Tag: community engagement

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Announcements Armstrong Commons Boaz Commons Cockrell-McIntosh Commons Community Partners Crum Commons Event Kathy Crow Commons Loyd Commons McElvaney Commons MHPS Commons Morrison-McGinnis Commons News Reflections Virginia-Snider Commons Ware Commons

#1Day4Dallas a success in inaugural year

Engage Dallas hosted its inaugural Residential Commons Fall Day of Service, #1Day4Dallas, on Saturday, October 16th.  

Each of the 11 Residential Commons were represented with over 100 participants serving at 8 different locations around South and West Dallas: Rebuilding Together North Texas, North Texas Food Bank, Heart House, Restorative Farms, SMU College Access Programs, The Senior Source, and Voice of Hope. Collectively, participants contributed over 500 hours of service and engagement during #1Day4Dallas. 

Kirk Thomas, who serves as the Student Director of Ware Commons, was a leader in the planning for #1Day4Dallas. He described the experience of seeing the event come together as a thrill. 

“Seeing 1Day4Dallas come together for the first time in Engage Dallas’s history after weeks of planning was electric, like the feeling of weightlessness on a rollercoaster,” said Thomas. “Not only was it fulfilling being a part of meaningful community service work to help our neighbors in Dallas, but having that feeling amplified knowing that all across Dallas, SMU students were doing projects anywhere from home repairs to planting fresh vegetables in a community garden. Personally, I care because in doing these projects, we are able to create a sustainable cycle of people helping people. The more communities and neighbors we support and build up, the better off they will be not just today, but for tomorrow also.” 

Kirk and his fellow Ware students served with Rebuilding Together North Texas for #1Day4Dallas, where they helped to remove carpet and place wood flooring in the home of a West Dallas resident.

A student participant shared, “It was a wonderful experience to finally volunteer and directly serve another community.” The impact service had on students was tangible throughout the day. Engage Dallas is excited to continue to serve our Dallas neighbors. Students who remained on campus served our community through The Not So Big Event, hosted by SMU Big Event in partnership with Tango Tab.

Thank you to all students, faculty, staff members, and Community Partners for engaging with us through #1Day4Dallas. Please visit our website, www.smu.edu/studentaffairs/engagedallas, to learn more. Contact us at engagedallas@smu.edu. Follow us on Instagram at @smu.engage.dallas. 

 

Engage Dallas is a place-based community engagement initiative via SMU’s Residential Commons to address community needs focusing on South and West Dallas. The initiative is a long-term, university-wide commitment led by students to partner with local residents, organizations, and other leaders to positively impact the community. There is equal emphasis on campus and community impact stemming from the initiative. 

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Announcements Armstrong Commons Boaz Commons Cockrell-McIntosh Commons Crum Commons Kathy Crow Commons Loyd Commons McElvaney Commons MHPS Commons Morrison-McGinnis Commons News Virginia-Snider Commons Ware Commons

New diversity, equity, and inclusion-oriented trainings available to students

The Engage Dallas education and training team published 21 hours of new content for students on October 3. These supplemental online trainings aid SMU students in their understanding of the community-identified needs and are intended to increase their effectiveness when completing their community service in South and West Dallas.

Under the leadership of Audryanna Reed, former chair of the education and training committee and SMU’s Associate Director for High-Impact Practices, the team conceptualized, compiled, organized, and completed this ambitious project over the spring and summer terms.

Reed remarked, “Engage Dallas offers required and supplemental training courses to allow participants to better understand the Engage Dallas initiative and the diverse communities we serve. As we develop world changers, we think that it is important to provide direct and indirect learning opportunities for students, opportunities for students to identify the intersections between social problems, and intentional reflections to help students identify their role in creating sustainable solutions.”

These online, asynchronous supplemental trainings are now available to SMU students within the Engage Dallas Canvas Course. Students who complete these trainings will receive general engagement hours toward the Community Engagement proficiency and Experience.

