2014-15 - Mount Holyoke College

Community-Based Learning
A N N U A L
Integrating
academic with
experiential
learning to advance
positive social
change, build
sustainable and
reciprocal
community
partnerships, and
foster commitment
to social justice.
R E P O R T
/
S P R I N G
2 0 1 5
CBL by the Numbers
 2014-15 Community-Based Learning Courses at Mount Holyoke College: 32
 Department and Programs Offering CBL Courses: 25
 Students Enrolling in 2014-15 CBL Courses: Fall 2014 =384 ; Spring 2015 = 324/Total = 708*
 Number of Faculty Teaching CBL Courses: 29
 CBL Student Staff Serving as Fellows, Mentors, Administrative and Transportation Staff: 49
 CBL Community Fellows Learning/Service Hours to Area Community Organizations: 4,621.25
 CBL After School Site Programs—AR/AC, Volunteer and CBL Course Tutor hours: 3,790
*Some students took more than one CBL course throughout the academic year.
Alan Bloomgarden
Director of
Community Engagement
Angelica Castro
Assistant Director of
Community Engagement
and Advisor to
C.A.U.S.E.
Inside...
Anne Schlereth
Youth Partnerships
Coordinator
Diana Fiori
Senior Administrative
Assistant
Caitlin Kidder, ‘13
MACC AmeriCorps*
VISTA Leader
Gwendolyn Coiley, ‘14
MACC AmeriCorps*
VISTA
The Harriet L. and
Paul M. Weissman
Center for
Leadership and
the Liberal Arts
From Our Staff
Director of Community Engagement, Alan Bloomgarden ........................................................................ 2
Assistant Director of Community Engagement and C.A.U.S.E. Advisor, Angelica Castro ...................... 3
Youth Partnerships Coordinator, Anne Schlereth ..................................................................................... 4
MACC AmeriCorps*VISTAs, Caitlin Kidder, ’13 and Gwendolyn Coiley, ‘14 ..................................... 5
2014-15 CBL Program Highlights
The “Spanish Corps” ............................................................................................................................... 6
Faculty Spotlights: Serin Houston, Rachel Fink, Sarah Frenette, David Allen ...................................... 7-8
CBL Brings Community to Campus: East African Youth , Voices From Inside, Noche Latina,
Afterschool Program Visits ................................................................................................................. 9-10
Focus on Tutoring .................................................................................................................................11
CBL Student Staff 2014-15.............................................................................................................12-17
Community-Based Learning Courses ................................................................................................18-19
CBL In the News/Alumnae: Where Are They Now? ............................................................................20
Learning In Action Workshops ..............................................................................................................21
C.A.U.S.E. on Campus.........................................................................................................................22
Our Partners .........................................................................................................................................24
2
From the Director of Community Engagement
We are so very proud that CBL and Mount Holyoke have received significant recognition and honor for community engagement efforts on a national stage in 2014-15.
In September, our “Community Fellows” program was celebrated by Excelencia in Education at the annual “Celebración
de Excelencia: What Works for Latino Students in Higher
Education” conference in Washington, DC. Excelencia honors programs that “provide intentional, strategic and tactical
responses to meeting the challenge of accelerating Latino student success.” Our “Community Fellows” program was recognized for recruiting and retaining Latina students to critical
campus-community leadership roles, for positioning these
students as leaders on campus and in communities, and for
supporting mentoring of K-12 youth and building the pipeline
of Latinos to higher education. These Fellows advance student
achievement and school engagement, and promote college
access among youth in Holyoke, Springfield and the region.
With daughter Cailey Bloomgarden-Bredin, '15 who coordinated the January
2015 "Bag the Community Food Drive" in South Hadley, Community Fellows Nadejda Stancioff, '15 and Chelsea Carrier, '15 and friends.
In January, Mount Holyoke achieved the “gold standard” for
community engagement. The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching awarded the college its “community
engagement classification”, a designation granted to institutions which demonstrate that their mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices support “dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.” The application involved an
exhaustive self-study of programs, policies, and practices, prepared with help from alumna Alison Reid, ’05. This achievement is especially rewarding after having been declined in
2010. Improvements since include our development of: experiential learning programs including the Lynk and Nexus; curricular and co-curricular preparation and reflection courses;
and increased institutional leadership and infrastructure. CBL
has led college-wide coordination of regional partnerships,
aligning community service, CBL, and work-study collaborations with training, educational and supervisory resources. We
are pleased that Carnegie reviewers recognize these efforts as a
trajectory toward enhanced community engagement.
CBL’s CUSP 202/203 course sequence for Community Fellows has achieved state-wide impact this year, as Massachusetts
COMMUNITY-BASED
LEARNING
Campus Compact invited us to deliver
this curriculum as training for this
year’s AmeriCorps VISTAs. MACC
asked us to adapt the Fellows’ curriculum for Twenty-seven VISTAs
(Volunteers in Service To America)
who are community partnership liaisons on college campuses across Massachusetts. Participants
undertook trainings and workshops on asset-based community development, reciprocity and sustainability in campuscommunity partnerships, logic models, project planning and
assessment, and other topics here at Mount Holyoke. Current fellows gained important networking opportunities and
exposure to career pathways in the public good.
Angelica and I have advised many students in this spring’s
“Lynk-UAF” process, and it is rewarding to see diverse student interests and internship pursuits. We contributed to
this year’s “Sophomore Institute” and look forward to continuing involvement in college-wide initiatives connecting
experiential learning and community engagement.
CBL welcomed two new staff this year who became quickly
integral to our work. Anne Schlereth is Mount Holyoke’s
“Youth Partnerships Coordinator,” working part-time and
in conjunction with Education faculty and community partners to align training, placement and supervision of more
than 150 students each semester (in CBL course placements,
federally-funded off-campus work-study, and as C.A.U.S.E.
volunteers) who support tutoring and mentoring programs
in Holyoke, South Hadley, Springfield and elsewhere. Anne
previously coordinated Volunteers in the Northampton
Schools. Diana Fiori has succeeded Marianne Taylor as
CBL’s half-time administrative assistant, and after jumping
in mid-August she has been providing exceptional support
to students, staff and partners. Diana also teaches Spanish at
Greenfield Community College, and has managed a rapidpaced entry with tremendous grace.
Mount Holyoke students, faculty, and staff of local organizations make this all work. I hope you will see in this report
the great enthusiasm for social action we experience daily.
We believe that, as we invite our students to explore and
prepare for lives of civic and social responsibility, we are
achieving meaningful, positive impact upon communities
and peoples and fostering critical social change.
- Alan Bloomgarden
3
From the Assistant Director of Community
Engagement & CAUSE Advisor
What an eventful and engaging year to be
part of the Community-Based Learning
Program!
As Assistant Director of Community Engagement and CAUSE Advisor, I’ve
learned so much from watching our students take on changing the
world and making it a better place for us all! Also, as CBL took on
new initiatives and hired new staff to support our exciting growth,
we knew we were in for a busy academic year! Change is a positive
thing, but not always easy to implement. However, with our staff,
who worked together so well, and our many colleagues and faculty
at Mount Holyoke College and the Five-College Consortium,
along with our dedicated community partners and passionate CBL
Fellows and CAUSE Board Members, we were able to create an
amazingly successful year to reflect back on!
I CAN’T BREATHE! HANDS UP DON’T SHOOT! The deaths
of Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of police were
issues that affected both our local and global communities this
past year. Our students were not silent about their concerns and
dismay regarding these issues that also affected our MHC campus
community! So they did something about it!
The CAUSE Board and several CBL Fellows came together to
organize students to take action and have their voices heard. They
collectively found a way to get funding and transportation to take a
trip down to Ferguson, MO during their fall break in October to
join in the protests that were already happening! As they joined
thousands of fellow protesters to speak out against racism and
police brutality, they were inspired to come back and share what
they had all experienced.
They returned ready to enlighten our MHC and local communities about the struggle that communities of color everywhere were
facing, not only in Ferguson! What followed upon their return
were collaborations with community partners around
#blacklivesmatter; panel discussions during M&C events; banner
drops in Springfield and Holyoke; protests, sit-ins and die-ins in
the community, on Route 116, throughout the campus and in
Blanchard; and dialogues with Campus Police in the cultural centers. All of these events culminated into a huge one-day conference
in the spring called A Call to Consciousness: Transforming Awareness into Action!
and cultural context around issues of race and social justice.
