Hispanic Patient Navigator position, which has proved instrumental in improving patient access to care and increasing clinical trial participation.
New equipment, including a nanoparticle generation and detection device, which has led to increased funding for additional cancer research.
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2020-21 PICCOLO EVENTS Taking into account public health guidelines, student leaders and OCCE staff reimagined events to involve maximum participants while keeping the community safe. Together, 1,356 students participated and raised $323,368.00 for the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
HIT THE BRICKS In a year like no other, Hit The Bricks broke its fundraising record, raising $130,115.00 and surpassing $100,00.00 in annual funds raised for the first time since the event began in 2003. It marked a 56.3% increase in fundraising from 2019 ($83,247.61), a previous record. Due to social distancing requirements, the event – usually a day-long relay race – was held over five days starting on September 28 and ending on October 2. This year,Hit The Bricks included both on-campus and virtual activities. 1,051 members of the Wake Forest community, including students, alumni, faculty, and staff participated, logging 7,933 miles.
PUMP UP FOR PICCOLO Unable to take place in 2020, Pump Up For Piccolo returned to the weight room this April.
WAKE ‘N SHAKE After a virtual event replaced the annual 12-hour dance marathon in 2020, Wake ‘N Shake returned to campus this spring for its 16th year, raising $191,193.00 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.
Led by members of Pi Kappa Alpha, 23 students competed in a weight lifting and agility competition, raising $2,060.00 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. *photo from 2019 Pump Up For Piccolo
Usually a day-long event, Wake ‘N Shake took place over the course of six days from March 22-27. Throughout the week, 739 Wake Forest students participated in a mix of in-person and hybrid events all over campus.
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D E AC S D E C I D E E LE CT IO N 2 0 20 Through virtual and in-person programming, Deacs Decide - a highly collaborative, campus-wide political engagement process - was there to register voters, educate students on the voting process, provide non-partisan information about candidates, and work on Get Out the Vote efforts in advance of the 2020 Election on November 3.
DEACS DECIDE BY THE NUMBERS
387
Wake Forest students registered to vote through Deacs Decide registration drives
46
Different partnerships with campus, local, state, and national organizations
20
Programmatic events held about issues affecting voters in the 2020 election
100%
Voter registration for eligible Demon Deacon student athletes
13,821
Total emails sent to Wake Forest students with voting information and resources
5,438
People voted at the on-campus polling location during one-stop early voting
NOTE: Information regarding college and university aggregate voter registration and turnout rates in national elections will be provided by The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) in November 2021. 18 | 2020-2021
ON CAMPUS POLLING LOCATION For the first-time, Wake Forest established an on-campus polling location during one-stop, early voting. Located at Winston-Salem First Assembly Church, students had a mile or less commute to their one-stop voting location while on campus. Located between Polo Road and University Parkway, it proved to be an accessible location for the greater University and Winston-Salem community as well. In all, 5,438 people voted at the site during the 2020 General Election.
(left) Students participate in March To The Polls (top) A student attends a voter registration event held by Deacs Decide (bottom) Deacs Decide hosts a Debate Watch Party at the Campus Garden for the Vice Presidential Debate
MARCH TO THE POLLS In an effort to expand student voting across campus, Deacs Decide worked with MTV+1tothePolls and created March To The Polls. The effort connected student organizations, their members, and notable campus figures to walk to the oncampus polling location each day of one-stop early voting, where they could register and vote on the same day. On October 22, campus switched to a modified operating status, causing all in-person programming to be canceled, subsequently ending March to the Polls.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION Wake Forest was one of 231 campuses in the country and 14 in North Carolina to be designated a “Voter Friendly Campus” by the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA - Student Affairs Administration. Wake Forest was also recognized as one of “America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting in 2020” by Washington Monthly, joining 157 other campuses across the country and five schools in North Carolina. 2020-2021 | 19
SOCIAL JUSTICE e d u ca t i o n
The Office of Civic & Community Engagement hopes to inspire members of the Wake Forest community to become critical thinkers and advocates for social change and equity through social justice education. Throughout the year, the OCCE hosted 10 different workshops focused on Social Justice Education, engaging 286 members of the Wake Forest community.
SOCIAL JUSTICE BOOK CLUB Members of the Social Justice Book Club gathered virtually every other week in the fall and spring to read and discuss the book. The Group read Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister and All We Can Save by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson, respectively. In all, 25 students participated in the Book Club throughout the year. In the spring, the Book Club joined a campus-wide reading circle with the Women’s Center, Office of Sustainability, Program for Leadership and Character, and the OCCE’s Environmental Justice Knowledge Community for All We Can Save. The campus-wide reading circle connected the Book Club with 50 other readers, all committed to educating themselves about the climate crisis. Of the participants that completed a post-assessment survey, 100% strongly agreed that they thought critically about power, privilege, and positionality at Wake Forest, in their communities, and the world, and encountered a perspective that was different from their own.
