Volume XXXIV| September 2025 | | |
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much
-Helen Keller
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Message from the Director | | |
Community Outreach welcomes the students back! For us, it started with the arrival of the Student Coordinators (the highest level of leadership) in mid-August, and a week later, the rest of the student leaders joined us for August Training. The training was five days long and included several workshops, service opportunities, and group-building activities to get ready for this year. We are lucky to have such a dedicated group of staff, graduate students, and student leaders. I am looking forward to a successful year!
-Miguel Colón, Director of Community Outreach
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Staff and Student Spotlights | | |
Brenna McNeece
Professional Development GA
As the Student Leadership and Professional Development GA, Brenna McNeece plans and implements Community Outreach’s professional development events and training alongside her two student coordinators. Her mission is to provide students with workshops in practical skills and knowledge that support equitable and social justice oriented leadership. Brenna is also the GA for the Leadership Learning Community and instructs two sections of their FYE courses.
Brenna is in the Curriculum and Instruction graduate program in the Neag School of Education, where she is preparing to become the best middle school English teacher ever. As an undergraduate, Brenna was involved with CO as the student coordinator for Youth Development & Education of Adolescents and . Brenna's favorite memory with CO was being a senior student coordinator at the 2025 end of year banquet. She shares, “I got the chance to express my gratitude to each individual from CO who has impacted my life.”
In her free time, which Brenna says is hard to come by lately, she enjoys watching a lot of television, hanging out with her best friends, and going home to Trumbull to spend time with her cat.
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Robert Boucher
Social Services Coordinator and
Vice Chair of E-Board
Robert Boucher brings heart, humor, and serious dedication to everything he does. He is a junior Accounting major serving as the Social Services Coordinator and Vice Chair of the Executive Board. In this role, he oversees programs that support marginalized communities, including individuals with disabilities, people involved in the prison education system, and older adults in senior living communities. He works closely with student leaders, offering guidance and support as they manage their programs and strive to make a meaningful impact in the community.
Robert first got involved with Community Outreach during his first year at UConn by joining the Special Olympics Events Committee. He later served as Program Director before taking on his current leadership roles. His passion for working with individuals with disabilities began in high school, and discovering Community Outreach at the Involvement Fair made him feel instantly at home.
One of Robert’s favorite memories with Community Outreach was the field day held during the August 2025 Training. He loved playing volleyball and connecting with others outside of their usual roles. Outside of his campus involvement, Robert enjoys being outdoors, hiking, photography, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
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Spring Alternative Breaks
Apply Now to the Alternative Breaks Program through Community Outreach!
Alternative Breaks are service-learning experiences supporting alongside the community. Alternative Breaks are designed to heighten participants’ awareness of social issues, enhance their individual growth, and prepare them for lifelong community collaborators. Alternative Breaks provides students the opportunities to meet new people, learn new things, and live simply in community locally, nationally, and abroad.
They integrate the Eight Components of an Alternative Break including education, immersion, service, and reflection to dig deeper into a social issue theme.
For questions or to request accommodations, please contact uconn.co.altbreaks@gmail.com.
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Preschool BookPals connects UConn students with 3- to 5-year-olds at our community partner site, Manchester Early Learning Center. The program is led by Program Directors Abi Elliott and Bri Michaux, along with staff member Jake Najarian from One-Time Programs and Initiatives.
BookPals focuses on supporting early childhood development by helping young children build social and academic skills through play-based learning. At the same time, it offers UConn students an opportunity to grow as leaders and collaborators in a hands-on, meaningful setting.
The program is currently in its recruiting and team-building phase, preparing to bring together a new group of volunteers and young learners for another great semester!
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Juniper Hill
Juniper Hill is an assisted living community, located about 10 minutes from campus. Here, students gain hands-on experience working with the elderly who have a range of accessibility needs. The Social Services program is coordinated by Program Director Lindsey Mychalczuk and Community Partner Jessica Lippard, with the help of Student Coordinator Robert Boucher and Staff Advisor Meg Marshall.
Each week, around 20 student volunteers spend an hour leading group activities like trivia, arts and crafts, and bingo. This semester, the program is placing a greater emphasis on student leadership, encouraging volunteers to design and facilitate their own activities!
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Many of our other programs are currently recruiting volunteers for the year, including:
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This August, Community Outreach program directors took part in several leadership trainings and team-building activities to prepare for the year ahead. Some workshop topics included Ethical Storytelling, Identity and Privilege in Leadership, Facilitating Inclusive Meetings, and Identifying Personal Strengths and Weaknesses. Students also participated in a day of service with our community partners.
The sessions covered how to share stories respectfully and responsibly, especially when representing others' experiences. Leaders also explored how identity and privilege can influence communication and leadership styles, and why it’s important to create space for all voices. In the meeting facilitation training, students learned strategies to encourage participation and set clear group norms. Finally, leaders completed assessments to reflect on their communication and leadership styles, helping them identify both strengths and areas for growth.
Thank you to our guest speakers and dedicated students and staff for a productive and engaging week
| These trainings support our mission to lead with purpose and inclusivity. | | |
Involvement and Wellness Fair
On September 3, our programs tabled at the Fall Involvement Fair, welcoming hundreds of students interested in getting involved across campus and beyond! Held on Fairfield Way, the fair was a great opportunity to connect with students interested in our range of programs, including our one-time and semester-long programs. Program tables included English Language Learners, 4-H in Vernon, America Reads, and Special Olympics, just to name a few. We enjoyed seeing many new faces stop by to pick up flyers, ask questions, and sign up to receive more information about how to get involved.
On September 10, Community Outreach was at UConn’s Wellness Fair, a campus-wide event focused on promoting student well-being. Our table was a hit, with many students coming to learn about our programs and spin our prize wheel for giveaway items. We loved the opportunity to remind everyone how community service can contribute to social, mental, and physical health.
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Day of Caring
Saturday, October 4th from 8:00am - 1:00pm
Eastern Connecticut State University (Transportation Provided)
Join Campus Wide Initiatives for Day of Caring in collaboration with Eastern Connecticut State University and United Way! Students will have the opportunity to take part in a variety of service activities to give back to our surrounding communities. Service opportunities may include landscaping, cleaning, organizing, creating educational materials and more.
Students will be picked up from UConn to travel to ECSU, and will head out to their specific service sites from there. Transportation will be provided by Community Outreach to and from all service sites. Participants will need to be available from 8:00am-1pm (this includes transportation time).
Snacks and lunch will be provided to all participants. If you have any additional questions or require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact uconn.co.csd@gmail.com 48 hours prior to the event.
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Volleyball & Yard Games Community-Building Event
Thursday, September 25th from 4:30-7:00pm
West Campus sand court
We are kicking off our first community-building event of the year with a favorite activity from August training: volleyball and yard games! We will be meeting at the sand volleyball court between the West Campus dorm buildings.
This event is open to all and timing is flexible, so drop by whenever you can for some friendly games!
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Register for Coins for a Cause
Apply to donate to a non-profit organization of your choice on behalf of your club!
Coins for a Cause is a year-long collaborative fundraiser through Dining Services, Student Activities Community Outreach, Student Activities Banking Services, and various UConn student organizations. Each year, 6 registered student organizations receive a portion of the funds to donate to a non-profit organization of their choice. Funds are collected each month from donation boxes located at the UConn Dairy Bar.
All you have to do is submit a short application by September 21 and, if selected, help count the donated coins.
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Follow our socials!
@uconnoutreach
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