2011-01_000001

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Part of Center for Community-Based Learning and Action annual report, 2008-09

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2011-01_000001

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Center for CommunityBased Learning and Action
Seminar II E 2125, Olympia Campus
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW; Olympia, WA 98505

(360) 867-6137; ccbla@evergreen.edu

ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009
“A Place for the Community to Engage”
~Jacinta McKoy, Center Visionary

Our Mission:
We address social issues while strengthening and enhancing student
experience by supporting our community’s ability
to meet critical needs.
“Community Based Learning enables students to apply their knowledge
in concrete situations, to solve problems in partnership with the community...and gives faculty and staff the opportunity to build long-term
community relationships which continually inform and strengthen the
curriculum...and places the college as a progressive force deeply involved in community work.”

Message from Don Bantz,
Academic Vice President and Provost
Since the Center opened in 2004, it has institutionalized one of Evergreen’s core values i.e., service-learning. The Center orchestrates
multiple pathways for students and faculty to engage the greater community and, in doing so, provides opportunities for students to apply
theory-to-practice and to integrate meaningful service-learning into
the curriculum. The Center is a whirlwind of activity—they procure
grants to place work-study students at local community organizations,
coordinate community-based learning opportunities within academic
programs, and enable our students, faculty, and staff to make a difference in the communities we serve.

Congratulations on the Center’s successful 5th year!
CCBLA and Gateways Staff
Director: Ellen Shortt Sanchez
Learn and Serve/High Demand Coordinator: Jacob Berkey
VISTA Community Partnership Catalyst: Hilary Hacker
CYS AmeriCorps Tutor Coordinator: Adriana Puszkiewicz
Community Action Work-Study Coordinator: Finn Cottom
Special Projects Coordinator: Emily Pieper
SIS Coordinators: Alex Dreyer, Heidi Stygar (SESEP)
Gateways Program Manager: Jose S. Gutierrez Jr.
Retention Project Gateways Challenge Program: Samantha Franks

Director’s Report
Ellen Shortt Sanchez
‘Higher education has a responsibility to contribute our resources to our community because we understand and value
community. Higher education represents a large part of the
communities we serve. We are institutions in a bigger context
and our communities have crucial needs. We have resources
(facilities, students, faculty and research). Teaching is more
than just career preparation. It mutually benefits students and
community. Community-based service learning helps shape
the future, and instills lifelong civic responsibility.’
~May 15, 2009 South West Washington Community-Based
Service Learning Roundtable- Dialogue for Democracy

Regional discussions this year have built on CCBLA’s commitment to community-based learning as a response to vital
community needs. This model of teaching and learning joins
theory to practice and provides students with real life learning
experiences. College students learn to contribute and community organizations work with faculty to guide learning that is
applied, interdisciplinary and important.
CCBLA’s work has grown throughout 2008-9 through support from Washington Campus Compact, Learn and Serve and
Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board
(HECB) grants. Student engagement in the community increased through off-campus work study, Students in Service
tuition awards, k-12 tutoring opportunities, peer learning with
incarcerated youth and faculty-community partner fellowship
work.
With the economic downturn this year, community requests
for student involvement have increased. Organizations fighting poverty, homelessness, hunger and environmental devastation call on their neighbors in higher education to make a
difference.

Director, Ellen Shortt
Sanchez with faculty
member Russ Fox at
the recognition event
in May 2009

Annual Report / MPA Capstone Project: Rebecca Manger

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CENTER FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING AND ACTION

70 PARTICIPATING
ORGANIZATIONS!

ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009

"Our relationship with CCBLA advantages over 400 students every day at Garfield Elementary. Our Evergreen students are math tutors, small group reading leaders, classroom assistants, and adult role models and
friends. Their presence in our building enhances the school experience for kids."

~Bob Hodges, Principal, Garfield Elementary, OSD

Program Highlights
Community Partners 08-09
All Together Farming
Avanti High School
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Birth Attendants
Books to Prisoners
Bread and Roses
Bridges Not Walls
C.I.E.L.O. Project
Camp Quixote/PANZA Board
Capital High School
CARE
CHUMA International
Community Action Council
Community to Community
Development
Community Youth Services
Coroner’s Office
Dale Turner YMCA
De Colores Bookstore
DSHS
Evergreen Elementary
Evergreen Villages
Evergreen VISTA
Fertile Ground Guest House
First People’s Advising
Garfield Elementary School
Gear Up
GI Voice Coffee Strong
GRuB
Habitat for Humanity
Hands on Children Museum
Hansen Elementary School
Harmony Hill
Helsing Junction Farm
Human Response Network
Kiwanis Food Bank Garden
Left Foot Organics
Lewis County Growing Places
Farm and Energy Park
Partners continued on page 3….

Student-Community Engagement
Action Days
This year over 420 students partnered with 23 community organizations for a combined total of over 3088
action day volunteer hours!
Action Days are organized once or twice a month as a way for
students to make connections with the community and to learn
about current problems that community members face while
meeting the short term needs of our community partners.

