1. Impact
Report
Fran
Larkin
University
of
Cincinnati
Center
for
Community
Engagement
This
past
year
has
been
my
second
term
of
service
through
an
AmeriCorps
program,
last
year
I
served
in
an
underperforming
school
in
Columbus,
and
this
experience
gave
me
a
good
foundation
for
the
work
I’ve
been
charged
with
as
a
VISTA.
By
spending
a
year
in
an
underserved
school,
I
learned
first
hand
how
much
of
an
impact
a
positive
role
model
can
have
on
a
child
who
is
struggling.
More
importantly
I
learned
how
intense
of
an
impact
simply
spending
time
in
an
underserved
urban
school,
or
with
a
child
living
in
poverty
can
have
on
a
volunteer
To
give
context
to
this
discussion,
I
want
to
make
clear
what
I
mean
when
I
say
I’m
the
Ohio
Campus
Compact
AmeriCorps
VISTA
serving
through
the
Center
for
Community
Engagement.
In1963,
President
John
F.
Kennedy
envisioned
a
national
service
corps
“to
help
provide
urgently
needed
services
in
urban
and
rural
poverty
areas.”
Less
than
two
years
later,
Lyndon
Johnson
realized
Kennedy's
dream
by
launching
the
“War
on
Poverty.”
Johnson
welcomed
the
first
group
of
20
VISTA
volunteers
saying,
“Your
pay
will
be
low;
the
conditions
of
your
labor
often
will
be
difficult.
But
you
will
have
the
satisfaction
of
leading
a
great
national
effort
and
you
will
have
the
ultimate
reward
which
comes
to
those
who
serve
their
fellow
man.”
With
the
signing
of
the
National
Community
Service
Trust
Act
in
1993,
Bill
Clinton
expanded
national
service
to
create
AmeriCorps.
The
programs
merged
to
create
AmeriCorps
VISTA.
Throughout
the
decades,
VISTA
evolved
to
respond
to
local
problems
and
the
changing
face
of
poverty.
Today,
under
Obama,
VISTA
is
larger,
stronger,
and
more
vital
than
it
has
ever
been.
Its
6,500
members—who
serve
at
1,200
projects
nationwide—continue
to
address
the
root
causes
of
poverty.
They
are
developing
new
programs,
raising
funds,
helping
manage
projects,
and
otherwise
building
the
capacity
of
nonprofit
organizations
to
become
sustainable
and
helping
families
to
break
the
cycle
of
poverty.
Ohio
Campus
Compact,
or
OCC,
is
a
statewide
non-­‐profit
coalition
of
47
college
and
university
presidents
and
their
campuses
working
to
promote
and
develop
the
civic
purposes
of
higher
education.
OCC
believes
Ohio
colleges
and
universities
to
be
centers
of
civic
engagement
and
renewal
where
all
learning,
teaching,
and
scholarship
advance
the
public
good
and
prepare
students
for
active
citizenship
and
democratic
participation.
OCC
Strives
to
provide
statewide
leadership
in
mobilizing
resources,
services,
and
partnerships
that
strengthen
Ohio
colleges
and
universities’
capacity

2. to
educate
students
for
civic
and
social
responsibility
and
to
improve
community
life.
The
Center
for
Community
Engagement,
or
CCE,
strives
to
connect
campus
and
the
community
through
service.
The
CCE
makes
an
impact
by
empowering
students
to
create
positive
change
in
their
community
now,
and
develop
a
sense
of
civic
duty
that
will
last
a
lifetime.
As
a
VISTA,
I
am
charged
with
alleviating
poverty.
As
an
agent
of
the
CCE,
my
work
has
focused
on
three
specific
social
and
cultural
dynamics
that
directly
affect
the
lives
of
those
in
poverty:
Education,
College
Access,
Homelessness
The
work
I
am
able
to
do
is
magnified
only
through
strong
partnerships
with
community
advocates
like
yourselves,
and
local
non-­‐profit
collaborators.