Then, panel discussions explored the contributions of youth and
politically engaged hip-hop artists to the movement. The day
culminated in a hip-hop performance headlined by Jasiri X and
Rebel Diaz.
I was honored to part of the planning and organizing of these
events right alongside our CBL and CAUSE students. As a social
justice warrior and change agent, I was humbled to learn so
much from their passion to make our Mt. Holyoke community
an inclusive, equitable and conscious place to learn and thrive!
*****************************************************************
It was also my responsibility this year to coordinate the CBL Program’s Learning In Action Workshop Series. We kicked off this
year’s series with the Dynamics of Partnership by Alan Bloomgarden and Caitlin Kidder, followed by the return of the Art of
Volunteer Recruitment & Management by Caitlin Kidder and fellow
AmeriCorps VISTAs. Our very own Ruby Maddox, Assistant
Director of the Miller Worley Center for the Environment led
CBL to Non-Profit Management, which wrapped up our fall lineup.
The spring semester began with Grantseeking and Grantwriting by
our alumna Kathy Sharkey, Director of Communications and
Outreach for Peace Development Fund, followed by Facilitating a
Meeting and Reflection Session by Angelica Castro. We ended our
amazing series with Kelly Woods, Associate Director of Career
Advising for CDC, who presented Transferable Skills. These
events are designed to advance our students’ professional development as community workers and collaborators, but we are
pleased to welcome all to these sessions and have been pleased to
see Mount Holyoke students, other Five College students, and
community members in attendance.
- Angelica Castro
Mount Holyoke students and community members joined together this spring for a daylong event to raise consciousness and encourage critical thinking around issues of race and social justice.
The day began with a self-care workshop that helped activists and
organizers develop strategies to remain engaged and effective. The
workshop was followed by a teach-in designed to provide history
Angelica Castro with CBL alumna Zende DeLeon ‘14 in Washington
DC to accept our award from Excelencia in Education.
4
From the Youth Partnerships Coordinator
would be possible without the Community Fellows working in
these after school programs. Their careful oversight of recruitment, attendance and orientation of tutors, their steadfast commitment to the children and adolescents they work with, and
their dedication as peer leaders to fellow Mount Holyoke students has been nothing less than awe inspiring. They organized
reflective workshops, coordinated campus visits for the students
in after school programs, and managed the ongoing communications that are essential to things running smoothly.
HELI Tutor Training –Spring 2015
There are a myriad of opportunities for Mt Holyoke students
to participate in community engagement; as the new Youth
Partnerships Coordinator I have enjoyed learning about these
varied and meaningful opportunities. Connecting students
with community acts as a chance for the two to work on cooperative objectives, to forge shared values and to help plant
seeds of inspiration for all to benefit from in the future. In the
short time I have been in this role I learned a great deal about
how the Community-Based Learning (CBL) program has collaborated with community partners and developed ways in
which Mount Holyoke students can engage in citizenship and
social justice initiatives. I have great admiration for the endeavors developed by my CBL predecessors and colleagues
with local organizations and school based programs in Holyoke and surrounding communities. Participating in these
partnerships, I too, have come to have great admiration for the
work being done. Working together with community partners
we were able to place nearly 120 Mount Holyoke students in
these K-12 programs this academic year.
This past fall and spring, through increased outreach and acquirement of the off-campus work-study, we received over 175
applications from Mount Holyoke students interested in becoming tutors at Homework House, Connections or Choices
after school programs. Of those students who became tutors,
53 were in off-campus work-study positions; the rest of our
tutors were from CBL courses and volunteers—all were equally
dedicated to serving youth in the community. We had ongoing and diverse occasions for students to learn and grow in
their role. Students were invited to workshops focusing on
literacy and math as it is taught in elementary, middle and
secondary schools across the Commonwealth. The off-campus
work-study students were invited to the Extended Day America Reads Training that offered workshops in curriculum and
youth engagement. All of the networking and learning opportunities acted as a means for students to meet and share ideas
with one another and to ask questions related to tutoring and
citizenship.
Looking back on all of these accomplishments reminds me
that none of the recruitment or ongoing support of tutors
COMMUNITY-BASED
LEARNING
In addition, I have enjoyed participating in numerous community and Five College Consortium committees. All of these partnerships ensure that the vision for Mt Holyoke student engagement
is aligned with the need in our communities. For example, I have
been actively involved in the Holyoke Early Literacy Initiative
(HELI) Instructional Partnerships. Together, we developed and
implemented training for tutors sharing with them literacy strategies in vocabulary, close reading, and text based questions. Christie Elman, Education Coordinator at Homework House, and
Stacey Funston, Connections Youth Partnerships Coordinator
(& Mt Holyoke alum, ‘11), were my co-facilitators at the recent
HELI training’s for tutors. Here are some words from these partners:
“The HELI training at Mount Holyoke was great! The
opportunity to have our tutors trained in this important
initiative will allow Homework House to better align with
the Holyoke Public Schools and, in turn, have a greater
impact on our students.” –C. Elman (Homework House)
“The HELI training brings tutors in to a great collaborative effort to improve literacy practices in Holyoke. In
learning about the greater context of their work and gaining specific skills to help our students in literacy development, we are acknowledging the integral role they have in
our programs and in our district. This sets a new precedent for tutor training and skill level that we are thrilled
our Mt. Holyoke tutors are choosing to take on.”
-S. Funston (Connections)
-Anne Schlereth
From Left: Christie Elman, Education Coordinator-Homework House, Anne
Schlereth,, Youth Partnerships Coordinator– CBL, and Stacey Funston, Community Partnership Coordinator-CONNECTIONS After School Program
5
From MHC CBL AmeriCorps*VISTAs
After nearly four years of being part of the CBL Program family –
first as a CBL course student, then as a Community Fellow, and
two years as a VISTA – my time with the program is coming to a
close. After my first term of service with VISTA, I chose to commit
to a second year of national service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA
Leader with Massachusetts Campus Compact (MACC). In my new
role this year, I have recruited, hired, trained, supported, and mentored 27 MACC VISTAs placed at colleges and universities across
the state, all doing campus-community partnership work with
schools and educational non-profits. This year has been one of
huge professional and personal growth for me, as I have refined
and expanded the partnership development, program administration, and mentorship skills I was first introduced to as a Mount
Holyoke student timidly taking CBL courses.
My role this year as a MACC VISTA at Mount Holyoke College
is to connect resources and students from the Spanish Department with the Latino community in the Holyoke Public Schools.
The city of Holyoke has significantly low literacy rates as compared with the state average and as compared with other gateway
cities in Massachusetts; only 15% of third graders are reading
proficiently. With a combination of under-funded schools, a
high poverty rate, and 30% English Language Learners, the district is struggling to meet the needs of its students and families.
Of the many projects and duties I have managed this year, by far
my favorite was working with Alan to integrate my VISTAs’ training program with that of the CBL Community Fellows. While it
was at times challenging to develop activities that could be relevant
to both the experiences of current Fellows and current VISTAs,
many of who are recent college graduates and have varying levels of
experience with civic engagement, there were many “aha!” moments as VISTAs and Fellows connected, sharing resources, experiences, and passion for their work.
It is hard to believe that after almost six years, I will be leaving the
nurturing environment of the CBL Program and Mount Holyoke.
The support, encouragement, and mentorship from my colleagues
in the CBL Program are what gave me the confidence to dive headfirst into the work that I now plan to pursue for the rest of my life.
As I venture into graduate school and the “real world”, I know
that I have a solid theoretical foundation, many desirable and useful skills, experience putting theory to practice, and a team of mentors and colleagues I will always treasure who are cheering me on
as I move forward.
- Caitlin Kidder
MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA
Leaders Caitlin,
Tim, and Lauren
meet new VISTA
John (center) at
Pre-Service Orientation, August
2014.
Supported by Massachusetts Campus Compact, Mount
Holyoke hosts AmeriCorps*VISTAs
(Volunteers in Service to America) to work on campuscommunity collaborations addressing poverty
through education and economic opportunity.
