Vol.
1: September 2010
dents engaged their surrounding communities over the 2009-10 school year.
Learn about the Bonner CSL, Oberlin College student achievements, and how
Thanks for reading the
2009-2010 issue of Oberlin
Serves, brought to you by
the Bonner Center for
Service and Learning.
——
Anyone can plant
the seed of service...
www.oberlin.edu/bcsl or http://oberlinserves.pbworks.com
OBERLIN SERVES
ANNUAL REPORT
Community Engagement at Oberlin College
2009-2010
Oberlin Serves Annual Report focuses on the many ways that Oberlin stu-
Community-Based Learning…...11,800 hours…………...page 3
Day of Service…...1,900 hours………...….page 3
Bonner Scholars Program……..12,900 hours……….…...page 4
Community Service Work Study Program…..18,200 hours…………...page 5
Winter Term…….13,900 hours………...….page 5
Experimental College (ExCo)…….1,100 hours………..….page 6
Alumni………….360+ hours……….….page 8
Oberlin Conservatory of Music……105 hours………......page 8
to get involved….....pages 2, 5, 6, 7, 8
Spotlight:
Oberlin College Receives
National Recognition for
Community Service
Oberlin College was one of five schools in
Ohio that President Obama named ―with
distinction‖ to the President‘s Higher
Education Community Service Honor Roll.
Launched in 2006, the honor roll annually
recognizes institutions of higher education for
their commitment to and achievement in
community service in helping to solve pressing
social problems in the nation‘s communities.
Oberlin has been recognized each year since
the honor roll‘s inception four years ago.
1 bcsl@oberlin.edu
Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

Greetings, Friends of the Bonner Center for Service & Learning -

The Bonner CSL‟s newest publication, the Oberlin Serves Annual Report, features the
amazing work that Oberlin College students, staff, faculty, and alumni do in service to
our communities. The 2009-2010 academic year was an exciting time of new collabora-
tions and the continuing expansion of participation and interest in community engage-
ment. Through a variety of events, programs, and projects we daily further our mission
of working in partnership with the surrounding community to encourage engaged citi-
zens through curricular and co-curricular initiatives.
The focus of our Center's goal on meeting local needs while promoting en- Beth Blissman, Ph.D.
gaged student learning is clear in the record of this and prior years. As you read the Director, Bonner Center
for Service and Learning
following pages, you will discover how the Bonner CSL‟s programs prepare interested
students for both engaged citizenship and effective civic leadership. We also support a growing number of faculty-
initiated community-based learning experiences that educate students and strengthen the community. Of course, we
could not achieve this without support. Many thanks goes out to the members of the Bonner CSL staff who are mov-
ing on this year: Marco Wilkinson, our former coordinator of the Community Service Work-Study Program, and Clau-
dine Brenner, our AmeriCorps*VISTA data collection goddess and link to the Ohio Benefit Bank. I also wish to thank
the members of the Bonner CSL Advisory Committee, the Oberlin College General Faculty Committee on Community
Based Learning and the Bonner CSL staff - keep up the excellent work!

Beth Blissman, Ph. D., Director BCSL

Beth.Blissman@oberlin.edu
Donna Russell, Program Director: Bonner Scholars Program Staff
Donna.russell@oberlin.edu
Andy Frantz, Program Director: America Reads, Education Outreach Program 2009-2010
Andy.Frantz@oberlin.edu
Marco Wilkinson, Coordinator: Community Service Work-Study Program
Marco.Wilkinson@oberlin.edu
Sarah Ho, Civic Engagement Intern Avi Miner, Policy Options Intern
Sarah.Ho@oberlin.edu Avi.Miner@oberlin.edu
Claudine Brenner, AmeriCorps* VISTA 2009-2010 Vicki Yacobozzi, Administrative Assistant
Claudine.Brenner@oberlin.edu Victoria.Yacobozzi@oberlin.edu

Thank you to those on the 2009-2010 Bonner Center for Service and Learning Advisory Committee!
Albert Borroni, Andrea Kalyn, Booker Peek, Brenda Grier-Miller,
Elissa (Chi Chi) Nieves OC „10, Emmanuel Magara OC „11, Greg McGonigle, Jason Hudson,
Jim Eibel, Kiki Jacobs, Liz Burgess, Meredith Raimondo, Terri Sandu, Marcia Jones

