Volunteer or Community Service

Class project sparks new student club for future educators

lblouin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:39:03 +0000

Class project sparks new student club for future educators lblouin Wed, 03/19/2025 - 07:39

Identifying and creating a solution for a real community need is one of Education Professor Chris Burke’s go-to project-based learning assignments in his place-based education course. Students form small groups and then brainstorm ideas, after which they pitch them to the larger group and the class votes on which project they’ll work on that semester. During the Fall 2024 semester, when McKenna Shelide was a student in the course, her small group came up with an idea to start a student organization for pre-service teachers. “It’s kind of surprising, but there wasn’t a club for us. And we really thought there was so much we could be doing,” Shelide says. Students ended up picking another idea for their class project. But after class, Burke pulled Shelide and the other students in her group aside and told them if they were really serious about starting a club, he could connect them with some folks who could help. Shelide and the other students jumped on the idea, and within a couple weeks, they had their own campus chapter of Aspiring Educators, the student arm of the National Education Association and Michigan Education Association.

Shelide, who’s currently serving as the group’s president, says one of their primary goals is to provide learning and professional development opportunities that complement their formal coursework, and the affiliation with the MEA has proven to be an effective way to do that. For example, at one of the club’s first meetings, a representative from the MEA talked about the ins and outs of teachers unions. And last November, the students attended an MEA conference that included sessions like “The Tea on Teaching,” which featured early-career teachers sharing their honest takes on finding their footings in the profession. Kamryn McCutcheon, the club’s vice president, says she found the session on prep for the state certification exam particularly helpful. “We got to talk through some sample questions, what to expect on test day and how the exam is going to be laid out,” McCutcheon says. “It’s obviously pretty stressful thinking about that test because you have to pass in order to get a job. So it just makes you feel better going into it when you know what to expect.”

Shelide and McCutcheon say the club is also focusing on service projects. For example, for Valentine’s Day, they got together to make homemade valentines for children in foster care. And they recently received a $2,000 grant from the NEA to partner with an elementary school in Allen Park to fulfill a student and teacher “wish list” of supplies and resources. Shelide says these service projects are obviously about giving back. But they also provide a venue for visiting schools, networking with teachers and getting more practical experience working with kids.

For one of their recent service projects, members of Aspiring Educators made valentines for children in foster care. Photo by Serena Cowette

Of course, the group is also providing some much needed camaraderie. Teaching is not the easiest profession to be going into these days. It’s demanding and stressful, the pay isn’t great and the hyper-partisan politics in America have spoiled some of the trust that used to exist between parents, teachers and students. With all of those challenges, Shelide says you have to really want to do it, and having a solid group of people around you who have similar worries and aspirations helps a lot. “My mom was a teacher and she had such a great group of friends at her school and I always kind of hoped I’d have the same thing — like, the people you go to chat with after the bell rings,” Shelide says. “With this club, I’ve met a bunch of great friends. Really, Kamryn’s probably like, ‘Can this girl stop texting me?’ So to be able to share your excitement — or if you need to complain about something — it’s just been so nice to have this group to rely on.”

Burke is excited to see the group is taking root. Student clubs can be hard to maintain long term, and he says the college has had a few iterations of student groups for pre-service teachers over the years. But those were all organized by faculty and failed to gain enough traction with students. “I think that’s the main reason you’re seeing a lot more success with this group. They have this core group of members and now they’re connecting with their classmates and friends, so you have this natural networking effect,” Burke says. “Plus, because it’s coming from them, they know what they need. We faculty have good intentions, but we can just kind of make guesses at it.”

###

Story by Lou Blouin. If you want to learn more about the club, email McKenna Shelide.

Campus Life

Volunteer or Community Service

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Education

Off

Wed, 03/19/2025 - 11:25

UM-Dearborn’s education students have a new group for peer support, professional development and community service.

Kamryn McCutcheon (right) and McKenna Shelide helped launch the Aspiring Educators club, the first student organization UM-Dearborn has had for education students in a number of years. Photo by Annie Barker

Dearborn Wolverines spend their spring break giving back

stuxbury — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:48:52 +0000

Dearborn Wolverines spend their spring break giving back stuxbury Wed, 03/12/2025 - 10:48

For many, spring break is a time to relax, reflect and get ready for the second half of the semester. But for a group of UM-Dearborn students, it is an opportunity to help others.

Through the university’s annual Alternative Spring Break, interested Dearborn Wolverines joined one of two service groups — volunteering their time with the Cincinnati Homeless Coalition in Ohio or locally in Detroit. Civic Engagement Coordinator JaNai' James led the Detroit-based group, partnering for the second year in a row with Camp Restore, a local organization that coordinates volunteers to address community needs. ASB has been a part of UM-Dearborn student life for more than 15 years.

During this year’s week of service from March 1-7, photographer Annie Barker documented the student-volunteer experience with the Detroit-based ASB program. Students completed a neighborhood-mapping project, where they collected data on abandoned and damaged homes that will be used to plan neighborhood revitalization projects. Volunteers also connected with the community organization Delray Neighborhood House to sort and deliver donations for families affected by recent severe flooding in the neighborhood.