Coming
into
the
CCE,
I
was
blessed
with
established
partnerships
and
collaborations,
so
my
goal
was
not
only
to
sustain
those
partner
relationships,
but
the
strengthen
them.
As
I
mentioned
earlier,
before
I
began
as
a
VISTA
I
spent
a
year
working
in
a
poor,
marginalized
community
in
a
neighborhood
school
in
Columbus.
I
was
always
aware
that
poverty
existed
in
our
local
communities
but
I
didn’t
have
any
idea
what
it
looked
like.
Drawing
from
my
own
experience,
I
am
convinced
that
if
a
volunteer
who
does
not
have
a
first
hand
experience
of
our
neighbors
living
in
poverty
is
exposed
to
the
state
of
education,
and
the
social
and
cultural
dynamics
surrounding
young
people
living
in
poverty—they
will
be
intensely
impacted.
That
is
why
one
of
the
keys
to
my
approach
of
fighting
poverty
is
exposing
young
people,
at
a
critical
stage
in
their
own
development,
to
the
realities
of
poverty
that
surround
them.
My
goal
is
that
this
exposure
inspires
volunteers
to
further
action,
and
a
lifetime
of
fighting
poverty.
This
is
not
to
say
I
think
every
student
that
volunteers
through
the
CCE
should
become
a
social
worker,
or
give
up
their
career
path
to
fight
poverty
(although
I
do
think
they
should
all
be
a
a
VISTA
for
a
year!),
but
I
believe
that
their
first
hand
knowledge
of
poverty
will
inspire
them,
no
matter
what
field
they
are
in,
to
do
their
part
to
create
change.
The
capacity
of
the
CCE
is
something
you’ll
hear
me
mention
throughout
my
report.
The
CCE
is
a
small,
but
mighty.
While
we
leverage
collaboration
and
partnership
to
make
the
most
of
our
resources,
the
reality
is
that
there
are
two
staff
people
charged
with
Community
Engagement
for
this
entire
University.
This
is
a
monumental
task,
and
as
a
VISTA
I
am
proud
to
lend
a
hand
and
increase
the
number
of
students
the
CCE
can
serve.
The
ultimate
goal
of
collaboration,
exposure,

3. and
capacity
building
is
to
change
outcomes.
To
change
outcomes
for
the
UC
students
involved
in
community
engagement:
to
instill
a
sense
of
civic
duty
in
them,
and
open
their
eyes
to
the
value
of
volunteer
service.
To
change
the
outcomes
for
community
members
living
in
poverty:
to
lift
them
up,
and
empower
them
to
lift
those
around
them
up
as
well.
Major
Projects:
1. Community
Service
Fair,
2. Alternative
Spring
Break,
3. Zoo-­‐Mates,
4. Bearcat
Buddies.
1.
The
Community
Service
Fair
was
my
first
major
project
as
a
VISTA,
and
it
was
quite
an
undertaking.
I
started
my
term
of
service
on
August
1st,
and
immediately
got
to
work
on
the
community
service
fair,
which
took
place
September
20.
The
Community
Service
Fair
is
just
what
you
might
expect:
it’s
a
chance
for
non-­‐
profit
partners
to
set
up
a
table,
and
recruit
interested
students
to
volunteer
for
their
cause.
It
was
held
in
Tangemen
University
Center
(TUC)
on
the
3rd
and
4th
floors.
The
Community
Service
Fair
is
a
welcome
week
event
open
to
all
students,
but
targeted
at
incoming
students
with
a
Cincinnatus
scholarship.
The
Cincinnatus
scholarship
is
an
innovative
and
distinguished
award,
that
among
other
other
things,
requires
a
scholar
to
complete
30
hours
of
community
service
throughout
the
course
of
an
academic
year
in
order
to
renew
their
scholarship
for
the
following
year.