Students in Service

5 meals were organized this year with
Evergreen students and Camp Quixote
Residents preparing and sharing food
together.

Each volunteer hour that a student contributes to the community is valued at $20.25. Our
active members have donated 10,589 hours to the community, for a total monetary value of
$214,427.25 this grant year alone. This service work is happening with 50 community partners.
The Students in Service (SIS) Part Time AmeriCorps Program continues to grow at Evergreen. We enrolled 53 new members this year and currently have 60 members active in the community. Next year we
have allocated 70 slots and if our enrollments are strong we hope to have more than 80 new students participating within the year. Any registered student is eligible for SIS and the award is based on hours of community work performed in five focus areas: human service, environment, education, public safety, and community development.
SIS has a significant net benefit for the college and the community at large. Students who receive their
education awards generally use it to pay school related expenses at Evergreen, so the money is coming right
back to the college.
"My engagement with the CCBLA has enriched both my education and my work experience. For the past
two years I have been involved in the Student Work-Study Community Service Project as a participant last
year and this year as the coordinator. I feel much more prepared for a career in social justice and have made
lasting connections with my coworkers and the larger community. "

~Evergreen Student Finn Cottom, Community Work-Study Coordinator

Sustainability House
The house has averaged about 4 volunteer hours per person per week during the academic
year for more than 6000 volunteer hours this year!
Sustainability House is an intentional living dorm located on the Evergreen State College campus. At the
Center we have a work study position that works directly with the 60 students in the house and the larger
student body.

Olympia/Evergreen Tutor Collaborative Project
At least 34 elementary age students were partnered with 93 Evergreen Students who acted as
tutors, mentors and lunch buddies for over 2500 hours throughout the school year.
The Tutor Project connects Evergreen students with internships and volunteer positions as tutors and mentors in high poverty Title 1 elementary schools and community education organizations

Campus Wide Internships: Evergreen registered 233 Internships with 431 organizations during 2008-09

Center for Community-Based Learning and Action
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CENTER FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING AND ACTION

ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009

“Students, interns and work studies integrate academics with meaningful commitments in community nonprofit organizations and agencies. In the
process they learn how organizations function, network, and provide necessary services. As well, members of community organizations have opportunities to interface in meaningful ways with the students ambassadors of both the Center for Community Based Learning and The Evergreen
State College. I am grateful to be a CCBLA partner and ally.”

~Selena Kilmoyer, Camp Quixote/PANZA

Community Action Coordinator Work
Study Project
This year 19 students worked 2,311.13 hours at 11
different grassroots organizations throughout the
greater Olympia community.

Students at Helsing Junction on
Community to Community Day in
September of 2008

The project placed 19 Community Service State Work
Study (SWS-CSP) students as Community Action Coordinators (CACs) in grassroots, non-profit organizations. Supported by HECB Community Service Work
Study funds.

High Demand Math Science Work Study:
11 students spent 1,271 hour in 5 local high
schools.

HECB High Demand State Work Study f(HD SWS) funds the Millennial Math and Science Teacher
Explorer classroom support program. Evergreen students with financial needs are placed in local High
Schools to gain classroom experience.

Gateways for Incarcerated Youth
This year 60, Evergreen Students and community members spent over 3617 hours working
as Challenge Partners, mentors and tutors to 66 incarcerated youth.
Since 1996, Gateways has served to educate, empower and support young people with innovative cultural, diversity and learning programs that help build self-esteem, confidence and the ability to pursue
dreams.

Learn & Serve Promising Practices
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Lewis Co. Long Term recovery, Sam Schrager & Matt Smith with American Places
Stonewall Youth, Greg Mullins & Red Tremmel with Gender & Sexuality
CHOICE Healthcare Network, Mike Paros, Jim Neitzal & Kevin Francis with Foundations of Health & Science
Growing Places, Martha Henderson with Food Health & Sustainability
Books to Prisoners, Elizabeth Williamson with Community Connections
GI Voice, Zoltan Grossman with Independent Learning Contracts
Camp Quixote, Alice Nelson with Student Originated Studies
Joye Hardiman with Student Originated Studies
Toska Olson with Student Originated Studies
Russ Fox with Student Originated Studies

This initiative supports faculty and community partners in collaborative curriculum planning by awarding fellowships to expand student learning in the community that meets crucial community needs.

Learn & Serve: Dialogue for Democracy
Quarterly Roundtables were organized with South Puget Sound Community College, Centralia College, St. Martin’s University, Clark College, WSU Vancouver & Olympic College.
These dialogues create an ongoing SW Washington community-based learning network with representatives from colleges, universities, community partners and elected officials in SW Washington. Action
Teams are based on congressional districts. We hosted the third Congressional district team to discuss
the critical issues that face community-based service learning programs and build coalitions to meet
critical community needs.