At the Delray Neighborhood House, UM-Dearborn volunteers package donations for residents affected by a recent ﬂood. In late February, a broken water main ﬂooded dozens of homes. Repairs to the area are ongoing.

Residents filled out request forms — here’s one from a family in need.

Syeda Muntaha, left, and Zaynab Al‑Akraa seal a donation box with items that a family requested.

Muntaha, left, and Kalaia Jackson organize donations in the back of the delivery van.

James navigates through Detroit neighborhoods to bring boxes to the residents affected by the flood.

From left, Al‑Akraa, Jackson and Muntaha deliver donations to people in need.

Photo story by Annie Barker

Volunteer or Community Service

Off

Wed, 03/12/2025 - 14:47

Alternative Spring Break connects student volunteers with community-based projects through a week of service.

UM-Dearborn Civic Engagement Coordinator JaNai’ James, seated, and students, standing from left, Kalaia Jackson, Syeda Muntaha and Zaynab Al‑Akraa, pose for a photo in between deliveries to Detroit residents affected by a severe flood.

Connecting campus with community

stuxbury — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 19:00:20 +0000

Connecting campus with community stuxbury Mon, 10/23/2023 - 15:00

When Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Lei Chen wanted to explore pursuing a National Science Foundation funding opportunity with the nonprofit Code 313, UM-Dearborn’s Office of Community-Engaged Learning helped him establish a relationship with the Detroit-based STEAM education organization.

When Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Amanda Esquivel drafted a proposal to the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Teachers, OCEL helped her secure letters of support from local schools.

And when Assistant Professor of Human Services Finn Bell was planning a practice-based learning course on program planning, implementation and evaluation, OCEL staff helped him connect to community partners, including ACCESS and the City of Dearborn Public Health Department. OCEL then met with Bell and the partners over the summer and also led a discussion with Bell’s class on best practices for working in local communities and assuring mutual benefit.

If you feel like you’ve just started hearing about the Office of Community Engaged Learning, you’re right. Until recently, it was known as the Office of Metropolitan Impact. The new name reflects a decade of evolution and a refined focus, says Molly Manley, OCEL’s outreach and engagement specialist.

“When we were founded, our charge was to figure out how to engage in and with the community – what are the best practices and what should we be focusing on? And it was kind of up to us to figure it out,” says Manley, a UM-Dearborn alum who has worked in the office since it formed in 2011, beginning as an AmeriCorps staff member. The first few years were spent streamlining community outreach efforts across the university, working to develop a common perspective on UM-Dearborn’s approach to community work, and securing the Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement classification, which is regarded by many as the highest form of recognition for community engagement among colleges and universities in the U.S. UM-Dearborn was awarded the classification in 2015 and is currently preparing for reclassification in 2026.

Historically, both in metro Detroit and nationwide, many community members working with their local universities have raised concerns that research and community-based projects were not developed in concert with residents or did not have tangible benefits for them, Manley explains. “We’re there to make sure when we have a project we want to do, it’s in partnership with the community and we’re willing to make adjustments and compromises to make sure not only are community needs being met, but our students and our faculty are also able to meet their needs,” she says.

OCEL had to try different things in order to land on the approach to community-engaged work that was right for the UM-Dearborn campus, Manley explains. In January 2022, OCEL was moved to the Provost’s Office. After a summer of strategic planning, Manley and Elspeth Muzzin, OCEL’s engagement strategist, workshopped the office’s new name and identified focus areas for their work. One of those involves supporting student success by increasing the number of PBL courses and engaged-research opportunities, as well as continuing to support internships and student employment. Another is supporting faculty research and service. This includes working closely with faculty who are doing community-based work and providing professional development on community-engaged practices. OCEL’s goal is to ease the burden on faculty and make it easier for them to focus on the “learning” portion of practice-based learning.

“Our philosophy is that we can go into the classroom, and we can help show the students how to engage with partners in the best way and help ensure they learn about how to begin and maintain relationships, reflect on community perspective and recognize that community members and organizations are experts in understanding their communities and their neighborhoods’ needs best. Then the faculty can trust the students to manage that relationship,” Manley explains.

The end goal is making projects and coursework even more meaningful. “Instead of just managing logistics and managing projects, faculty can actually help students with their content, and the expertise area that they're teaching them,” Manley explains.

Manley and Muzzin are also in the process of developing online tools. They are working on a Canvas-based toolkit with helpful resources. “It's set up like a professional development course,” Manley explains. “There's modules with different topics. And it's all focused on community engagement, engaging for research, engaging for coursework. We have things in here to help faculty with troubleshooting, to help them with planning.” They are also building out a robust database, known as Collaboratory, for tracking community-engaged projects, with the goal to enhance knowledge of what is happening across campus and spur greater collaboration within and across disciplines.