While
the
Community
Service
Fair
is
a
stand
alone
event
open
to
all,
it
is
built
in
to
the
larger
“Cincinnatus
Kick-­‐Off”
during
which
Cincinnatus
scholars
had
the
option
of
attending
one
of
two
morning
“kick
off”
sessions
where
they
learned
about
the
requirements
of
maintaining
their
scholarship,
most
importantly
the
service
component.
During
the
kick
off
these
outstanding
students
were
addressed
by
the
Director
of
the
CCE,
Kathy
Dick,
about
the
resources
and
opportunities
available
to
them
through
the
CCE.
The
Cincinnatus
students
at
the
kick
off
also
heard
from
past
members
of
the
Zoo-­‐Mates
mentoring
program,
and
many
of
the
students,
many
more
than
the
program
can
accommodate
rushed
over
during
the
service
fair
to
sign
up—illustrating
another
capacity
issue.
Over
1,100
students
benefitted
from
the
opportunity
to
meet
and
network
with
local
non-­‐profits,
and
consider
the
vast
range
of
different
ways
they
could
give
back
to
their
community.
See
the
graph
at
the
end
of
this
report.
In
addition
to
the
Community
Partners
and
student
groups
listed
above,
the
CCE
was
well
represented

4. at
the
fair
itself—hosting
3
tables,
one
to
introduce
the
CCE,
and
one
each
for
Zoo-­‐
Mates
and
Bearcat
Buddies.
2.
Alternative
Spring
Breaks
are
a
way
for
service
minded
students
to
make
the
most
of
their
time
out
of
class,
and
give
back
to
those
in
need.
I
hadn’t
anticipated
participating
in
an
Alternative
Spring
Break
trip
this
year,
but
I’m
so
glad
I
did.
I
as
asked
by
Jessica
King
from
the
University
Honors
program
to
help
facilitate
an
alternative
spring
break
trip,
and
I
was
immediately
on
board.
I
wanted
to
highlight
the
Alternative
Spring
Break
I
took
part
in,
because
it
is
a
clear
cut
case
of
capacity
building.
There
was
more
demand
from
students
to
serve
than
Jessica
could
accommodate
alone,
and
I
was
fortunate
enough
to
have
the
opportunity
to
make
sure
that
more
of
the
students
who
wanted
to
spend
their
spring
break
serving
those
in
need
had
that
chance.
The
reality
is
that
the
Honors
program
had
over
20
students
signed
up
to
participate
in
the
Alternative
Spring
Break,
and
even
more
who
were
interested.
But
they
needed
another
person
to
facilitate
the
trip.
We
worked
doing
housing
rehabilitation
and
construction.
Our
home
base,
simple
cabins
in
the
woods
constructed
by
previous
volunteers
was
located
in
Flat
Gap,
Eastern
Kentucky.
The
service
sites
were
scattered
across
the
surrounding
region
of
rural
Appalachian
Kentucky.
This
Alternative
Spring
Break
was
made
possible
by
a
partnership
with
the
Christian
Appalachian
Project,
which
hosts
an
annual
event
known
as
“WorkFest.”
WorkFest
is
a
three
week
long
volunteer
surge
that
spans
most
college
and
university
spring
breaks.
We
helped
during
the
third
week
of
work
fest,
and
while
UC
was
well
represented,
there
were
6
other
colleges
and
Universities
lending
a
hand
as
well.
This
was
an
eye
opening
experience
for
many
students
who
never
would
have
imagined
the
types
of
third
world
conditions
which
exist
in
our
own
country
and
region.
It
was
a
great
experience,
and
I
learned
a
number
of
construction
techniques
I
hadn’t
known
before.
Housing
rehab
is
great
because
it’s
extremely
rewarding
to
have
a
physical
manifestation
of
your
service.
While
my
service
was
fun
and
meaningful,
the
important
outcome
for
me
is
that
by
driving
a
15
passenger
van
full
of
UC
students,
I
was
effectively
able
to
double
the
number
of
students
involved
in
the
Alternative
Spring
break,
who
chose
to
spend
their
time
in
service
to
those
in
need.
