On Thursday Jan. 29, the Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) celebrated its grand opening at 167 High St. The center opened to merge the three offices, Community Relations, Community Service and Volunteerism, and the Service-Learning Center. The unification of these three offices was prompted by the creation of more service learning courses at Wesleyan.
“As far as we know, Wesleyan is the first college to attempt such a model,” said Rob Rosenthal, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Service Learning Center. He added that at other universities, the offices usually function independently.
According to Rosenthal, the main benefit of intertwining the three offices is that it will be “one-stop shopping” for members of the Wesleyan and Middletown communities who are interested in university-community issues. Cathy Crimmins, Director of the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism is also optimistic about the creation of the CPP.
“We can talk with [people] and figure out where their ideas or programs would fit and direct them to the appropriate office,” Crimmins said.
By working in the same center, the three offices can offer each other help and ideas.
“It will be helpful to have people doing a lot of the work for you,” said Mary Thomas ’04, Teaching Assistant for a service learning class.
Service learning classes use community service as a teaching tool and are supported by the Service Learning Center.
In addition to providing opportunities for members of the Wesleyan community to take part in volunteer work, the Office of Community Service and Volunteerism helps students find work-study positions in the Middletown community and supports student-driven community service projects.
The Office of Community Relations, the third office of the CCP, works on initiatives and creating partnerships between the Middletown community and the University.
“At most colleges, the Office of Community Relations is only concerned with fundraising, but Wesleyan has been doing a good job at really reaching out to Middletown organizations, such as the Green Street Arts Center in the North End,” Thomas said.
Already, the CPP is working on a project to aid the Middlesex Historical Society in making an oral history of World War II veterans in the area. The CPP is also looking for students to help out and initiate further projects.
“Just walk in the door,” Rosenthal said.
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