OCEL will continue to work closely with other units on campus as well, including helping all departments and units with the community engagement sections of grant proposals. They will be deepening their partnership with the Environmental Interpretive Center, which is now also housed in the Provost’s Office. At the same time, OCEL is handing over some previous responsibilities in the interest of not duplicating efforts. For example, Enrollment Management will now be the go-to unit for K-12 partnerships. For business and industry connections, that’s Institutional Advancement.

Even with all these resources, Manley and Muzzin recognize sometimes faculty will just need some face time. Faculty are welcome to set up an appointment with either one of the staff or attend one of their office hours. “Every situation is different,” Manley acknowledges. “We're always available for one-on-one consulting.”

Article by Kristin Palm

Volunteer or Community Service

Provost

Off

Mon, 10/23/2023 - 18:59

The Office of Community-Engaged Learning, formerly OMI, is refocusing its efforts, with an emphasis on supporting faculty in practice-based work.

OCEL staff Molly Manley, left, and Elspeth Muzzin are ready to assist with community-engaged projects. They can meet virtually or at their office in the Mardigian Library’s Ford Collaboratory. Photo/Preston Welborne

One sweet campus tradition: Making Michigan maple syrup

stuxbury — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 17:46:15 +0000

One sweet campus tradition: Making Michigan maple syrup stuxbury Wed, 02/15/2023 - 12:46

A squirrel ran across a maple tree’s large branch, stopped near the end and plopped down for a snack. Its nibble of choice? The maple tree’s leaf buds. Most people might not notice an animal grabbing a bite to eat in the tree canopy. But UM-Dearborn’s Environmental Study Area Program Manager Rick Simek has a sense about these things.

Sitting at an outdoor picnic table, Simek said he’s unsure of the impact this year’s warmer Michigan winter will have on the trees’ sap production. Simek then paused and then squinted to get a better look at movement in the trees. “Some animals have sweet tooths, just like we do. That squirrel is eating the maple buds. If the squirrel thinks those are pretty tasty, that’s a good sign,” Simek said. “It tells us that the sap is moving around in the tree and it’s time to tap.”

That’s an especially good thing for UM-Dearborn’s long-standing campus maple syrup collecting tradition. On Saturday, Feb. 18, community members are invited to help the university’s Environmental Interpretive Center staff tap 50 maples to begin the sap collection process. Volunteers can also help hang sap buckets — basically round tin structures with a bent lid — on the trees too. Interested in the all-ages event? Sign up.

“We enjoy sharing this beautiful part of our campus with the public to experience traditional seasonal activities that go back a long, long time in our part of the world,” Simek said. In addition to the tapping activity, Simek said people will learn how to identify non-leafed sugar and black maple trees and other distinguishing characteristics about maples. They’ll also hear about the maple syrup-making process and its history on the land.

Here’s a taste of information volunteers will get at Saturday’s program.

In this 1980s photo, Cathy (Schmidt) Bean, '84, and then EIC Program Manager Mike Hayes, '78, make maple syrup on campus.

Maple syrup collecting officially started as a campus community event in 1984. But the trees were tapped to make syrup years prior to that.

Simek: “We are lucky to live in an area where the climate is just right for tapping maple trees and making syrup and we have many sugar and black maple trees on campus. We do 50 trees each year and are careful not to over tap them — that’s why we rotate every few years or so.

We know there was a forest of maples by the Henry Ford Estate that Henry tapped for syrup right after he and Clara bought the land in 1908. Maple syrup making is mentioned in a 1911 book by Jefferson Butler, who did bird surveying for the Fords. He said how much he enjoyed watching the process. Some of those original maples that the Fords tapped are still there, but most are newer. They are descendants of the Ford’s sugar bush (that’s what we call a group of maple trees used for maple syrup).

Of course, Indigenous people on the land tapped trees for the sap hundreds of years prior to that. We don’t have an exact record to point to, but we know maple syrup is distinctly North American and that Indigenous peoples were using it as a staple food when the Europeans arrived.”

EIC staff member Rick Simek, right, pours maple sap into the outdoor kitchen as children watch the maple syrup making process.

If you want to grow your own sugar bush, you need to plan ahead.

Simek: ““The adage goes that people who plant trees are working for their children and grandchildren. That is certainly true with sugar maples and black maples. If you plant saplings this year it would be 40 to 50 years before the trees were big enough to tap — and about 100 years before they were big enough for two buckets.

I don’t ever want to discourage anyone from planting a tree, but people should know it’s a natural process that takes a bit of time, just like many of life’s best things. So you won’t be able to collect your own sap anytime soon.

That’s why we invite people to come do this with us. We want people and families to have this experience. It will go beyond February 18 too. For two or so weeks after our tree-tapping event, we invite volunteers to help us collect the sap. We do collection around 4 p.m. daily, depending on conditions. That’s where we bring the buckets from the trees to where our sap chefs will later turn it into syrup. Sample tastes of syrup are available to anyone who drops by our syrup kitchen while it's being prepared.” Want to help empty sap buckets? If you are interested in joining a volunteer corps for a hike out to the sugar bush, please let the EIC staff know on this form.

The syrup will be available to buy in March.