MACC VISTA 20th Anniversary Day of Service
For this reason, there are many important tasks such as family
outreach and advocacy that fall by the wayside. For students who
want to use their Spanish skills and become involved in the community, I provide them with a variety of ways to do so depending
on their level of proficiency. I work in partnership with administrators at the school district to identify the biggest areas of concern and develop volunteer opportunities to address them.
The most impactful work that I have done so far is create a program called “Spanish Corps”. The idea stemmed from conversations that I had with administrators at the school district that
highlighted a lack of official interpretation as a major problem in
the schools. The main use for interpretation on a daily basis in
the schools is for IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings
with parents and school staff. Since they have no designated,
trained interpreters (even though 80% of HPS students are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent), I recruited Mount Holyoke
students who are fluent in Spanish and English and they were
provided with an interpreter training by the school district.
The interpreters are provided with a translation binder with different helpful resources and an official introduction script that
states that they have been trained by the district. It has been very
rewarding for me to hear positive feedback from the schools and
from the students about Spanish Corps. Though it is only a
Band-Aid for a larger systemic problem, the work that Mt. Holyoke students are doing in Holyoke is making a difference in the
lives of students and families who are all too often the ones left
behind. (For more information on Spanish Corps, see page 6)
- Gwendolyn Coiley
6
2014-15 “Spanish Corps”
Compiled from material from Gwendolyn Coiley, Caitlin Kidder, Emily Harrison Weir and Rosa Cartagena
In the Fall of 2014, Professor David Hernández offered a new course titled Latina/o Immigration as part of the Latina/o Studies
minor program now available at Mount Holyoke. The course centered on issues of belonging, foreignness, status, language barriers, citizenship, migration processes, and settlement. While the course was taught on campus, Professor Hernández understood the
importance of grounding the issues in the community at large, particularly looking at communities in Springfield and Holyoke.
The course became CBL-optional, thus it was affiliated with CBL but not every student enrolled took on the community based
component.
Out of this course, six students in the Fall (and five students now in the Spring) volunteered to help Gwen Coiley with a new program called Spanish Corps. Ms. Coiley started her MACC VISTA position here on campus at the beginning of this academic year.
When speaking to public school administrators in Holyoke, she found there was a strong need for formal language interpretations
in Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
meetings. IEP meetings are critical for a
student’s development within the public
school system because they center around
ways to help students through special education. These annual meetings are between
parents and the faculty involved in helping
their child such as speech therapists and
teachers. Yet, many parents in the public
school system in Holyoke are not fluent in
English and thus struggle to understand the
content of and the decisions made in
the meetings, particularly without a
formal interpretation program. As one
volunteer Emily Weir explained, “some
students might be transitioning to high
school, and this [meeting] is a deal
Gwen Coiley (center) with student volunteers in the Spanish Corps program.
breaker point for some of them, as they
might be pull back from a grade or they might have to attend a special classroom.” Gwen Coiley worked to create Spanish
Corps to address this problem with volunteers from Mount Holyoke who were able to do Spanish to English interpretations.
Spanish Corps member Annabelle Gonzalez feels particularly close to the program: “Spanish Corps is very personal to me
because I am a product of these Individual Education Programs” and she “would do anything to help.”
Through Spanish Corps, MHC students engaged in the Holyoke community and experienced some dynamics within the public school system. Professor Hernández’s course contributed to students’ understandings of immigrant experiences and issues
in the U.S. that could then bring into their work and vice versa: their help for these families, many of which were immigrant
families, enhanced their knowledge of the challenges Latina/o immigrants face across the nation. They were able to serve as
advocates for non-English speaking families in the community to help give those families a voice. Oftentimes those families do
not feel comfortable speaking their minds in those settings because of the language barriers. Maria Jose Correa, another member of the Corps, described, “I had parents telling me that was their first time attending a meeting since their children started
school, or that they have never wanted to attend one because they couldn’t understand the person who called them to tell
about the meeting.” Students were asked to write blog posts reflecting on their sessions which created a space for them to discuss the problems they witnessed. For example, some students felt staff and teachers’ attitudes toward parents were condescending and patronizing. As Professor Hernández noted in the online forums, “they were never equal” and administrators
did not prioritize the parents’ comprehension. Interpreter Tessa Burke observed, “the public education system is not set up for
Latin@/Spanish speaking students or families for that matter.” The MHC volunteers worked on building trust with those non
-English speaking families and while the work was difficult, they understood the importance of their work. Spanish Corps exposed those students to the harsh realities in public education and encouraged them to think about ways to change the status
quo. Emily Weir shared Spanish Corps’ influence on her life: “After my positive experience with the Spanish Corps last semester, I took on a leadership role through CBL, and now I work closely with Gwen developing new programs for the Spanish Corps and expanding our communication, as well as strengthening our partnership with Holyoke Public Schools.”
COMMUNITY-BASED
LEARNING
7
Faculty Spotlights
by Rosa Cartagena
Professor of Geography Serin Houston
When Professor Serin Houston started at Mount Holyoke in the Fall of 2011, she did not expect a student of hers to approach her about a farmer collective called New Lands Farm in West Springfield. The farm is part of the Ascentria Care Alliance organization that helps with resettlement services for refugees. New Lands Farm is one of the opportunities they provide, particularly helping refugees that are farmers or gardeners. Now on its fifth year, New Lands Farm has 12 acres and 112
farmers and gardeners that work on the land. One
of the key components of the farm is its economic
opportunity for these refugees through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Their
farm has continued to grow, as have their profits
through the farmer collective: just last year according to their website, the collective’s sales totaled
$56, 240. The collective offers a direct link between
farmers and their consumers and all farmers work
together to expand their offerings and diversify their
crops, creating a collaborative community of farmers that increases their collective food security.
These farmers are then able to sell their vegetables
at Farmer’s Markets or even on a mobile vegetable
bus that goes into food deserts to sell fresh veggies
at low costs. As Professor Houston observed, New
Lands is a place “where refugees can literally grow
their roots” in a new community.
One of the plots at New Lands Farm that MHC students worked on during their visit
From that first discussion, Professor Houston has
been able to organize three different visits to the farm with two separate classes. Her classes have centered on global migration and learning about how to create a life in a new place. She was happy to be able to bring her students to New Lands
Farm to volunteer for a couple of hours, thus giving them the opportunity to meet and work with the people living out what
they study in the classroom. These visits provide “community building through co-laboring, building together, and working
on the land,” said Professor Houston. The visits also create opportunities for raising awareness as well as spaces for the farmers to teach about their home countries, experiences, and farming skills. This partnership does not only go one way, either;
Professor Houston has brought three visitors from New Lands Farm including a former minister of agriculture and two Bhutanese farmers who shared their experiences through a Nepali student interpreter. This year, Director of Community Engagement Alan Bloomgarden approached Professor Houston in the hopes of creating a more formal partnership between New
Lands Farm and the Mount Holyoke CBL program. Professor
Houston’s course will now have a CBL component and she expects
there to be a “productive and insightful collaboration” where students “appreciate the learning and New Lands appreciates having
more hands.” The collaboration is still evolving and will continue
to become more formalized through CBL.
Regina Laurel ’16, Suk Tamang, and Tessa Gonzales ’16 at New Lands Farm.
One student, Charlotte Morse ’15, visited New Lands through Professor Houston’s Global Movements course and proceeded to intern at the farm this past summer and worked with business logistics, transportation, working on the farm, and mediating disputes.
Her visit to New Lands was a “turning point” in her academic career and she said, “after visiting, I started - and still haven't stopped
- pondering how I can create a similar blend of agriculture and community.” She loved her internship and is now pursuing a career in
community farm management.