One of the Engage Dallas initiative goals is to build capacity for social change in our local community. The education and training team intentionally curated and embedded diversity, equity, and inclusion resources from national leaders like the Smithsonian National Museum, state-level data, and materials publicly available from our Engage Dallas community partners.

Overall, these trainings build student capacity during their service through Engage Dallas. For instance, each Residential Commons has a social problem and now have a training to provide important foundational knowledge. These trainings, available to students in the Engage Dallas Canvas Course, help students understand the national impact of the social problem and utilize critical thinking skills to analyze how individuals, groups, non-profit organizations, and/or government entities can come together combat the social problem. These 11-Commons-specific trainings include:

  • Armstrong Commons- Homelessness
  • Boaz Commons- Food Insecurity
  • Cockrell McIntosh Commons- College Access & Preparation
  • Crum- Arts as Social Impact
  • Kathy Crow Commons- Environmental Injustice
  • LoydCommons- STEM Education
  • MHPS Commons-Immigration & Refugee Support
  • McElvaney Commons- Community Wellbeing
  • Morrison McGinnis Commons- Child Poverty
  • Virginia Snider Commons- Childhood Literacy
  • Ware- Community Rebuilding

In addition to the above social problem trainings, the education and training committee published trainings entitled:

  • Systems of Oppression
  • Community Building and Community Impact
  • Active Listening and Active Citizenship
  • Privilege and Social Identities
  • Social Justice
  • Race and Engage Dallas
  • Introduction to Community Engagement
  • Circle of Self

Students can always access these online supplemental trainings, but SMU students will also be able to attend in-person opportunities throughout the academic year to dialogue about topics like these. In-person training and education sessions are posted regularly on the Engage Dallas website.

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Announcements News

Engage Dallas coordinator full-time position posted on SMU staff career portal until Oct 22

Post

Southern Methodist University is actively pursuing candidates who demonstrate a passion for building relationships, positivity, and a can-do attitude. Our Service House Residential Community Director/Engage Dallas Coordinator (application close date of October 22) opening with a January 2022 start date is now available online.

This is a dual role that provides supervision to the SMU Service House and the place-based community engagement initiative, Engage Dallas. The Residential Community Director of SMU Service House, a community of 28 students with a focus on community service, provides leadership to develop and sustain a positive residential community within the house.  Additionally, the SMUSH RCD is responsible for successfully accomplishing all administrative functions required in managing a university residential community.  As the Coordinator for Engage Dallas, the RCD leads campus-wide community engagement opportunities via the Engage Dallas initiative, including but not limited to supervising a minimum of 11 student directors.

Preferred qualifications include: a master’s degree in College Student Personnel, Higher Education Administration or related field (earned prior to official start date) and previous residence life or community engagement experience. Additional desired qualifications include experience in a Residential College setting or experience working with academic and faculty partners; work experience in related community-building Student Affairs areas; and experience supervising student staff.

This is a 12-month, live-in position.

Compensation: Our total compensation package is valued at approximately $65,100; and this includes an annual salary of $40,000; partially furnished apartment, local phone, cable, wireless and ethernet connection; an annual professional development allowance; up to $400 for relocating costs; $2,300 meal allowance; and full University benefits (health, tuition, retirement within University guidelines).

Application Process: Please visit our Human Resources website at http://www.smu.edu/BusinessFinance/HR/WorkingAtSMU to apply. Here you will be able to upload your cover letter, resume, and list of three professional references. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 22.

Please direct any questions to us at 214-768-4981 or by e-mail to rlsearch@smu.edu.

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Announcements Armstrong Commons Boaz Commons Cockrell-McIntosh Commons Crum Commons Kathy Crow Commons Loyd Commons McElvaney Commons MHPS Commons Morrison-McGinnis Commons News Virginia-Snider Commons Ware Commons

Community partners announced to address community needs in South and West Dallas

Pre COVID-19 service photo of SMU students staffing community event
Pre-COVID-19 service photo of SMU students staffing community event

Engage Dallas is excited to announce our community partners as we work to address community needs via the SMU Residential Commons (RC) and their 2,600+ residents. After an extensive research process by faculty, staff, and students to identify expressed community needs in South and West Dallas, each Residential Commons student leadership team adopted a long-term cause they were committed to addressing via Engage Dallas. 