Simek: “We cannot just take our pancakes up to a tree and top them with syrup. It takes 35 to 40 gallons of sap from sugar maples or black maples to make one gallon of maple syrup.

That’s because it’s mostly water — and like 2-to-4% sugar. The sap is like water that tastes just a little bit sweet. When we boil it in our outdoor kitchen, which removes the water through evaporation, we get a natural treat: yummy syrup. On average, we collect 480 to 500 gallons of sap — which is about 12 gallons of syrup. We then bottle it in small containers (250ml) to sell. When it’s ready, an order form will be available on the EIC website. I’m partial, but our syrup is really good stuff — and we know exactly where it comes from right down to the trees.”

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

Nature or Environment

Volunteer or Community Service

Environmental Interpretive Center

Off

Wed, 02/15/2023 - 17:46

Dress for the weather — the forecast says 47 degrees and sunny — and come to UM-Dearborn on Saturday. You’re invited to take part in a favorite seasonal activity.

EIC staff member Rick Simek leads a maple tree tapping lesson to younger EIC explorers. During maple syrup season, approximately 1,000 children on school field trips visit the center. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

UM-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service

stuxbury — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 22:03:45 +0000

UM-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service stuxbury Mon, 01/16/2023 - 17:03

On Monday, athletes, academics, alumni and others came together as advocates. For the 30th year at UM-Dearborn, hundreds of people went out to help others in the name and memory of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

During that 30 years, Chancellor Domenico Grasso said 8500 people have volunteered 42,000 hours in Detroit and the surrounding areas.

“This year is especially important to us because a few months ago we dedicated our University Center after James Renick, who was the chancellor that started this MLK Day of Service,” Grasso said. “We are indebted to him, not only for starting this, but for reaching out to our community and building stronger partnerships.”

Volunteers from UM-Dearborn, Henry Ford College and throughout the community lent a helping hand and inspired positive change. They had the option to serve in person or work remotely to support community agencies like the Capuchin Services Center, Gleaners, Eternal Light and Forgotten Harvest.

At the Arts & Scraps table in UM-Dearborn’s Fairlane Center, Delta Sigma Theta sorority chapter President Destiny Proffett sorted craft supplies to be used in schools and community programs. Proffett said she looks forward to volunteering on MLK Day because of the solidarity she sees.

“It’s important to get out and give of yourself to help others,” said Proffett, who volunteered with members from her organization. “Dr. King strongly believed in service. Hopefully a day like today creates a spark that lights the way for a lifelong commitment to service.”

During welcome remarks, UM-Dearborn Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keisha Blevins talked about the power of voice. She said people honor Dr. King’s legacy by getting involved and by speaking up — not just on MLK Day or this week, but every day.

“Dr. King’s determination for equal rights and service to others should speak to all of us as human beings. He believed that we had a responsibility to not only use our own voices but to also speak on behalf of those whose voices are being silenced and to make room for them,” she said. “We are fortunate to be a part of a university that believes in inclusion and community impact.”

See what UM-Dearborn and Henry Ford College volunteers did during the 30th Annual MLK Day of Service.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso works with Brooke Garland at the Arts & Scraps table in campus' Fairlane Center North to create bags of materials to send to local schools and community organizations.

UM-Dearborn students Jack Meyers and Allyssa Decato sorted boxes of craft supplies at Arts & Scraps in Detroit.

Fairlane Center was set up to pack meals for Kids Against Hunger, which has provided a total of 162 million meals to children and families in need in 65 countries.

UM-Dearborn Chief Officer for Inclusion and Diversity Keisha Blevins and graduate student Alvita Yathati package the nutrient mix, which will be sent to hungry families.

MLK Day of Service volunteers spent the day at the Capuchin Services Center in Detroit.

Students, alumni, staff and children spent time knitting hats and scarves to donate to homeless shelters. Abigail Awood, 10, crocheted with her mother UM-Dearborn Graduate Programs Coordinator Rebekah Awood.

UM-Dearborn cross country runners Gavin Llewelyn and Luke Kaferle made rollable plastic mats with carrying handles for homeless shelters.

MLK Day of Service volunteers spent time at Gleaners in Taylor, where they sorted food items, packaged boxes that will be distributed to people in need in the southeastern Michigan region.

Office of TRIO Programs Adviser Rachel Leonard, right, and UM-Dearborn TRIO tutor/mentors Gigi Nassir, left, and Austin Kipfmiller, center, finish making a fleece blanket. The blankets made will be send to nonprofit organizations like Vista Maria.

Have photos of the MLK Day of Service that you'd like us to add? Reach out to umdearborn-news@umich.edu.

Campus Life

Volunteer or Community Service

Chancellor

Off

Mon, 01/16/2023 - 22:01

The MLK Day of Service hosted nearly 400 volunteers who served at 10 sites at UM-Dearborn and in the community.

