This Week in Service
Department of Community Service
The Week of August 17
Attention 2020 Graduates!

Are you interested in continuing to receive This Week in Service? Please email communityservice@brandeis.edu to be added to the distribution list. Please note, all seniors will be removed from the current distribution list in early August.
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all the available opportunities and programs we are sharing! You can also find out what is happening 'In the News' with DCS including the most recent feature on Hannah from Prospect Hill Kids Club!
In this email:

  1. VolunteerFest 2020 is here!
  2. Your Career Corner with Hiatt Career Center
  3. DeisAct: Resources!
On Campus & Virtual Opportunities
VolunteerFest 2020 is here!
Monday, August 17 - Friday, August 21

VolunteerFest is your introduction or reconnection to volunteering and community service at Brandeis! Explore opportunities to engage in your community through connecting with our many service and activist clubs, while participating in a variety of virtual volunteer and advocacy-based projects throughout the week. Select the projects and experiences that most interest you! The kickoff to the event will be a virtual Service & Activism Club Fair happening today Monday, August 17th, where you will have the opportunity to meet the different service and activist clubs and Waltham Group programs, and learn how you can get involved during the year. All student participants can log their volunteer hours in the Commitment to Service Award Program. 

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
Monday 8/17:
VolunteerFest Kickoff and Service and Activism Club Fair

Monday, August 17, 7-8:15pm EST 
(7:00-7:15pm is the VolunteerFest Kickoff Orientation, and 7:15-8:15pm is the Service and Activism Club Fair)

Meet with some of the service and activist clubs at Brandeis and learn how to get involved in your community!

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
Tuesday 8/18:
VolunteerFest: Creating Youth Engagement

Tuesday, August 18, 6-7pm EST

Join the Waltham Group Youth Engagement Team to work on creating educational and social emotional content. Help us create resources for students in the Waltham area and beyond by making worksheets and videos to be posted to our website. We hope you will join us to meet new students who share a passion for working with students and learn about youth engagement.

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
VolunteerFest: Just Being Awesome (JBA): Get to Know Junior Brandeis Achievers

Tuesday, August 18, 7-8pm EST

Junior Brandeis Achievers (JBA) is a club in Waltham Group primarily acting as an after-school program for students at Stanley and Plympton elementary schools where Brandeis students can teach students about topics that they are passionate about! Topics range from cooking, science, arts and crafts, coding, prosthetics and more! Volunteers have the opportunity to customize their own activities and share these with students, exposing them to a variety of interests! During this workshop, get to know JBA and learn about how you can share your passion with others! We will teach you how to be an effective communicator and how to educate elementary school students. Then, you will have the opportunity to work with other Brandeis students to teach us something! There will be the opportunity to add the materials and videos created to our website, which is available for students and families throughout the summer. We are so excited to meet you all and learn about what you are passionate about!

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
VolunteerFest: Voter Rights, Registration, & Education with Waltham Group Advocacy

Tuesday, August 18, 8-9pm EST

The Waltham Group Advocacy group is hosting a session about voting and voter registration, voter suppression, and student rights for people living on their own away from home for the first time. We seek to empower students to know their rights and feel confident to use their voices to advocate for important issues impacting their communities. The advocacy group strives to support Waltham and Brandeis community members in making positive change in our local government and community.

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
Wednesday 8/18:
VolunteerFest: Cards for Community

Wednesday, August 19, 7-8pm EST

Join the Waltham Group in an initiative to write letters to people living with dementia and their caregivers. These letters are meant to send good wishes and remind them we are thinking of them. We also invite participants to write letters to a person or cause in your own communities that you care about. This initiative seeks to spread kindness, joy, and social and emotional support to those who need it most. We encourage students to bring any stationary, paper and writing utensils you have on hand, such as plain or colored paper, coloring books, quote books, artwork, pre-made cards, crayons, pen/pencil, markers, etc.

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
Thursday 8/19:
VolunteerFest: Mask Making Initiative

Thursday, August 20, 7-8pm EST

This summer, Waltham Group hosted a Mask Making Initiative to provide needed masks to our community. Our volunteers were able to make 500 masks, and we were so impressed by the hard work that we decided to host another phase this fall! All masks will be donated to The Family Van, a non-profit mobile clinic working to combat and reduce health disparities and inequities in the Boston area by providing free health screenings and resources. These masks will be used to protect residents of the Boston area who lack access to masks and to protect staff of The Family Van while they provide free health services to the Boston community. We encourage students to bring any materials you have on hand with you to campus, such as cotton fabric or cotton t-shirts, elastic hair ties or other elastic bands/ties. During the workshop we will talk more about the project and get to know all of you!

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
Friday 8/20:
VolunteerFest: Community, Conversations & Cuisine

Friday, August 21, 12:30-1:30pm EST

An important part of community engagement is centered around building connections with others. Grab some food, hop onto Zoom and join the Department of Community Service staff and peers for a casual conversation about community service. We'll engage participants in reflection on their passion and experiences doing community engagement work and hope to build bridges to continue this work at Brandeis. Come as an active listener or storyteller.

Register here to participate in the fair or any of the workshops happening throughout the week.
Your Career Corner with Hiatt Career Center
How Do I Talk About My Summer 2020 to Employers & Grad Schools?

Summer 2020 was unlike any other. Whether you took classes, had a virtual internship, or just focused on getting through the pandemic, we'll talk about how you can frame your summer experience and create a positive narrative for employers and graduate schools. Join through Handshake.
DeisAct: Resources!
Waltham Group Advocacy Deis Acts! For 8/17/20

Resource: 
This is a segment on PBS discussing George Floyd and the ensuing peaceful protests, which are still going on to this day. “For analysis of the deeper systemic issues that are underlying the country’s civic unrest, Judy Woodruff talks to Roxane Gay, a noted essayist and author whose work frequently addresses issues of race, identity and privilege; Anna Deavere Smith, award-winning playwright and actor; and Tay Anderson, a Denver school board member and activist who has been leading protests in that city.”

Action Item: Carefully read over the email Dan Kim sent out on August 13th (Community Update: Dining, course shopping, technology help), as it has a lot of important information and links about the return to campus. 
*Please note that the Department of Community Service provides marketing and may not be in direct partnership with this organization, student group or department. It is the responsibility of all members of this listserv to research all internal and external community engagement initiatives and programs prior to involvement.
Connect with us!
Department of Community Service
Shapiro Campus Center, Room 203
P: 781-736-3237

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