BUILDING THE DREAM Each year, members of the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem State University communities are recognized at a joint celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and promote diversity within the community. This year, Deb Marke, Assistant Director of Advocacy and Social Justice Education, was selected for her work with Deacs Decide, the highly collaborative, campus-wide election engagement project. (right) Wake Forest faculty, staff, and students joined Black Lives Matter to advocate for racial justice. Students in the Social Justice Coalition and Social Justice Incubator worked on campus to advance conversations about police violence, abolition, and change. Photo courtesy of Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem.
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WINSTON-SALEM COMMUNITY ACTION COALITION Established five years ago, the Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition (WSCAC) at Wake Forest University has sponsored AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) since the first four members began in 2016-17. Wake Forest now hosts 19 full-time members and 28 summer associates. The 2020-21 Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition is the largest VISTA project in the state of North Carolina, and the largest AmeriCorps project in the Triad. AmeriCorps*VISTA members complete a year of national service in full-time, capacity-building roles with community organizations throughout Winston-Salem. Focused on poverty alleviation, VISTA members work in the areas of education equity, economic empowerment, and health and food justice. This year, members secured over $316,744 in cash resources for their organizations and helped to support or create 137 new community initiatives, programs, or events - all while working remotely through an ongoing global pandemic.
FIVE-YEAR IMPACT Since the Coalition hosted its first cohort in the 2016-17 service year, more than 83 individuals have served as members, either as full-time corps members (36) or short-term Summer Associates (47), and 38 community partners have participated in the project. Their efforts have left an indelible impact in the Winston-Salem community, benefiting local nonprofits and residents.
$1,314,658.00 Value of cash and in-kind resources secured by VISTA members
15,903
Volunteer service hours recruited or managed by VISTA members
6,786
Volunteers recruited or managed by VISTA members
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VISTA MEMBERS RECOGNIZED AT STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL This year, several Americorps*VISTA members from the Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition were recognized for their service to North Carolinia and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community.
CASEY CAPSTICK North Carolina Governor’s Medallion Award Recipient, National Service Member Category In her second year with the WSCAC, Capstick was awarded the prestigious North Carolina Governor’s Medallion Award by the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, which recognizes the top 25 volunteers in the state, for her capacity-building work at ABC of NC.
SUNNY CALHOUN WAKE FOREST STUDENTS & AMERICORPS For the past two years, Wake Forest students have joined the Winston-Salem Community Action Coalition through the AmeriCorps*VISTA Summer Associates Program. Students have been able to participate through the OCCE’s Summer Nonprofit Immersion Program, where they serve as full-time interns with local nonprofits. They also serve as teachers in the Wake Forest Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School, where they support children in a six-week literacy program. In 2021, 28 students are serving as Summer Associates - 18 as full-time interns with the Summer Nonprofit Immersion Program and 10 as Servant Leader Interns with Freedom School.
Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, National Service Recognized for her work with The Forsyth Promise, Calhoun helped connect parents to community services and students to remote learning centers where they had access to the internet and additional tutoring support.
ANNIE FULLWOOD
Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, Environment Responsible for the environmental education programs at the Piedmont Environmental Alliance, Fullwood not only introduced under-served classrooms to conservation and environmentally related topics, but also shifted the curriculum to work within a virtual framework. Throughout the spring, she presented more than 21 webinars to over 2,500 students in 18 Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools.
VICTORIA LATHAM Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, Marginalized Populations Working with the Forsyth Promise, Latham increased both family and volunteer engagement with a local Title I school, engaging parents, new volunteers, and local businesses to each other, the school and historically marginalized students.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGED scholarship COMMUNITY -ENGAGED TEACHING AT WAKE FOREST The ACE Fellows program promotes and sustains community-engaged teaching, research, and scholarship for Wake Forest faculty. During the two-year program, Fellows develop community-based projects congruent with their research, scholarship, and/or teaching interests. The 2019-2021 Mellon ACE Fellows cohort included five different faculty members. The initiative was made possible through funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Wake Forest was awarded $850,000 to expand its community-based partnerships through engaged teaching and research in the humanities with “The Humanities Engaged: Generating Learning, Remaking Community” in 2018.
