See also Engagement Opportunities for Spring ’23
As you prepare your syllabi for Spring 2023, we ask you to consider including one or more of the following community engagement events. Our thanks to the United Way of the Piedmont and the Chapman Cultural Center for welcoming us into partnership with them as they serve our community!
All of these opportunities are available for you, for your class, or for your students individually (family and friends are also welcome!)
MLK Day of Service
Individuals or groups of any size
Monday, January 16. Flexible times and locations
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy by serving the community for a few hours. This National Day of Service encourages community members to make MLK Day “a ON, not a day off.” Our on-campus community service organization, IMPACT, is partnering with United Way. Students can find volunteer opportunities across Spartanburg County by visiting www.uwpiedmont.org/mlkday. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to use their Upstate email addresses, so we can celebrate their involvement (and officially give students credit for the service hours).
– Email Deb Kladivko or Lauren Hultstrand for more details
Grant Writing Support
Potential class project; possible solo contribution. Preplanning and commitment required
Date: TBD. Ideally, this workshop be an annual event
Partner with the Chapman Cultural Center and Mayfair Art Studios to offer a workshop on grant writing . The primary goal would be to help local artists hone their grant writing skills as well as identify more grant/funding sources.
– Email Dave Marlow to begin exploring possibilities
Arts and Economic Prosperity Study
Individuals or small to mid-size groups who will work individually or in pairs
Ongoing. Check for relevant dates
Volunteers will attend various arts & cultural events in Spartanburg County and collect surveys designed to measure the economic impact of such events in our area. Historically, this study has demonstrated that an investment in the arts provides both cultural and economic benefits.
– Email Lauren Friedrich for more details
Poverty Simulation – Service Opportunity I
Small to mid-size groups
Ongoing. Check for relevant dates
United Way’s Poverty Simulation is an experience that offers a glimpse into the realities and complexities of living on a low income – all through the eyes of fictional families that are trying to survive from month to month. Volunteers are needed to act as local support agencies. This can be an eye opening opportunity to see some of the limitations and challenges that the community faces as service providers. The volunteer time commitment is 2 h 15m and volunteers have the option to partake in the debrief discussion at the end.
– Email Lauren Hultstrand if you’d like to organize a group to serve in this way!
Poverty Simulation – Service Opportunity II
Individuals or small groups who will serve individually
Ongoing. Check for relevant dates
Following each poverty simulation provided by UWP anywhere in our community, the activity materials must be collected, sorted, and prepared for the next simulation. In many cases, volunteers are needed to assist with this work. Groups of 6-8 students (&/or faculty, staff, alumni, friends, etc.) can provide this meaningful service on campus or any other location by investing 90 minutes. The UWP coordinator would be happy to give some context and overview about poverty in our community to expose volunteers to the core concepts.
– Email Lauren Hultstrand if you’d like to organize a group to serve in this way!
Usher at Chapman Cultural Center Theater
Individuals or small groups who will serve individually
Ongoing. Check for relevant dates
Sign-up to usher for live shows with Ballet Spartanburg, Spartanburg Little Theatre, Spartanburg Youth Theatre and Spartanburg Philharmonic (Espresso series or Bluegrass shows). Ushers get to enjoy the show as part of their service.
– Email Lauren Friedrich for more details
Celebrating
Help us celebrate your engagement. If you engage one or more of your classes in any of these events, you are on your way to a SL/CE designation. Let’s make it official. Email me (Dave Marlow), & I’ll get you set up!
If you know of students who serve as volunteers for any of these events outside class, please email Deb Kladivko, so the students can get credit for hours served.