Congratulations to our graduates! As we reflect on the spring semester, the OCCE would love to share highlights of the remarkable work that students, faculty, staff and partners led in the Winston-Salem community. Since January, 472 Demon Deacons contributed over 6,000 hours of service. Learn more about how we embody the Pro Humanitate motto below!
MLK Day READ-IN HOSTs local elementary school STUDENTS
Spring 2023 marks the 14th year of the annual MLK Day literacy celebration. Each year, Wake Forest University partners with Winston-Salem State University, HandsOn NWNC, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, to host an event honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event brings children to campus for a day of fun-filled activities that focuses on remembering the civil rights icon and his message about literacy, equality, and the importance of community service.
The program welcomed 30 children in grades K-5 who attend Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Each elementary school student was partnered with a reading buddy volunteer from WFU, WSSU, or UNCSA. Students worked together to write a poem shared during the closing ceremony, and each child received two free books to take home at the end of the program. The group also enjoyed special visits from the Demon Deacon and the WFU Marching Band.
Over 70 student volunteers across the three institutions helped run the event. AmeriCorps Vistas Maura Bodziock and Shivani Patel served as dedicated event and logistics organizers.
[Sustain]ance by the artivists
Artivist participated in a variety of events this year, including meeting and creating with visiting artist Meredith Mulhearn, hosting a workshop at the inaugural WAKEVille, and participating in the Micah Bizant Arts & Activism Workshop.
Continuing their annual showcase, Artivist hosted an exhibition [Sustain]ance featuring sustainable and zero-waste works in diverse media at the stART Gallery. [Sustain]ance addresses the fraught relationship between sustainability and the arts, with every work made from almost exclusively recycled, foraged, or repurposed items. The works are united through the common goals of reassigning value to devalued materials, and investigating how unconventional resources have untapped potential.
The Artivists include: Sydney Aikens (‘25), Gretchen Castelloe (‘23), Fina Dooley (‘26), Joelle Hardy (’24), Dianna LaTerra (‘23), Roxie Ray (‘23), Gillian Rodriguez (‘23), Jackie Sparnicht (‘24), Sofia Trujillo (‘25), Una Wilson (‘24), Maya Whitaker (‘23), & Elise Young (‘23)
Pro Bono Project hosts a Community Discussion at second harvest food bank
The Wake Forest Law School ProBono Project creates opportunities for law students to assist lawyers representing marginalized and low-income communities and individuals, with a focus on North Carolina.
The focus of the ProBono Project's work in the community has evolved over the last 11 years, and they are beginning to create and implement a new 5 year plan to actively engage the local community and design projects that address pressing community needs. With the help of Charmaine Carrillo-Angino, our Director of Community Partnerships, over 12 community agencies gathered for a community conversation. Some of the agencies included Legal Aid of North Carolina, Community Care Center, Action4Equity, Experiment in Self-Reliance, Family Services, Salvation Army, Love Out Loud, and Cancer Services.
The Pro Bono Law Project shared a brief history of their work and updated the community agencies on the status of their activities. More importantly, they heard from nonprofit leaders about the individuals they represent and each agency representative shared their unique view of the critical needs in our community. Key issues discussed included housing and evictions, expungement, and parents' advocacy of their children's educational rights.
WFU students explore redlining, art, and local history
This year, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement sponsored the Undesign the Redline exhibit, a traveling exhibition that examines the history and consequences of redlining, a discriminatory practice that denied access to home loans and insurance to people of color and immigrants in the 20th century. The exhibit included nearly 60 feet of panels covering the walls in Benson University Center, and it was open to the public from February 6-March 6, 2023.
Undesign the Redline was created by Designing the WE, a social impact design studio that aims to foster dialogue and action on issues of equity and justice. The exhibit featured interactive maps, timelines, narratives, and photographs that revealed how redlining shaped the physical and social landscape of cities and communities across the nation, including Winston-Salem. The exhibit also showcased the stories of resistance and resilience of the people who challenged and transformed these systems of oppression. Students were trained to lead tours of the exhibit and facilitate discussion.
