WFU SELECTED FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AMERICORPS
In March, Wake Forest was awarded a grant for over $214,000 by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to serve as a host site for Public Health AmeriCorps, which aims to train the next generation of public health leaders.
State and local organizations received more than 80 grant awards totaling over $60 million. Wake Forest joins Appalachian State University as the only North Carolina-based higher education institution to receive funds.
Beginning this August, 15 part-time members will complete 900 hours of service each over the next calendar year. Members will work to improve health knowledge and access to medical care for low-income individuals and families in North Carolina; conduct health outreach and education; provide patient navigation services; and build capacity for free health clinics in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, including:
BRIAN PICCOLO CANCER RESEARCH FUND SURPASSES $5 MILLION IN LIFETIME FUNDRAISING
Following a year that saw the Wake Forest community raise $503,116.49 for cancer research, The Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund surpassed $5 million in lifetime fundraising since its inception in 1980.
Established by students in memory of Demon Deacon and NFL star Brian Piccolo, the fund is supported by three signature, student-led philanthropic events each year: Hit The Bricks, Wake 'N Shake, and Pump Up for Piccolo.
All proceeds benefit the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, one of three comprehensive cancer centers in North Carolina, one of 51 in the country, and one of very few to hold the designation continuously since 1990.
STUDENTS DANCE FOR CANCER RESEARCH, AND RAISE OVER $300,000.00
On March 19, 1,360 Demon Deacons gathered in the Sutton Center for the 17th annual Wake 'N Shake Dance Marathon. Participants raised $310,837.42 for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund. With the total, Wake 'N Shake surpassed a lifetime fundraising total of $3 million to support innovative cancer research.
President Wente opened the 12-hour event, and eight community champions - individuals who have fought or are continuing to fight cancer - shared their stories throughout the day.
65 DESKS PROVIDED TO LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN
On April 20, 535 Wake Forst students gathered on Poteat Field to decorate 65 desks for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County elementary school students during the annual Discovering Education through Student Knowledge (D.E.S.K.) event.
Together, 65 student teams worked alongside local children to decorate creative learning spaces for their homes. This year's event marked the first time that children were able to join in on the festivities since 2019, with 35 WSFCS students on-site to help paint and decorate their desks.
In all, the desks were distributed to students from four local sites including, Old Town Elementary, Cook Literacy Model School, Kimberly Park Elementary, and the Freedom School at Wake Forest University.
celebrating president wente's inauguration with a day of service
As part of the inauguration festivities for President Susan R. Wente, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement hosted three different service opportunities for the campus community on Wednesday, March 23, 2022.
Throughout the day, 100 volunteers participated, contributing over 120 hours of service.
Impact
- In partnership with the Forsyth Backpack Program, 800 bags - with 4 meals in each bag, were put together for food-insecure children in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County.
- Volunteers packed 578 feminine hygiene kits, which were distributed to the Downtown Health Plaza, Sunnyside Ministries, and local Freedom School sites.
- 305 Lava Lamp STEM kits were distributed to local children at Cook Elementary School to make at home.
ARTIVIST PRESENTS END-OF-YEAR SHOWCASE
On Thursday, April 28, Artivist - a collective of student artists of all mediums that creates art for social change - presented its end-of-year showcase at the Scales Fine Arts Center Outdoor Critique Space.
Nine different pieces were on display for visitors, including "What Needs to Change?" a collaborative and interactive canvas that Artivist students completed over the duration of the academic year (pictured above). For two days, the large canvas was displayed in the Tribble Courtyard, as members of the WFU community were invited to respond to the prompt directly on the canvas.
In addition to their own artwork, created in bi-weekly meetings at the Social Justice Incubator, the showcase featured The Storm, from David Finn's Public Art Class. In a monument to Maya Angelou, two walls were created to honor her legacy and memorialize her through the liminal space between light and shadows.
WFU STUDENTS CONTINUE TO IMPACT LOCAL SCHOOL CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION INITIATIVES
A pillar of OCCE programming in K-12 Education is helping to ensure all students have equal access to opportunities, support, and resources to reach their full potential. Through original programming and unique partnerships with campus units and community organizations, Wake Forest students are continually working towards education equity with local K-12 children in various ways, including:
- Virtual Tutoring: This spring, 158 Wake Forest tutors provided 1,134 hours of free, one-hour tutoring sessions to 166 WSFCS K-12 students.
- MLK Read-In: On February 19, 9 WFU and Winston-Salem State students served as virtual reading buddies to 14 local children for the 13th annual MLK Read-In, to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, while promoting the importance of reading.
- Network of Education Resources and Development:
- Skip Prosser Read Challenge: Each year, in partnership with Wake Forest Athletics, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, WFU Department of Education, the OCCE, WSFC Schools, and Bookmarks NC, Demon Deacon student-athletes challenge fourth-grade students to read 1,500 or more minutes before winter break. This year, 87 Wake Forest student ambassadors assisted 860 fourth graders from 21 different schools to read over 872,000 minutes, with 436 reaching the All-American status (1,5000 minutes) or higher.
WFU STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOLERS WIN MINI-GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
Through funding from Youth Service America, the Youth Engagement Coalition (YEC) – which includes the Office of Civic & Community Engagement, HandsOn NWNC, and the Forsyth County Young Leaders Program – supported sixth youth-led, community-based projects in Winston-Salem.
Proposals were reviewed and winners were selected by the YEC, which aims to increase youth service engagement in the community. Four Wake Forest students and two Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School students were awarded mini-grants of $500 or $1,000. This year, the projects address food insecurity, accessible healthcare, and an interactive curriculum for science in the Diggs-Latham Elementary School garden, among other topics. Learn more about the winners and their projects here.
OCCE Celebrates annual service awards
On Wednesday, April 6, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement and the campus community gathered in the Green Room at Reynolda Hall to celebrate the 2021-22 year, honor its award recipients, and commend the service of WFU faculty, staff, and students both on campus and in the local community.
2022 SERVICE AWARD WINNERS
- Christman Award: Julia McElhinny
- Change-Maker Award: Sakina Barthe-Sukhera
- First-Year Service Excellence Award: Ashleigh Hampson
- Sophomore Service Excellence Award: Charmaine Murray
- Junior Service Excellence Award: Savannah Littlejohn
- Graduate Student Service Excellence Award: Hannah Fox
- Student Organization Service Excellence Award: Environmental Educators
- Michael G. Ford Servant Leadership Award: Shannon Ashford
- AmeriCorps*VISTA Service Excellence Award: Cierra Palmer
- Community Partner Service Award: Twin City Harm Reduction
CAMRY WILBORN-MERCER RECEIVES FORSYTH COUNTY GOVERNOR'S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
Camry Wilborn-Mercer, Assistant Director of Community Partnerships, was recognized with the Director of Volunteers Award at the Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards on April 26, 2022, during an in-person ceremony hosted by HandsOn Northwest North Carolina at Salem College.
Wilborn-Mercer was recognized for her work in the Office of Civic & Community Engagement, overseeing all K-12 initiatives. In her time at Wake Forest, Wilborn has overseen education outreach for the office, connecting WFU students to direct service in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and ensuring that all volunteers are properly trained to work alongside minors.