The New BCSL Wiki: http://Ober linser ves.pbworks.com

http://seedsofser vice.blogspot.com
http://ober linser ves.blogspot.com
http://blogs.ober lin.edu/community/community_ser vice
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Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

Total Service Total Student

Hours Participants On August 29th
(includes site leaders)
2009, incoming first-
1,900+ 428
Day of year and transfer stu-
dents kicked off the start

Service of the school year with Oberlin‟s annual Day of

Service. This event, organized by the Bonner CSL, cele-
brated its 13th anniversary with the largest turnout ever.
371 first-year and transfer students spent the day serving at 31
different community organizations throughout Lorain County. Students re-
vamped the garden at a children's crisis center; harvested and weeded at organic
farms, spent time with residents of the local senior community, and more.
The Day of Service is a great introduction for new students to the wide
array of service opportunities available to Oberlin students. Beth Blissman, Di-
rector of Oberlin's Bonner Center for Service and Learning, notes that
"whatever form the community service takes, it's a chance for students to live
out their values. They learn how to work with other people to change the
world." Site leader Tara Gilboa students weed
the playground at Prospect Elementary

―I found the CBL model to be one of the most exciting opportunities in my education at Oberlin. Sometimes it
feels as if the subjects that I typically study do not have a place in reality, but instead exist only in the theoretical
world that is hard to apply to life. Why not combine reality with the theoretical and at the same time do something
tangible for the local community? CBL has the potential to do that.‖
—–Danny Cowan, Class of 2010

Community-Based Spotlight:
Hours of CBL Learning courses
Community- Service provide opportuni-
Cinema Studies Apollo
Based 11,800 ties for students to Outreach Initiative
Learning engage with the local
community for academic credit while
Cinema professors Rian Brow-Orso and
Geoff Pingree used Oberlin College‘s
learning about the skills, challenges, and is- purchase of the historic Apollo Theater to
Total CBL sues that surround their community service. create a media education center in the
courses 2009-2010 These courses available in both the College of local community. Students may take
Practicum in Media Literacy and
31 Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory, allow
faculty and students to apply knowledge beyond
Pedagogy, after which they will be able to
teach media production classes to
the classroom setting to make a positive dif- students in local public elementary,
middle, and high schools.
ference in society. Courses that provide tu- Fifteen high school students
Departments
participated in the 2-week Summer Media
with CBL courses toring and teaching experience with people
of all ages and those that investigate and Workshop for Teens 2010. They hailed
17 research environmental issues are the most
from Oberlin, Wellington, and Lorain as
well as from Texas and California.
common.
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Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

The Bonner Scholars Program provides students with and ways to get involved. This is most recently exempli-
high financial need who have demonstrated a history of fied with the 2010 Spring into Service Day, planned and
and passion for community service with the financial executed by the Bonner Class of 2011.
support needed to attend college while continuing to be Bonner Scholars serve at
involved in the community. Fifteen qualified students
Bonner
over 20 sites. Many are in Oberlin, Scholars
from each incoming Oberlin
class are selected to participate
but Bonner Scholars serve through-
60
Bonner in the four-year program. Bon-
out the greater Cleveland area, and
during summer, Winter Term, and
Scholars ner Scholars participate in
regular service as well as lead-
studying abroad, many will serve
across the country and internationally.
Program ership trainings and reflection
activities.
Some sites this year included: Kendal
at Oberlin, Oberlin Police Depart-
Service Hours
in 2009-2010

In addition to participating in ment, local elementary schools, Ober- 12,900

direct service, the Bonner Scholars also play an impor- lin Heritage Center, Community Action
tant role as a resource for all Oberlin students interested to Save Strays, Firelands Association for the Visual Arts,
in community service by organizing campus events and and Family Planning of Lorain County.
sharing their wealth of knowledge about the community

My experience as a Bonner has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my life. The program
has taught me some valuable lessons about priorities, time management and commitments. Yet the greatest im-
pact that it has had on me is that it has given me a sure foundation from which my interest in aiding those with
special needs has grown into a passion that has become intrinsically linked with who I am. It is a passion I will
have for the rest of my life.
—Anthony Miller, 2008 Bonner Scholar

