PULLMAN The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at WSU announced the recipients of the 2009 Distinguished Service Learning Awards. Each year the CCE recognizes one student, one faculty or instructor, and one community partner who display a commitment to learning through campus-community engagement. This year, a local community partner and a partner from the statewide service learning program will be recipients of the award under the community partner category.
Nominations are reviewed by a committee of faculty, staff, students and community partners. Awardees will be recognized at the Annual Cougs Care Recognition Event, 4 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, in the Compton Union Building Junior Ballroom. State of Washington Secretary of State Reed will be providing the keynote address for the event.
Dave Port, director of Harvest House, will receive the award as a Local Community Partner.
Port has worked successfully to create a place for adults with mental illness in Pullman. The goal of Harvest House is to enable members to help themselves and each other in meaningful work as they learn to manage their symptoms and work towards stability and recovery.
Port is receiving this award based on his long association with WSU over the course of twenty years with the establishment of an annual “Cougar Clothing Drive” to collect and distribute unwanted but reusable goods to the wider community. Harvest House members sort and redistribute the clothing as part of their meaningful work.
The ROCC (Recycling Outreach: Campus to Community) Project originated in 1995 and continues today with recycling bins in laundry rooms of all campus apartment buildings. It has become a staple activity for Harvest House members and having WSU students involved in the project has provided significant learning opportunities relative to mental illness, poverty and community support.
Snohomish County Extension will receive the award as a Statewide Community Partner.
Since inception of the Statewide Service Learning Program, which connects campus resources with community needs across the state, Snohomish County Extension has been an involved and committed partner in “at-a-distance” service learning.
Through the dedication and direction of Director Curt Moulton and Public Affiliate Supervisor Janet Jayne, Snohomish County Extension has worked with WSU students from a wide variety of academic programs including Architecture, History, and Digital Technology and Culture. WSU students have deepened their academic learning and their concept of what civic engagement can be and what it can do to enrich the lives of others.
Snohomish County Extension serves communities through youth, family, agriculture, nutrition and natural resource programs and has welcomed all opportunities to foster a relationship through which students and community members alike have benefited tremendously.
Sarah Whitley, instructor in the Sociology department, will receive the award under the Faculty/Instructor category.
Whitley is receiving the award for her commitment to service and learning through instruction of the Sociology 102 class as well as her commitment to the community. This past fall, Whitley involved her Sociology 102 students in research and advocacy to increase WSU student awareness of hunger and homelessness issues during the CCE-sponsored National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
Her colleague, Christine Oakley said that Whitley’s goal is “ not just to help students understand issues academically, but to enable them to understand the social world around them.”
Kyle McKeeman, a senior Health & Fitness major from Lynnwood, Wash., will receive the award under the Student category.
McKeeman is receiving this award for his action and commitment as one the chief organizers of the College Hill Association Adopt-a-Block program for his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Currently, McKeeman is hoping to make this project sustainable by establishing a Student Organization, the purpose of which would be focus on Adopt-a-Block and other ways students can get involved in their neighborhood. In addition to his work with the Adopt-a-Block program, Kyle has coordinated service projects with local elementary schools and participates in other CCE service projects, as well as a sponsor for Habitat for Humanity.
One of his nominators, College Hill Association President Alison Munch Rotolo explains: “In this capacity, Kyle has demonstrated an exceptional level of dedication. He is not a perfectionist or a resume-builder. He’s a real person, respected by others because he is a real person. . . He has made a difference in his fraternity, which reflects positively on the entire Greek community and the WSU student community. Under his leadership, several square blocks of College Hill are cleaner and safer this year. Under his leadership, many more blocks may be cleaner and safer in years to come. As a spokesperson for the neighborhood, I would like to thank Kyle for doing what no one else has ever attempted!”
