SRU bestows honors for civic achievements
Slippery Rock University recently honored two individuals and a local service learning club with the 2020 President's Awards for Civic Engagement.
An independent committee of students, faculty and staff reviewed and selected winners in three categories: President's Student Civic Leadership Award, President's Civic Engagement Ambassador Award and the President's Community Partner Award.
“The recipients are people who are addressing public issues in innovative and creative ways, which promote a culture of engagement at SRU and beyond,” said Jeffrey Rathlef, director of the Office for Community-Engaged Learning. “It's about their work, but it's also about work that extends beyond themselves and the influence of that work.”
<h3>Catching stories, fulfilling dreams</h3>The winner of this year's Student Civic Leadership Award was Alison Vlasnik, a junior health science-public health major from Cranberry Township. Vlasnik is the service leadership coordinator for SRU's Dream Chasers program.Students visit local nursing home residents, document their life stories and, through a partner foundation, potentially identify and fulfill a resident's “dream.”Vlasnik also organized an Out of the Darkness Campus Walk for suicide prevention through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Although the walk was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event raised nearly $2,500 from more than 40 participants.Vlasnik never expected to be recognized with the award.“I wanted to start creating an atmosphere where people know it's OK to get help and not be judged,” Vlasnik said. “I knew I was bringing something different to our community and it was something that we needed. I feel honored that people recognized my hard work and dedication to helping the community.”
<h3>Partnerships key to success</h3>This year's Civic Engagement Ambassador Award goes to Alice Del Vecchio, assistant professor of philanthropy, nonprofit leadership and public affairs. Del Vecchio developed several community partnerships and integrated service-learning projects with external clients into every class that's part of the philanthropy and nonprofit management degree program.Organizations that Del Vecchio partnered with include the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources in Butler County, the Blind Association of Butler County, the Butler County Commissioners and Glade Run Lutheran Services in Zelienople.These partnerships helped SRU advance the Institute for Nonprofit Leadership, a collaboration that offers training for local nonprofit organizations and helps them network with one another, share resources and increase the capacity to fulfill their missions. For example, last summer, Del Vecchio helped SRU and ANR host a Nonprofit Boot Camp.Additionally, Del Vecchio is the adviser of the Student Nonprofit Alliance, a student-run nonprofit organization that leads IZE week. The annual social justice collaborative connects students with community partners and spreads awareness on a variety of issues.“We're trying to lower the walls between the university and the community and expand the classroom to be part of the community,” Del Vecchio said. “(Our community partners) are able to access the intellectual resources available from our students and faculty, and our students are then able to network with these organizations and learn what it means to be good community citizens.”
<h3>Rotary is rock solid SRU service partner </h3>SRU also honored the Slippery Rock Rotary with its President's Community Partner Award. The local service organization has been a part of Slippery Rock for more than 80 years, and serves the community through ongoing support of community organizations like the Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Company and Rescue Team, Feed My Seep Food Cupboard and Slippery Rock in Bloom.Rotary also partners with student organizations at SRU, including the Green and White Society, fraternities and sororities and the Rotaract Club, which is a student service organization that follows the mission of Rotary International.The club also supports international programs by funding exchange student programs of SRU students studying aboard and international students studying at SRU.The Rotary supported the Mustard Seed Academy, a school for orphaned and abandoned children in Uganda. As a client of SRU's Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator, the club was involved in advancing soilless farming methods in Uganda with an aquaponics system used by both SRU and Uganda Martyrs University.Judy Hughes, president of the Slippery Rock Rotary Club, said the group — which includes nearly 50 members in Slippery Rock and Harrisville — was very honored by the award.“Our motto is Service Above Self, and we truly live that,” she said. “That certainly is something that transforms every one of us who are loyal to Rotary. We're here to do service and help our communities.”In the past, recipients were recognized at a ceremony on campus, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, honorees were mailed a congratulatory letter from SRU President William Behre and an engraved crystal award from Office for Community-Engaged Learning.<em>Justin Zackal is a communications specialist with Slippery Rock University.</em>
