OACS December Updates
DIVE Closing Celebration
The Office of Active Citizenship and Service thanks all who joined us for our Local OACS DIVE closing celebration on Thursday, Nov. 30. We hope you enjoyed meeting the students in the Affordable Housing and Food Waste/Food Deserts cohorts and their non-profit partners, who together have applied the process of human-centered design to address challenges identified by the community.
The celebration began with opening remarks, followed by an introduction of the human-centered design projects from the students and their non-profit partners. Guests had the opportunity to ask questions about the inaugural Local OACS DIVE programs and get to know our local community leaders making a difference in Nashville. OACS looks forward to continuing the DIVE program in the spring with the Lived Experience of Refugees program beginning in January.
Thank you for your support of Local OACS DIVE!
2017 Global Service Symposium
OACS thanks all who joined us for the 2017 Global Service Symposium, especially Sandra, Monica, and Tabitha from Simon Bolivar Spanish Immersion School and Foundation in Quito, Ecuador. In partnership with International Education Week, OACS hosted its second annual OACS Global Service Symposium on Thursday, November 16th. Guests had the opportunity to speak with students from the 2017 OACS Global Service cohorts about their 6-week summer engagements with community partners in Rabat, Morocco; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; London, England and Quito, Ecuador, where they learned about 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. The Symposium also offered attendees the chance to hear about the incredible work of our transnational grassroots partners, including our new partnership with Simon Bolivar Spanish School in Quito, to gain a greater understanding of the students’ roles within each organization and to learn about the ways in which our students are engaging in similar justice-oriented issues locally.
Keegan Traveling Fellowship Information Sessions
The Michael B. Keegan Fellowship enhances the development of future leaders through world travel and experiential learning. The program is designed to allow a graduating senior the opportunity to pursue an idea or an issue, about which the student is impassioned, and to do so in the context of daily life in a global scenario. Info sessions for students interested in the Keegan Traveling Fellowship will be offered in the OACS Lounge on December 8th (4:45 – 5:30pm).
MLK Joint Day of Service
Join students and staff from universities across Nashville in a weekend of action and reflection as we honor the efforts and contributions of Dr. King in challenging the discourse on civil (dis)obedience and justice for all humankind on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2018.
A number of non-profit organizations in Nashville will be hosting service opportunities during the MLK Joint Day of Service. Students interested in participating should complete the 2018 MLK Joint Day of Service Registration Form by Monday, Jan. 8. Participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a specific service site the morning of the event.
2018 Global Service Immersion Site Leaders
OACS is seeking qualified DOS candidates to serve as co-site leaders for the 2018 OACS Global Service Programs in Ecuador, South Africa, and Norway. The Global Service Programs are 6-week international service-learning programs whereby Vanderbilt students are immersed in another culture through working alongside communities to better understand social injustices from a community-based service perspective. The Global Service Immersion programs seek to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for the Vanderbilt student cohort, local partners, and the communities served. Applications are due December 8th. Please apply using OACS’ Anchorlink form.
Qualified site leader candidates will have advanced-fluent language skills for programs in Ecuador, experience in or knowledge of the country, experience leading group programs or group service trips, and experience facilitating challenging conversations and reflection with students. All applicants should obtain permission from their supervisor to participate in the program, which includes preparing for and leading 7-8 2-hour seminars during the spring semester, attending 4 training sessions with OACS staff, and working abroad with students for 6-weeks. The site leader will be living in country and will be expected to be the main point of contact between the students, OACS staff, a partner organization, and service sites. Please contact Melissa Looby at Melissa.looby@vanderbilt.edu for more information.
MHS 3890: Resettlement in Nashvile – Advocating for the Displaced
At the end of November, the MHS class heard from Representative Jason Powell. Representative Powell represents one of the most diverse districts in Nashville. He discussed his experiences advocating for his constitutuents and immigration policies at the state level. Just last week, the class heard from Alvaro Manrique Berrenechea from Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors. As a legal advocate, Alvaro was able to discuss immigration law, barriers to understanding the process of immigration, and how TN-JFON advocates for the immigrant and refugee communities in Nashville.