KyCC Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Heather Pruss, Asst. Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, Bellarmine University
“The urgency of ensuring we prioritize community needs in this process cannot be understated.” Dr. Heather Pruss teaches in the discipline of criminal justice – she and her students study systems built to marginalize and dehumanize people. In this disciplinary context, experiential learning has the potential to disrupt that. It requires a critical lens and real intentionality but can positively impact the community members and students. The service-learning engagement has encouraged her to reach out, develop, and maintain relationships with community partners she may not have otherwise. Too often, academic training teaches that practitioners and scholars operate in two different…
Campus Compact Announces 2021 Cohort of Newman Civic Fellows
BOSTON, Mass. – March 1, 2021 – Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has announced the students who will make up the organization’s 2021 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. The 2021 cohort comprises 212 students from 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico. The 2021-2022 cohort of Fellows includes students from three institutions across Kentucky. Kentucky Campus Compact is excited to congratulate the following students who have been named Newman Civic Fellows public problem solvers: Marcus Stubbs- Bellarmine University Autumn Harvey- Berea College Ashley Smith- Lindsey Wilson College The Newman Civic Fellowship…
VISTA Spotlight: Jennifer Toyo
Meet Jennifer Toyo Jennifer Toyo serves at Northern Kentucky University as the VISTA Coordinator for NKU R.O.C.K.S. (Responsibility, Opportunity, Community, Knowledge, and Success). NKU R.O.C.K.S. is a retention and mentoring program designed by the NKU African American Student Initiatives (AASI) that helps ease the transition of African American freshmen students from high school to college. The program focuses on connecting students to resources for success and community during their first year by pairing them with mentors and faculty/staff on campus. The program hopes to aid the students and encourage them to finish their degrees. Each year, NKU R.O.C.K.S. holds a…
January 2021: Message from the Executive Director
Home of the Brave One year ago, we had no idea what was ahead of us and what challenges we would face individually and as a country. An unpredictable virus that infiltrated our communities, took the lives of loved ones, and forced us to change how we gather, educate our children, conduct business, and celebrate holidays. Unthinkable violence toward people of color that shook us into realizing that we can no longer turn a blind eye to the deep disparities in our country if we really believe that this is a country for all. A violent mob attack, fueled by…
AmeriCorps Recognizes Five Kentucky Institutions as Schools of National Service
AmeriCorps has recognized five Kentucky institutions as Schools of National Service; Asbury University, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Lindsey Wilson College, Madisonville Community College, and Union College. This title benefits both institutions and the AmeriCorps alumni. Schools of National Service recognize AmeriCorps alumni who are a valuable asset to the academic community. It is a way to reward the AmeriCorps members by providing educational benefits to students who choose to serve. It is also a way for the institutions to host individuals that want to be role models on their campus and in their community, making a win-win program. “The AmeriCorps Schools…
November 2020: KY College Coach Spotlight
Meet Angela Duncan, Ph.D., or “Dr. D.” as students call her. Angela Duncan, Ph.D., or “Dr. D,” as students call her, is the Kentucky College Coach at Southern High School in Louisville, KY. Southern has a population of about 1,300 students, the majority of whom are students of color, economically disadvantaged, or in some cases both. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has been operating virtually for the 2020-2021 academic year. As you can imagine, this has made it challenging for all involved. Having worked in the college and career advocacy arena for the past 17…
November 2020: VISTA Spotlight
Meet Avery Crews. She serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the organization, Age-Friendly Louisville. This photo was taken from a service partnership with the Cutambi Indigenous Community in Otavalo, Ecuador ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Avery Crews works with the nonprofit Age-Friendly Louisville (AFL), a part of the worldwide age-friendly initiative run by the World Health Organization. AFL is under the guidance of the United States lead, AARP Livable Communities. The goal of AFL is to ensure accessibility, equity, and inclusivity throughout Louisville for individuals of all ages. This organization works specifically in four domains that were determined by the community as the most…
KyCC Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Andrea Woodward, Associate Professor of Social Sciences and current Service-Learning Faculty Fellow.
“Service-learning is relevant, helpful, and it keeps everyone in tune with what is happening,” Service-learning is an educational approach that incorporates community service with the learning objectives to meet societal needs in the community. “If you are teaching something that has direct relevance to a community that could use help, then why not tie it into the learning?” Dr. Andrea Woodward, Associate Professor of Social Sciences and current Service-Learning Faculty Fellow at Berea College said. Throughout her career of teaching, scholarship, and service, Woodward has incorporated service-learning into her classes so students can relate what they are studying to what…