The Five College Committee for Community-Based Learning (CBL), an organization that works to strengthen partnerships between local community organizations, and Five College students, staff and faculty, sponsored the event, which occupied nearly every room of the Keefe Campus Center.
Karen M. Lee-Roberts, assistant director of the community outreach program at the College, explained that the event was unique because all five colleges were responsible for it. "The idea is that we wanted to bring the five colleges together and prepare students for working in the community," said Lee-Roberts. "The important thing is that, for the first time, the five colleges got together in hosting such an event. There are a lot of college students across the country doing volunteer work in communities, and the better prepared they are, the better job they will do."
The event, attended by approximately 160 students, was aimed at community outreach beginners. The symposium opened with a keynote address by Eugene Newport, the executive director for the Institute of Community Economics. A panel of local non-profit community workers then delivered speeches, after which students broke into workshop discussions led by Five College student facilitators who had undergone specific training for the event. The workshops focused on the theme of "Building a Toolbox for Community-Based Learning." To fill the toolbox, the students explored topics including: three helpful ideas from the Five College Student Symposium, three things I'm good at, three important experiences I've had, three places to find information, three people who will support me and three skills I'd like to gain.
Cyndy Jean '07, Jason Nino '05 and Mekka Smith '07 served as the College's student facilitators. Jean tutors at the DeBerry Elementary School in Springfield, Mass., Nino worked for the Witness for Peace delegation to Cuba last year, and Smith volunteered with ARISE for Social Justice and El Arco Iris.
"I thought that the Symposium went pretty well," said Nino. "All in all, for a first-time effort, it was a pretty good start in getting the Five Colleges in sync in terms of community work. As a student facilitator, I helped discussions, mostly about work we had already done in our respective organizations."
The speaker panel included Carlos Vega of Holyoke's Nueva Esperanza, Court Cline of AIDS Care of Hampshire County and Renee Moss of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampshire County. AIDS Care provides comprehensive case management and support services for almost 100 Hampshire County residents living with AIDS or HIV. The program provides companionship volunteers, transportation volunteers and a community garden project. Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the country.
Katherine Willis '07, who attended the event, praised its organizers. "The Symposium was really well organized," she said. "It was a great opportunity for students from the Five Colleges to get together and discuss issues concerning community service. I really enjoyed the keynote speaker and the panel discussion. There really wasn't anything they could have done better. Everything was very well done, and I look forward to attending similar events in the future."
The CBL uses a range of approaches to community-based education, including Community Service Learning, course development, community-based research and non-curricular internships and volunteer programs.
Lee-Roberts was pleased with the event and looks forward to continuing the Symposium. "The Symposium was such a success," Lee-Roberts said. "I'm sure we'll have it again next year."