Spotlight: Spring into Service Day

Spring into Service posters flooded
campus, spreading the word about
the event. Design by Ondrea Keith,
Bonner Scholar Class of ‟10.
This past year the junior Bonner Class debuted Spring into Service
Day; an opportunity for students to devote a day to the community
in the spring semester. Designed as a companion and follow-up
event to the fall semester Day of Service, Spring into Service Day
connected students with community service opportunities across
Lorain County. 75 students participated and completed service
projects at 13 local community organizations. The event is planned
to continue under the leadership of future junior Bonner classes.
―Gary Mann, Dennis Cuthbertson and I helped lead the
students working along Plum Creek. We filled a truck bed full of
bicycles , shoes and other articles of clothing, a tire and other auto
parts, as well as a multitude of cans, bottles and plastic
bags. Another truck was filled a couple of times with Japanese
Knotweed stalks,‖ reported Oberlin City Manager Eric Norenburg.
Other projects included:
—Running a field day for local children
—Helping to design a new tour for the Oberlin Heritage Center
—Cleaning kitten cages for Community Action to Save Strays

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 Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

Community Service Hours in The Commu-

2009-2010 nity Service
Service Work- 18,200 Work-Study
Study Program Program allows
students to use their fed-
(CSWSP) eral work-study awards off-campus in
community service oriented positions. It
CSWSP also offers local non-profit agencies a chance
Community to hire creative Oberlin students to help with
Partner Agencies all those projects everyone wants to do, but
20 nobody has time to tackle.
CSWSP focuses on engaging students more fully
in service learning through consistent outreach activities, stimulat-
ing service experiences, meaningful orientation and reflection, and
connections between service and coursework. Students working in
these agencies tutor academically at-risk youth, complete clerical
tasks, plan arts projects, participate in environmental restoration
programs, and contribute creative ideas. In 2010 the Bonner CSL
was pleased to welcome its new CSWSP Coordinator Brenda
Reeves who will direct the program starting in Fall 2010.
Spotlight:
Western
Reserve Land
Conservancy
The Firelands Chapter of the Western
Reserve Land Conservancy is a perfect
example of how CSWSP provides great
opportunities for students to develop
skills while making a true difference at
their sites.
Kate Pilacky, Associate Field Director of
the chapter praised her CSWSP student
Corey Harkins (OC ‗13), stating that he
played an invaluable role in writing
grants to protect 2 properties: a 200 acre
farmland preservation in Huron County
and the Big Swampwoods (Fitchville
Township, OH) , home to 3 rare species
of birds and plants.

Tutors in
America 2009-2010
America Reads is the largest organization within the CSWSP Program, managed by
BCSL staff member Andy Frantz. Through America Reads college students tutor
Reads 75 local children in reading at 4 sites in the community. Tutors participate in develop-
ment and reflection activities throughout the year. America Reads also sponsors the
much-anticipated Dr. Seuss Day held at the Oberlin Public Library every year. Highlights from this
Free Books year included musical performances, readings by costumed characters, and a free book for every child.
Given away at About 200 children attended the event, which was staffed by more
Dr. Seuss Day
than 50 volunteers, performers, and readers.
200 Community service plays a significant role in many Experimental
ExCo Service
Hours
College (ExCo) classes. Both community members and college students
are able to teach and attend these courses. Examples of community involvement 1,100 ExCo
through ExCo classes in 2009-2010 include: Classes
The Community Radio ExCo produced a radio show with residents of a local mental health center.
The Community Service Practicum ExCo served at local organizations and reflected upon their service work.
The Play Bridge Like Your Grandma ExCo visited a local senior residence weekly to play bridge with the residents.
The Music Mentors Exco taught music lessons at Langston Middle School once a week.
The Grassroots Organizing ExCo worked on 4 Ohio Public Interest Group (O-PIRG) campaigns: Health Care Reform,
Climate Change, Higher Education Access and Affordability and Hunger and Homelessness.