3.
Zoo-­‐Mates
was
en
established
program
years
before
I
ever
arrived
at
the
CCE.
My
challenge
was
to
uphold
the
level
of
success
for
which
the
program
is
known.
So
what
is
Zoo-­‐Mates?
Zoo-­‐Mates
is
an
innovative
mentoring
program
that
pairs
30
UC
students
with
30
children
experiencing
homelessness
for
a
year
mentoring
and
fun.
The
catalyst
for
its
creation
was
the
mere
idea
that
the
CCE
wanted
to
tap
into
one
of
Cincinnati’s
gems—the
Cincinnati
Zoo
and
Botanical
Garden.
As
a
result,
the
CCE
reached
out
to
the
Zoo,
somewhat
unsure
of
what
a

5. meaningful
partnership
might
look
like,
and
what
it
might
entail.
After
many
meetings,
brainstorms,
and
discussion:
The
Zoo-­‐Mates
Mentoring
program
was
born.
It
was
almost
out
of
thin
air,
a
little
serendipitous,
and
an
organic
realization
of
a
missing
link
between
the
UC
and
its
neighbor,
the
Zoo.
The
initial
Zoo-­‐Mates
partnership
was
created
by
the
CCE
in
partnership
with
the
Cincinnati
Zoo
and
soon
after
a
non-­‐profit
embedded
in
the
Cincinnati
Public
Schools,
Project
Connect
stepped
in.
Project
Connect
serves
families
experiencing
homelessness
in
the
Cincinnati
Public
School
District,
and
they
are
the
key
to
the
sustained
success
of
the
program.
Initially
the
program
involved
monthly
mentoring
activities
with
UC
mentors
and
children
experiencing
homelessness.
UC
volunteer-­‐student-­‐mentors
demanded
more
contact
with
their
students,
and
Zoo-­‐Mates
evolved
to
include
mentoring
outings
every
other
week.
This
still
wasn’t
enough
for
the
passionate
UC
mentors,
and
the
demanded
more.
Finally
the
program
took
the
form
it
is
in
now
as
a
weekly
engagement
between
mentors
and
mentees.
Generally
speaking,
we
visit
the
Zoo,
UC,
and
the
children’s
school
an
a
rotating
basis.
The
great
thing
about
Zoo-­‐Mates
is
the
partnership,
it
couldn’t
happen
with
all
three
partners
working
together
effectively
and
efficiently.
So
how
does
Zoo-­‐Mates
work?
The
Zoo
plans
wonderful
events
whenever
we
use
their
space.
Project
connect
coordinates
the
mentee
side
of
thing:
they
secure
transportation
for
the
students
to
the
Zoo,
UC
or
other
sites,
and
they
are
charged
with
the
daunting
task
of
dealing
with
parents,
getting
waivers
signed,
providing
snacks,
etc…UC
coordinates
the
mentor
side
of
things:
as
the
VISTA,
I
personally
recruited,
interviewed,
selected
and
trained
30
UC
mentors.
On
a
weekly
basis,
I
coordinated
the
UC
volunteers,
arranging
carpools,
disseminating
information,
and
making
sure
mentors
are
present
and
on
time.
When
events
are
held
at
UC,
the
CCE
is
responsible
for
planning
the
programming.
So
what’s
the
impact?
Students,
especially
those
in
underperforming
schools
with
high
rates
of
homelessness
(like
the
schools
Zoo-­‐Mates
serves)
need
positive
role
models.
They
often
don’t
find
them
in
their
everyday
lives,
so
having
someone
to
be
a
positive
influence
on
them
is
intrinsically
a
good
thing.
In
practical
terms,
one
goal
of
the
Zoo-­‐Mates
program
is
to
ensure
students
and
families
know
they
have
the
right
to
remain
at
ONE
school
for
an
entire
academic
year.