8
Faculty Spotlights by Rosa Cartagena
Professor of Biology, Rachel Fink, Senior Lecturer in Physical EducaProfessor of Education, Sarah Frenette, tion and Athletics David Allen, and
Introduction to Sports Pedagogy
and “Science Buddies”
Last year, Professor Rachel Fink reached out to CBL to figure
out a way to sustain her 9-year old science tutoring program she
had been running on her own at Mosier Elementary in South
Hadley. Professor Fink began Science Buddies as a parent at
Mosier interested in improving their science education. She
helped by bringing in specimens for students to observe and
arranging for the school to get a microscope. Organizing Science
Buddies on her own has proven challenging, so collaborating
with CBL has enabled Science Buddies to continue and thrive
through providing student leadership provided initially by Alexandra Lau. This year, a formal CBL course entitled Teaching Children Science, supported by CBL Fellow Lauren Altomere, aided
coordination and logistics. “CBL helped me a lot because I was
close to not being able to continue,” Professor Fink commented.
Last semester, Teaching Children Science was cross-listed under
Biology and Educational Studies, and co-taught with colleague
Professor Sarah Frenette. Students now receive academic credit
for their involvement in the program.
Science Buddies pairs up one MHC student with one Mosier
Elementary teacher to help with science classes and projects although students help with other subjects as well. The program
hopes to help promote larger numbers of students, particularly
women, interested in science. MHC students help designing
labs, getting supplies, and arranging campus visits and field trips.
Last semester, Science Buddies visited the Hitchcock Center for
the Environment and the Beneski Museum at Amherst College.
Experts in science teaching, including Phil Zimmerman in Environmental Education and Michael Flynn in Education came to
speak to students in the class. Professor Flynn did a workshop on
guided inquiry and facilitating learning with young children.
Students met monthly and worked on ways to formalize the program to create more opportunities for interactions with elementary teachers in the classroom. Eight students continued their
involvement through the spring semester outside the course.
Professors Fink and Frenette are proud that MHC students gain
classroom experience, and many students are now thinking
about going into teaching science. One of their former volunteers is now applying to graduate schools and Professor Frenette
added, “she is only considering programs that have a communitybased component.” MHC students in the Mosier classrooms are
models of female scientists for the young schoolchildren. Professor Fink reflected, “I think their world gets larger as Mount Holyoke women enter the classroom as science experts.”
Every Friday just before noon, 19 Mount Holyoke students
pile into fleet vans with Dave Allen, the MHC Swim &
Dive coach, to go facilitate a gym class for third graders at
Lawrence Elementary School in Holyoke. The gym at Lawrence is full of excited children who can’t wait to play basketball, team handball, or run relay races. The session begins as Allen splits the young students into groups and
sends them to one of three of the activities being offered.
MHC students proceed to lead warm up exercises and then
dive into the sport before the kids rotate to another activity.
As the hour passes, MHC students encourage these kids
with shouts of support, exclamations of “Good try!” and
high fives all around.
These visits are an integral part of Allen’s Physical Education course, Introduction to Sports Pedagogy, which focuses
on the different components of professional coaching and
physical education i.e. how to teach motor skills and teamwork. They work with four different classes of third graders.
This CBL component allows MHC students interested in
coaching or physical education learn how to apply the concepts learned in class to a real world situation. As for the
young students at Lawrence, they are able to interact with
movement education in a positive way, learn a variety of
skills through learning a new sport or problem solving, and
see positive female athletic role models.
Last year, the course experienced some challenges when
trying to establish a CBL component with middle school
students at Peck Elementary School. One challenge was the
difference in age of those two groups: middle school students are often less inclined to be as excited about physical
activities while third graders are extremely energetic and
enthusiastic no matter what activity they might do. A big
change in this year’s community program has been the addition of a collaboration with the CBL Department. Allison
Slysz ‘15 took the class last year and experienced the difficulties the program faced at Peck. She wanted to remain
involved this year so she is currently the CBL Mentor for
the course and she helps with planning and coordinating
the visits. Allison laughed as she elaborated on how the
course influenced her life. “I didn’t think I wanted to teach
until I took this course and now I’m returning to Mount
Holyoke next year to do the masters program in Teaching.”
9
CBL Brings Community to Campus
On March 7th the East African Tutoring Partnership hosted more thirty-five individuals at Mount Holyoke for the day. Children, teens and adults were paired with Mount Holyoke student hosts and participated in campus tours, various activities and
participated in African and Caribbean Day. Activities included seeing the flower show, visiting the art museum
and doing neuroscience activities in Kendade. After these
activities and a tour, we convened in the Mead common
room to have snacks and rest before the dinner and show.
One middle school aged student, Khadija read a poem
that she wrote and two children Binti and Naima read a
poem entitled Africa My Africa together.
Left: Kids played foosball in
the Mead Common Room.
Group photo with MHC student volunteers and East African Partnership visitors.
Hanna Seyoum and Emily Kyte, who are co-fellows for the partnership, planned the visit
to encourage positive relationship building between the Springfield East African community and Mount Holyoke students. The majority of the families are not familiar with
Mount Holyoke beyond the fact that there are a group of volunteers that come into the
their community once a week from the college.. This visit sought to provide children and
teens with a college positive experience. AC Day was a wonderful platform for the children and teens in our program to represent and use their own voices to speak for their
families, communities and cultures.
Kids had fun hanging out and snacking in Mead.
Visitors sat in the balcony in Chapin, behind the ring of African and Caribbean Flags.
The visitors were able to relax before the show.
The day was incredibly successful. Hanna and
Emily are thankful for the support of Dunbar
Center, the CBL Department, MHCASA and
Professor Hanson for making this event possible.
- Emily Kyte’17 and Hanna Seyoum ’16
Binti and Naima, left, read Africa My Africa. Khadija, right, shared a poem she wrote.
10
CBL Brings Community to Campus
A Reading By Voices From Inside
Voices From Inside Out, a writing group of previously incarcerated
women, came to Mount Holyoke College in October of 2014 to
perform a reading. Voices From Inside is a non-profit organization
serving counties in Western Massachusetts. They are a group that
facilitates writing workshops primarily for incarcerated or previously incarcerated women. They seek to aid women in finding their
voice and decreasing stigma for incarcerated women. The program
featured local, formerly incarcerated women who read their work.
The event attracted students, community members, faculty and
staff. It was free and open to the public and was sponsored by the
Community Based Learning Program as well as Dean of Students
Office, College Health Services, MHC SAMI (Students Against
Mass Incarcerations) and the Purington Fund. The event raised
over 500 dollars for VFI and collected many books through a campus book drive.
- Nadejda Stancioff ‘15
- Tashi-Iyana Shuler-Drakes ‘15
The Amherst High School Leaders also visited Mount Holyoke
College to join in the Noche Latina Show and they had a great
time. The purpose of this event was to expose them to a pre-
Percussionists performed at Noche Latina with MHC Students.
college experience through a campus visit. The students participated in parts of the show and the thoroughly enjoyed the evening. They learned about African roots in Latin American countries which gave them a distinct and sometimes under-explored
history. The students could not stop talking about how much fun
they had and they asked when would be the next time they could
return to visit the campus.
- Evelyn Martinez ’15
Members of Voices From Inside shared their work with MHC in the Campus Center.
Noche Latina
As a Community Based Fellow for Dean Technical High School,
my biggest personal challenge has always been how to engage with
my students on a level that interests them and teaches them at the
same time. My first year tutoring, the current fellow had instituted
a great idea that the students attend Noche Latina, a night celebrating Latina histories at Mount Holyoke. Following in her footsteps, my co-fellow and I tried to initiate the same thing this year
and bring the students to the Noche Latina: Legacy of the African
Diaspora night November 21, 2014. We wanted to expose the
students to our campus’ cultural interpretations of identity and
allow them see that school is more than just academics, but also
where people form their self-hood through celebrating their experiences and backgrounds. The students really enjoyed themselves,
from the food to the performances. Many of them expressed that
they hadn't seen that side to college before and many of them were
excited about the prospects of joining their own cultural organizations at their own universities in the future. It was a wonderful
experience not just for our students but our tutors as well because
they were able to give the students a small glimpse of their lives on
campus through tours and just speaking about their college experience. I thought it was a great way for them to further their bound
and I look forward to making this an annual event for the program
and the future fellows/tutors.
