Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

Giving Voice To Our Students And Partners: From Principles To Actions, Ana Rita Diaz-Munoz Ma, Academic Director

Fostering Multicultural Competence and Global Justice: an SIT Symposium

The principle of reciprocity guides our daily work: the idea that we are giving something back to the community in order to make a difference. We try not only to implement it, but pass it on to our students.

The core of our work as educators is possible thanks to the relationship with the host communities and organizations with which we work. This is the reason why it is crucial to find ways to give back to those organizations that work to improve the community.

Based on a dialog with students, colleagues and partners, we intend to answer a few …

Business Community Outreach: Exploration Of A New Service Role, Patrick Griffis, Sidney Lowe

Library Faculty Presentations

Benefits of Business Outreach:

- Promotes value of library in a community
- Increases awareness of library services in a community
- Provides opportunities for external fundraising
- Connects library to other community agencies
- Increases library awareness of community services
- Provides opportunities for programming activities

'The Edge Of The Island': Neighborhood Identity And Evolving Community In 'Liminal Places', Gordon Douglas

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

This paper examines the contemporary processes at work in urban areas without clear spatial identities that are simultaneously facing the challenges of cultural change and gentrification. I do so through the close analysis of one such ‘liminal place’ on Chicago’s West Side. I use the phrase ‘a community on the edge of the island’ to describe the area, inspired by an interview subject who referred to the tenuous search for a sort of ideal bohemian hipness as the need to stay as “close to the edge of the island” as possible without actually leaving it. Making use of ethnographic and …

End Of Program Evaluation On Catchment Demonstration Initiative (Cdi), Urs

Natural resources commissioned reports

In 2003 the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia, developed a Catchment Demonstration Initiative (CDI) Project as a contribution to the National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality. Joint Commonwealth and State funding allocated $6 million towards a project aimed at demonstrating viable salinity management systems in the agricultural area of Western Australia. The CDI sought to deliver its outcomes in partnership with NRM Regions by co-investment in targeted, large-scaled, catchment-based demonstrations of integrated salinity management practices.

Submissions were invited from interested groups to provide proposals, and following an assessment process at the local, state/Commonwealth level against predetermined …

Toward Innovative, Liveable, And Prosperous Asian Megacities Gawad Kalinga: Innovation In The City (And Beyond), Raymund B. Habaradas, Martin Lorenzo Aquino

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

Gawad Kalinga (GK) is an innovative approach that could be the key to solving poverty and homelessness in the Philippines. It is potentially an effective, sustainable, and replicable model that could address the problem of urban housing in the developing world. Its most important innovation is a shift in paradigm of what community development ought to be. Instead of looking at members of the poor communities as passive actors (i.e. as mere recipients of donations or as beneficiaries of support programs), GK considers them as active participants in the development process. Through the help of the caretaker team and the …

Take Pride In America In Southern Nevada: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 5, 2010 – July 4, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Anti-littering Programs

• With Board approval, the next phase of the Don’t Trash Nevada marketing campaign began.
• The Hector’s Helpers program with the Clark County School District began curriculum development.
• The team participated in the strategic planning process for Keep Las Vegas Beautiful.
• The team met with the Education Director of Keep America Beautiful to begin the process of developing a statewide program.
• The team continued to develop the GIS database.
• A total of 15 clean-up events were conducted this quarter.

Explaining Differences In Civic Knowledge Across 38 Countries, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Eva Van De Gaer

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study studied the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries in Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. A central aspect of the study was the assessment of student knowledge about a wide range of civic and citizenship-related issues. This paper includes analyses that use a multi-level model to explain differences in civic knowledge on the basis of student characteristics, home background and school contexts. In addition, the analyses in this paper include a consideration of factors …

Preparedness For Active Citizenship Among Lower Secondary Students In International Comparison, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Eva Van De Gaer

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study investigates the ways in which young people in lower secondary schools are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens in a wide range of countries from Europe, Latin America, and the Asian-Pacific region. A central aspect of students' preparedness to become citizens in a democracy is their disposition to actively participate in society. This paper contains an analysis of measures of students' intentions to participate as citizens in civic life and students' current participation in civic activities in their eighth year of schooling. It is based on data from approximately 140,000 students …

Volunteer Management Analysis For The City Of Las Vegas, Robert Fash, Jose Rodriguez, Bertral Washington, Heather Whitesides

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas current volunteer management program is unable to provide effective administration of its volunteers. We will discuss what type of volunteer management program would work best for the City of Las Vegas? Volunteer management models were examined to determine what best practices can be adopted by the City of Las Vegas. Research shows a correlation between citizen engagement, volunteerism in the community, and a better quality of life for citizens in communities that have active volunteer programs. Thirty-six jurisdictions were surveyed, most of which are in the Western United States, with four jurisdictions being highlighted. The …

Southern Nevada Agency Partnership Cultural Site Stewardship Program – Program Expansion And Steward Retention: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Cultural Site Stewardship Program

• Preserve America Steward awarded to Public Lands Institute and ICSST
• CSSP awarded Las Vegas annual “Historical Preservation Award”

Twenty new volunteers participated in site survey training and rock art recording classes. Additional classes are being prepared for early July 2010 in gps navigation and map and compass training for site steward coordinators who will assist with training to general stewards.