2019-21 MELLON ACE FELLOWS • Meredith Farmer (Assistant Teaching Professor of Core Literature and Faculty Affiliate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability), created the “Hidden Town: A Virtual Exhibit” in partnership with the Old Salem Museum & Garden’s Hidden Town Project, an initiative to research the history of enslaved Africans and African Americans who lived in Old Salem. Students enrolled in her ‘Slave Narratives, Global and Local’ English 175 courses assisted with the project. • Seth Hayden (Associate Professor of Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Program Coordinator), provided career support to military members and veterans through virtual programs and a Community Career Clinic for residents of Winston-Salem. • Raisur Rahman (Associate Professor, History, Co-Director, Middle East and South Asia Studies), connected students enrolled in his “India and the Global Economy” course with individuals from the global and local community, as they explored issues of social mobility and economic development on a specific topic. • John Senior (Assistant Dean of Vocational Formation and Director of the Art of Ministry program), focused on training Wake Forest divinity students in public poetry. • Ivan Weiss (Assistant Professor of Practice, Journalism), developed Journalism 375 - Environmental Reporting, a project-based course that examined residents of the Boston Thurmond community in conjunction with the built environment, while teaching students about community-engaged media. 24 | 2020-2021
(left) Dr. Raisur Rahman leads a group of Wake Forest students in discussion during his Asian history class. Photo taken prior to the 2020-21 academic year. (right) Students from Dr. Ivan Weiss’ Environmental Reporting class take a neighborhood walk through Boston Thurmond with David West, pictured left, a Boston Thurmond resident and member of the Boston Thurmond Community Engagement Roundtable, who Weiss worked with to help develop the course.
DASH CORPS STUDENTS ASSIST LOCAL PARTNERS
SIX SENIORS CELEBRATED AS CIVIC SCHOLARS
Through the year-long program, 23 Dash Corps students worked alongside 3 community partners to find solutions to address a community need, all while learning about nonprofit management.
For three years, the Civic Scholars program has recognized, connected and developed civic-minded students who have made a significant commitment to community engagement.
Projects included generating marketing materials for Community Design Studio’s Leadership by Design Summer Camp; producing and executing promotional videos for HandsOn NWNC’s Service Enterprise Program; and creating a volunteer recruitment plan for Forsyth County Young Leaders.
Throughout their time at Wake Forest, Civic Scholars participate in workshops while completing work across three key areas: academics, direct service, and leadership development. Leaders both on campus and in the community, Civic Scholars are connected to a variety of causes and organizations.
2021 CIVIC SCHOLARS • Erin Anderson, B.A., Economics • Caitlin Graham, B.A., Sociology • Maggie Kuhn, B.A., Sociology and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies • Grace MacNeil, B.A., Psychology and Spanish • Jenna Mayer, B.A., Politics & International Affairs and Elementary Education • Mutong Zhou, B.A. Psychology, B.S., Accountancy 2020-2021 | 25
COMMUNITY OUTREACH Through unique partnerships with Wake Forest faculty, staff, and students, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement supports community engagement for all members of the University community.
WAKE FOREST FACULTY, DEPARTMENTS CONDUCT COMMUNITY CLINICS Through collaboration with Wake Forest faculty and staff, the University was able to provide various virtual clinics in the Winston-Salem community. • The Community Writing Program, launched with the WFU Writing Center in 2020, promotes writing for advocacy through workshops that are co-sponsored by community partners. In October, the program co-hosted a “Writing for Education Advocacy” workshop with Action4Equity where 30 residents gathered over Zoom and learned strategies for effective persuasive writing and workshopped their own writing projects. • Launched in 2020, the Community Career Clinic, led by Dr. Seth Hayden and supported by AmeriCorps*VISTA member Marquita Wisley, connects low-income residents with 1:1 career coaching resources. Though the pandemic slowed progress towards in-person workshops, Hayden and Wisley conducted a community needs assessment to inform the structure of the Clinic. In-person workshops and 1:1 coaching sessions will resume in the Fall of 2021. • The OCCE is proud to support the continued growth of community-facing resources for public speaking through the Department of Communication’s Wake Speaks public speaking center. Program director, Dr. Rowie Kirby Straker, works with nonprofit partners to build out volunteer speaker’s bureaus and hosts a Community Speech Night each semester that brings together WFU students and community members. This year, participants gathered via Zoom to listen and share motivational stories of change. 26 | 2020-2021
WAKE FOREST FACULTY, STAFF RECOGNIZED BY CAMPUS COMPACT During its annual conference in February, the North Carolina Campus Compact recognized Marianne Magjuka, Ed.D., Assistant Dean and Executive Director of the Office of Civic & Community Engagement, as the 2021 Civic Engagement Professional of the Year. Steve Virgil, J.D., Executive Director of Experiential Education and Clinical Professor of Law, was named the 2021 Engaged Faculty Award. The recognition marked the first time that one institution has claimed both awards in the same year.
