The Morgridge Center for Public Service released its 2018-19 annual report highlighting the center’s activities over the past year. The report details how the Morgridge Center for Public Service lives out its mission of building a thriving democratic society by connecting campus with community through service, community-based learning and research.
By collaborating with campus and community partners, the center enhances student learning and contributes to community capacity-building. Highlights from this year include: celebrating 10 years of Badger Volunteers, advancing student voter engagement through the Big Ten Voting Challenge and welcoming Earlise Ward as the new Faculty Director.
The Morgridge Center also notes movement forward on recommendations #1 and #6 on the Civic Action Plan:
- A Community Engagement Preparation Specialist was hired to help identify campus groups working with communities, and to create a curriculum that will better prepare those groups to do in respectful and responsive ways.
- The Morgridge Center piloted a program to promote responsible community engagement with registered student organizations. Four student groups participated in this new initiative and attended workshops to deepen their understanding of power and privilege as it relates to their community-based work.
- Bianca Baldridge, an assistant professor in the School of Education was the inaugural recipient of the Excellence in Community-Based Learning Award. This award was created to support, incentivize and recognize faculty members who are developing community partnerships with their coursework in an equitable way.
- The Morgridge Fellows program launched in fall 2018 and selected ten participants for the 2018-19 academic year. This program was created to encourage newer faculty members to participate in high impact, innovative pedagogies. Eleven new Morgridge Fellows have been selected for the 2019-20 academic year.
The annual report also details updates related to the center’s flagship Badger Volunteers program, Wisconsin Idea Fellowships, Community-based Learning courses and faculty professional development offerings.
To read the full 2018-19 annual report, click here.