| SPA students develop community ties during Leadership Program BY ADRIENNE FRANK As part of the School of Public Affairs’ Leadership Program, 34 exemplary freshmen are leaving their mark on Washington. During the school year, each student spent some 100 hours working with a local community organization on issues that ranged from education to the environment. Students spent the fall semester studying the policy issues; and in the spring semester they set out to design and implement a program or event to benefit the community groups. The program’s goal, said director Sarah Stiles, is to help students, who apply to the competitive program on acceptance to AU, challenge their assumptions and develop a keener sense of empathy; it also “helps students integrate with the Washington, D.C., community, which is really their home away from home for the next four years,” she added. Students are urged to be creative when designing programs, and they didn’t disappoint. One freshmen group, whose focus was the environment, partnered with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association to bring a weeklong bike-lending program to AU. Students could hop on one of seven donated bikes, which the group painted bright yellow, strap on a helmet and ride throughout campus. Freshman Seth Cutter was delighted with the student body’s positive response to the program. “So many people supported what we did,” said Cutter, a double major in political science and philosophy. “This program is going to last. People are committed to bettering our campus, and, as ‘servant-leaders,’ we were able to identify that passion and make something of it.” Other freshmen focused on education, and in partnership with D.C.-based College Bound, brought 20 high school juniors to campus for a look at college life. The Saturday session included a lecture by SPA professor Dick Bennett, financial aid information, and lunch in TDR. Students interested in substance abuse cohosted with the Addiction, Prevention, and Recovery Administration a campus film screening and education fair. A group interested in peace and conflict resolution partnered with the International Rescue Committee to organize a community gathering in downtown Silver Spring, Md. Finally, students in the immigration group worked with the Newcomers Community Service Center, which provides ESL and citizenship classes, to renovate their offices and update their technology. On Apr. 28, the SPA freshman cohort shared their experiences with community leaders and students from across the region at the CoRAL Network conference, which was held at the Mary Graydon Center. Stiles said the event enabled the 180 student participants to network with others who are involved in regional service-learning projects. Throughout their four years in the Leadership Program, participants explore leadership theory, develop conflict resolution techniques, and hone public speaking skills. Graduates have gone on to Teach for America, the Peace Corps, and graduate programs at Harvard and Princeton. Students come away from the program “with a greater sense of self- and social awareness,” said Stiles. “They feel a sense of joy and satisfaction when they know they have helped someone.” |