As
mentioned,
on
average
children
experiencing
homelessness
change
schools
7-­‐8
times
PER
YEAR.
In
the
past,
Zoo-­‐Mates
have
begged
their
parents
to
stay
at
their
school
because
if
they
went
to
another
school,
they
wouldn’t
be
able
to
participate
in
Zoo-­‐Mates.
Realistically,
Zoo-­‐Mates
is
a
vehicle
through

6. which
Project
Connect
can
better
serve
homeless
families
in
the
Cincinnati
Public
School
District.
The
mentors,
UC
volunteers,
see
a
reality
that
many
of
them
never
knew
existed.
They
use
their
experience
to
inform
the
rest
of
their
lives—no
matter
what
their
career
path
may
be,
they
will
graduate
with
a
unique
perspective
of
homelessness.
They
see
first
hand
some
of
the
symptoms
of
the
cycle
of
poverty,
and
having
a
special
relationship
with
someone
whose
circumstances
are
impoverished
can
inspire
them
to
take
action,
and
seek
institutional
change
in
their
community.
Sometimes,
the
mentors
will
choose
to
continue
their
mentoring
relationship
with
the
students,
which
can
be
really
powerful
and
turn
into
a
long-­‐term,
transformative
relationship.
While
the
key
to
the
Success
of
Zoo-­‐Mates
are
the
three
major
partner,
UC,
the
Zoo
and
Project
Connect,
the
program
is
always
evolving
and
adding
new
layers
of
partnerships.
This
year
we
were
blessed
with
new
partnerships,
including
Prairie
Inc.,
Starfire
U.,
and
Fidelity
Investments
to
name
a
few.
Additionally,
over
$2,700
was
raised
for
Zoo-­‐Mates
by
the
Proudly
Pennies
campaign.
Zoo-­‐Mates
served
1643
hours,
and
participated
in
events
from
October
2010
to
May
2011.
4.
In
the
spring
of
2010,
students
from
the
College
of
Allied
Health
Sciences
helped
get
the
Bearcat
Buddies
tutoring
program
off
the
ground.
A
year
later
Bearcat
Buddies
is
a
signature
program
of
the
UC
Center
for
Community
Engagement,
and
includes
students
from
all
areas
of
study;
from
Graphic
Design
to
Biomedical
Engineering.
In
less
than
a
year,
the
program
has
grown
exponentially
thanks
to
students
who
are
passionate
about
giving
back
to
their
community
as
academic
mentors
and
role
models.
Bearcat
Buddies
works
because
we
make
it
easy
to
serve.
Through
my
work
as
a
VISTA,
in
collaboration
with
Project
GRAD
I
was
able
to
remove
the
barriers
that
typically
stand
in
the
way
of
volunteers
enriching
the
lives
of
Cincinnati
Public
School
students.
This
means
providing
transportation:
I
can’t
tell
you
how
many
hours
I’ve
logged
driving
a
12
passenger
van
to
and
from
campus,
full
of
tutors,
ready
to
serve.
We
bring
training
to
campus,
and
give
practical
training
on-­‐site
to
all
the
volunteers,
so
they
are
prepare
to
make
a
difference.
We
handle
necessary
background
checks,
and
provide
ongoing
support
to
our
tutors.
By
ongoing
support
I
don’t
mean
checking
in
once
a
quarter,
I
mean
being
there
for
and
with
the
tutors
to
make
sure
they
are
able
to
make
the
most
of
their
limited
time
with
the
students.
The
success
of
Bearcat
Buddies
is
largely
due
to
a
collaboration
with
Project
GRAD.
Project
GRAD
is
a
non-­‐profit
agency
whose
mission
is
to
see
that
all
students
graduate
from
high
school
and
are
prepared
to
succeed
in
college
and
career.
While
I
coordinated
the
UC
tutors,
Project
GRAD
is
there
to
provide
support
in
the
schools.

