OVCS Name Change Reflects Purposeful Community Engagement
Community Partnerships at Connecticut College is founded on the idea of “building community, building partnerships and creating change,” as described by Associate Dean of Community Learning, Tracee Reiser. As a New London native, Reiser has been deeply involved in local community activism for much of her career. In our interview, she stressed that the name change from Office of Volunteers and Community Service to Community Partnerships was a deeply intentional choice, created to better reflect the values of the office and their commitment to mutually beneficial community partnership. Although many community members hold a sentimental association with the office’s original title, Reiser, along with several other members involved in the decision, ultimately decided the change was crucial to maintain consistency between the values of the office and their intentions when engaging in community work.
The practice of teaching and learning through community engagement has always been an essential component of Community Partnerships’ central mission. As Reiser describes, many of the students involved in the office are completing community learning requirements as part of their academic coursework. Within this collaborative process, professors will work with staff from the Community Partnerships office to find placements that will be most beneficial for the students in the course as well as for the local organizations involved. A similar emphasis on mutually beneficial engagement is also evident when students enter the office interested in pursuing placements connected to their own interests and passions; while it is certainly important that students find fulfillment and purpose through these experiences, it is similarly imperative that community schools, businesses and nonprofits are also able to benefit from the exchange and have a say in how community partnerships occur, “We want to ensure that the voice of the community is embedded in our partnership work,” Reiser said.
In order for this authentic exchange to be possible, Reiser emphasized the importance of growing and evolving with the college community, as well as with the local community within New London. “We’re very aware of the critical issues facing our campus and community and want to make sure we are in line with the changes and developments that are happening,” she described. Within our insulated college bubble, it may be easy to assume that the only changes occurring are that of the strategic plan and the Connections curriculum. However, looking beyond our campus map, there is also a strong current of change in the New London community, as the public schools transition to an all-magnet district, and the art, music and cultural scene of the city continues to evolve. Therefore, the name change of Community Partnerships in many ways may serve as a tangible example of the office’s commitment to evolving and growing with the community.
In the coming year, the Community Partnership’s office hopes to continue building on their strong programming in the community, particularly in the New London schools. In the past several years, the office has had incredible success in school partnerships through programs including Enrich at Jennings Bilingual Elementary, where Conn students help facilitate afterschool enrichment in partnership with local teachers and KBA (Kids, Books and Athletics) where students from Benny Dover Jackson Middle School play sports and practice literacy skills while working with students at the Conn athletic center. As the New London Public Schools continue to transition as an all-magnet district, the office hopes to continue growing and strengthening these forms of community programming.
On an academic level, the office is also currently involved in the creation of a pathway under Connections, tentatively titled “City Schools,” which would enable students to examine educational issues and systems through engagement with New London schools. Reiser said that as a broader curriculum, Connections places strong emphasis on engaging on a local and global scale. Therefore, as Connections unfolds, it may be interesting to see what role Community Partnerships will take in fulfilling this specific aspect of the curriculum.
For students at Connecticut College, there is clearly an abundance of opportunities to become involved in the local community. However, in partnering with these local organizations, it is essential that we keep the fundamental values of the Community Partnerships office in mind. As students, we must challenge ourselves to see community involvement beyond simply “volunteering” or providing “community service” and engage with community members and organizations in a manner that represents the mission and values of Community Partnerships’ reformed title.•