All newly accrued stewards have been introduced to sites in Clark County. Locations in the Gold Butte area have been successfully reinforced after a decrease of eight volunteers due to difficult economic conditions in Mesquite. Regional Coordinators have been instrumental …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Annual Progress Report, Period Covering July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• From July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010 the Volgistics database has increased the number of records from 6,226 to a total of 6,536 records at the end of this period.
• Website activity this year averaged 109,216 hits per month, with an average of 10,443 pages viewed per month.
• The team attended 14 community outreach events resulting in 2,588 direct contacts and 300 new mailing list records.
• The Interagency Volunteer Program (IVP) completed a total of 67 volunteer events contributing a total of 15,195 volunteer hours.
• A total of 131 volunteers completed orientations and trainings with the IVP.
• A total …

Nevada Interagency Volunteer Program: Helping Hands Across Public Lands – Phase Ii: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Covering April 1, 2010 – June 30, 2010, Margaret N. Rees

Get Outdoors Nevada

• The number of records in the volunteer database increased by 6% over the last quarter. The database now contains 7,250 records.
• A new tracking method was implemented to provide a more comprehensive analysis of website activity. Results show an average of 1397 visits per month, and with an average of 3,400 pages viewed per month.
• Spring volunteer training has been completed.
• Initial planning for Fall events has begun.
• Preparations and initial planning for the 2,010 volunteer recognition banquet began.
• The Interagency Volunteer Standard Operations Manual has been updated and revised.
• Get Outdoors Nevada supported 17 volunteer events in a variety …

A Celebration Of The Life Of Dr. Edna Louise Saffy. March 8, 1935-June 20, 2010, St. John's Cathedral

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

A program for Dr. Edna Saffy's funeral. Commended to God: June 28, 2010. Officiant: The Reverend Kenneth L. Fields. Assisting Clergy: The Reverend Dr. Robert D. Askren. Canon for Music--Timothy Tuller.

The Vital Role Of Social Workers In Community Partnerships: The Alliance For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender And Questioning Youth, Michael P. Dentato, Shelley L. Craig, Mark S. Smith

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

The account of The Alliance for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (GLBTQ) Youth formation offers a model for developing com- munity-based partnerships. Based in a major urban area, this university-community collaboration was spearheaded by social workers who were responsible for its original conceptualization, for generating community support, and for eventual staffing, administration, direct service provision, and program evaluation design. This article presents the strategic development and evolution of this community- based service partnership, highlighting the roles of schools of social work, academics, and social work students in concert with community funders, practitioners and youth, in responding to the needs …

The Value Of African American And Latino Coalitions To The American South, Ramona Houston

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Dawn Of The Cosmopolitan: The Hope Of A Global Citizens Movement, Orion Kriegman, John Wood

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper describes global civil society and examines the potential for what we call movement diplomats to facilitate a citizens' movement to action beyond today's fragmented dialogue at the World Social Forum. The paper concludes that while the emergence of a Global Citizens Movement (GCM) may not seem probable, we argue it is possible given the historically unique factors pushing us into a global age. We discuss further some of the necessary missing ingredients for the emergence of a GCM and point to future avenues for exploration. Our work is animated by the prospect of a GCM and we build …

Teacher, Researcher, And Agent For Community Change: A South Texas High School Experience, Francisco Guajardo

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Torch (June 2010), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Ua23 Newsletter, June 2010: Progression Through Partnerships, Aurelia Spaulding

ALIVE Center Publications

No abstract provided.

Liminal Living At An Extended Stay Hotel: Feeling "Stuck" In A Housing Solution, Terri Wingate-Lewinson, June Gary Hopps, Patricia Reeves

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As a result of unaffordable housing, many of America's working poor are forced to seek shelter in hotels to avoid homelessness. The concept of liminality has been used in discussions of place to describe the subjective experience of feeling in-between two states of being. Research is scant on the liminal experiences of low-income hotel residents, who are culturally invisible in society. This paper draws from data qualitatively collected via semi-structured interviews from ten low-income residents living in an extended-stay hotel. Descriptions of these residential experiences are presented along with recommendations for social workers practicing with families in this liminal situation.