7. Academic
Mentors
do
more
than
just
tutoring,
the
provide
a
positive
role
model,
are
a
natural
bridge
to
college
access,
and
take
a
genuine
interest
in
the
academic
development
of
a
student..
Most
recently,
in
the
spring
of
2011,
Bearcat
Buddies
were
providing
164
weekly
volunteer
tutoring
sessions
for
UC
students
in
four
of
Cincinnati’s
lowest
performing
public
schools.
Each
tutoring
session
included
interaction
with
multiple
students:
while
most
experiences
matched
one
tutor
with
2
–
4
students
for
an
hour,
many
tutors
worked
with
two
students
individually
for
a
half-­‐hour
each.
One
special
group
of
tutors
provided
whole-­‐class
support
to
and
entire
classroom
for
an
hour
per
week.
During
the
month
of
April,
a
group
of
dedicated
tutors
worked
with
1
–
3
students
from
9:00am
–
12:00pm
each
Saturday
to
prepare
them
for
the
Ohio
Achievement
Assessment
in
May.
Totals:
215
students
were
active
participants
in
Bearcat
Buddies
during
the
2010-­‐2011
academic
year.
4,941
service
hours
were
provided
by
Bearcat
Buddies
to
Ethel
M.
Taylor
Academy,
Hays-­‐Porter
School,
Rees
E.
Price
Academy,
and
Roll
Hill
School
during
the
2010-­‐
2011
academic
year.
1,369
hours
of
community
service
were
performed
in
April
alone
by
Bearcat
Buddies.
Bearcat
Buddies
have
impacted
well
over
350
Cincinnati
Public
Schools
students
who
truly
need
the
extra
help.
Bearcat
Buddies
work
with
students
in
3rd
-­‐
8th
grades,
during
the
school
day
and
serve
as
much
needed
academic
mentors
and
role
models
for
young
people
in
our
community.
Bearcat
Buddies
not
only
work
with
their
students
on
reading
and
math
concepts,
but
they
breathe
life
into
the
college
dream
for
many
young
people
in
Cincinnati,
and
inspire
future
Bearcats.
Recent
cuts
within
Cincinnati
Public
Schools
have
resulted
in
reductions
that
include
the
loss
of
158
teaches,
33
central
office
employees,
and
17
additional
school-­‐based
workers.
While
these
reductions
are
needed
to
overcome
more
than
$45
million
in
state
and
federal
funding
cuts
and
a
$20
million
dollar
increase
in
non-­‐discretionary
district
costs,
it
is
the
youth
of
our
community
who
ultimately
suffer.
In
light
of
these
cuts,
UC
students
have
taken
it
upon
themselves
to
fill
the
ever-­‐increasing
need
for
community
support
to
close
the
achievement
gap
for
students
of
our
local
public
schools.
Most
importantly,
the
UC
students
who
participate
in
Bearcat
Buddies
get
a
unique
opportunity
to
experience
first
hand
what
education
in
a
marginalized
community
can
be;
at
its
best
and
at
its
worst.
These
students
use
tutoring
sessions
as
a
window
into
the
community,
and
the
reality
of
modern
urban
education
that
is
overlooked
by
many.
No
matter
what
career
path
they
pursue
after
graduation
Bearcat
Buddies
will
use
their
time
spent
in
struggling
schools
and
communities
to
inform
their
perspective.

8.
The
Schools:
between
86%
and
96%
of
the
the
students
at
Bearcat
Buddies
schools
live
at
or
below
the
poverty
level,
each
school
is
within
3.5
miles
from
UC
Bearcat
Buddies
illustrates
the
overwhelming
interest
students
have
for
engaging
their
community
through
University
supported
programming.
The
exponential
growth
of
Bearcat
Buddies
is
a
model
that
can
be
used
to
articulate
that
the
CCE’s
capacity
is
the
limiting
factor
in
the
growth
of
programming—not
student
interest.
The
program
grew
from
66
tutors
in
the
Spring
of
2010
to
160
tutors
in
the
Spring
of
2011.