Williams 2016-2017 Chronicle of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement CLiA for in Center Learning Action Connecting Curriculum and Campus to Community WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The Center for Learning in Action (CLiA) cultivates and sustains experiential learning ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ opportunities, curricular and extracurricular, in the service of the teaching goals of our faculty, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the civic aspirations of our students, and the needs of the wider community. The Center’s ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ programming and pilot projects include fieldwork courses, volunteer and paid work ​ ​ ​ ​ opportunities, summer internships and research fellowships. We also support the work of many of campus entities. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Our team of two full-time staff, nine part-time staff and four contractors takes a collaborative and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ continuous learning approach, working with a wide range of community organizations, student groups, and campus partners to provide students opportunities to help address pressing civic problems.CENTER FOR LEARNING IN ACTION STAFF AND CONTRACTORS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Paula Consolini, Ph.D. Tracy Baker-White, MIS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Director Williamstown Elementary School ​ ​ ​ ​ Coordinator, Science ​ ​ Colin Ovitsky, BA ​ ​ ​ ​ Administrative Coordinator Geraldine Shen, MA ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Williamstown Elementary School ​ ​ ​ ​ Jennifer Swoap, BS Coordinator, Classroom Support ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Assistant Director, Elementary Education and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Director of Elementary Outreach Lindley Wells, BS ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Education Outreach Consultant for Williams ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Kaatje White, BA Elementary Outreach ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Assistant Director, Local High School ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Education and Director, Williams Center at Jessica S. Dils, MFA ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Mount Greylock Williams Fellows Program Coordinator for ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the Williams Center at Mount Greylock ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Anne Valk, Ph.D. ​ ​ ​ ​ Associate Director for Public Humanities & Cecilia Hirsch, MFA ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Lecturer in History Adventures in Learning Co-Coordinator ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Sharif Rosen, BA Melody Blass Fisher, Ph.D. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Assistant Director, Community Engagement & Adventures in Learning Co-Coordinator ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Muslim Chaplain ​ ​ Renee Schiek, BS ​ ​ ​ ​ Tracy Finnegan, MA, MAT Lanesborough Elementary School ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Assistant Director, Poverty, Food Insecurity & Coordinator ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ At-Risk Education ​ ​ Molly Polk, MA ​ ​ ​ ​ North Adams Coordinator for Williams ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Elementary Outreach ​ ​ Cover Design Credit: ​ ​ ​ ​ Shanti Hossain ’19 ​ ​ ​ ​ NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “I never knew there were urban problems in the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Berkshires until I took Planning my senior year “ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ … ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ -- message from an Environmental Planning Workshop course alum to instructor Sarah Gardner ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The student who shared this revelation is not alone. Others have told us that they had expected ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ to leave behind the community work they did before Williams. Even some who have been here ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ for a few years have the impression that the area is a social and economic backwater. In fact, we ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ have many of the same social and economic challenges you will find anywhere in the country. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ But we also have many energetic people and organizations trying out creative solutions to new and persistent problems. And they welcome our students as partners in their multifaceted work. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Berkshire County has a high density of non-profit organizations[1] and many, though small and ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ lean, run innovative programming. Some run nationally recognized programs for at-risk youth: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ Barrington Stage Company’s award-winning Playwright Mentoring Project and Berkshire ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Children and Families’ “Kids for Harmony” music training program, to name just two. Others, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ including food pantries, economic development enterprises and business incubators, welcome Williams students to work with them and to conduct research on their efforts. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Our public schools are leading change, too. The nearby North Adams Public School District is our ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ partner in a four year National Science Foundation-funded hands-on science education project, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ called Teach to Learn (led by the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts). The Pittsfield Public ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ School District is piloting a Restorative Justice Initiative and is the only Massachusetts school ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ district to retain a state-certified Director of Cultural Proficiency to address the challenges of racial and cultural diversity in the city. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ At the Center for Learning in Action, we help students learn from working with these and many ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ other committed community partners. There’s so much to share in this annual report that it ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ takes us more than 100 pages to do it![2] We begin with some in-depth stories in our new ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ “Spotlight” section. The rest of this document describes programs, student groups, and relevant community organizations, and lists all participants. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ In view of everything noted above, it should come as no surprise that experiential education at ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Williams is growing. Faculty have stepped up, offering more courses involving experiential ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ learning in 2016-17 and they plan to offer even more in 2017-18. More student groups are engaging in community work, and new groups are organizing to do more of it. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ In 2016-17, our dedicated CLiA staff supported (and in some cases, helped teach) 17 of the 89 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ courses involving experiential learning. These talented people also directed 24 of the 48 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ extracurricular engagement programs and projects available to students during the same year. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We also supported 22 of the community engagement efforts (small and large scale) offered by student organizations and other offices. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ By a conservative count, over 850 students reached beyond the Purple Bubble this past year. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Faculty and staff guided students in fieldwork courses, programs and extracurricular projects ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ nearby, across the country, and around the globe. Students designed and led their peers in wide-ranging​ ​ ​ ​ projects​ ​ and service​ ​work such as​ ​the semi-annual​ ​ ​ ​ Great​ ​ Day(s)​ ​ of​ Service​ ​ ​ organized by Lehman Community Engagement, “Break Out Trips” (BOTs) spring break service ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ trips, the Williams Recovery of All Perishable Surplus (WRAPS) program, refugee advocacy work ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ by the new student group, No Lost Generation and the expanded food insecurity alleviation efforts of the Campus Kitchen Project at Williams. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ A look at the list of campus allies and partners (page 4-1) shows that civic engagement work is ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ expanding across campus as well. In 2016-17, over 20 offices and departments either ran or ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ supported community engagement work of some kind. Notable among these, the Music ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Department’s support of Ephs Out Loud’s music education community outreach work, the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ monthly “Take and Eat”