UM-Dearborn students Vanessa Coly, Savannah Welch and Morgan Jones making roll up mats out of plastic bags that will be donated to organizations like Vista Maria. Photos by Sarah Tuxbury

Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

stuxbury — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 21:54:39 +0000

Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. stuxbury Wed, 01/11/2023 - 16:54

A variety of voices and events on- and off-campus next week will honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

A Peace Rally brings community members together to continue social justice efforts. Students in multicultural organizations — like the Black Student Union, Alpha Psi Lambda Latino Fraternity, Indian Graduate Student Association and others — will reflect on Dr. King’s legacy. Professors will discuss the role of religion in civil rights.

“And there are more events and activities planned. This is a campus and community collective effort to continue Dr. King’s legacy through intentional inclusion,” said Center for Social Justice and Inclusion Director Shareia Carter. “It’s wonderful to see such strong partnerships across the university and into the community come together.”

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 16 — a day that’s all about partnership — starts off the Martin Luther King Week of Events. Chancellor Domenico Grasso, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keisha Blevins and Henry Ford College President Russ Kavalhuna will give opening remarks starting at 9:30 a.m. at Fairlane Center North's Quad E.

In its 30th year, UM-Dearborn and Henry Ford College have partnered to organize a day where the two schools can assist community-based organizations through a variety of options. Volunteers can pack food boxes for families in need, sort gently used clothing at Capuchin Services Center, make fleece blankets for shelters and more.

“That is a big deal — we are celebrating 30 years for a single event. We even pivoted it remotely to still have the Day of Service during the pandemic,” Carter said. “We’re proud of the campus’ ongoing commitment to Dr. King’s legacy.”

Here are campus events taking place next week that highlight MLK, the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of continued social justice work.

Ongoing

Mardigian Library Book Display and De-Stress Zone
Learn more about civil rights activism in Detroit and surrounding areas. Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy through education. Books and other materials highlighted in the Mardigian Library’s first floor display case and in the de-stress zone are available for check out.

•••

Through Jan. 18

Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Icons of Detroit
MLK came to Southeast Michigan in 1963 to give his “I Have A Dream” speech, which had an impact on the Civil Rights Movement. Advocates and activists such as Rosa Parks, Rev. Nicholas Hood, Sr, Grace Lee Boggs and others played a significant role too. Explore their lives and the Civil Rights Movement through a display on the first floor of the Mardigian Library.

•••

Monday, Jan. 16

30th Annual UM-Dearborn MLK Day of Service
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Volunteers from across campus and the surrounding community will come together to lend a helping hand and inspire long lasting and positive change throughout the Metro Detroit area. Volunteers will work remotely or in person to support Detroit-area community agencies in fulfilling their valuable missions. Registration is closed, but you can get more information.

•••

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Chancellor's Video Club: Baldwin/Buckley Debate
10:30 a.m., Renick University Center, Kochoff Hall B
Watch the video “James Baldwin vs William F Buckley: A legendary debate” (it’s less than one hour) and discuss it during the first Chancellor’s Video Club. You can watch on your own or join a public viewing at 9:30 a.m., just prior to the discussion.

“Addressing Racism in the White Church,” a talk lead by Calvin University Professor Kristen Kobes Du Mez and UM-Dearborn Associate Professor Terri Laws
1-2:30 p.m. Zoom.
Calvin University Professor Kristen Kobes Du Mez and UM-Dearborn Associate Professor of African and African American Studies Terri Laws will discuss racism in the white church, what effect this segment of the U.S. population has had on American culture, and the threat that racism in the white Evangelical church presents to American democracy.

•••

Wednesday, Jan. 18

"Impact of the Dream" Film Screening and Discussion
6-8 p.m. Mardigian Library, room 1211. Register to attend.
The Campus Video Network and the Black Student Union created a short film featuring UM-Dearborn's community members’ thoughts on the legacy and impact of Dr. King and his dream.

•••

Thursday, Jan. 19

2023 MLK Peace Rally
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Meet at the Renick University Center. Register to attend.
Poster making begins at 11 a.m.; the rally starts at noon at the UC's north-east entrance.
A peaceful march from UM-Dearborn to Henry Ford College recognizes the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and commemorates the role that protest has taken in shaping our society. Hear messages from the Black Student Union, Student Government, Alpha Psi Lambda, Indian Graduate Student Association and a keynote address from Henry Ford College African American Studies Professor Kalvin Harvell. The rally will end at Henry Ford College's Building L. Snacks will be provided upon arrival at HFC.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

Volunteer or Community Service

Off

Wed, 01/11/2023 - 21:53

UM-Dearborn hosts several events that highlight Dr. King, the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of continued social justice work.

Graphic by Violet Dashi

Students take away new perspectives during a week of service

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:06:25 +0000

Students take away new perspectives during a week of service Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/14/2022 - 13:06

Many of the students who pitched in during this year’s Alternative Spring Break and Solar Spring Break programs are no strangers to giving back. But several students said that with schedules packed full of classes, side jobs, and family obligations, it’s often hard to find time to regularly volunteer. The solid week of service not only felt like a much-needed chance to lend a hand. Many said it helped renew their motivation for doing so year round. Here’s a look at what UM-Dearborn students accomplished at sites in Cleveland, San Diego and right here on campus.

