Volume XXIX| November 2024 | |
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“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.”
- Simon Sinek
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Alumni and Student Spotlights | |
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Cami Wilson
Former Graduate Assistant for Dialogues and Civic Engagement
Cami was the GA for Civic Engagement and Dialogues while she was earning her MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Currently, she is the Career Coordinator in Student Affairs at Goodwin University in East Hartford. Cami shares that her time in CO allowed her to combine her passions for civic engagement and working with undergraduates: "I love working with students to help them find their voice and agency in the things they care about, and CO gave me the opportunity to do so." She says this role prepared her for her post-graduate career by helping her develop interpersonal skills and build relationships, "from working with so many amazing CO Student Leaders!"
Cami graduated from Penn State University with her bachelor's in political science, minoring in civic and community engagement and communication arts and sciences. She was introduced to the world of civic engagement and dialogues as an undergraduate, where worked with other students, staff, and faculty to initiate voter engagement programming. She explains, "After undergrad, I worked in non-partisan political research, which furthered my knowledge and skills in the civic engagement and dialogue space, while making me increasingly interested in combining those with higher education."
One of her favorite CO memories was going to the IMPACT Conference in Texas in February 2024. "I took two students there," she says, "and it was a wonderful experience to see them learn and grow."
In her free time, Cami loves reading romance books, going to coffee shops, and spending time with her partner and pets, Bean and Ginger. Her favorite book is Beach Read by Emily Henry.
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Rhianna O'Meara
America Reads Program Director
Rhianna is a junior elementary education major. She is currently the America Reads site manager for North Windham Elementary School. Next semester, Rhianna will also be the America Reads program director.
Rhianna originally joined CO as a way to meet new people and because she was looking for a club that gave her the opportunity to work with children, which she found through America Reads. "I enjoy CO because of the connections I have made and because of the positive impact I have been able to have as a leader on my club members and community," she explains. "Being able to work closely with students in a community near UConn has been extremely rewarding!"
Outside of CO, Rhianna plays for the UConn Women’s Club Soccer team. She enjoys working out and going on hikes with friends in her free time.
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A More Perfect Union: A Dialogue on Voting and Voter Participation
On October 9th, Civic Engagement and Dialogues collaborated with the Democracy and Dialogues Initiative, USG, and the Office of Outreach and Engagement for a student-led dialogue on voting and voter participation. Small groups took part in three rounds of dialoguing, where each group member shared their thoughts on topics like voter suppression, election integrity, and building a better democracy.
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Community Vision Board Event
Students also came together on October 9th for an evening of crafting vision boards while listening to music. We hope to see even more faces at the November community-building event!
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Day of Caring
On October 12th, CO volunteers joined Eastern Connecticut State University and United Way for Day of Caring. Volunteers enjoyed the beautiful fall weather while serving at various partner sites around the community. Students helped with gardening & weeding at Grow Windham and Spring Valley Student Farm, cleared out spaces for new families at Holy Family Shelter, assisted with assorted tasks at Camp Connri, and built literacy kits at ECSU. After our service, volunteers returned to campus for a short reflection and pizza. This was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and meet new people!
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Collaboration and Community-Building Professional Development
On October 16th, student leaders and staff members had an educational night (and a little too much fun) at a professional development event with Sonja Langford from the Student Activities Office of Leadership and Development! They did a number of hands-on group activities to understand how to build an effective, inclusive team and personally reflected on their past experiences with collaborative works. They left with a number of new resources and tools they can bring to their CO programs and beyond! This was also a great way for leaders from different programs to spend time all together.
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Jumpstart
Jumpstart is an early childhood education organization that prepares children entering kindergarten for academic success. The Jumpstart UConn program is a Corps of 60 college students serving approximately 150 preschool children each year. Jumpstart is a place for its members to make lasting friendships and learn valuable transferrable skills to their career. Above all, it’s a place for members to make a difference while living out their passions for working with kids.
Recently, Jumpstart has held two collaborative events with Pi Beta Phi and the Child Labs as part of the “Read for the Record” initiative, an annual nationwide, event in which over 2 million children all read the same book within a 2 day time frame. This year the book was Piper Chen Sings, co-written by Hamilton star Phillipa Soo. UConn Jumpstart brought this book and supporting activities to 180 children and their families. They aim to hand out over 100 more to local children in need.
