Community-Based Learning

ANNUAL REPORT / SPRING 2009

Dedicated to supporting community CBL by the Numbers engagement through ♦ 2008-09 Community-Based Learning Courses at College: 17 ♦ Departments and Programs Offering CBL Courses: 10 collaborative ♦ Students Enrolling in 2008-09 CBL Courses: 345 learning, ♦ CBL Student Staff Serving as Fellows, Mentors and Corps Members: 33 ♦ CBL Community Fellows Learning/Service Hours to Area Community Organizations: 1,350 research, and ♦ Holyoke Corps Service Hours Supporting Educational Achievement and College Awareness: 4,523 service. ♦ CBL Mentors Service Hours to Mount Holyoke CBL Courses and Partners: 593 ♦ Community-Based Organization (CBO) Partners Supporting Courses and Fellows: 27 ♦ Community Panel Speakers Participating in the “Engaging The ” Series: 26 ♦ Students enrolled in new CBL program course offerings 2009: 32 ♦ MHC Students attending Fall and Spring “Holyoke Bound” Community Orientations: 42 2008-09 CBL Program Highlights Alan Bloomgarden CBL Coordinator ♦ [email protected] CBL received $40,200 as one of the first grants from Governor 119 Porter Hall Deval Patrick to lead a “Commonwealth Corps” partnership with UMass Am- 538-3072 herst, Holyoke Community College, Engaging Latino Communities for Educa- tion (ENLACE) and the Holyoke Public Schools. 12 “Holyoke Corps” members Jennifer Roberts provided over 4,000 hours of tutoring, mentoring and college awareness programming among Holy- Administrative Assistant oke middle-school youth, and attracted a visit from Governor Patrick in February, 2009. [email protected] 122 Porter Hall ♦ The CBL Program facilitated the launch of four new courses to enhance the preparation, orientation 538-3428 and leadership development of Mount Holyoke community-based learners. Most prominent among these was the new “Engaging the Pioneer Valley” course and panel series, which combined academic study of the roles and functions of nonprofit organizations, examination of the theory and practice of CBL and campus-community engagement via case studies and research, and 6 lively panel discussions with 26 of the region’s top non-profit executives. 15 students completed the course and will be excep- tionally prepared for CBL fellowship and leadership positions next year: more than three dozen mem- bers of the MHC community attended public panel sessions and dinners.

♦ An end-of-year/Cinco de Mayo celebration sponsored by the CBL Program attracted over 100 students and faculty on May 5, 2009 in Pratt Hall. Two dozen CBL course students and fellows displayed post- ers and multi-media presentations describing their community-based course, independent study/research, and volunteer projects and partnerships.

♦ CBL collaborated with CAUSE, the CDC, the SAW program, the “Nexus” in Sustainable Develop- ment, the Department of Spanish, The Center for the Environment, The Department of Psychology The Harriet L. and and Education to create collaborative campus-community projects that enhanced the college’s commu- Paul M. Weissman nity relations. Center for Leadership and ♦ CBL expanded collaborations with the Holyoke Public Schools and has begun to build synergy among the Liberal Arts youth-serving programming in school-based and after-school/community-based programming, while continuing CBL’s longstanding commitment to improving mutuality and reciprocity with CBOs in Holyoke, South Hadley, Springfield, Northampton, and Amherst. From the CBL Coordinator

At the close of my first year as CBL program coordinator, members and organizations generously give I remain filled with excitement and awe regarding the time and expertise to facilitate the learning of health and vitality of the program. Opportunities for our students, and it is my sincere hope they and productive community e