Cleveland

UM-Dearborn’s Opportunity Scholars take the first part of their program’s name to heart.

“Our mindset is basically that if you’re given an opportunity to a make a difference, you take it,” said sophomore Jalen Rose. You certainly saw that spirit on display during the recent Alternative Spring Break trip to Cleveland, where Rose and a group of his fellow OpScholars powered through a packed itinerary of service with seven different community organizations in just six days.

Both Rose and his fellow Cleveland site leader, sophomore Karina Nava, said one of the most meaningful experiences came at the front end of the week. The Monday trip into a rapidly changing Cleveland neighborhood left the team with an up-close look at the complexities of gentrification—and a new lense on how that’s impacting Detroit.

“If we think about Detroit, we want it to grow, and for that you need new people and businesses to come in,” Nava said. “But you also have to be careful with home pricing and the opportunities that are available for the people who have been here forever. They are the people who have created, over time, the culture of the city. So you can’t just relocate everyone, or you’ll lose that culture. Finding the middle ground is what makes the challenge so difficult.”

Later in the week, students pitched in packing lunches at a local food pantry, lent a hand with Habitat for Humanity and helped out at a Cleveland book bank. But it was a visit to a community center dedicated to helping immigrants and refugees that left the biggest mark on freshman Amanda Saleh.

“They had so many kinds of programs, from helping out single mothers to teaching people English,” Saleh said. “You see how hard it is for someone to leave their home and become an American citizen. It’s not as easy as some people think it is.”

San Diego

Students from University of Michigan have traveled to San Diego to do solar installations in lower-income communities for the past five spring breaks. But 2018 was a year of milestones for their partnership with the nonprofit GRID Alternatives and the “Solar Spring Break” program.

For starters, it was the first year that UM-Dearborn students made the trip alongside their Ann Arbor counterparts. In fact, Alexis Thompson and Christian Cannon, both juniors in UM-Dearborn’s mechanical engineering department, served as team leaders for the trip—overseeing everything from fundraising to personally cooking meals for their team of 25 volunteers at the end of their long work days.

Thompson said they initially set a goal of raising $10,000 to support a single solar installation in their target service area—a La Jolla tribal community northeast of San Diego. In the end, the group blew through that target, raising more than $25,000—a record number for a U-M Solar Spring Break team. That allowed them to complete three solar arrays in less than a week.

“The cultural aspect was also pretty incredible,” she said. “We had a lot of conversations, and members of the community talked about how hard it was for their students to get into universities, or about the increase in crime and abuse rates. And those are some of the very same issues facing households in Detroit. So I was able to make connections with people from a totally different background in a totally different part of the country.”

Cannon said the group already is planning its next renewable energy-focused service trips, including a return trip to the La Jolla reservation next year and a project in Tijuana. The trip to Mexico will mark yet another milestone: It will make the U-M team the first Solar Spring Break group to take their volunteerism outside the U.S.

Dearborn

Students who were staying closer to home for the break didn’t miss out on the week of giving back. A third team of about a dozen students participated in three days of hands-on activities on campus.

On the first day, that included making blankets for area homeless shelters, which gave graduate student Priyal Sheth a rare chance to connect with students from other parts of the university.

“I’m in engineering, so I only get to work with other engineers,” Sheth said. “But on our team we had a biology major, somebody from the College of Business, and two people who just transferred from other schools. One of us was from South Africa, one from El Salvador, another from South America, another from the Middle East—and I’m from India. You’re sitting there for a few hours, too, so it’s a chance to hear a lot of different perspectives. By the end of the day, you feel like old friends.”

Later in the week, students wrote cards to kids in local hospitals and organized UM-Dearborn’s Student Food Pantry.

Master’s student Raquel Estrada, who was participating in ASB for the second time, said the turnout for the local events left her energized.

“I thought there weren’t going to be that many people showing up because it was spring break,” she said. “But for every activity, there were at least five or six people coming in and out per hour. So it shows you we can make a difference anywhere, from campus or outside. Either way, it’s really powerful.”

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Mon, 03/19/2018 - 05:00

More than two dozen students participated in Alternative Spring Break and Solar Spring Break programs at home and across the country.

This edible landscape is one of UM-Dearborn’s best-kept secrets

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:16:59 +0000

This edible landscape is one of UM-Dearborn’s best-kept secrets Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/30/2022 - 13:16

It’s probably not such a bad thing the on-campus orchard and garden is tucked along a less-traveled stretch of sidewalk on the east side of the Natural Sciences Building. After all, if it had been located within picking distance of a major campus thruway, it’s easy to see how the apples, wild strawberries and blueberries might succumb to an everyday gauntlet of faculty, staff and student foragers.

While some grazing might be inevitable, Director of Facilities Planning Kate Pepin expects most of the produce to reach its intended destination: the UM-Dearborn Student Food Pantry.

