Volume III | November 2020
“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” — Audre Lorde
Message from the Associate Director
Hello! 

This edition gives a glimpse of some of the work behind the scenes this semester. We have been trying to figure out how to safely continue our work at the campus and in the communities around UConn. While COVID-19 has definitely created some challenges, it has also opened the door to a number of virtual possibilities for our staff, student leaders and community partners. We also have the pleasure to put in the Alumni Spotlight our previous Associate Director and friend- Gina DeVivo Brassaw.  

Be safe!

Miguel A. Colón, Associate Director of Community Outreach
Alumni Spotlight
Gina DeVivo Brassaw
Former Associate Director

"I find that we have an opportunity every day when our feet hit the floor to see ourselves as active change makers."

After graduating from UConn's School of Social work with a Master's of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing, Gina worked as an organizer for healthcare access in the state. Gina saw an opportunity to work with students at UConn and thought it would be a great space to work with other motivated individuals who wanted to make positive change in the community. Gina worked in Community Outreach from 2004 to 2019 and held three different positions during these 14 years. During her time at CO, Gina learned what it meant to serve, the importance of learning, and how to lead and to not be afraid of change, taking lessons from CO's 'SERVE LEARN LEAD CHANGE' slogan.

Currently, Gina is a Program Coordinator with UConn's School of Social Work. In this position, she works with graduate students and community agencies that focus their work on community organizing and policy. She also supports staff and faculty in the development of field experience for social work students. Similar to Community Outreach, Gina engages with individuals who are passionate about working towards positive change.

Gina is excited to continue working in organizing and within the intersection of social change and education. She hopes to develop as a professional in the field of social change while supporting her children during their high school years.

Service work is integral to Gina's life and she engages with many local service organizations such as Breast Cancer Awareness, which she regularly fundraises for. Right now, Gina is focused on becoming stronger physically by hiking, learning more about anti-racism and working on helping herself and others be allies that the world needs.

If you are a CO alumni who would like to be featured, email us at uconn.co.comm@gmail.com
What we've been up to
Political Engagement wraps up a successful voting initiative campaign

This semester, the Political Engagement program's main focus was the November 3rd election. The program's goal was to provide clarity on voter registration and on the voting process through their "Get Out and Vote!" campaign. The program aimed to reach a many people as possible in the UConn community and beyond. As a part of this initiative, the program director created a website that answered FAQs that people had about the election process as well as voter registration, taking into consideration the ways COVID-19 impacted the voting this year. UConn took notice of this website and transformed it into a website that was easily accessible to the entire UConn community. The program also held a panel shortly before the election with Congressman Joe Courtney and UConn professors Dr. Thomas Hayes, Kelly Moore, and Albert Morales who were all able to help answer any questions people had about the election.

Jumpstart holds 15th annual 'Read for the Record' initiative

Jumpstart is a program dedicated to bridging education gaps in children living in underserved communities. Every year, Jumpstart holds a campaign to increase awareness about the importance of literacy in early childhood and access to high-quality children's books. For the campaign, adults and children around the world read a book with a strong narrative that honors diversity and fosters language and emotional development. Last year, over 2.14 million readers participated in the 'Read for the Record program'. This year the book chosen was Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away by Meg Medina, a bittersweet story about the strength of friendship. The UConn Jumpstart team was able to do virtual book readings with four classrooms in collaboration with the Manchester Early Learning Center. They also distributed 130 literacy kits to students in Vernon, Manchester, and Mansfield.

Careers for the Common Good holds a panel to connect students to professionals in advocacy fields

The Careers in Advocacy Panel gave students an opportunity to engage with professionals in advocacy fields and find out how they got started in the field as well as receive advice on how they can get started. Panelist also talked about current affairs that affect the advocacy field and what being an advocate means to them. Careers for the Common Good wanted to provide a space for students who are interested in socially conscious career paths and connect these students with those more experienced in the field. Over 40 students attended and panelists represented multiple areas of advocacy including Racial Justice Advocacy, LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Womxn's Rights Advocacy, Environmental Advocacy, and Mental Health Advocacy. Right now the program is working on planning next semester's events, including a career fair and an event on how to be successful when talking to potential employers.
Program Spotlights

Special Olympics

Normally, volunteers in the Special Olympics program would attend a weekly practice at a local team for one hour and assist the coaches and support the athletes. Now that the program is running virtually, there is less of a focus on games and matches and more of a focus on staying healthy and safe while still supporting athletes. Volunteers are achieving this by participating in virtual home run derby, virtual bocce, virtual golf, and other online sports.


Big Friends/COPE

In Big Friends, K-8 students are paired with a 'Big Friend' mentor who helps their mentee foster educational and social development. This year, the program has merged with their sister program COPE, which helps children cope with big changes like loss or a big move. Both programs, which work under Mansfield Youth Services, have been able to provide virtual meetings with elementary and middle schoolers where they play games like 'Would You Rather', do arts and crafts, and play video games. Both programs have been going extremely well and volunteers and participants alike look forward to the weekly session they have together.

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