Looking Forward: Campus Visits
This spring, CBL Fellows Tessa Gonzales, Claire Canniff, and
Mae Petti are collaborating to pool the resources and tutors from
their respective programs to bring students from Holyoke elementary schools to Mount Holyoke College. They plan to encourage Mount Holyoke students to further engage with children
outside of the tutoring setting to foster lasting emotional bonds
between tutors and students. They hope to allow the children
from grades 1-5 to experience life on a college campus by exposing them to different activities in order to instill in them the
freedom to pursue their interests and empower them to be agents
of their own future.
- Tessa Gonzales ’16, Claire Canniff ’15, and Mae Petti ’17
Photo provided by
Michael S. Gordon
of The Republican
Savannah Sevenzo
FE ’15 worked with
young students on
their homework
through Homework House.
11
Focus on Tutoring: KellyAnn Cameron, ‘17
KellyAnn Cameron ’17 peered over the shoulder of a
Peck Middle School student. Students from second through
fifth grade that attend Holyoke’s CONNECTIONS afterschool program, rushed past the posters of book cover illustrations on the cafeteria walls. They met with other Mount
Holyoke students either on one-on-one sessions or in groups
to start their homework. On the lunch table, the girl’s afternoon snack of apple juice and sunflower seeds framed a
math worksheet. The student’s number two pencil hovered
over a problem. Cameron said, “What do we know? What
do we have to do to find this out?” The girl paused.
“Subtract.” In 15 minutes, Cameron helped the student finish their first homework assignment.
CONNECTIONS, one of Mount Holyoke’s three afterschool America Reads/America Counts (AR/AC) program
partners, enables Five College students to tutor local Holyoke children Mondays through Thursdays. After tutoring
for an hour, students stay an additional hour to interact with
kids through the Enrichment Club, which includes programs
such as cooking and hip-hop. Holyoke Community College’s CHOICES Program shares a similar structure, focusing on sixth through eighth grade students. MHC’s third
major partner, Homework House, is a nonprofit in which
college students’ work with children who are at risk in
school. Parents register their kids for free after-school support. Mount Holyoke’s Community-Based Learning course
and volunteers make up 50% of tutors, with the remainder
supported by federal work-study through AR/AC.
Youth Partnerships Coordinator, Anne O. Schlereth, facilitates AR/AC, CBL course and volunteer placements for
Mount Holyoke. Her main priorities consist of working with
tutors and student leaders (community fellows), and managing partner organization relationships. She enlisted seven
fellows this year to help manage and support tutors’ needs.
Schlereth said, “They wear many hats in their role.” Fellows
mediate between Schlereth and the tutors, helping to facilitate paid training sessions required for federal work-study
students: an overview training and extended training workshop. The first session establishes expectations and basic
protocol for the students, while Five College faculty and
local teachers lead the second meeting. Professors and Holyoke teachers share teaching strategies and tips. Fellows
also assist with recruiting in the fall and spring semesters.
A native of Spokane, Washington, Cameron first heard
about the program when she worked during her first year in
the Ham and Macgregor dining hall. A sophomore who returned to the dining services was a volunteer who inspired
Cameron to submit an online application. As a student on
federal work-study, Cameron works twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A bus transports students to and from
the American Reads America Counts locations at 2:55 p.m.
from in front of the Thirsty Mind café on Route 116.
Cameron said her studies at Mount Holyoke complimented her work at CONNECTIONS. A Middle Eastern Studies
by Rebecca San Juan for the CDC
major, Cameron studies Arabic and understands the struggle that some students encounter when doing their English
homework. Most of the children are Puerto Rican and
some are just learning English as their second language.
When Cameron tutors students just learning English, she
applies similar reading and writing techniques from her
language courses. In addition, Cameron found some of the
extra workshops and reflection periods organized by fellows critical to her success. Cameron said, “We have a lot
of training on teaching English language learners and also
cultural sensitivity stuff–being able to be understanding
and realizing where they’re coming from as children.” She
said she offers support rather than judgment, adding “I’m
going to be a listening ear for them. When they need comfort, I’m going to be there or find the resources for them if
that comes up.”
A few challenges did surface throughout the year. Cameron admitted that her prior work with children differed
from her work with AR/AC. She previously worked at a
daycare as well as taught downhill skiing. “In the skiing, I
was the teacher. It’s hard, because we don’t know the
[student’s] teacher and we don’t know what they’re doing
in the class.” In order to best help the students despite
some setbacks, tutors try to work as a team. Cameron said,
“People share their tricks for teaching different skills. We
collaborate.” Cameron also emphasized patience. “Once
you get stressed out, the kid gets really stressed out.”
The change of scene and pace, Cameron insisted, combats the many challenges. She says the kids brighten her
day. While she supports kids academically through homework help, she noticed that relationships flourish during
Enrichment Club. Most enjoy playing with the tutors or
‘big kids.’ Cameron said, “They talk to us. We’re not
teachers but we’re not kids, so we’re kind of like the older
sibling or young aunt kind of relationship.”
Cameron hopes to return and work with the program the
following spring after she returns from studying abroad in
Jordan. She hopes to work in the future with refugees adjusting to American society and possibly teaching English
to those immigrants. Cameron said, “This experience of
working with people who are learning English as a second
language could be useful in that.” Above all, Cameron
believes that working with children has shaped her experience at Mount Holyoke. She observed that rather than depress themselves over low grades on homework or exams,
the children are fixed upon improvement, not selfcriticism. Now, Cameron tries to apply
the same mindset in her studies. “You
get this fixed mindset that I’m smart.
When I do poorly on something, I
think ‘well I honestly didn’t study that
much.’ It’s not a reflection about my
intelligence.”
12
CBL Fellows - Community Partners & Job Descriptions
Lauren Altomare ’15—Mosier Science Buddies
The mission of Science Buddies is to support elementary science education in the South Hadley public
school system. The goal for this year is to help students have a stronger understanding of scientific principles and to help increase comprehension and retention of ideas. It is also my desire to give students a better
understanding on what teaching is like and how a public school system works. At the end of the year I hope
to have been a supportive asset to the teachers.
Elizabeth Auguste FP ’16 —South Hadley Master Plan Implementation Committee
Liz serves as a Research Fellow for the Master Plan Implementation Committee (MPIC) of South Hadley.
Through designing, implementing, analyzing and presenting community development research, Liz uses research to encourage the empowerment of the voices of South Hadley residents, inclusivity, and improvement
in local town development.
Cailey Bloomgarden Bredin ‘15—Neighbors Helping Neighbors
I facilitated the training and placement of over 70 spring admit MHC students in an annual food drive in
South Hadley. Together with community members, we collected over 40,000 pounds for the local Neighbors
Helping Neighbors food pantry. The event allows students from Mount Holyoke to interact with and learn
about the town— working side by side with residents of all ages to combat food insecurity and create a caring
and supportive community.
Tracy Brannstrom FP ’15—South Hadley Community Gardens
In the South Hadley community garden, I work with others to produce large quantities of vegetables, which are
provided for low-income residents through the area’s food pantry. The goal of this project is to meet the basic
nutritional needs of South Hadley residents who cannot afford to purchase adequate amounts of produce for
themselves and their families. This work meets a basic need for the land of South Hadley as well; the organic
and ethical practices of food production that we employ will continue to rehabilitate land that has been depleted of nutrients. The project connects social and environmental justice while volunteers work to nourish ecological and social systems that are so often devastated by our current political and economic structures.
Claire Canniff ‘15—Homework House
I hope to strengthen the ties of community and communication between the organization, school, volunteers, and students. Through better understanding of expectations, tutors are better positioned to help students achieve and succeed academically. I want to help facilitate stronger ties of community and support
between tutor and student, so both will benefit from a better understanding of one another and learn from
one another, building enriching, valuable relationships.
Chelsea Carrier ‘15—Neighbor to Neighbor
I am working with the Holyoke Chapter of Neighbor to Neighbor, a non-profit organization that facilitates
grassroots organizing by giving volunteers the tools to affect the positive change that community members
envision. With this decentralized structure, Neighbor to Neighbor depends on volunteer recruitment and
retention, and, by the end of this year as a Community Fellow, I will help to create lasting systems for bringing talented and passionate people to the organization. My experience will definitely give me the ability to
organize in a community very different from my own and listen to concerns of citizens and then work together to implement a plan of action, as well as improve my Spanish language proficiency!
