What's New
Halloween Trick-or-Treat Event
On Tuesday, October 27, the Bentley Service-Learning Center hosted our annual Halloween event on campus for children from various service sites, including local boys and girls clubs, after school programs and shelters. Over 80 children of all ages came to campus for a night of tricks, treats and old fashion Halloween fun. There was a central party room where all the children gathered to decorate their trick-or-treat bags and enjoy various Halloween activities that were overseen by service-learning volunteers. Then groups of children were led around campus to trick-or-treat in Bentley’s dorm buildings. The costumed trick-or-treaters stopped at nearly 40 student rooms that volunteered to participate in the event and the Bentley Book Store. This year was the biggest event yet and we would like to thank all the volunteers that made it possible because it was their efforts that gave the children a wonderful night full of fun! Thank you!
Bristol Community College Training
Outreach is very important to the Service-Learning Center. Over the past few semesters we have been working hard to develop relationships with other schools and centers, and are lucky to have established one with Bristol Community College. In October, a group of Bentley service-learning student leaders returned to Bristol to lead a second training on leadership and Service-Learning. Approximately twenty leaders from Bristol’s Civic Engagement Program attended the training to learn how to create a program and leave a legacy, how to be strong leaders and mentors, and how to facilitate reflections. The Bristol students were extremely engaged and took away new ideas that will enrich existing programs and can be used to develop new ones in expanding the Civic Engagement Program at Bristol. The training was an overall success and another great addition to the Bentley-Bristol relationship.
Service Fair
The annual Service-Leaning service fair was held on Thursday, September 10 in the library quad. Program posters and project managers lined the sidewalks ready to inform the Bentley community about their programs. Students and faculty passing by between classes and meetings were able to stop by tables to learn more about the many different programs that the Service-Learning Center runs in the surrounding communities. The fair sparked interest in the students who came by and many decided to get involved. The success of the service fair along with other service-learning presentations and our freshman excursion day has lead to more than 600 students participating in Service-Learning this semester!
Service-Learning First Week Excursion
On September 5, leaders from the Bentley Service-Learning Center (BSLC) and over 30 freshmen students participated in a First Week Service Excursion at Chesterbrook Community Center, which is one of BSLC’s longest established community partners. For over 15 years Bentley students have run an afterschool program with the students from Chesterbrook to help them with homework and computer skills. On the day of the excursion, Bentley students and the children from Chesterbrook worked on various projects to clean up the facilities and get everything ready for the start of the after-school program. In the afternoon, an activities fair (topped off with a water balloon fight) was held for everyone to celebrate their hard work and a very successful excursion.
2009 Sandy M. and Harry G. Adamian Award Winners
(Awarded April 29, 2009)
Five Bentley service-learning student leaders are recipients of the 2009 Sandy M. and Harry G. Adamian Award. The Adamian Award recognizes Bentley students for their outstanding service to the community. The award is given in memory of Sandy and Harry Adamian, mother and son, who were engaged in community service throughout their lives in greater Boston. The award bestows recognition and an honorarium on the student awardees.
Those receiving the 2009 award include: Senior Megan Berry; Junior Maura Brady; Senior Brian Cusick; Senior Caitlyn Garvan; and Junior Kiernan Patenaude. Each recipient in his or her own way made a significant contribution to the work of the Bentley Service-Center. The award attests both to their personal and professional commitment to the community.
2009 Community Partner of the Year Award
(Awarded April 29, 2009)
The Edinburg Center in Lexington, Massachusetts, was named the 2009 Bentley Service-Learning Partner of the Year. The award was given at the Annual Service-Learning Recognition Luncheon on April 29, 2009. Receiving the award for the Edinburg Center was Gail Rogers, the Director of Development. Edinburg provides services and resources to persons with psychiatric disabilities, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse disorders.
The Community Partner of the Year Award is given to a Bentley service-learning partner organization that provides both meaningful service to the community and quality service projects that benefit the academic advancement of Bentley students. During 2008-2009, dozens of Bentley students engaged in projects that benefited both Edinburg clients and their own academic learning. Projects included conducting health and cooking classes, providing computer tutoring, and assisting Edinburg clients in developing money management skills. In addition, Bentley students conducted an energy audit of the Edinburg facility to assist its sustainability initiative.
2008 Curricular Service-Learning Faculty Award
(Awarded April 29, 2009)
Over the course of the last three years, a new service-learning model has been developed as a capstone option for seniors in the honors program. This model consists of a public sector consulting project designed to accomplish several objectives: one of which is to help students develop a sense of their roles and responsibilities in society. This model was developed by Charlie Hadlock, and it is because of this innovation in program that the Service-Learning Center is happy to give the 2008 Curricular Service-Learning Award to Charles R. Hadlock of the Math Department.
There are a number of distinct objectives to be accomplished by these consulting projects, especially accomplishing this sense of social responsibility. Charlie has folded several of these consulting projects into the Service-Learning Program over the last three years. Charlie refers to these projects as “high academic level service-learning”.
Overview of recent projects
Since 2006 using this model Charlie’s classes have developed and delivered the following consulting reports to public sector entities.
1. Pandemic Flu Preparedness Project. The client for this project was Rep. Peter Koutoujian, who is a state representative from Waltham and who also at the time was chairing the Joint Committee on Public Health Legislative.
2. Modifications to the Bottle Deposit Law. The client for this project was James Hunt, the Chief of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the City of Boston, reporting to Mayor Menino.
3. Electricity Price Structure in Massachusetts. The client for this project was Rep. Daniel Bosley, who was Chair of the House Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
4. A Review of Sustainability Initiatives at State Agencies. For the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs of the Commonwealth, represented by Eric Friedman, the students conducted a review of sustainability projects that had been implemented at a wide range of state organizations, such as universities, operating agencies, and offices.
5. Retail Climate on Moody Street. This was a joint project for Mayor McCarthy of Waltham and Rep. Koutoujian. The situation is that the restaurant business on Moody Street was doing very well, but the retail business is evolving into a collection of nail salons, discount stores, and empty storefronts. There was a need for a systematic review of a wide range of subjects, including the legal/regulatory climate, the Moody Street “brand” if there is or should be one, a comparison of the Moody Street environment with similar locales in other towns, a market analysis, advertising concepts, and, of course, Waltham politics. This was a real-world experience for the students, who established face-to-face contacts with essentially every single business owner on the principal commercial stretch of Moody Street, many of whom turned out for the final presentation in City Hall. In addition, the students were invited to make a presentation to the state Secretary of Economic Affairs and Housing and his staff in Boston. The final report is available at the project web site http://moodystreetresearch.org/. This project attracted fairly wide publicity including a class visit by a reporter for the Boston Globe.
It is, therefore, with great pleasure that the Bentley Service-Learning Center awards to Charlie Hadlock the 2008 Curricular Service-Learning Faculty Award.
