Community Engagement News

Campus Democracy Project Encourages Students to Cast Their Ballots Early

Spreading the “Vote Early” message at the Vote Early Day event last Friday are Paulina Braxton, one of Engage Miami’s Engage the Vote student fellows, and Barry’s Bucky. Engage the Vote student fellows help students register and pledge to vote. (Photo by Glenn Bowen)

As Election Day draws near, get-out-the-vote activities organized as part of Barry University’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) have been going at full tilt. And students have been encouraged to vote early—by this weekend.

Last Friday, the CDP Committee made a final push to increase student voting in the midterm elections. The occasion was a Vote Early Day rally on the Miami Shores campus.

At the event, students received information about the key issues and the candidates on the ballot. And, as part of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, some students took the pledge to vote.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are being contested in the midterms.

Florida voters will elect a governor, a U.S. senator, and numerous state and local officials. In addition, they will vote on three proposed constitutional amendments—two that could provide property-tax breaks and one that will determine the future of the state’s Constitution Revision Commission.

The main sponsors of the Vote Early Day rally were the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSV), MTV, and ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. SLSV awarded an “Ask Every Student” implementation grant to Barry, and MTV—as part of its Campus Challenge—provided sponsorship through the Campus Vote Project.

Support for the event also came from Engage Miami, an organization whose mission is “to build a more just, democratic, and sustainable Miami by developing a local culture of civic participation for young people that is bold, creative, and impactful.”

Students are pictured at the Vote Early Day rally encouraging their peers to cast their ballots early in the midterm elections, with some taking the pledge to vote. Barry received an “Ask Every Student” implementation grant from the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition; support from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge; and a grant from MTV, awarded through the Campus Vote Project. (Photos by Glenn Bowen)

Civic Holidays

Vote Early Day is one of four “civic holidays” being observed this semester as part of the CDP. Civic holidays are nonpartisan days of action aimed at strengthening and celebrating American democracy. They bring together a range of organizations and communities to work towards a nation where everyone participates and votes.

MTV initiated Vote Early Day as a civic holiday focused on providing information to voters regarding how, where, and when they can vote early. Launched amid a global pandemic, Vote Early Day was considered critical to efforts aimed at ensuring that voters did not have to choose between their health and casting their ballot.

The CDP is a nonpartisan civic learning and democratic engagement initiative, designed primarily to promote voter registration and participation. Through the CDP, students, faculty, and staff have been celebrating the civic holidays with various events and though social media.

The Washington Monthly recently named Barry one of America’s “Best Colleges for Student Voting.” The publication then listed this university on its Student Voting Honor Roll.

Community Partners Make Post-Pandemic Connections at Professional Development Workshop

Community partners from over a dozen organizations attended the workshop conducted by T. Nikki Watkins, associate executive director of MCCJ. (Photos by Glenn Bowen)

A professional development workshop earlier this month saw community partners making post-pandemic connections on campus as they highlighted the current needs of their organizations.

Nikki Watkins, associate executive director of MCCJ, conducted the workshop, which drew community partners from more than a dozen local organizations. She adopted Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a framework to engage community partners in discussing current organizational needs and opportunities to meet those needs.

Ms. Watkins challenged community partners to “reimagine, reconnect, revive” as they pursue the ultimate goal of “restoring our community.”

Dr. Victor Romano, vice provost for student success and undergraduate studies, welcomed community partners to campus and to the workshop. He told them: “Community partners make a profound difference and impact not only on our community but also on our students. … Thank you for providing mentorship, guidance, and support to our students.”

Referring to one of the university’s core commitments, Dr. Romano said: “Collaborative service is in Barry’s DNA. It is who we are [and] what our founders, the Adrian Dominican Sisters, envisioned.”

Dr. Romano told community partners about the recent restructuring that has resulted in the creation of the College of Health and Wellness, which includes the School of Social Work. He also mentioned the emphasis on STEM programs as well as the attention now being given to graduate and professional programs.

The Community–Academic Partnership Workshop, which was held on October 19 in Thompson Hall’s Kostka Room, has replaced the annual Community Engagement Fair hosted by the CCSI.

Community Partner Seeking Volunteers for Miami-Dade Community I.D. Program

The nonprofit organization administering the Community ID program in Miami-Dade County is seeking volunteers to assist with program implementation.

Branches has organized “Community ID events” for which volunteer help is needed. Volunteers will assist Branches staff in processing applications for ID cards.

Earlier this year, the Board of County Commissioners approved Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s plan to launch the program. Branches was then selected to run the program, modeled on similar programs in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Mayor Levine Cava said: “Creating a community ID card not only gives access to basic services to residents who have been left out for not having a driver's license, but it also makes our community safer by fostering a better relationship between the police and the community.”  

The Community ID will be an accepted form of photo identification for some county services. Miami-Dade residents who stand to benefit include seniors, survivors of domestic violence, formerly incarcerated or homeless individuals, foster youth, and transgender individuals who lack proper documentation.

A Barry community partner, Branches “provides life-changing opportunities to hardworking families and their children to help them break the cycle of generational poverty.” The organization’s mission is “to serve, educate and inspire people through student, family and financial wellness services in partnership with our communities.”

Students interested in volunteering at a Community ID event are asked to contact Dr. Glenn Bowen in the CCSI via email, gbowen@barry.edu.

Community Partner Invites Students to Listening Session on Farm Bill

A community partner is inviting students to a listening session during which they can make their voices heard regarding the nation's food and farm policy.

Bread for the World will host the University Farm Bill Listening Session as a virtual event today (Oct. 31), “Join us as we prepare to craft and finalize our 2023 Farm Bill priorities during this virtual training and listening session,” says Bread for the World in an announcement. “Learn how the SNAP program can help address food security on college and university campuses.”

Every five years, the Farm Bill expires. The current Farm Bill, called the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, expires in 2023.

Through an extensive process, a new piece of legislation will be proposed, debated, and passed by Congress. Then it is signed into law by the U.S. President.

This year, Bread for the World has met with retailers, farmers, churches, nonprofit agencies, congressional members, and others “to help inform the work to be done regarding the next Farm Bill,” said Florence French Fagan, senior southeast regional organizer.

Ms. French Fagan is inviting college students to “join the conversation.” She wants them to share what they think should be included in the next Farm Bill.

Today’s University Farm Bill Listening Session is scheduled for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Registration is required.

Bread for the World is “a Christian advocacy organization urging U.S. decision makers to do all they can to pursue a world without hunger.” The organization’s mission is “to educate and equip people to advocate for policies and programs that can help end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.”

For information on Federal Work-Study Community Service, contact Emmanuel Ikpuri, program facilitator, via email at bsc@barry.edu.

INFORMATION SESSION FOR UKRAINIANS: Barry’s School of Education, Leadership, and Human Development hosted an information session for Ukrainians displaced by the Russia–Ukraine war.

FAIR FOOD ACTION: Students are getting ready to participate in the Miami Fair Food Action, led by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Student Farmworker Alliance, which will take place next month.

COMMUNITY PARTNER WORKSHOP: As a follow-up to the story in today’s issue, a pictorial report will focus on the recent Community–Academic Partnership Workshop.