In Fall 2020, the Engage Dallas Offsite and Risk Management Committee began to identify community organizations already well-positioned, who are addressing the RC-chosen community needs. Throughout this intentional pairing process involving conversations with non-profit leaders, the committee focused on identifying community organizations whose missions aligns with the RC-chosen community need with which SMU could assist, and who — in the era of COVID-19 — offered virtual opportunities for our students. 

Matt Nadler, Residential Community Director and Offsite and Risk Management co-chair, shared, “Getting to know the various Engage Dallas community organizations has been a highlight of my semester. I’m excited for our students to begin volunteering and getting involved with their various community needs.” 

This semester, SMU students will put the online education and training they received into practice to begin volunteering remotely and may have direct-service opportunities as early as March. The Engage Dallas Student Director for each Residential Commons met with their partner organization liaison to organize virtual service opportunities for the spring semester. 

Melanie Wright, Engage Dallas Student Director for Boaz Commons, exclaimed, “There is nothing I’m more passionate about than engaging with my community and helping those around me. My excitement about Engage Dallas has been growing ever since getting to know Boaz’s community organization, North Texas Food Bank, and so I’m excited to encourage everyone to participate in Engage Dallas this semester.” 

Amber Martin, External Relations Manager for Reading Partners of North Texas, remarked, “I appreciate Engage Dallas and Eduardo [Engage Dallas student director for Virginia-Snider Commons] for the willingness to help within the community. The services Engage Dallas is providing North Texas will make a tremendous impact. Thank you for choosing Reading Partners to be one of Engage Dallas’ community partners.” 

SMU is excited to announce the following organizations as the initial community partner cohort for Engage Dallas. Each Residential Commons is listed with its chosen community need and initial partner(s). 

Armstrong Commons | Homelessness 

  • Partnering organizations 

Boaz Commons | Food Insecurity 

  • Partnering organizations 

Cockrell-McIntosh Commons| College Access & Preparation 

  • Partnering organizations 

Crum Commons |Arts as Social Impact 

  • Partnering organizations 

Kathy Crow Commons | Environmental Injustice 

  • Partnering organizations 

Loyd Commons | STEM Education 

  • Partnering organizations 

Mary Hay, Peyton, Shuttles (MHPS) Commons | Immigration & Refugee Support 

  • Partnering organizations 

McElvaney Commons | Community Wellbeing 

  • Partnering organizations 

Morrison-McGinnis Commons | Childhood Poverty 

  • Partnering organizations 

Virginia-Snider Commons | Childhood Literacy 

  • Partnering organizations 

Ware Commons | Community Rebuilding 

  • Partnering organizations 

“We look forward to what we will be able to accomplish together,” concluded Nadler. For more information or to suggest an organization, visit the Engage Dallas website. Inquires by community organizations can be directed to Staphany C. López-Coronado, Assistant Director for the Office of Social Change and Intercultural Engagement (sclopez@smu.edu; 214-768-4582). 

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Announcements News

Engage Dallas participates in Interdisciplinary Institute research cluster

During the 2020-21 academic year, the Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute (DCII) is sponsoring 25 Research Clusters exploring a varied and exciting range of topics. Engage Dallas will be participating in a research cluster entitled “At the Intersection of Nonprofits, Higher Education and Community Engagement.”

Led by Drs. Sondra N. Barringer, B. Kathleen Gallagher, and Alicia C. Schortgen, the cluster seeks to focus on the intersection of nonprofits, public administration, higher education, and sociology. The research cluster seek to expand understanding of the relationships between higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations in the DFW metroplex.

Engage Dallas is “excited by the possibility of expanding our SMU network and what that can mean for informing our work in South and West Dallas”, said Dr. Dustin Grabsch. Grabsch is co-lead of Engage Dallas’ Assessment and Research sub-team. Engage Dallas implementation team members will participate in planned activities this academic year.

Planned activities include four working group meetings and a symposium with a guest speaker.