Kalamazoo College Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement

CCE is hiring student Community Building Interns for summer 2023! Earn up to a $5,000 stipend. The Center for Civic Engagement works with over 25 different partner organizations to offer exceptional and meaningful paid internships this summer in Kalamazoo. Rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors may apply, with highest priority given to students with financial need or the first in their families to go to college. Build skills, connections, community, and career working for health and educational equity, immigrant rights, youth development, sustainability, equitable housing, and more. Apply by April 9th on Handshake by searching “Summer CBIs 2023.” -Earn up to a $5000 stipend -Internships are 6-8 weeks, 30-40 work hours per week, for 240-280 hours -Internships may begin June 15 and may conclude by end of August For more information please email Felicia Ford at [email protected].

Kalamazoo college is being recognized by ALL IN Democracy Challenge and Civic Nation with a "platinum seal" in voter turnout for the 2020 election, with a 93.4% voter registration rate and 83.7% voter turnout rate among students. We are proud of the incredible work that made this possible organized by K Votes student Civic Engagement Scholars (CES) and then-Assistant Director of the CCE, Emily Kowey (K 17). K Votes, a non-partisan student-led program of the Center for Civic Engagement, is focused on educating and spreading awareness about voting and elections on K’s campus. One of the student CESs, Mahum Khan (K 24), who is also a Campus Vote Project democracy fellow, says, “Our main goal this past election was to institutionalize voting and voting engagement on our campus, and I think the 2020 NSLVE data provides a good representation of our ability to reach that goal in the efforts we made.” K Votes worked in partnership with their student peers, the local League of Women Voters, and the national organization, Rock the Vote, whose Executive Director is Caroline DeWitt (K 04). K Votes CES Kaitlyn Dexter says, “It was hard being off campus, but we made virtual connections across campus to get the word out. Some of those collaborations were with the Campus Vote Project, PIRGIM, and the College’s office of Outdoor Programs.” Khan added, “These collaborations allowed students to bike to the polls, learn about voter registration and how to vote, and overall increased the College’s turnout.” Although, K’s 2020 registration and voting rates considerably exceed the national average for students in college and university, the rate of student voting participation is higher at K for white students than for BIPOC students—and this is a gap we need to address. It is through continued collaborations and awareness work that we are able to educate globally active citizens.

Maribel Blas K'17 shares why she was motivated to work at El Sol and Maple Street Schools while she was a student at K and how those experiences influenced her to decision to pursue a career in education.

Tifini Batts K'11 looks back on her experience as a CES for the CAPS program. There is still time to share your story of working with the community during your time at K https://forms.gle/Yxzus5n5HCJbrXsG7

Rachel Udow K'08 talks about her experience as an intern with Farmworker Legal Services through the CCE Community Building Internship program.

he CCE is 20 years old! Leading up to our 20th Anniversary Celebration on Oct. 16 during this year’s homecoming, we will be sharing videos of K alumni reflecting on their experiences working with the community through CCE partnerships. Here is D’Angelo Bailey from the class of 2005 talking about what being involved with the local community as a college student meant to him.

September 2018: The Kalamazoo College Hoop House was raised by a group of students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and the @niftyhoops team at the start of the school year. The Hoop House initiative, conceived and led by students in the Center for Civic Engagement’s Just Food Collective and their mentor Amy Newday, is supported by K students, faculty and staff, alumni, city partners, and donors. Maintained by the CCE, the 30’x 60’ Hoop House, located behind the Fitness and Wellness Center, provides ample space for growing and learning, and so far has hosted a variety of courses, community events, and student work-study positions. Follow the CCE for future updates.

K Votes intern Kaitlyn Dexter @kaitlyndexterrrr shows you how to request an absentee ballot online, including details for states that have request restrictions such as Texas.

K Votes intern Kaitlyn Dexter, @kaitlyndexterrrr shows you how to register to vote online and check your voter registration. She also talks through options to register if your state doesn’t offer online registration.

Keep Washington and Woodward Schools Open

Michigan's School Reform Office has announced that they may close Woodward School for Technology & Research and Washington Writer’s Academy in Kalamazoo, MI because of low standardized test scores, reducing our children to a set of numbers. Watch the video and help us keep these schools open by doing one or all of the following: 1) Sign the petition: www.change.org/p/natasha-baker-school-reform-office-keep-woodward-and-washington-schools-open 2) Phone the SRO at (517) 284-6970 3) Write an e-mail to SRO Officer Natasha Baker: [email protected] Thank you for your help and support to keep these vital schools open!