UR implemented two new programs to prepare college students for future involvement in their communities in June of 2001. Under the direction of Dean of Students of the College Jody Asbury, Leadership Rochester Civic Engagement Program and the Urban Fellows Summer Internship Program are now options for students who want to be involved in the community.
The programs are based on a local organization called Leadership Rochester, which is geared towards training adults for more prominent roles in the greater Rochester community. “They are programs which integrate interest with experience,” Asbury said.
Together, Leadership Rochester, UR and the 19th Ward community have made Civic Engagement and Urban Fellows possible. At present, Leadership Rochester plans on relocating its office to a space on campus.
Scheduled for the first week in October, Leadership Rochester’s move will have a big impact for campus life. It is Asbury’s hope that this relocation will broaden campus-city relationships and provide a leadership training model for students.
Dean of The College William Green fully backs Leadership Rochester’s move to UR. “It is the college’s vision to increase opportunity for community involvement,” he said.
Alumni of Leadership Rochester include several prominent leaders in the Rochester community, such as the Rochester Chief of Police Robert Duffy. Asbury said she hopes that Leadership Rochester’s move to the campus will make such Rochester leaders more accessible to UR students.
In its first year, Civic Engagement chose 15 students from UR, the Rochester Institute of Technology, Monroe Community College, St. John Fisher College and SUNY Brockport. A third of those selected were from UR and participated in several activities throughout the year that immersed them in the community.
“After many eight-hour Saturdays, I realized the purpose of the program was to bring all the problems of our local society to the forefront,” senior Patricia Grabensetter said. “From this exposure, we are to someday reinvest in the community ? either through policy, education or community organization.”
Events designed by Civic Engagement included Education Day and Justice for All Day. On Education Day, the students met with school officials to discuss such issues as how the city’s drop in budget will affect the school system, as well as the differences in public, private and charter schools.
On Justice for All Day, the participants met with a parole officer. According to students, talking with him provided insight into such aspects of the criminal justice system as the psychological workings of rapists’ and killers’ minds and how the races and social classes of those incriminated directly impact their punishment. “I was taken aback when learning these things, yet I gained a bit of understanding,” Grabensetter said.
Urban Fellows brings students closer to the community through paid summer internships for a ten week duration. They work for four days of the week and attend seminars on Friday. Senior Seth Baum’s internship involved the organization of an engineering prep program for high school kids. Other possible fields of study include health care, economic development, housing and women’s issues.
Students interested in learning more or participating in the Civic Engagement Program can call the Leadership Rochester office at 585-242-0120. Applications for Urban Fellows can be filled out online at www.sa.rochester.edu/csn.
Kline can be reached at mkline@campustimes.org.