CHOICES After School Program - Blair-Alexandria Cobb ’16 and Tayllor Johnson ’15
CHOICES is an afterschool program targeting grades six through eight designed to create an
outlet for high school and college students to mentor/tutor their peers. Through homework
and facilitating “club time” tutors leadership, communication, and organizational skills are
developed. CHOICES aim is to build a safe environment for the sixth to eighth graders
where they can feel free express themselves and get their work done without distractions.
Finally, this program promotes college awareness and continued education; starting with
going to high school.
13
CBL Fellows - Community Partners & Job Descriptions
Maria Correa FP ’16 (left) and Sara Mahoney ’17 (not pictured) —Holyoke Public Schools/ELS
This semester I am working in creating and improving programs between the Spanish, Latino/a and Latin
American Studies department and the public schools at Holyoke. We continue with our program called
“Spanish Corps”, which involves interpretation for non English speaking families. This semester, returning
students are getting paid by the district of Holyoke. We are helping with the arrangements for the Holyoke Early
literacy project (HELI). Finally, we started a new program called “Teaching Corps”, for now only in Holyoke
High School, where students are teaching basic Spanish conversation and vocabulary to High School teachers.
New projects coming soon!
Michaella Coughlin ’16, Emily Kyte ’17, Hanna Seyoum ’16, and Elizabeth Ma ’16 — East Africa Cultural
Center in Springfield
The East African Cultural Center aims to provide a safe learning space and interactive community between the East African Diaspora community in Springfield and Mount Holyoke students.
We strive to foster a long-term relationship that is based on trust and mutual respect. Our organization seeks to build strong personal relations between mentors and mentees of all age groups.
By instigating a means of resource pooling and sharing between the two communities, we intend
to create a strong, collaborative and harmonious community. Our vision is to allow for open
experience sharing between members of The East African Cultural Center and Mount Holyoke
students.
Maria Roberta Duarte ’16 (right) —Holyoke Health Center
Roberta is working with Dr. Anne Nugent to continue CBL’s partnership with “La Linda Manita” (the little
hand,) a literacy and parenting skills development program for new mothers based at Holyoke’s Health Center.
Kimberlyn Fong ‘15—Radio Rookies, Girls Inc. of Holyoke
As a Media Literacy Fellow for Girls Inc. of Holyoke, Kimberlyn facilitates a youth radio program, which focuses on the creative and technical aspects of audio journalism. Participants, also known as
“Radio Rookies”, learn the power of their voices and stories to influence other people's ideas about the important issues affecting our local, national, and global communities. Other workshops include analyzing pop
culture and our relationship to the media.
Patricia Garcia FP ’16—Undocumented Student Awareness and Resource Center on Campus
I am currently working at Mount Holyoke College to raise awareness and channel solidarity for undocumented/DACAmented students through developing a sustainable student led resource center on campus. I have
taken steps to build the resource center by meeting with administration to make structural changes that would
be more inclusive to undocumented/DACAmented students.
Eskedar Gessesse ’15—South Hadley High School/Environmental Club
Facilitates weekly meetings of the Environmental Club at South Hadley High School and organizes field trips/
campus activities to enhance environmental consciousness in the high school.
Tessa Gonzales ’16—Connections at Peck
As the CBL fellow for CONNECTIONS after-school program at Peck Middle School, Tessa collaborates with
supervisors and fellow Mount Holyoke students to tutor and counsel 2nd-5th grade students, helping foster the
students' personal, academic, and social growth as well as encouraging them to realize/reach their full potential.
Amelia Gonzalez-Pinal ’16—Springfield No One Leaves
Springfield No One Leaves is a member led grassroots organization that organizes against displacement by banks and corporations to fight for the right to affordable and healthy housing for all. The organization engages in community solidarity, leadership development, and political education to build the Springfield community. This semester I focused on developing curriculum and facilitating political educational workshops for SNOL’s annual People’s School: Movement Leaders Academy.
14
CBL Fellows - Community Partners & Job Descriptions
Dennise Jerez ’15—Peace Development Fund
Denisse works with the Peace Development Fund (PDF) in Amherst. PDF serves as an organization that works
to build the capacity of community-based organizations through grants, training, and other resources as partners in human rights and social justice movements. Denisse assists in translating documents, updating their
website, and reading through the grantee’s applications. She has been able to learn from the donor’s perspective on how to write grants and what donors look for in new organizations, which she hopes to use to her
advantage in future hopes of starting her own non profit.
Jaenelle Lauture ’16 (right) and Julia Montiel ’16 (left) — Girls to Women
Girls to Women is a mentoring program for young women of color, mostly 9th-10th graders. We aim to foster empowerment and self-love through the arts. We cover a range of
topics from health to personal relationships. Our goal is to create a safe space for these girls
to be able to speak on their personal issues. Furthermore, we provide them with collegeaccess materials for them to be exposed to as well as providing them with insight into college life.
Marielena Lima ’15—Nuestras Raices
Working with Nuestras Raíces, a grassroots organization focused on urban agriculture in Holyoke, MA. Marielena is supporting the community outreach portion of a citywide Urban Forestry program to increase Holyoke's urban tree canopy. Work consists of canvassing and designing bilingual outreach material to educate
residents of Holyoke about tree benefits.
Stephanie Maitre ’15—Literacy Fellow, Girls Inc. of Holyoke
As an Economic Literacy Fellow for Girls Inc. of Holyoke Stephanie’s program focuses on the development of a
pop-up shop. Her program integrates basic economic curriculum and entrepreneurship into each step of the
pop-up shop planning process.
Evelyn Martinez ’15 — Amherst School District Family Center
Evelyn works with the VELA afterschool program through the Family Center at Amherst Regional Middle
School. During the VELA afterschool program, 5-College students like Evelyn, help middle school students do
their homework. Afterward, there are boys and girls leadership groups where specific middle school students
work with Amherst Regional high school students, Evelyn and their supervisor, Anastasia Morten, engaging in
dialogues around topics that relate to students’ experiences.
Shannon Massey FP ’16—Gardening the Community, Springfield
Gardening the Community is a food justice organization engaged in youth development, urban agriculture and sustainable living to build healthy and equitable communities. As a fellow, currently assisting
with the creation of sustainable systems to track donations, vegetable growth, and sales records.
Cheryl O’Connell FP ’16—Library/Biblioteca 451
Library/Biblioteca 451 aims to nurture inquiry, learning, critical thought, and community building among
Holyoke and Springfield residents in order to better understand and challenge our perceptions of history and
current social constructs. We believe knowledge and information should be in the hands of the people, not
the institutions.
Ashira Pelt ‘15—The Pioneer Valley Project
PVP is a coalition of churches, synagogues, labor unions, and other organizations that have a strong interest
in community life in the Pioneer Valley. The member organizations come from all sections of Springfield
and the surrounding community. The basic goal of PVP is to respond to the concerns that the participants
in the member organizations raise as the social problems that are plaguing their communities. My current
role at PVP include strengthening the organization’s relationship with the Islamic community in West
Springfield, researching alternatives to the school-to-prison pipeline and predatory landlords, and forming a
youth coalition.
15
CBL Fellows - Community Partners & Job Descriptions
Andrea Lydick ’15— Discovery Center at Michael E. Smith Middle School
Helping out in the after school program and the Discovery Center, an organization dedicated to promoting diversity and awareness.
Mae Petti ’17 (right)—Homework House
At Homework House we tutor children who are in 1st- fifth grade in Holyoke. We focus on getting children at
their reading levels and integrating college students into the Holyoke community. Our partnership fosters close
bonds between the children and the Mount Holyoke College students.
Olivia Philllips-Brusatto ’16 (right) and Tashi-Iyana Schuler-Drakes ’15 (left)—Connections at Dean Tech
We work in an after school program at Dean Tech high school called Connections. This
program allows for the students to have somewhere to go after school. Connections provides a safe environment where students can get help with homework, hangout with
friends, and have fun club activities. Clubs include cooking, crew, career help, martial arts,
basketball, outdoors, and anime club. We mentor/tutor the students and plan for activities
at Dean Tech and also outside of Dean Tech. We also recruit tutors and help them with
tutoring the students at Dean Tech.
