OACS Updates

Posted by Eileen Remley on Monday, November 14, 2016 in News Blurbs.

VIEW Accepting Applications

OACS is accepting student applications for VIEW 2017. The Vanderbilt Internship Experience in Washington, D.C. (VIEW) program provides students with an opportunity to meaningfully explore careers in the public service sector in the dynamic setting of the United States’ capital. This eight-week program introduces students to the career opportunities in the public service sector, provides training and support for the summer internship application process, connects participants with the local alumni chapter for networking and mentorship, and facilitates a community experience of this fast-paced and exciting hub of public policy development. The VIEW program is facilitated by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service, in partnership with the Vanderbilt University Career Center. If you know of students who may be interested in applying, please direct them to the website.

OACS Global Service-Learning Programs Accepting Applications

OACS is accepting student applications for our summer 2017 service-learning programs to Ecuador, London, Morocco, and South Africa. OACS Service Programs challenge students to question their perspectives and roles in the shared human experience through pre-service curriculum, intensive service, post-service skills application, and continuous reflection. The programs are prudently planned in order to best facilitate students’ abilities to connect meaningfully with people different from themselves through humble engagement and reciprocal dialogues within host communities. Through this exposure to firsthand knowledge and lived experiences, students will examine the deeper issues related to equity and justice and identify systematic barriers to equality and inclusivity. Students with a sincere desire to grapple with the complexity of human connectedness, to challenge their known values, and to reconcile academic knowledge with an authentic exploration of social and environmental injustices are encouraged to apply for an OACS Service Program. If you know of students who may be interested in applying, please direct them to the website.

Redefine Accepting Applications

Redefine, a collaboration between OACS, ISSS, and the Nashville Food Project is now entering its third year. In Redefine, students will immerse themselves in the conceptualization of community service as it relates to U.S. communities and how or if the same ideas translate across cultures. Redefine exposes students to local community needs by partnering with the Nashville Food Project. Students will serve with a non-profit organization that is delivering real impact in Nashville through its mission of cultivating community and alleviating hunger. A central goal of Redefine is the development of friendships amongst people from different countries. Undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. If you know of students who may be interested in applying, please direct them to the website.

Save the Date for the DOS Holiday Service Project

OACS invites DOS partners and staff to join us on December 20th in the sixth annual DOS Holiday Service Project! In partnership with the Vanderbilt Medical Center’s Volunteer Services Department, DOS staff annually help assemble and wrap gifts for each patient staying at the Medical Center over the holidays. In the first three years of the project, over 1,500 fleece blankets with carrying straps were distributed to patients at the Main Hospital and the Psychiatric Hospital. More information and the link to RSVP coming soon!

2016 OACS Global Service Symposium

Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff attended the first annual OACS Global Service Symposium on Tuesday, November 8^th. Students from the 2016 OACS Global Service cohorts presented Global Capstone Projects from their 6-week summer engagements with community partners in Rabat, Morocco; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; London, England and Quito, Ecuador, where they studied inequities and systemic injustice within the context of issues such as human rights, education, public health, and community development through direct service and capacity-building initiatives. Dr. Clive Mentzel was pleased to introduce Professor Mitchell Korn, who delivered the keynote address. OACS thanks partners from around campus, who joined us for an afternoon of reflection and meaningful engagement. A special thanks to our DOS colleagues who helped support the 2016 Global Service student cohorts.

Perspectives on Social Justice, Post-Election: Panel and Student Discussion

On November 14^th OACS, The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, and The Department of Political Science hosted a discussion of the future of social justice in light of the 2016 presidential campaign and election. Faculty from Political Science and across campus including Professors Brooke Ackerly, Frank Dobson, Marc Hetherington, Clive Mentzel, Efren Perez, Emilie Townes, and Isaac West gave brief orienting remarks and then engaged with students’ questions and concerns. Thank you to everyone who helped facilitate this important dialogue.