And though it may be a few years before they’re collecting big-time harvests for students, she and a team of volunteers who help maintain the garden have designed the site with longevity in mind. Unlike most gardens in northern climates, which typically rely on annual crops that are harvested through the summer and fall, this orchard is built on the idea of permaculture—an approach to agriculture designed around sustainability and self-sufficiency.

For example, Pepin and the team have chosen a balance of plantings that favors lower-maintenance edible perennials. They sometimes take a few years to get established, but they’ll produce year after year without need for replanting. The blueberries are one of those crops, along with the cranberries, ginger, a cold-tolerant variety of kiwi, and several kinds of apples. Underneath the branches of the latter, there’s also a thick mat of tenacious wild strawberries, which they’re planning to complement with an everbearing variety this year. Pepin said that kind of “layering” is another hallmark of permaculture plantings and allows them to grow more food in less space.

Throughout the garden, you’ll see another key permaculture principle on display—companion planting—which clusters crops that like living side by side.

“When we plant garlic this fall, it will be next to the roses because garlic and roses grow well together,” Pepin explained. Those roses are edible too; as are the hibiscus and violets they’re planning to add to the garden this summer.

As the garden fills in, so are the ranks of volunteers and staff who are lending a hand. Pepin said Jeanette Whiting, UM-Dearborn’s veteran master gardener, has brought her effort and expertise to the project and helped shepherd the garden through that critical first year. And this season, a small group of students is pitching in to handle summer weeding, watering and harvesting.

“For me, as a political science major, one of the things you study is environmental issues and sustainability,” said senior Ashleigh Schoeninger. “So it’s pretty cool to see a real example of that. I think everyone should have access to food that’s not contaminated with pesticides and toxins.”

Volunteering at the garden was personal for health policy studies senior Fannetta Watson. Last year, she decided to leave her job in order to make time for her studies, and the student food pantry helped fill in some gaps when money got tight.

“I’d walked past that area before, and I never even knew that was a garden,” Watson said. “But when Kate [Pepin] explained what was going on there, I was really excited to do something. That little bit of space can feed a lot of people.”

Pepin and the team aren’t expecting a super bountiful harvest for at least another year or two, but as the garden matures, she hopes it can indeed add a meaningful amount of hyper-local fresh foods to the shelves of the student food pantry. And if you’re a tempted forager, there’s still a way for you to have a taste. Pepin said a little grazing is an assumed perk for anyone who helps with the harvest.

Experiential Learning

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Mon, 06/18/2018 - 05:00

The low-maintenance permaculture orchard and garden is growing fresh produce—for a good cause.

UM-Dearborn students Fannetta Watson and Ashleigh Schoeninger are among the student volunteers who are lending a hand to the university’s permaculture orchard this summer.

Nearly 400 volunteer to serve community during 26th Annual MLK Day of Service

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:44:41 +0000

Nearly 400 volunteer to serve community during 26th Annual MLK Day of Service Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/29/2022 - 15:44

This article was originally published on January 21, 2019.

Despite below-freezing temperatures, nearly 400 volunteers from ÿ�մ�� and Henry Ford College turned out to participate in the university’s 26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service today. The event is a collaboration that brings together students, faculty, staff and alumni from both schools for a morning of service to organizations throughout metro Detroit.

Volunteers gathered at UM-Dearborn’s University Center early this morning and then dispersed to nearly two dozen on-campus locations and partner organizations.

Welcoming the volunteers to his first university MLK Day of Service, Chancellor Domenico Grasso reflected on Unitarian minister Theodore Parker’s sentiment on the ‘moral universe,’ which was popularized by King’s quote, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

“Seeing the ultimate solution to all of our challenges is nearly impossible,” Grasso said. “However, it is the sense of optimism, knowing that the arc bends towards justice that inspires us to make a difference each day.”

Henry Ford President Russell Kavalhuna, also participating in his first MLK Day of Service, encouraged students to think about their passions as they are out in the community.

“You are given the liberty to learn about yourself through service. And if you can find what your passion is, then you can devote your life to it … If you do that, then you’ll be honoring the legacy of the person we’re here to honor,” he said.

Volunteers sort food at Gleaners Community Food Bank

The morning’s volunteer activities included sorting donations at Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry, cleaning stalls at the Michigan Humane Society, and sorting food and cleaning at Zaman International.

Junior Zeinab Alhassan, who volunteered on campus during last year’s MLK Day of Service, decided to go out into the community this year.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. did so much for humanity. The least I can do is give a few hours of my time,” said Alhassan, who volunteered at Zaman International. “It might not have a huge impact, but my small action might spark something in someone else or make someone else’s day a little better.”

Former UM-Dearborn staff member Jung Koral, now U-M School for Environment and Sustainability associate director of enrollment services, said he has volunteered for UM-Dearborn’s MLK Day of Service for the past seven years.

“You meet really great people and learn about some of the work being done in Detroit communities. It’s working together and having camaraderie while making a difference,” said Koral, who volunteered at Urban Neighborhood Initiatives. “I’m shoveling snow today — and sure, it’s cold — but this is nothing for these neighborhood organizations; this work is 24/7. It’s a few hours of my time to give kids a safe snow-free path to walk at the park and I’m happy to give it.”