At the end of the tour, participants were encouraged to share their thoughts. That information will be used to inspire reactionary artwork created by Wake Forest students.
UnDesign the Redline provided guided tours to 11 courses, 1 academic department, 1 campus department, and 2 student organizations. Overall nearly 400 students, faculty, staff, and community members engaged with the exhibit.
wfu recognized during National Americorps Week
The Wake Forest University AmeriCorps programs were honored on March 14, 2023 as part of National AmeriCorps Week. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines signed a city proclamation that recognizes the University and other AmeriCorps members for their contributions and service. Staff from the Office of Civic & Community Engagement attended the signing event held in City Hall. AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national community service and volunteerism. This year, more than 50 Wake Forest students and alumni will serve in AmeriCorps programs.
In Spring 2022, Wake Forest University was selected by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a host site for Public Health AmeriCorps. The program, supported by a five-year $400 million investment from the American Rescue Plan Act, will help meet the public health needs of local communities by providing surge capacity and support while also creating pathways to public health-related careers for students. AmeriCorps members serve communities by providing health education, supporting health-related research, assisting with testing and vaccination efforts, and more.
Period packing party prepares resources for schools and shelters
In honor of Women's History Month and in collaboration with The Period Project of the Triad, the Women's Center, the Black Student Alliance, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. assembled 300 period packs that were distributed to local schools and shelters throughout Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
The Period Project educates communities, schools, churches, and civic organizations about the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products for underserved communities; delivers vital menstrual hygiene products to individuals in need; and advocates on behalf of persons everywhere for access to menstrual hygiene products and the elimination of taxation of these basic necessities.
over $248,000 raised for Wake n' Shake!
More than a thousand Wake Forest University students danced the day and night away in the Sutton Center on Saturday, March 25, to raise money for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund during Wake ‘N Shake. Between standing, dancing, playing corn hole, darts, or Jenga, the goal is to have participants stand for their 6- or 12- hour shift.
“There’s also a ‘who are you dancing for?’ wall that will be covered in paint swatches where participants can write the names of cancer survivors and those who have died from the disease. We will have a rave with bright colored glow sticks and use all white luminaries at the end during a moment of silence, as we reflect on the night. There’s a lot of momentum created for the final fundraising total announced at the end of the night." - Jaime Wander '24
This year, $248,234.50 was raised for the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund through direct donations and fundraising events like Pig Out for Piccolo and the WNS Acapella Concert.
Virtual Tutoring hosts first in-person event
Virtual Tutoring began during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to a need for free tutoring services in Forsyth County. The program continues to thrive with over 150 Wake Forest students committing to one hour of tutoring per week, at no cost to families.
In Spring 2023, the primarily virtual program held an in-person event that gathered WFU tutors, children and their families in Zick's basement for an afternoon of air hockey, food, and fellowship. The tutoring sessions build positive relationships between college students and their K-12 tutees. Below, a parent remarks on the impact of participating in Virtual Tutoring:
We have truly enjoyed our tutor! [My child's] math grade improved for 3rd quarter and he made an "A" overall on his report card!
DESK provides 60 personalized study spaces for local children
On April 19th, members of the Wake Forest community gathered on Davis Field to paint desks for local elementary school children as part of our annual service project known as DESK.
More than 60 WFU student organizations, including athletic teams, service organizations, groups of friends, and fraternities and sororities, were paired with an elementary school student and their family to design and paint a personalize study space to take home.
The schools that participated - Old Town Elementary, Cook Literacy Model and Kimberly Park Elementary - are identified as Title I schools by the federal government because they serve a large population of families facing economic challenges.
In addition to being a community-wide service event, DESK raises money for the WFU Freedom School. The Freedom School provides a free, literacy-based summer enrichment program for local children. Through direct donations and fundraising efforts at Bagel Station and Chipotle, DESK raised over $1,500 for the WFU Freedom School.
