Monthly news from the Solution Center
Building university-community partnerships at IUPUI.
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IUPUI Students Attend Campus Kitchen Boot Camp in D.C.
Kelli Cantrell, an IUPUI student, helps prepare an inter-generational meal for the Guy Mason Recreation Center in Washington D.C.

According to a study by Indy Hunger, 1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger and food insecurity. Of some 50 million people waiting in agony for their next meal, 313,880 are located in just southeast and central Indiana alone. Even more shocking, 263 million pounds of food are wasted each day in the United States, enough to feed the hungry 50 million. Faculty member, Nancy Barton, recognized that this data was more than just a collection of numbers on a sheet of paper. Rather, these numbers reflected a crisis in our own community that had potential to be solved through the lives of students on the IUPUI campus.

 

There are 33 high school and collegiate campuses in the country who work with the non-profit, Campus Kitchen. The Campus Kitchen's mission is to fight world hunger by utilizing their own backyard: the college campus. Student volunteers on each campus plan menus, run cooking shifts, garden, and teach nutrition education - all in order to serve the hunger fighting community.

 

Supervised by the IUPUI Office of Sustainability and Professor Nancy Barton, Lecturer for the Department of Kinesiology, IUPUI students, Logan Bogard, a senior in the school of Engineering and Technology, and Kelli Cantrell, a senior in the school of Liberal Arts, attended the Campus Kitchen annual Boot Camp in Washington D.C. at the beginning of August. At the camp, Bogard and Cantrell became equipped with the skills necessary to begin and run a Campus Kitchen at IUPUI.

 

Logan Bogard prepares a recycled meal at the CK boot camp.

The IUPUI Solution Center provided a portion of the funds necessary to attend the Campus Kitchen Boot Camp. "The Solution Center Venture Funding has been essential in taking this project to the next step.  Now we are getting students engaged in training for the implementation of the Campus Kitchen at IUPUI. This support reveals the validation of the IUPUI campus with this project." says project supervisor, Barton.

 

Bogard and Cantrell joined 35 other leaders from 19 campuses for three days of intensive training in: food sustainability, food safety paperwork, food recovery, food resourcing, and food serving. On their first day alone, the students carried freshly prepared inter-generational meals over to the Guy Mason Recreation Center in D.C.

 

"I learned a lot about asset-based development. It is important to look at what you already have in place and use existing things that are not being used to their full capacity instead of building new things. This is how CKP (Campus Kitchens Project) works. I am going to be able to apply what I have learned to the Urban Gardens we already have on campus and expand that to include the Campus Kitchen we are going to establish this year at IUPUI." says Bogard.

 

Once finalized, the Campus Kitchen will be located in the University Tower and will provide service opportunities for the freshman living in the dorms and on campus as well as a solution for the hunger struggling community and campus in Indianapolis. For more information on how to get involved with the IUPUI Campus Kitchen Initiative contact Deborah Ferguson from the IUPUI Office of Sustainability: defergus@iupui.edu 

 

See Campus Kitchen participant Kelli Cantrell in the third row, far left; Logan Bogard laying down in the front row.

Jameson Camp
The Oaks Academy   
SC Partner Profile: Jameson Camp
"Get outside and grow inside." The motto of Jameson camp serves to illustrate the inspiration they provide in encouraging students to recognize their strengths while in the wilderness. Planted on roughly 100 acres of woods on the west side of Indianapolis, Jameson Camp serves hundreds of youth each year during their summer camp and yearly leadership program. This summer, the IUPUI Solution Center provided Jameson Camp with Venture Fund support that allowed them to hire an intern. Cassandra Tice, Development Manager for Jameson Camp, commented on the opportunity: "The Venture Fund provided Jameson Camp the opportunity to hire a highly qualified IUPUI Graduate Student to serve as our summer development intern. Over the summer our talented intern, Catie Jackson, completed prospect research, wrote grant reports and proposals, interviewed summer campers, photographed activities, and created marketing and fundraising materials.Learn More 
Intern Success: The Oaks Academy