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Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

Service Hours 2010 Winter Term

Winter during Winter
Term 2010
Winter term, a
four-week pe-
Each year, the Bonner
Center sponsors dozens of
Projects sponsored
by the BCSL
Term 13,900+
riod in January
between fall and
community service projects.
Projects range from teaching
63
spring semesters music to children in Nicaragua to
provides Oberlin stu- working with local schools in Oberlin
Community- dents the opportunity to partici- to working at a woman‟s health center in San Francisco
Based Winter Term
pate in a variety of projects. Students to studying community gardening in Israel. The Office
Projects sponsored
by other faculty & spend the month on and off campus of Career Services coordinates many non-profit intern-
staff involved in internships, independent ships around the country. Some organizations where
research projects, intensive courses, students interned in 2010 include: Human Rights
100+ travel, and more. Many students use the Watch, Manhattan Legal Services, DC Mayor Adrian
time to fully devote themselves to community Fenty‟s office, and the ACLU of Southern California.
service both locally and abroad.

Spotlight: OC Football
Oberlin athletes are giving back to the
community. Some projects that took
OC This past year the Oberlin College
place in „09-‟10 included: Athletics football team participated in helping
the Lorain County Habitat for
—Women‟s Softball helped with Dr. Humanity begin to set up its ReStore.
Seuss Day at the Oberlin Public Library. The ReStore will take donations of new
—Field Hockey and Women‟s Lacrosse and used building supplies and re-sell
Service Hours them to the public at a reduced price.
prepared a meal a local homeless shelter Through This is the first store in Lorain County.
and spent time eating and talking with resi- Athletics ―As a team, we not only gained a
dents. 330+ valuable dose of reality, but also an
even stronger sense of camaraderie. We
all grew up a little bit, as individuals
and as a team,‖ commented football
Many student organizations feature civic engage-
player Cody Weiwandt .
ment as one of their core activities or reasons ―We give up our free time to play
Student for existence. These organizations encourage
personal growth and leadership skills and al-
a sport we love and the least we can do
is use our passion and dedication in a
Groups low college funds that support the organiza-
tion to be used to benefit the community. The
combined effort to help others, and this
project allowed us to do that,‖ added
Chris Pottymeyer.
projects undertaken deal with local to worldwide
problems.
Student groups that regularly participate in service projects
include: Oberlin Christian Fellowship, Immerse Yourself in Service,
Oberlin Bicycle Co-op, WOBC College and Community Radio,
Oberlin Youth Educators, O-PIRG (Ohio Public Interest Group),
Murray Ridge Oberlin College Alliance, and Oberlin Gardening
Resource Outreach Workers (OGROW). For more information see
www.oberlin.edu/students/stuorgs.html
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Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

Mackenzie Brown, OC ‗10 Poy Winichakul, OC ‗11

Mackenzie Brown was awarded the
Compton Mentor Fellowship, to
promote food entrepreneurship in
Elyria. Brown‟s project will fo-
cus on creating healthy alter-
natives to fast food by
supporting sustainable businesses in Elyria
that prepare and serve local foods. Her
business partner and fellow Oberlin senior
Danny Cowan will join her in the project.
“We are becoming very excited about en-
trepreneurship education and working with youth
to start small-scale business operations with food
grown from urban gardens,” said Brown.
Poy Winichakul founded Helping
Oberlin Maintain Equity (HOME), a
nonprofit organization that provides
area residents who are behind on
their mortgage payments with
access to free and confidential
Individuals consultation with lawyers, nonprofit executive
Changing directors, professors, social workers, and Ober-
the World lin city officials. She was awarded a Charles J.
Ping Award from Ohio Campus Compact in May
2010.
“I saw a need in Oberlin to unite the resources
we have, to educate residents that foreclosure is a com-
munity concern, and to connect homeowners directly
with the services they require," said Winichakul.