Jumpstart partnered with Pi Beta Phi to host an event for making literacy kits which are designed to support a child’s understanding and comprehension of a specific book. Thanks to their volunteers, Jumpstart will create over 100 “Build a Húdié” literacy kits to accompany Piper Chen Sings when being handed out to local children.
Jumpstart also partnered with the Child Labs on campus to read Piper Chen Sings to their preschool 1 & 2 classrooms. Six volunteers and two Jumpstart members spent to morning reading with the children, teaching them about butterflies, and exploring their outdoor playground.
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Pick up the Thread: A Post-Election Connection
November 6th from 11:00am-1:00pm
Dove Tower next to the Recreation Center
The Well-Being Collective and the Humanities Institute present a moment of pause and inclusivity on the day after election day.
UConn’s Well-Being Collective and the UConn Humanities Institute will be hosting a post-election connection event on Wednesday, November 6th from 11am to 1pm at Dove Tower on the Storrs campus. All members of the UConn community are encouraged to join in this moment of pause and inclusivity. Come share a cup of cider or hot chocolate, relax in pop-up seating, and speak with faculty experts who will help facilitate conversations. A collective fiber arts project will be taking place, representing the thread that weaves us all together; materials will be provided should you feel called to learn or contribute to the endeavor.
A note of gratitude to Student Health and Wellness for supporting this event.
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Special Olympics Smile Mile and Cornhole Tournament
November 9th, 2024 from 9:00am - 12:00pm
Hugh S. Greer Fieldhouse
The UConn Special Olympics Committee is hosting the annual Smile Mile and Cornhole Tournament this Saturday, November 9th from 9am - 12pm at the Greer Field House. The Smile Mile is a one-mile walk/run for the Spread the Word Campaign of Inclusion, which brings together individuals with and without disabilities. Participation in the Smile Mile is free of charge, but donations are welcomed. Following the mile, grab your friends to come and play in the March-Madness style Cornhole Tournament! Cornhole is $10 per person ($20 per team), and all donations go to Special Olympics Connecticut's mission of creating a more inclusive world.
You can register or donate here. We hope to see you there!
Please contact Robert Boucher (Program Director) at uconn.co.olympics@gmail.com with any questions.
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Senior Center Recital Series
The piano club is hosting a series of recitals this semester at the local senior centers Community Outreach partners with. There are two more upcoming recitals:
November 16th, 4:45pm-6:45pm
Juniper Hill Village
November 17th, 2:15pm-3:45pm
Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation
Performances will take place within the span of one hour, but participants usually arrive 15 minutes early to set up and stay for 15 minutes at the end to chat with the seniors. All are invited to sign up; the senior centers welcome and support performers of all skill levels. Participants may play other instruments aside if they can bring it with them to the centers (violinists, cellists, and guitarists have performed in the past). There are also spots for people who would just like to come and watch!
If you are interested in participating, please contact uconnpiano@gmail.com.
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Community Outreach HuskyTHON
HuskyTHON is the largest student organization on campus, fundraising year-round for Connecticut Children's in Hartford. HuskyTHON is a great way to get more involved on campus and meet new people while raising money to fight childhood cancer. The HuskyTHON "Night-Of," taking place in the spring, is an 18-hour dance marathon where thousands of UConn students come together to dance for those who can't. Community Outreach's team has a goal of raising $7000 this year and our team captains will help ensure each member reaches their $250 minimum. Student leaders, participants, and anyone else who does not have a team is welcome to join anytime before the spring Night-of!
To register for the Community Outreach HuskyTHON team, click here. To join the GroupMe, click here.
For more information or questions, please contact Dancer Representatives Ashley and Isabela at uconn.co.cbb@gmail.com.
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Election Day
Tuesday, November 5th
Election Day is tomorrow, and voting is a critical way to engage with what matters most to your community. If you live on campus in Storrs, you are in voting District 1. If you are not yet registered, but want to vote on Election Day, you can register in person at your Election Day Registration Site.
For more information, please visit our list of resources here. For a guide to researching candidates, please visit here.
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