The Volunteer Program Assessment at UNO (VPA-UNO), a faculty-led student group, partners with non... more The Volunteer Program Assessment at UNO (VPA-UNO), a faculty-led student group, partners with nonprofit and governmental agencies to provide free assessments and consultations to enhance volunteer engagement, organizational commitment and retention. Three recent initiatives are discussed representing an intentional effort of a metropolitan university to extend love of place to love of state through outreach efforts to rural volunteers and to promote inclusivity to Spanish-speaking volunteers by translating the VPA assessment into Spanish. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a case example of volunteer efforts of students participating in the Volunteer Program Assessment at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (VPA-UNO) to make their community a better place. The initiatives described demonstrate how students and faculty at a metropolitan university can provide much needed service to the community while at the same time enhancing student professional development and civic-mindedness. This narrative will first provide a context for VPA-UNO's efforts, highlighting the important role of UNO and the Omaha community in supporting meaningful collaborations between students with the community. Second, VPA-UNO's process will be described along with client and student outcomes. Next, we will describe VPA-UNO's effort to extend love of place to love of state through outreach efforts to rural volunteers and to promote inclusivity among Spanish-speaking volunteers. Finally, these highlighted VPA-UNO projects will be reviewed, noting key findings and underscoring the reciprocal benefits accrued to both the clients and to VPA-UNO through these collaborations. Importance of Place The importance of place cannot be under-emphasized as UNO nurtures a university culture that through policy and action promotes student-centeredness, academic excellence, and community engagement Specifically, UNO administration at all levels support curricular and co-curricular programming efforts that encourage and support relationships between students and community partners. Furthermore, the establishment of the UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center has reaffirmed UNO's commitment to engagement, highlighting the importance of facilitating meaningful collaboration, by bringing community partners directly onto the UNO campus. The building provides free space for campus and community events, as well as office space for thirty-three community and university partners. VPA-UNO is one of the university partners housed in the Community Engagement Center, benefiting from this collaborative space within a supportive metropolitan university culture.
The Volunteer Program Assessment at UNO (VPA-UNO), a faculty-led student group, partners with non... more The Volunteer Program Assessment at UNO (VPA-UNO), a faculty-led student group, partners with nonprofit and governmental agencies to provide free assessments and consultations to enhance volunteer engagement, organizational commitment and retention. Three recent initiatives are discussed representing an intentional effort of a metropolitan university to extend love of place to love of state through outreach efforts to rural volunteers and to promote inclusivity to Spanish-speaking volunteers by translating the VPA assessment into Spanish. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a case example of volunteer efforts of students participating in the Volunteer Program Assessment at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (VPA-UNO) to make their community a better place. The initiatives described demonstrate how students and faculty at a metropolitan university can provide much needed service to the community while at the same time enhancing student professional development and civic-mindedness. This narrative will first provide a context for VPA-UNO's efforts, highlighting the important role of UNO and the Omaha community in supporting meaningful collaborations between students with the community. Second, VPA-UNO's process will be described along with client and student outcomes. Next, we will describe VPA-UNO's effort to extend love of place to love of state through outreach efforts to rural volunteers and to promote inclusivity among Spanish-speaking volunteers. Finally, these highlighted VPA-UNO projects will be reviewed, noting key findings and underscoring the reciprocal benefits accrued to both the clients and to VPA-UNO through these collaborations. Importance of Place The importance of place cannot be under-emphasized as UNO nurtures a university culture that through policy and action promotes student-centeredness, academic excellence, and community engagement Specifically, UNO administration at all levels support curricular and co-curricular programming efforts that encourage and support relationships between students and community partners. Furthermore, the establishment of the UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center has reaffirmed UNO's commitment to engagement, highlighting the importance of facilitating meaningful collaboration, by bringing community partners directly onto the UNO campus. The building provides free space for campus and community events, as well as office space for thirty-three community and university partners. VPA-UNO is one of the university partners housed in the Community Engagement Center, benefiting from this collaborative space within a supportive metropolitan university culture.
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Papers by Adam Thurley