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New England College (Henniker,
NH)
Project
Pericles
Summary
New England College’s Project Pericles is part of a national organization
committed to the ideals of civic and social engagement based on knowledge
of the fundamentals of a democratic society and involvement with community
service. The goal is to prepare NEC students for socially responsible
citizenship through both curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities,
which are coordinated by the Center.
The Practice
NEC’s relationship with Project Pericles began with the Board of
Trustees’ creation of the Committee on Civic and Social Responsibility
which affirmed that New England College is “committed to the preparation
of its students for socially responsible citizenship as an essential part
of its educational mission.” In the fall of 2002, the Project Pericles
Center was established to meet three major goals:
1. Coordinate activities for civic engagement, social responsibility
and service-learning;
2. Integrate concepts of civic and social responsibility into the curriculum
and co-curriculum; and
3. Develop connections between the College and the local, state, national
and international communities to provide opportunities for civic engagement
and service-learning.
The assistant to the president was appointed as director, and a professor
of education, who is a specialist in service-learning, as program director.
Coordination between the Board and the Center is facilitated through the
Committee on Civic and Social Responsibility, which is chaired by a trustee
and chancellor of the College. Committee members include trustees, the
center directors, and leaders of major constituencies of the College—faculty,
students, and alumni. The two directors met with representatives of community
organizations to discuss possible collaborations based on organizational
needs, interests, and long-term goals.
Nine work-study students were recruited last year through AmeriCorp’s
and Campus Compact’s Education Award Only grant program as student
leaders for the Center. These students represented different majors, career
interests, and backgrounds. Working to implement the Center’s goals,
they assumed responsibility for a number of areas:
- helping maintain a website for the Center;
- identifying and making connections with partner agencies;
- working with faculty to include service-learning as part of course
curricula;
- coordinating special events on campus, such as the Week of Action
activities; and the staffing of long-term projects such as after-school
programs for two school districts; and
- documenting, collecting, and assessing data of Center activities.
The Center’s activities are very much student directed. This year
there are twelve work-study students and five volunteers working in the
program. A graduate assistant in education, working with the director
of programs, is coordinating the Center’s activities, and another
graduate student is serving as the office manager.
Effectiveness
The first year for Project Pericles included the following outcomes: all
service-learning, civic engagement, community service, and volunteerism
activities are now channeled through the Center; the Center was able to
provide mini-grants to encourage the development of civic engagement components
for 17 different courses, and the Center, working with faculty, staff
and alumni, is facilitating interaction with schools, civic groups, government
agencies, and non-profit organizations.
In addition, students involved with the activities of Project Pericles
have become more civically engaged. For example, as the first primary
state in the nation, major presidential primary activities take place
in New Hampshire, and all nine Democratic candidates have held “Town
Meetings” at the College. An increased number of students are attending
these events and asking questions based on their experiences with elder
care, K-12 schools, after-school programs, domestic violence, homelessness,
and hunger, among other critical issues. Project Pericles also supported
the planning and organizing of College Convention 2004, a mock political
convention for students from across the country, featuring most of the
Democratic presidential candidates, the national media and numerous well-known
political activists from both parties.
The community has also benefited from the services of Project Pericles.
NEC students provided over 1,500 hours of community service during the
2002-2003 academic year. The resources provided by these students enabled
community organizations to conduct programming and sponsor services which
they otherwise could not do based on insufficient staffing and budget
constraints. Presently, information on the impact of Project Pericles
activities on the community is anecdotal, however, there are plans to
explore more a formal assessment of community impact.
Resources
For more information about New England College and its programs please
visit www.nec.edu. Those interested in the Project Pericles Center can
call 603-428-2232 or email Projectpericles@nec.edu.
The national site is: www.projectpericles.org.
Contact Information
Janice H. McElroy
Assistant to the President and Director, Project Pericles
New England College
7 Main Street
Henniker, NH 03242
Phone: 603-428-2221
jmcelroy@nec.edu
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