Volume XXXI| February 2025 | |
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“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
- Barack Obama
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A Message from Our Director | |
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"Welcome back! We are off to a busy spring semester. Staff and students participated in two Alternative Breaks to Costa Rica and Puerto Rico before the first day of classes. We already had a professional development day that included sessions on résumé building, an alumni speaker, and self-care. Unfortunately, the weather did not allow for a MLK Jr. Day of Service, but there is plenty to do from weekly programs to one-time service opportunities."
- Miguel Colón, Director of Community Outreach Programs, Services, and Initiatives
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Alumni and Student Spotlights | |
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Christina Clouser
Former Communications Student Leader, Class of 2024
Christina was the communications student intern for Community Outreach Public Relations. In this position, Christina worked on the newsletter to help publicize our people and prog. She shares, "I really enjoyed having the opportunity to design the newsletter and do something creative aside from doing school work." She graduated in May 2024 with her B.A. in political science. After graduation, she traveled to Germany and Austria (where she is pictured in Nuremberg).
Currently, Christina is a student at UConn Law, where her favorite class is international human rights. "Law school has been super busy and rewarding," she says, "I've never learned at such a fast pace." Last semester, Christina participated in the Negotiation and Dispute Resolution competition. At the end of this month, she will be serving as a rapporteur for a UConn Business and Human Rights Initiative titled, "The Responsibilities of Investors for a Fair and Just Climate Transition." Christina also works as a communications student worker at the law school, where she gets to go to events and take photos for social media.
Outside of school and work, Christina likes to be outside, whether it be walking, hiking, or playing tennis. She adds that she misses everyone in CO!
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Olivia Fournier-Wyllie
Natchaug After School Tutoring Program Director
Olivia is a sophomore Physiology and Neurobiology major on the pre-med track, aspiring to become a pediatrician. She currently serves as the Program Director for the Natchaug After school Tutoring Program, which provides academic support to 1st–5th grade students.
Olivia’s journey with CO began last semester as a member of America Reads, an experience she loved so much that it inspired her to get more involved. She explains, “I absolutely loved it and wanted to become more involved in any way I could.” When she learned that the Natchaug program had been inactive for about a year, she saw an opportunity to revive it and applied for the role. Olivia has always had a passion for volunteering especially when it involves working with children and animals. She shares, "My favorite thing about CO is that it takes me away from the student aspect of college for a little bit and allows me to help others in a rewarding and positive way." Outside of CO, Olivia is a part of the Army ROTC, training as an EMT, and volunteering on weekends. She enjoys reading and time with loved ones.
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Community Sustainability Alternative Break in Puerto Rico
This January, a group of our students and staff traveled to Puerto Rico on the Community Sustainability Winter Alternative Break. Over the course of 8 days, participants collaborated with local partners in various environmental and restoration projects across Puerto Rico.
The week began with a community center maintenance project with Cromàpolis, involving tasks such as raking leaves, preparing walls for painting, and learning about local culture and environmental concerns. Then in the following days, participants took part in a marine debris cleanup at a local beach in Luquillo. In collaboration with Community Collaborations International, volunteers worked on a new project called NOAA, where they collected and categorized trash and planted coconut trees. Midweek efforts focused on restoring 750 feet of the El Coco trail in El Yunque rainforest which is known as one of the most challenging trails!
This Alternative Break allowed students to form meaningful connections with each other and members of the Puerto Rican community. Students bonded over shared experiences, whether it was learning about the significance of local wildlife, or discussing the impact of Bad Bunny’s latest album and film. Through conversations with community members, they gained a deeper understanding of Puerto Rico’s culture and its people!
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Community Development Alternative Break in Costa Rica
Another group of students traveled to Los Jazmines, Costa Rica for a Community Development Alternative Break.
Over 10 days, the team had the opportunity to contribute to the community in several ways: completing the final stage of construction on a teacher's dormitory, running workshops, and painting the local school that they stayed in. They were able to talk with the local families, the health clinic staff, and farmers who generously shared their time and stories. These interactions deepened the team's understanding of daily life in Los Jazmines and reinforced the importance of community development work that we learned about.
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Spring Involvement Fair
On January 29th, a number of CO programs attended the spring involvement fair. This event, open to all students featured over 400 student organizations and university programs, offering students the chance to connect and get involved. Programs like Jumpstart, 4H Vernon, Natchaug Afterschool Tutoring Program, and Big Brothers Big Sisters attended to recruit volunteers and connect with students interested in these programs. We were excited to meet so many students eager to get involved with CO and contribute to service!
If you are looking to get involved with programs that are still recruiting for the spring semester, visit the following links to register or apply:
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Professional Development
On January 26th, students and staff took part in an evening of professional development to start off the semester. This professional development included a variety of topics. We first went over résumé building, before learning about self-care through guided meditation. CO alum and Fairfield educator Ashley Cloonan joined us to talk about her previous experience in Community Outreach, and how it connects to her current role in the classroom.
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Second Chance Educational Alliance
Second Chance Educational Alliance is a program that supplements education in correctional institutions by preparing volunteers to tutor incarcerated people in science, math, business, writing, and reading comprehension. The program aims to decrease recidivism, bring awareness to community issues, and reduce the stigma associated with the prison population. Join this program to learn teaching skills, meet other UConn volunteers, engage with your community, and make a difference helping others!
Apply by March 15th, using the link found here.
Please contact uconn.co.correctional@gmail.com if you have any questions or require accommodations.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a club in which UConn students, the bigs, get paired with an elementary or middle school student from our local community, our Littles. Volunteer once a week for about two hours to do after school games, activities, and homework together. Transportation is provided.
Apply to join Big Brothers, Big Sisters by February 21 using the link found here.
Please contact uconn.co.bbbs@gmail.com if you have any questions or require accommodations to participate.
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Origami Community Building Event
February 26th at 6:00pm
CO Room, Student Union Room 204
Join us on Wednesday, February 26th to make origami! Paper materials, instructional videos, and snacks will all be provided. This is a great opportunity to get to know people from different areas of CO. We hope to see you there!
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Black History Month
Community Outreach is celebrating Black History Month. This is a time to honor the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout U.S. history.
This year, the theme is "African Americans and Labour," which explores how "work and working of all kinds—free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary—intersect with the collective experiences of Black people."
We encourage you to learn more about Black History Month here.
For a list of events happening through the remainder of the month hosted by the African American Cultural Center on campus, visit here.
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Donate to Ignite
Ignite is a campus-wide crowdfunding program that lasts from February 3rd to March 3rd. Alternative Breaks is aiming to raise $5000 to support their service-learning opportunities, where students engage with communities and work towards positive change.
Alternative Breaks provides service-learning programs to approximately 125 students. They provide students with unique opportunities to advocate for social issues, promote their personal growth, develop valuable relationships, and prepare for lifelong social action. We believe cost should not be a barrier preventing students from participating in Alternative Breaks, and fundraise to make these programs more accessible.
Any donation is greatly appreciated, and will go towards supporting our program directly and future participants! To donate, click here.
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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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Follow our socials!
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