WNEC students lend city a hand

Date: 9/13/2010

Sept. 13, 2010

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

SPRINGFIELD -- In late August, a group of students from Western New England College (WNEC) participated in a Day of Service, branching out beyond the college campus to perform different acts of community service.

"Each year, as part of resident advisor and peer advisor training, each group of student leaders participates in a Day of Service," Rose Gage, WNEC assistant director of learning beyond the classroom, said. "This began four years ago and has become a valued part of training."

The group of 48 resident advisors and 36 peer advisors worked with a variety of different organizations on different projects throughout the city.

Some groups put together events. One group organized a carnival for children at Gray House in the city's North End, while another hosted a luau for residents of St. Luke's Home, which is part of Mercy Medical Center's continuing care program. A Western day was hosted by a third group of students at the Grayson House Assisted Living Community.

Others provided services, such as working with Rebuilding Together Springfield to clean up the property of a disabled woman and helping teens at the Children's Study Home's Sharp One program.

Another group worked with the Zoo at Forest Park, organizing activities for visitors.

For the students, the opportunity to get involved in the community where they are receiving their education was an eye-opening experience, according to Gage.

"Based upon our evening reflection, this experience was very impactful on the students as they developed a greater appreciation for Springfield, the residents and the many opportunities this city has to offer," Gage said. "By being hands on with community members, many built meaningful connections with people and witnessed the assets of Springfield. In fact, a number of students indicated that they wanted to continue volunteering outside of this one-day event."

Gage added that these experiences are ones that the student leaders can carry back to campus life.

"The students developed a stronger community amongst themselves and saw different community leaders supporting Springfield and its residents," Gage said. "As these student leaders work to develop community on campus, connections were made to this day and how they can take the lessons they learned to create a dynamic environment for learning and personal growth."

Day of Service is part of what has been a very healthy relationship between WNEC and the city of Springfield and Gage said she hopes that she will be able to help that partnership continue to grow.

"Though I can only speak to my five years at the college, I know that Western New England College has had a positive relationship with the city for years," Gage said. "This partnership continues to grow and through my work, I have been able to cultivate various relationships with nonprofit agencies throughout the city. This collaboration is very important as the city provides many rich opportunities for student learning, just as the college provides important resources for the community."