News In 2009-2010 the

Bonner CSL awarded
2009-2010 was a year of great change for the Bon-

from the $3,300

in minigrant funds to
ner CSL. In December the office moved from its old
home on south campus to Daub House, one door down from

BCSL 20 student
service projects
Wilder Student Union. This year also marked the beginning of
several new and exciting partnerships.
The BCSL partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank of
Student Volunteers
with the Ohio Benefit North Central Ohio to host an AmeriCorps* VISTA volunteer for the
Bank helped local 2009-2010 school year. Claudine Brenner (OC „09), the VISTA member, served as the Data
residents claim Collection Coordinator for the BCSL and as a Community Trainer for the Ohio Benefit
$76,540 Bank, a program of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks designed to in-
in tax refunds crease access to over 15 benefit programs and free tax assistance. Claudine recruited and
trained 15 students to serve as volunteer counselors with the program.
Another new addition to this years‟ staff was Avi Miner (OC „09), Policy Options
Research Assistant. Miner has been working with Oberlin College students, faculty,
alumni, and community members to organize the First Annual Lorain County
Food Summit (held April 25, 2010) and build a Lorain County Food Policy Coali-
tion. This organization will work toward improving access to local food for all
Lorain County residents.
The BCSL welcomed another new staff member through a new partner-
ship with Bowling Green State University. Sarah Ho, a graduate student in BGSU‟s
College Student Personnel Program has joined the BCSL staff for the 2009-10 and
2010-11 school years. Ho coordinates the community service fairs, winter term
celebration, end of year celebration, and supervises the student-staffed Community
Come visit our new home: Daub
Service Resource Center. House, 145 W. Lorain St.
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Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service and Learning 145 W. Lorain St. Oberlin, OH 44074

April 17th, 2010 marked the first Oberlin Cares Day, a service day for Oberlin Participating
alumni, friends, and family. Oberlin Alumni clubs met all over the Alumni Clubs

Alumni nation to serve non-profit agencies. Projects ranged from sort-

ing provisions at an area food bank to painting houses for the
Participating
Alumni 10
Serve elderly to cleaning up a local park. The long-term goal is to
grow the event each year. 115+
The Community Music School features sixteen For every Winter Term since 1990, 12 conservatory
Conservatory faculty from multiple specialties students and a Conservatory faculty member have
that offer private lessons to approximately
100 students of all ages from the town of
Oberlin traveled to Panama to teach and share their mu-
sic. During their stay they work with a 55-
Oberlin. Scholarship funds are available to Conservatory member youth orchestra and offer chamber
cover 90% of the cost of the lessons. The
program is "dedicated to providing students
Outreach music and orchestral coaching and perform-
ances, private lessons, twenty-four hour music
with an exceptional educational and artistic ex- immersion classes, master classes and perform-
perience while fostering a lifelong appreciation of and ances. The Panama Project engages more than 130 Pana-
commitment to excellence in music." The Community manian musicians, aged 6 to 26. Conservatory students gain
Music School allows Conservatory faculty to share their performance experience in important and un-
musical passions with the community and encourage musi- usual venues, hone pedagogical skills, and
Years of the
cal abilities in persons young and old. informally study Spanish. Panama Project

On August 16, 2010 Oberlin College and Campamento Musical celebrated the 20th Anniversary of their
collaboration with a concert in Panama City at the Panama National Theater. Eight Oberlin graduates per-
20
formed along with 60 former Panama campers. The concert was conducted by Panamanian Jorge Ledezma, Tim
Weiss and Joanne Erwin. Nicolasa Custer, the student who initiated the Panama-Oberlin connection in 1990, attended.

Day of Service: September 4, 2010

BCSL Open House: September 7, 2010 5:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. at the BCSL

Looking Fall Campus Connections Fair: September 16th, 2010 4:30 p.m. — 6:00 p.m. in
Wilder Bowl (rain location: Science Center Atrium)
Ahead: Education Discussion Lunches: Wilder 112, 12:00 p.m. — 1:15 p.m.
2010-2011 Fall 2010 Dates: August 24, September 13, October 11, November 8, December 6
Winter Term 2011 Date: January 10
Spring Semester 2011 Dates: February 15, March 14, April 11, May 9
Please RSVP to Andy.Frantz@oberlin.edu

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Stop in anytime Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Need help finding a service site or planning a project?
Stop in or email the CSRC (Community Service Resource Center) at cslcsrc@oberlin.edu

Thank You to all who supported Oberlin College students in their civic engagement
and community service efforts this year!
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