HIGH SKILL VOLUNTEER NETWORK LAUNCHES In the fall of 2020, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement launched the High Skill Volunteer Network in partnership with HandsOn Northwest North Carolina. Established to utilize the personal and professional expertise of Wake Forest faculty, staff, and professional school students, volunteers work alongside community organizations to build and sustain capacity as they achieve their mission. In its pilot year, 48 Wake Forest community members joined
the network and 24 projects were proposed by 19 different community organizations. Partner needs ranged from building an easily manageable website, writing grants, and designing and creating a meditation garden. Currently, 50% of projects have been matched with volunteers in the network, and an additional project was paired with a student for a for-credit internship. 2020-2021 | 27
COMMUNITY PARTNERS a/perture ABC of NC Achievers - YMCA Of Northwest North Carolina Action4Equity AlphaBEST Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation (AARF) Annie’s Hope Center for Growing and Healing Anthony’s Plot Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community Ardmore Gateway Garden Ashley Elementary School Atkins High School Authoring Action Azalea Terrace Belview Park Bethesda Center for the Homeless Big Brothers Big Sisters Services, Inc. Black Achievers YMCA Bookmarks Boston Thurmond Community Network Brookridge Retirement Community Brunson Elementary School Carter G. Woodson School Carver High School City of Winston-Salem City with Dwellings Cobblestone Farmers Market Community Care Center Cook Literacy Model School Crisis Control Ministry Crosby Scholars Crossnore Children’s Home DEAC Clinic Delicious by Shereen Democracy NC Diggs Latham Elementary School Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem Dress For Success
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East Forsyth High School Experiment in Self Reliance Faith Health NC Family Services Forsyth Backpack Program Forsyth County 4-H, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Forsyth County Department of Public Health Forsyth County District Attorney’s Office Forsyth County Public Library Forsyth County Young Leaders Program Forsyth Humane Society Forsyth Promise Forsyth Technical Community College Gateway Nature Preserve Gibson Elementary School Goler Community Development Corporation Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. Group Homes of Forsyth H.O.P.E. Dealers Outreach H.O.P.E. of Winston-Salem Habitat for Humanity HandsOn NWNC Harvest Table Culinary Group at Wake Forest University Hispanic League Holiday Retirement Home Hoops4LYFE Humane Solution Ibraham Elementary School IFB Solutions Imagine Forsyth Imprints Cares Insight Human Services Institute for Dismantling Racism Junior Achievement of the Triad Kaleideum Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust Ken Carlson Boys & Girls Club
Kimberley Park Elementary School Kimmel Farm Elementary School Latino Achievers YMCA Latino Community Services LEAD Girls of North Carolina Legal Aid of North Carolina Love Community Development Corporation, Inc. Love Out Loud Mt. Tabor High School MUSE Winston-Salem National Multiple Sclerosis Society NC Diaper Bank Neighbors for Better Neighborhoods Net Impact Triad New Communion Mobile Food Pantry Northwest Middle School Novant Health Old Town Elementary School Operation Smile Paisley IB Magnet School Parkland High School Partnership for Prosperity Piedmont Environmental Alliance Polo Park Recreation Center Positive Image Performing Arts Positive Wellness Alliance Project Re Entry Reagan High School Reynolda Gardens Riverwood Therapeutic Riding Center Ronald McDonald House Salem College Salem Terrace Assisted Living/ Dementia Care Salemtowne Retirement Community Salvation Army Samaritan Ministries Second Harvest Food Bank SECU House Senior Services SHARE Cooperative Shepherds Center
SPARK Sticht Center For Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention Sungold Farm The Centers for Exceptional Children The Feelings Company The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) The Parenting PATH The Potter’s House FRC The Shalom Project TURN Tutoring, Inc Twin City Harm Reduction Collective United Health Center United Way of Forsyth County Unity Wellness Center of Winston- Salem University of North Carolina Greensboro University of North Carolina School of the Arts Urban Steam Virtual & in-Person (ViP) Tutoring Wake Forest Baptist Health Volunteer Services Wake Forest Medical Center Office of Cancer Health Equity West Forsyth High School Winston-Salem Foundation Winston-Salem Jaycees Winston-Salem Opportunity Project Winston-Salem Police Department Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy Winston-Salem Rescue Mission Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem Urban League Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools World Relief Yadkin River Keeper YWCA YWCA Best Choice Center
communityengagement.wfu.edu