IUPUI student, Faren Jones, received a Venture Fund supported internship Spring & Summer 2013 at The Oaks Academy, a private elementary school dedicated to the success and spiritual growth of their students. At the academy, Faren was responsible for gift processing, sending acknowledgement letters, board & gift reporting, blogging, and event planning. "My time at The Oaks Academy was a time of personal and professional development.  I learned about the history of The Oaks and all that it seeks to accomplish, its community partnerships, and the population it intentionally serves." In addition to a successful growth in her field, Faren acknowledges, as a student, her internship would not have been possible without match funding from the IUPUI Solution Center. "I would not have been able to afford school and other living expenses without having a paid internship.  It opened up an opportunity for me to apply hands-on what I've been learning in my courses and still pay bills."  

Learn More 

Simple Solutions for our Partners: 6 Steps to Finding Your "Super Intern"
Image courtesy of: SuperInterns.com

We have all heard the story of the intern who made the boss's workday harder instead of easier. To avoid this, the IUPUI Solution Center suggests searching for a "Super Intern"- one who goes above and beyond your expectations. We put together a few quick tips to aid you in the process:  

  1. Hire an intern you could envision as a future full-time employee.  
  2. Check candidates' Social Media accounts - keep brand management in mind.
  3. Post on University outlets such as IUPUITalent.net, contact the Solution Center and email the school you are hiring out of (e.g. School of Journalism).
  4. Ask challenging interview questions - not only will this benefit you but it will also give great real-world experience to the students you speak with.
  5. Write a meaningful position description, just like you would for a full-time position, and structure your internship around tasks that will build your intern's resume.  
  6. Pay your intern! A paid internship sends the message that this position is important and valued by your organization, and that you are seeking someone who is ready to be a paid professional. Plus many college students cannot afford an unpaid experience. Don't miss out on meeting these candidates! 
Welcome to our new Staff Member, Chrissy Colgrove!

This month we are excited to welcome a new member to our team! Chrissy Colgrove is the Communication Intern at the IUPUI Solution Center. She coordinates the center's internal and external communication and reporting efforts- keeping up with our social media accounts, orchestrating our monthly newsletter, distributing press releases, and aiding in event planning. A Junior at IUPUI, Chrissy studies Public Relations Journalism and Business. She is currently a member of the IUPUI Speech & Debate team and recently has completed internships with Jada Beauty in Carmel, Ind., and Bitner PR in Orlando, Fla.

Congratulations recent Community Venture Fund recipients!
Small businesses, nonprofits and government agencies are invited to apply for matching grants through the Solution Center's Community Venture Fund. These grants support community-based internship programs, research projects and short-term business assistance efforts. In August 2013, the following organizations received a total of $17,248 in Venture Fund awards:
Please pass along these Venture Funded internship openings!
The following opportunities are available to currently enrolled IUPUI students in good standing through a partnership with the employers and the IUPUI Solution Center. These paid internships are partially supported by the IUPUI Community Venture Fund. IUPUI students can look for these opportunities on their affiliated school's career services website or JagJobs (www.jagjobs.org).
Don't miss these upcoming university & community events!
IUPUI Regatta: Sept. 21
Established in 2009, the IUPUI Regatta has quickly become a signature event for the IUPUI campus. The Regatta consists of a half mile canoe relay on the Indianapolis Canal. Entries are open to students, faculty, and alumni. The purpose of the event is to create a high-energy campus tradition, while benefiting an IUPUI student scholarship. Learn more
Open Streets Indy: Sept. 29
Nearly 2 miles of Westfield Boulevard will be open to people - walking, biking, dancing, playing and socializing - and closed to car traffic on Sunday, September 29th, from Noon - 5 p.m. This free, family-friendly event will transform the street into a safe, fun, park-like space, filled with activities focused on health and wellness. Learn More

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