Community Engagement News

Preparation of Action Plan is Underway

Barry University was designated as a Voter Friendly Campus for the first time last year. The national Voter Friendly Campus designation program was initiated in 2016 through a partnership between the Campus Vote Project and NASPA’s LEAD Initiative on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement.

As Barry seeks the Voter Friendly Campus designation for the second time, an action plan is being prepared. This follows the acceptance of the university’s statement of interest.

The action plan, to be submitted in May, will be based on a guide titled “Strengthening American Democracy,” designed to assist higher education institutions in their efforts to increase civic learning, political engagement, and voting rates among their students. Published by the Student Learn Students Vote Coalition in October 2021, the guide outlines the action planning process and related principles, and it contains a self-assessment rubric.

The preparation as well as the eventual implementation of the action plan is part of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP). After the plan is evaluated by the Voter Friendly Campus administrators, the CDP Committee will accelerate the promotion of voter registration and voting.

A report on the outcomes of the plan is expected to be submitted to the Voter Friendly Campus administrators by January 31, 2023.

The list of Voter Friendly Campus-designated institutions will be published in March 2023, said Arielle Mizrahi, the Florida state coordinator for the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project.

Thanks to the success of the CDP, Barry was designated as a Voter Friendly Campus for the first time last year. Earning the designation capped a challenging year of democratic engagement.

As the university worked toward the Voter Friendly Campus designation for 2021–2022, the CDP promoted participation in the democratic process through voter registration, education, and mobilization, which involved the creative use of online platforms and social media. Some 20 students at Barry were registered as first-time voters in 2020.

Barry is one of only 15 higher education institutions in Florida that received the 2021–2022 designation. The designation remains valid until December.

The Voter Friendly Campus designation program was initiated in 2016 through a partnership between the Campus Vote Project and NASPA’s LEAD Initiative on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement.

Barry Service Corps Member Genika Pratt Supporting Local Organization’s Racial Healing Efforts

Genika Pratt is concerned about social injustice in the community—social injustice manifested in poor quality education and inequitable attention to gun violence affecting people of color.

She wants to do her part to ensure that people of color are treated more equitably. That’s why she chose service with South Florida People of Color (SFPoC), a nonprofit racial healing organization.

Through her current role, which involves marketing and event facilitation support, Genika is contributing to the impact being made by the Miami Shores-based organization. Public events bring community members together to work at dismantling racism and to bridge racial gaps that exist.

Genika has served with SFPoC for two years as a Barry Service Corps member. For her, service to the community has always been a priority.

One of the events she has been helping to promote is a four-part series for Black History Month (February) titled “Alkebulan: Shining Light on the African Continent.”

Born and raised in Turks and Caicos, Genika moved to Miami at the start of her freshman year at Barry University. She is now a third-year student who likes to work with SFPoC to tackle social injustices in the community.

South Florida People of Color provides South Florida with the chance to participate in a variety of social events and activities that bring people together to share and learn from one another. Their vision, however, is to dismantle racism in all the forms it takes in society.

“My work benefits the [community] by informing individuals about what systemic racism is and how we can go about trying to reduce it,” Genika says. “It also provides programs for those who want to participate or to volunteer their time for others.”

Her time with SFPoC has enabled her to meet individuals with inspiring stories and people passionate about social change. She admires the work of Roni Bennett, the SFPoC co-founder and executive director.

Ms. Pratt is impressed by the amount of work being done towards making the South Florida community better. She wishes that more people knew how hard SFPoC works to fight racial injustice.

Genika has done almost all her work virtually because of COVID-19. Her work has been a learning experience, she says.

“Personally, it has helped me to open my eyes and see what’s really going on around me in my community and what I can do to help,” she notes. “Professionally, I’ve gained more skills, including how to do public speaking.”

Student Leaders Benefit from Initiative as Part of Statewide Student Network Focused on Tangible Change

By Liz Calvo

In preparation for the 2022 election year, a small team of Barry Service Corps Fellows has benefited from civic leadership training as part of an initiative called Power U, hosted by the Florida Student Power Network.

Power U is on a mission to “shake the vote.” Its immersive training experience benefits youth interested in protecting our democracy through civic engagement. This training helps students build connections, explore and lead issue-based campaigns, create voting plans, and even run in elections.

Skylar Smith, a political science major and co-chair of Barry’s Campus Democracy Project Committee, participated in the training. She learned how to get more active in her community and to address issues she cares about.

“I also learned how to get others involved in promoting social justice,” she said.

Diego Torres valued “learning about voting, how politics work locally [and at the state level] in Florida, and how to be a leader and impact your community.” He appreciated the opportunity to learn from those with experience in how to engage more effectively with the community, especially through political processes.

During the training session, the Barry student leaders came to understand how the redistricting process could impact election results.

Nurturing and Mentoring Students

The Florida Student Power Network is committed to nurturing and mentoring students, and actualizing tangible change in the community through nonviolent action while building relationships with community partners.

The statewide student network was born out of the 2016 Powershift Conference, a gathering of 300-plus students in Orlando. The purpose was “to organize intersectional solutions to climate justice.” However, it has developed into an organization dedicated to addressing a variety of issues.

Federal Work-Study Community Service Placements Still Available to Eligible Students

Students who are eligible for Federal Work-Study (FWS) may still apply for community service positions. All students participating in FWS Community Service are enrolled as members of the Barry Service Corps.

The Barry Service Corps is a civic engagement program managed by the CCSI. While gaining valuable work experience, members provide service to the community through nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and local government agencies.

The CCSI coordinates FWS Community Service in partnership with two departments—Financial Aid and Human Resources.

For further information, contact Emmanuel Ikpuri, program facilitator for Federal Work-Study Community Service, in the CCSI at bsc@barry.edu.

Faculty and Staff Urged to Become Mentors in Big Brothers Big Sisters Program

Faculty and staff members are urged to consider a mentorship role in the local Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

In January 2021, Barry University and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami embarked on a major partnership that is expected to contribute significantly to youth mentorship while expanding institutional engagement with the community. A major emphasis of the partnership is the mentoring of youth, including children of incarcerated parents, so they may achieve their full potential and all-around success.

For detailed information on the mentorship role, contact Dr. Roxanne Davies in the Office of Mission Engagement.

GivePulse is the community engagement platform that supports service-learning courses at Barry.

COLLEGE FOR A DAY: Students from Benjamin Franklin K–8 Center came to campus for their “College for a Day,” and the event left them with “an indelible impression.”

REGIONAL CONFERENCE: Barry was represented at the recent Annual Conference of the Eastern Educational Research Association, where presentations included some focused on community engagement projects.

Community Engagement News is a publication of the Center for Community Service Initiatives.

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