Voices from Inside—Allyson LaForge ’16 (left) and Tiffany Privat ’15 (right)
Voices from Inside offers writing groups, performance, and leadership training for women in
Western Massachusetts who were or are incarcerated. We work with other women to co-facilitate
writing groups for incarcerated women and girls at two facilities in the area. My role as a facilitator is to help women find their voices, give positive and constructive feedback, and publish their
writing in a chapbook at the end of every session. We hope to foster an environment of support
and help them become empowered through writing.
Girls, Inc. Holyoke—Estefania Pugliese ’15
Assisting in increasing the number of girls in the town who are pursuing a college education, while seeking
to recruit volunteers from the Five Colleges to help mentor and encourage girls toward a future that involves
education. Developing girls’ financial literacy in partnership with ING.
Gerry Rivadeneira ’16—Just Communities
Gerry supports the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts to advances social change philanthropy to create
economic and social equality for women and girls in Western Massachusetts through grantmaking and strategic
initiatives.
Claire Schwartz ’16—Berkshire Hills Music Academy
As a graphic and web designer at Berkshire Hills Music Academy, Claire oversees the program’s visual and
video materials, website, social media outlets, and analyzes the effectiveness of online marketing ventures.
Berkshire Hills Music Academy is a post-secondary residential program for musically-engaged individuals
with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Camille Serrano ’15 —Holyoke High School, Mount Holyoke Music Tutors Program
Camille created the Mount Holyoke Music Tutors Program which enables college musicians to assist with
teaching instrumental music to Holyoke High School students. The aim is to advance youth and enhance
exposure to music education and provide college-positive mentoring. In this capacity, she tutors high school
musicians, recruits and manages college program tutors, and acts as a liaison between the CBL, and Music
Departments of Mount Holyoke and Holyoke High School.
16
CBL Fellows - Community Partners & Job Descriptions
Allison Slysz ’15 —Intro to Sports Pedagogy
As a Peer Mentor for the Sport Pedagogy course taught here on campus by Dave Allen, I acted as a mentor for
my peers, and as a liaison between Dave and the Lawrence School in Holyoke, MA. The CBL component for
this class involved Mount Holyoke students teaching and coaching sport-related skills to third graders at the
Lawrence School every Friday for the duration of the Spring semester.
Nadejda Stancioff ‘15 — Nuestras Raices
Nuestras Raices is a grassroots non-profit urban agriculture organization that seeks to create healthy environments and through “agri-culture” support the Puerto Rican population in Holyoke MA. I am helping support the organization through grant writing and creating graphics for the Urban Forestry initiative.
Melanie Wilkerson ‘15 — R.I.S.E. Westfield Detention Center
As the Founder and Program Coordinator of R.I.S.E (Redefining Ideologies and Stereotypical Expectations) at Westfield Detention Center, Wilkerson strives to empower male youth through a social justice
curriculum. Mount Holyoke students facilitate important dialogues in accordance with the young men's
preferences and experiences to explore how to make the most profound impact in their thinking and recognize their own power.
Corina Willner ’17 — Connections at Peck
Working with the after school program CONNECTIONS at Peck School, Corina coordinates weekly visits by
Mount Holyoke College sports teams. Each week a different team leads 10-15 4th and 5th grade students in
activities based in their sport, as well as learning the basic skills of the sport. This program allows the kids to
have their time to play, as well as learn about new sports.
Your work continues to inspire us and we
are grateful for your commitment to
community development, social action,
and social justice.
17
Administrative & Communications Fellows - CBL Program
Courtney Brunson ’16—As an administrative fellow, she assists the staff with administrative tasks involved with
volunteer compensation and organization of information logs. In addition, Courtney coordinates the transportation for community fellows to their volunteer locations and various organizational events (on and off campus).
She also works with social media platforms (Facebook and Flickr) to upload CBL event flyers and pictures of
fellows and volunteers.
Rosa Cartagena ’16 works as an administrative fellow, focusing primarily on the Annual Report. She wrote multiple stories on CBL courses and programs as well as collected student blurbs. Rosa helped with the layout and
design of the Report and assisted in photographing events and advertising them via social media and by designing flyers.
Mahawa Sibiday ’15 supports the CBL Program with administrative assistance to payroll processing and social
media outreach.
Lauren Altomare
Cailey Bloomgarden-Bredin
Tracy Brannstrom
Claire Canniff
Chelsea Carrier
Ashley Cooke*
Tayllor Johnson
Kimberlyn Fong
Eskedar Gessesse
Denisse Jerez
Marielena Lima
Andrea Lydick
Stephanie Maitre
Evelyn Martinez
Jessica Morris*
Ashira Pelt
Tashi-Iyana Schuler-Drakes
Tiffany Privat
Estefania Pugliese
Camille Serrano
Mahawa Sidibay
Allison Slysz
Nadejda Stancioff
Dianna Tejada*
Danielle Vasquez
Melanie Wilkerson
* CBL Fellows from former years
18
Section Name & Faculty
Course Title
Africana Studies 302/Politics 302
P. Smith II
Urban Policy
Anthropology 310/Film Studies 320
D. Battaglia
Seminar in Film Studies: 'Visual Anthropology in the
Material World'
Anthropology 346
D. Battaglia
Identities/Differences: Anthropological Perspectives
Anthropology 275
R. Beebe
Research Methods in Cultural Anthropology
Biology 203/Education 203
R. Fink & S. Frenette
Teaching Children Science: College Students in the
Elementary Classroom
Critical Social Thought 365/Latin American Studies
387/Latino Studies 365
D. Hernández
Disposable People: A History of Deportation
Curricular Support Courses 202
A. Bloomgarden
Curricular Support Courses 202
A. Bloomgarden
Education 205/Psychology 215
S. Lawrence (FA), J. Daigle-Matos (SP)
Education 233/Psychology 233
A. Grillo
Education 256/Math 156/Math 400 (Graduate)
M. Flynn
Community-Based Learning: Networks, Reflection,
and Meaning
Integrating Learning, Service, and Social Action
Racism and Inequality in Schools and Society
Educational Psychology
Developing Mathematical Ideas K-8: 'Building a System of Tens and Making Meaning for Operations'
Education 263
J. Jacoby & S. Frenette
Teaching English Language Learners
Education 300
J. Jacoby
The Process of Teaching and Learning: Developing
Literacy in Early Childhood and Elementary Schools
Education 324
S. Frenette
Observing and Assisting in Early Childhood and Elementary Settings
Education 325
M. Flynn
The Process of Teaching and Learning: Developing
Math/Science/Technology Instruction and Curricu-
Education 330
S. Lawrence
The Process of Teaching and Learning in Secondary
and Middle Schools
Education 430 (Graduate)
B. Bell
The Process of Teaching and Learning in Secondary
and Middle Schools
Education 460 (Graduate)
J. St Martin
Subject-Specific Methods for Middle and Secondary
Teachers
Education 461 (Graduate)
C. Swift
The Process of Teaching and Learning: Developing
Literacy in Early Childhood and Elementary Schools
19
Section Name & Faculty
Course Title
Education 463 (Graduate)
K. Accurson & B. Bell
Teaching English Language Learners
Education 465 (Graduate)
C. Swift
Children's Literature for Educators
Education 470 (Graduate)
M. Allen
The Process of Teaching and Learning: Developing
Math/Science/Technology Instruction and Curricu-
Educational Studies 250/Latin American Studies
387/Spanish 330
D. Mosby
Special Topics in Educational Studies: 'Puerto Rican
Studies: Culture, Migration, and Education'
Educational Studies 250/Spanish 340
R. Minana
Special Topics in Educational Studies: 'Promoting Bilingual Literacy Through Digital Storytelling in
Springfield, MA
English 202
C. Manegold (FA/SP), L. Parnass (SP)
Introduction to Journalism
English 301
C. Manegold
Studies in Journalism: 'Magazine Writing - Sequence 1'
Environmental Studies 316
K. Ballantine
Restoration Ecology
Environmental Studies 390
L. Savoy
Senior Seminar in Environmental Studies
First Year Seminar 110
H. Hanson
How Wars End
Gender Studies 206/History 296
H. Hanson
African Women: Food & Power
Gender Studies 290
E. Rundle
Field Placement
Gender Studies 333/Latino Studies 360/Sociology 316
D. Hernández
Latina/o immigration
Geography 208
S. Houston Decherd
Global Movements
History 291
H. Hanson
Education and Development in Africa: History and
Ethnographic Research Methods
Philosophy 280
L. Pasquerella & L. Reilly
Philosophy for Children
Physical Education 275
D. Allen
Introduction to Sports Pedagogy
Psychology 326
A. Douglas
Laboratory in Personality and Abnormal Psychology:
'Mental Health Outcomes Research'
20
In the News...