Volunteers divide bulk food items for the pantry at Zaman International

The MLK Day of Service kicked off a week of events organized to honor King’s legacy:

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Black History 101 Mobile Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Kochoff Hall, UC
Silent March, noon-12:30 p.m., University Center Atrium
Commitment to Inclusion Reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m. *reservation required

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Healing and Justice for Sexual Assault Survivors in the African American Community, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Kochoff Hall A&B, UC

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Democracy Dialogues, 12:30-2 p.m., Kochoff Hall C, UC
Engagement Day, 2-4, Kochoff Hall A&B, UC

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Mon, 01/21/2019 - 06:00

The event, which is a partnership between UM-Dearborn and Henry Ford College, included more than 20 volunteer sites throughout the metro area.

UM-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 17:25:16 +0000

UM-Dearborn’s annual MLK Day of Service draws more than 400 volunteers to 21 work sites Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/10/2022 - 13:25

This article was originally published on January 20, 2020.

Retired Mathematics Faculty Helen Santiz has walked in silence across the bridge in Selma, Ala, to remember the peaceful Civil Rights demonstrators who were met with violence. She’s visited the Lorraine Motel in Tennessee where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. And she’s listened to the recording of King’s March 14, 1968 speech to Grosse Pointe residents, which is now considered the precursor to his “I Have a Dream” speech. But prior to doing any of this, she served on the first UM-Dearborn’s Martin Luther King Day of Service planning committee nearly 30 years ago. And she’s participated in every one since.

Mathematics Professor Emeritus Helen Santiz is a founding committee member of the MLK Day of Service and the last remaining active member from the original planning group.

Santiz observed that the event teaches what Dr. King stood for. It reminds us to pay attention and to not forget about our nation's ugly history. And it's important to get involved so we can do better as a community. “I didn’t know how to get involved in his legacy until I joined the committee; once I did, it encouraged me to find other ways to learn about Dr. King. It all started here at UM-Dearborn.”

Now 80, Santiz is still very involved in UM-Dearborn's MLK Day of Service, continuously greeting volunteers and giving directions. She said it’s encouraging to see the steady stream of people filtering down the University Center hallway.

“(Former) Chancellor Blenda Wilson had the vision for this day. We weren’t sure if it would last beyond that first year — there was a blizzard and 12 inches of snow on the ground,” Santiz said. “But people showed up to do it again the next year. And it continued to grow. I’m confident that the event is here to stay.”

Now in its 27th year, more than 400 volunteers gathered in Kochoff Hall early Monday morning before heading out to one of the 21 MLK Day of Service sites, which ranged from food bank stocking at Gleaners to organizing clothing for a veteran’s thrift store. See photos from the 2020 event.

Students read quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while waiting in line to check in during the MLK Day of Service.

At the MLK Week Kickoff event, Chancellor Domenico Grasso welcomed the large crowd and had the group read a quote from King on the back of MLK Day of Service T-shirts: There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.

“We are all faced with difficult decisions. It can be easy to go with the flow, but sometimes you have to step out of the flow and do what’s right,” Grasso said. “That’s what’s embodied in all of the work that Dr. Martin Luther King did. And I feel that it’s what distinguishes our campus. People around the country are taking the day off and you are here to do something for others.”

As staff from UM-Dearborn and Henry Ford College — the campus’ co-partner in the event — checked in volunteers, a line of T-shirts hung above the crowd. They were from all of the previous MLK Days of Service; the 2020 shirt will join them soon. It’s been put aside to go up on the wall after the event.

Retired staff Karen Holland has a bit of inside information about that display: Most of them once belonged to her and Santiz. “When we were doing this event for about 20 years, we thought it would be nice to display the shirts in a permanent way — it worked out that between Helen and I, we had shirts that we kept that would cover all of the years,” said Holland, who also serves on the MLK Planning Committee and has volunteered every year since the first one. “Don’t ever take them out of the frames — they are hung strategically because they are used and there might be some paint on some of those.”

Retired staff member Karen Holland has volunteered for the MLK Day of Service since it began; most of the MLK Day of Service T-shirts from the early years of the event on display in the University Center are hers.

Chatting with a student before the kickoff event Monday, Santiz was asked if he’d see her at the Capuchin Community Service Center, the site where he was volunteering. When she remarked being too old for the labor involved there, the student replied, “You don’t look old and any age is the perfect age to volunteer.”

As the night sky became pink with the sunrise, Santiz lit up too. But it wasn’t because of the age compliment, she liked his view on community service.

Staff and students organize art supplies for children at Arts & Scraps in Detroit.

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University Unions & Events

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Mon, 01/20/2020 - 06:00

As the event approaches three decades, retired faculty and staff reflect on how the event has grown and become a campus mainstay.

More than 400 people — faculty, staff, students and community members — came together to volunteer for the campus' annual MLK Day of Service. Volunteer activities included making fleece blankets, which will go to Love A Vet, First Step, Kids Talk, Vista M