Kids' Cooking Coalition HEATS UP WITH ANNUAL COMPETITION
Fifth graders at Cook Literacy Model School participated in the second annual Kids' Cooking Coalition Cooking Competition, where two teams used their nutrition knowledge and kitchen skills to create dishes that represent a country's cuisine through preparation of a traditional appetizer, main dish, side dish, and dessert. Local celebrity chefs from Forsyth Seafood, Lean Back Soul Food, Rosey Blooms Collard Greens/Twin City Catering Co. encouraged the teams and made final decisions on the dishes presented from the Mediterranean region and from China.
During the six week program, students learn about the different food groups and how to build a healthy, colorful plate. Each lesson includes a hands-on experience with food ingredients, taste testing, safely handling knives and other kitchen equipment, and building a relationship with the WFU students serving as volunteers.
Below, school administrator James Staton reflects on the importance of the Kid's Cooking Coalition at Cook:
"We have students who have never had kiwi or mango and the Kids Cooking Coalition gives them an opportunity to try some of these things and expose them to new learning experiences."
Annual occe Service Awards
At the end of April, the Office of Civic & Community Engagement gathered with colleagues from across campus, student leaders, and nonprofit partners to celebrate an incredible year. Below are the 2023 Service Award winners, along with this year's cohort of Civic Scholars.
- Change-Maker Award: Emily Kemp
- First-Year Service Excellence Award: Emerson Foley
- Sophomore Service Excellence Award: Aisha Dukuly
- Junior Service Excellence Award: Derick Mejia Torres
- Christman Award: Alex Riddell
- Graduate Student Service Excellence Award: Jennifer Webster
- Student Organization Service Excellence Award: Deacs Like Me
- Michael G. Ford Servant Leadership Award: Heidi Robinson
- Faculty Service Excellence Award: Dr. Kyana Young
- Community Partner Service Award: James Staton at Cook Literacy Model School
2023 Civic Scholars
- Ian Davis-Huie
- Abby Furman
- Thomas Gawf
- Lizzie Harlan
- Danielle Jefferson
- Sneha Kannan
- Autumn Knight
- Elizabeth MacDonald
- Jessica Mark
- Audrey McKennitt
- Emily Reeves
- Elizabeth Seagroves
- Drew Skilton
- Maya Whitaker
- Will Zimmerman
Brad Shugoll joins the urban food policy Council
Our Director of Service and Leadership, Brad Shugoll, joined the Urban Food Policy Council in Spring 2023. He will serve a three-year term with other dedicated leaders interested in the Winston-Salem food system, specifically with regards to increasing food access. The Council is committed to identifying and developing new ways to educate the community about the importance of healthy, fair, and sustainable local food.
ACE Fellows
For nearly 20 years, the Academic and Community Engaged (ACE) Faculty Fellowship has supported faculty at Wake Forest University through the development of service-learning courses for undergraduate and graduate students. ACE Fellows commit to two years in the program, and develop a community-facing project congruent with their research, scholarship, and/or teaching by the conclusion of the fellowship.
OCCE would like to celebrate the legacy by recognizing the 2021-2023 ACE Fellows cohort. This cohort of ACE Fellows has worked on a variety of projects from the development of a Spanish literacy program, developing a podcast on the impacts of COVID on undergraduate student populations, creating and supporting mutual aid projects, creating a writing skills train the trainer model, and developing story maps to highlight water quality and environmental injustices.
- Dr. Erin Binkley, Department of Counseling
- Dr. Alexander Brewer, Department of Sociology
- Professor Brian Calhoun, Department of English
- Dr. Andrea Comez-Cervantes, Department of Sociology
- Dr. Courtney DiVittorio, Department of Engineering
- Dr. Hannah Harrison, Department of English
- Dr. Lauren Miller, Department of Spanish
- Dr. Ryan Shirey, Department of English and Director of the WFU Writing Center
- Dr. Mir Yarfitz, Department of History