In the Fall of 2014, Springfield’s WGBY Television aired a documentary film featuring President Lynn Pasquerella,
CBL students and staff. “Big Ideas for Little Kids” was prepared by filmmaker Julie Akeret about Professor Thomas
Wartenberg’s long-running “Teaching Philosophy to Children” CBL course partnership with the Martin Luther King
school in Springfield, MA. Link: http://video.wgby.org/video/2365360694/
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Director of Community Engagement Alan Bloomgarden was featured in Leadership Pioneer Valley’s “Board Spotlight”: http://www.leadershippv.org/leadership_connect/board-spotlight-alan-bloomgarden-coordinator-ofcommunity-based-learning-at-mt-holyoke-college/
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MACC Ameri*Corps VISTA Gwendolyn Coiley was featured on the Massachusetts Campus Compact Blog:
http://masscampuscompact.org/blog/2015/02/18/gwen-coiley-mount-holyoke-college-and-holyoke-publicschools/
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Mount Holyoke college Tutors are featured in this Springfield Republican story about literacy and poverty in the region: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/springfield_holyoke_schools_am.html#incart_story_package
Community Fellow Alumnae: Where Are They Now?
Caroline Bauer, ‘09 moved to NYC after MHC to intern and then work for No Longer Empty, a nonprofit that activates
empty storefronts with temporary art installations . She then received a Masters in Urban Planning in 2012 from Columbia
University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, going to work afterwards for the Design Trust for
Public Space, a nonprofit dedicated to improving NYC's public spaces through urban agriculture, urban space reclamation,
and preserving fashion manufacturing in the garment district. She just left there after receiving funding from
the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund to run a project she designed called Curb Your Litter: Greenpoint. Curb
Your Litter will design a new way for communities to create lasting partnerships with the city to eliminate street litter.
Liz Budd, ‘09 has recently left her work in Holyoke where she worked with the YMCA and the Holyoke Food and Fitness
Policy Coalition on their excellent bike shop, bikeability and walkability projects. She is now working for the Center for
EcoTechnology as their Senior Client Services Analyst. CET helps people and businesses in Massachusetts save energy and
reduce waste. She work on the Green Business side of CET and one of her favorite programs that she’s working with is
the Mass Farm Energy Program.
Joselyn Urena, ‘13 joined the New York City Children's Corps, whose mission is to recruit undergraduate and graduate
students interested in child welfare and willing to commit to two years or more in a foster care or preventive care agency
in New York. Joselyn is a foster care and adoption case planner at Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services. Sheltering Arms has over thirty sites throughout the boroughs including child care services, group homes, and youth services.
Zendy DeLeon ‘14 works in early childhood education and development as a primary caregiver for infants and she plans
on applying to law school in the next two years
Quanita Hailey FP ‘14 works with the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community, the nonprofit organization that
hired her after her first semester as a CBL Fellow. She serves as a community bridger who assists persons who are currently
in the psych wards of local hospitals in making community connections. Ms. Hailey is also an All Saints Church Lawrence
House Fellow and will be attending the Union Theological Seminary in NYC to pursue a Masters of Divinity in the fall.
Angelica Rios ‘14 works as a Production Assistant for a global brand experience agency. She works with producers in all
aspects of event planning for international corporations such as Capitol One and Google.
Julissa Saragoza FP ‘14 is the Pro Bono Specialist at Sherman & Sterling who helps attorneys in New York, Washington
D.C., San Francisco, Pennsylvania and elsewhere build relationships with Latin@ organizations such as Latino Justice PRLDEF specifically focusing on immigration matters. She works on ways to get the Obama administration to end the jailing of
refugee women and children in particular.
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C.A.U.S.E. on Campus
On Saturday, March 28th, students and community members from
Mount Holyoke and the greater Five College Area joined C.A.U.S.E.
for an all-day event titled A Call to Consciousness: Transforming
Awareness to Action. The day included a workshop on activist self-care,
a Teach-In featuring Five College professors and community leaders,
and Rap Sessions panel with hip-hop activists and artists including Tef
Poe, Ashley Yates, Netta Elzie, and the members of Rebel Diaz. A Call
to Consciousness finished the night with a rap concert including performances from many of the hip-hop activists mentioned above.
2014-15
ANNUAL
REPORT
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The Harriet L. and Paul M. Weissman
Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts
Becky Wai-Ling Packard, Director
Located in Dwight Hall, the Weissman Center and its affiliated programs, the Speaking, Arguing, and Writing (SAW) Program
which includes expertise in English Speakers of Other Languages, the Community-Based Learning (CBL) Program, and Teaching
and Learning Initiatives (TLI) foster leadership in and out of the classroom. The Center seeks to develop the leadership capacities
of all students with a focus on inspiration, capacity-building experience, robust mentoring and networking, and self-reflection.
Through collaborations with faculty, students, alumnae, student organizations, and College offices, the Center encourages students
to engage critically with important issues; to foster their commitment to public and civic life; to build their abilities to analyze, argue, and promote their views; and to intensify the ways in which women will take action and create positive change in the world.
Our Community Partners
The CBL Program expresses deep gratitude and appreciation for the staff of organizations serve as hosts, supervisors, teachers and
mentors to Mount Holyoke students in community-based learning courses and fellowships. Community-based learning
depends upon the substantive contributions and generous spirit of cooperation among individuals and organizations
throughout the region. The following community partners made possible our students’ learning in 2014-15:
21st Century Bay State Educational Partnerships
ARISE for Social Justice—Library/Biblioteca 451
City of Holyoke Office of Planning and Development
CONNECTIONS Afterschool Program, Holyoke
Crocker Farm Elementary School, Amherst
Gardening the Community, Springfield
Holyoke Comm. College CHOICES Afterschool Program
Girls, Inc. of Holyoke
Homework House Inc. Afterschool Program, Holyoke
Holyoke Public Schools
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry, South Hadley
Somali Community/E. African Cultural Center/Dunbar
Community Center/The Gray House, Springfield
MotherWoman, Hadley
National Priorities Project, Northampton
Out Now, Springfield
Putnam Vocational Technical High School, Springfield
Rebecca M. Johnson School, Springfield
RFK Detention Center, South Hadley
South Hadley Conservation Commission
South Hadley Master Plan Implementation Committee
South Hadley Public Schools
Springfield No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude
Town of South Hadley
Upward Bound, Commerce High School, Springfield
Valley Opportunity Council, Chicopee
Voices from Inside, Florence
Women’s Correctional Facility, Chicopee
Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, Easthampton
The YEAH! Network
Youth Empowerment Adolescent Health Network, Holyoke
Youth Action Coalition, Amherst/Ware
CBL Program Offices & Contacts
Alan Bloomgarden, Ed.D.
Director of Community Engagement
[email protected]
Dwight Hall, Room 206
Caitlin Kidder, ‘13
MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
[email protected]
Dwight Hall, Room 217A
Angelica Castro
Assistant Director of Community Engagement and
Advisor to C.A.U.S.E.
[email protected]
Dwight Hall, Room 213
Gwendolyn Coiley, ‘14
MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA
[email protected]
Ciruti, Room 223
Anne Schlereth
Youth Partnerships Coordinator
[email protected]
Dwight Hall, Room 217A
Diana Fiori
Senior Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
Dwight Hall, Room 217B
Special thanks to Diana Fiori and
Rosa Cartagena for preparing this
Annual report. We also
acknowledge contributions of text
and photos from students and
staff for this annual report.
WEB: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/cbl FACEBOOK: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/go/cblfb