DK
David Klein
  • Business Information Systems
  • Class of 2015
  • Newtown, CT

David Klein Participates in Eastern's Center for Community Engagement Volunteer Programs

2012 Feb 2

David Klein, '15, of Newtown, CT, participated in Eastern's Center for Community Engagement Volunteer Programs during the fall 2011 semester. Klein is majoring in Undeclared.

The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) supports the mission and vision of Eastern Connecticut State University by providing resources to build a culture of civic responsibility and engaged learning. The CCE creates sustainable, effective and productive relationships with community partners that benefit students, faculty and the community. This past academic semester saw an increase in the number of volunteering among Eastern students. Multiple programs were made available through CCE to volunteer on and off campus.

In conjunction with the 10-year anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, the Center of Community Engagement conducted a community outreach program with four local elementary schools to educate the children about the events of 9/11. The program focused on first responders and the aspect of civil service. The program started with a short discussion about 9/11 and then the children were rotated through four different stations. The activities included writing thank you cards, a question station, good deed paper chain and designing a banner. The banner was adorned with the children's handprints and was later hung in the Windham Town Hall.

The Curesearch Walk was another Eastern event that was supported by the Center of Community Engagement. The event was a fundraiser for the Children's Oncology Group, which does research to find a cure for children's cancer. The goal for the event was to recruit up to 20 students to join the Eastern Cancer Combaters team, help raise funds for the cause, and volunteer on the day of the event at registration and face painting. This was the first year that CureSearch walk was held in Hartford. The families and teams that were there were impressed to see the Eastern students who had come out to support them. Families and Hartford natives devoted their time to bonding with their family, friends and team while Eastern helped run the program.

Children from the after-school programs at North Windham, Windham Center, Natchaug, Sweeney and Windham Middle School were invited to come to the Interschool Walk for Warmth, which was held at the Middle School Track. More than 10 stations were set up around the track. Each station had its own activity, such as face painting and paper chain decorating. Almost every station had some kind of underlying message regarding poverty. Many of the activities focused on asking the students what they think should be done to end poverty. The primary goal was to increase poverty awareness among local schoolchildren. The Center of Community Engagement was able to connect 390 elementary and middle schoolchildren to Eastern students.

Kristina Scherber, VISTA/Community Service Coordinator for the Center of Community Engagement, commented on Eastern's volunteer programs. "This is my second year working in the Center for Community Engagement and I can say that there has been a vast improvement in the quality of programs provided through the CCE, both long term and one-time," said Scherber. "The CCE has developed a deeper bond with community partners and we are now able to better meet the needs of the community while encouraging Eastern students to be socially responsible."

In all, 341 Eastern students volunteered for the 12 long-term programs and 33 one-time events. The total amount of time spent participating in these programs came to 2,257 hours of service.

Eastern Connecticut State University is the state's public liberal arts university. Eastern serves more than 5,600 students each year on its Willimantic campus.