Community Partners 08-09
continued ...
Lewis County Long Term
Recovery
Lincoln School Garden
Madison Elementary School
Mason County Literacy
Olympia Film Society
Olympia Salvage
Planned Parenthood
POWER
Rachel Corrie Foundation
River Ridge High School
ROOF
Roosevelt Elementary School
SafePlace
Special Olympics
Squaxin Child Development Center
Stonewall Youth
Tacoma Community House
The Family Support Center
The Nature Conservancy
Thurston County Bookends
Thurston County Volunteer Legal
Services
Thurston Conservation District
Thurston County Food Bank
Timberline High School
TULIP Credit Union
Tumwater High School
USDA
Volunteer Center of Thurston,
Mason and Lewis County
WA State Human Rights Commission
Washington State Music Mentors
Wolf Haven
Women’s School
Yelm Earthworm and Castings
YES! Community Technology
Center
YMCA Girls Without Limits

Center for Community-Based Learning and Action
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CENTER FOR COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING AND ACTION

ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009

2008-2009 Total Budget $217,368
Evergreen Institutional  Funds 
STATE FUNDS 
Salary 
Benefits 
Goods and  Services 
  
Total 

  

2008‐2009 CCBLA Budget  
   Grants to the CCBLA 

   Learn and Serve 
  
$43,639    Promising Practices 
Dialogue CDAT  
$13,059    Grant 
HECB CSP & HD SWS 
$6,600    Admin Grants 
   SIS Mini Grants 
$63,298     Total 

This year’s budget highlights:

Grants to 
Students

CCBLA in 08-09
⇒ $40,000 more grants to
students in 08-09
⇒ Total grant increase of more
than 100% from the 07-08
year

$56,070 
$63,298 

Grants to the 
CCBLA
Evergreen 
Institutional 
Funds

     
  
$24,993    Students In Service 
HECB Work Study 
$16,757    CSP 
HECB Work Study 
$12,320    High   Demand 
$2,000      
$56,070     Total 
$98,000 

⇒ $40,150 more grants to the

   Grants to Students 

2008‐2009 CCBLA 
Budget 

Grants to 
Students

$30,000
$28,000
$40,000
$98,000  
$58,000 
$15,920 
$61,285 

Grants to the 
CCBLA
Evergreen 
Institutional 
Funds

2007‐2008 
CCBLA 
Budget 

Center for Community Based Learning and Action
Advisory Committee 2008-09

What’s Next for CCBLA?

The next academic year brings excitement to campus community
engagement at Evergreen. Despite deep state budget cuts most of Selena Kilmoyer (Camp Quixote Panza Board), Jackson Sillars (GRUB), Jim
our programs will continue. We will be scaling back our Learn and
Neitzel (Evergreen Faculty, Foundations of Health Science), Peter Bohmer
Serve project and are working closely with South Puget Sound
(Evergreen Faculty, Venezuela Program), Anne Fischel (Evergreen Faculty,
Community College Career Center to collaborate on regional serVenezuela Program), Thuy Vu, (Evergreen Faculty, Building Communities
vice learning work. We have been refunded to continue our HECB Managing Organizations), Jenny Blumenstein (Mason County Literacy), Vicki
Community Service and High Demand Work Study proFaust, (Community Youth Services, Youth is Service AmeriCorps), Mukti
jects. Youth in Service and WA Campus Compact AmeriCorps Khanna (Evergreen Faculty, Psychology Contract Sponsor), Tom Womeldorff
VISTA members will continue at CCBLA. Gateways for Incarcer(Evergreen Faculty), Velma Ragsdale (Choice Regional Health Network),
ated Youth will host two Retention Project AmeriCorps members,
Nalini Nadkarni (Evergreen Faculty, Sustainable Prisons Project), Russ Fox
and have lost a program manager position. Faculty have loudly (Evergreen Faculty, SOS Community Based Studies), Alice Nelson (Evergreen
endorsed the importance of Community Based Learning at Ever- Faculty, SOS Community Based Studies), Lin Nelson (Evergreen Faculty, Engreen for student learning and for faculty development. We convironmental Health), Finn Cottom (Evergreen Student), Natalia Palomino
tinue to work closely with faculty of the Sustainability and Justice (CIELO Project), Jose Gutierrez (Gateways Program Manager), Elizabeth WilInitiatives at Evergreen. The Center for Community Based Learnliamson (Evergreen Faculty, Community Connections), Sandy Thompsoning and Action is inspired to advocate for higher education’s role to Royer (Safeplace), Paul Grudis (Evergreen Vista After School) & CCBLA staff
serve the public and community in 2009-10.

Students Contributed
25,554 Total Hours for 2008-09

QUICK FACTS
∗

OVER 800 EVERGREEN STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN CCBLA
ACTIVITIES

∗

OVER 25,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WERE
SUPPORTED BY THE CCBLA

∗

OVER 250 EVERGREEN STUDENTS RECEIVED SUPPORT IN ACADEMIC PROGRAMS FROM THE CCBLA

∗

CCBLA ACTIVITIES BENEFITED OVER 267 YOUTH IN THE
COMMUNITY

Center for Community-Based Learning and Action
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