Preventing Violence In Low-Income Communities: Facilitating Residents' Ability To Intervene In Neighborhood Problems, Mary L. Ohmer, Barbara D. Warner, Elizabeth Beck

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The violence found in low-income communities, including areas of concentrated poverty, is often extensive and can involve illegal drugs, juvenile delinquency, and even homicide. A large body of research has emerged which points to the positive effects of informal social control and social capital in preventing violence in lowincome communities, including neighbors taking leadership roles by intervening themselves. This article contains a description of an exploratory study ofa pilot training program the authors developed to facilitate residents' ability to intervene in neighborhood problems in a low-income community in Atlanta, Georgia. The training incorporated concepts from restorative justice, peacemaking criminology, and …

Alma Del Vino Benefit Wine To A Fund For The Farm Workers Of San Luis Obispo County, Shane Christensen Hastings

Social Sciences

"Alma Del Vino" is a benefit that gives back 100% of the proceeds to a fund for the farm workers of San Luis Obispo County. Hard work and a dedicated work ethic has provided a bounty of fruits and vegetables grown from this fertile land, and has been the backbone in establishing a reputation for producing high quality wine fruit from this growing region. This wine is an opportunity to give back to those who work so hard, and are most in need.

Reconstructing Citizenship In A Global Economy: How Restricting Immigrants From Welfare Undermines Social Rights For U.S. Citizens, Rupaleem Bhuyan

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Scrutiny of immigrants' use of public benefits is a reoccurring theme in U.S. politics. Yet while the tough stance on immigrants taps into popular anti-immigrant sentiment, the consequences of such scrutiny are shared by all welfare recipients. Drawing upon interpretive policy frames, I examine how new requirements to verify citizenship and identity for Medicaid directly impacts social entitlements for both citizen and non-citizen populations. Analysis of state reports and policy studies of citizenship verification requirements for Medicaid illustrate that verification costs may exceed the costs of fraudulent misuse by unqualified immigrants. I argue that devolutionary shifts in welfare and immigration …

Correspondence: Dr. Saffy’S Letterhead, May 15, 2010, Jacksonville’S Women Of Influence Project, Edna Louise Saffy

Saffy Collection - All Textual Materials

A letter soliciting contributions toward establishing a Women’s History fund, Jacksonville Women of Influence Project.

Torch (May/June 2010), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Urban Farm: Naturally Grown Local Food, Stephanie Shepard

Interior Design Program: Terminal Projects

There are many things to be said for the benefits of urban farming. From feeding the hungry, to providing an educational experience for a community that otherwise has no agricultural knowledge, to reducing heat island effect, the gain is almost immeasurable.

According to the United States Census Bureau, 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America. Requests for emergency food assistance has increased by an average of 14% a year since 2004 and about 20% of those requests generally go unmet. In addition, national food banks report that 23.3 million people turned to their services in 2009, an …

The Lived Experience Of Empowered Volunteers: A Study Of Christian Church Volunteers, Adam K. Peters

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Psychological empowerment has been thoroughly studied in the workplace context. Volunteerism has also been thoroughly studied through a multitude of different facets. However, little research could be found bridging the empowerment construct into volunteerism. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experience of empowerment among volunteers. Volunteer empowerment was discovered through four primary themes, make a difference, rewarding, lifestyle of service, and passion, and three secondary themes, autonomy, awareness, and ability. Other relevant findings included and revolved around volunteer time and balance, challenges, propelling forces, and getting started. Current …

Partisan Defection And Change In The 2008 Us Presidential Election, Herbert F. Weisberg, Christopher J. Devine

Political Science Faculty Publications

Party identification remained an important determinant of vote choice in the 2008 election. Indeed, the extent to which people voted according to their partisanship remained as exceptionally high as it had been in the 2004 election. The Democrats led in partisanship, with a greater lead than in 2004. The ANES four‐wave panel survey shows that some change occurred in the Democratic direction during 2008. The Democrats gained among most population groups, with the exception of older citizens. Obama's victory margin was due to his carrying pure independents and the growth in strong Democrats as opposed to strong Republicans. Both candidates …

Preserving The Past And Planning The Future In Pasadena, Riverside And San Bernardino, Charles Conway Palmer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines how three Southern California cities—Pasadena, Riverside and San Bernardino—used the processes of urban renewal and historic preservation as development strategies for their downtown business districts. The ways in which these processes were employed has both reflected and shaped the cities‘ evolving definitions of community. These ideas of community were both inclusive and exclusive, favoring certain ethnicities and cultural practices over others to advance a particular civic image. The case studies are representative of cities in the region that are ―other than Los Angeles; those founded in the nineteenth-century after the Spanish and Mexican periods, but prior to …

Belize As A Classroom, Jordan Norris, Molly Calico

Impact Belize

During the week of January 7-14, 2010, Molly Calico and Jordan Norris participated in the Impact Belize program through the College of Health and Human Services. This program took place in Gales Point, a rural, underserved community in Belize. Impact students provided medical, dental and public health services to the community in an interdisciplinary service-learning format. As Master of Public Health students, Molly and Jordan directed health education initiatives and served on the Leadership Team for the program. Having participated in January of 2009 as well, Molly and Jordan were well prepared to conduct public health research and to assume …