The Hartel Program for Social Activism and Change and Freshman Retention
Recent Recipients
The following members of the Marietta College community received $500 grants for their programs.
- Social Activism / Change
Coalition for Social Change
Sponsor: Dr. Kathryn McDaniel
The Coalition for Social Change offers a variety of events throughout the year to enhance or raise the awareness of social and environmental issues that are facing people locally, state-wide, and nationally. Funds will be used to provide materials, supplies for the program and stipends for speakers brought to the Marietta College campus.
- Social Activism / Change
VOICE
Sponsor: Dr. Mary Barnas
The VOICE mission is to increase awareness and prevention efforts on all forms of intimate violence. VOICE will provide programs for National Domestic Violence Awareness month, including a candlelight vigil, a self-defense workshop and a fundraiser for EVE, the local domestic violence shelter. These activities will increase both campus and community awareness of domestic violence and its impact on families and communities across the country.
- Freshman Retention
Model UN Club
Sponsors: Dr. Mike Tager and Dr. Mark Schaefer
To promote active participation in the Model United Nations Club that would aid in the groups travel to the American Model United Nations International Conference (AMUNIC) in Chicago. Half of the participants in this group are freshmen. Students will role-play diplomats from assigned countries on U.N. Committees, addressing a variety of world problems. This year's students will represent Jamaica. The research time and travel will provide a great opportunity to create friendships and student-faculty interaction will give freshmen a positive experience. A subcomponent of this activity will promote social activism as students will gain knowledge of political problems. Role playing a third-world nation like Jamaica, a country well known for sometimes taking foreign policy positions antagonistic to the United States, students should become aware of perspectives significantly different from their own.
- Freshmen Retention
Introductory Biology Learning/Sharing Community
Sponsor: Dr. Dave McShaffery
This fall, approximately 70 freshmen are enrolled in introductory biology courses, which are generally agreed to be difficult because of the breadth of the subject matter. The Introductory Biology Learning/Sharing Community will promote the formation of scheduled study groups and encourage interactions between students and faculty. The group will meet each Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. in an informal setting. The biology department will train a TA assistant to help organize the series of events and other upperclassmen will be encouraged to attend through credit or extra credit. Coordination through the ARC and the Writing Center will be included in the program. One of six biology faculty members will attend each session. Focus will be on collaborative and peer based instruction. The grant will supply refreshments and any materials necessary to aid students in their quests for success.
- Social Activism / Change
Improving Family Literacy in Appalachian Ohio
Sponsor: Dr. Cathy Mowrer
The monies from this mini-grant will provide funds for purchasing books and supplied for students in the Instructional Strategies in Early Literacy. The students will develop book packs to promote the effective strategies in the areas of comprehension, phonics, listening skills, retelling and writing. The book packs will be placed in a Washington County elementary school's library so that students may check them out on a daily or weekly basis.
- Social Activism / Change
Prison Service Project-Larkin Correctional Center for Women
Sponsor: Dr. Dan Huck
The monies will improve the awareness of how the criminal justice system disproportionately impacts women of color and women of poverty. Students will learn advocacy skills to enhance fairness and the personal dignity in the handling of women prisoners in the American criminal justice system. The program also advances the law- and justice-related careers of participants in the program. Activities include 5-10 students per semester in intern-like service positions at a maximum-security prison for women. Students work directly with the inmates to gain an understanding of the system and promote awareness of needed changes.
- Social Activism / Change
Science Enrichment (Literacy) for Preschool and Elementary School Children
Sponsor: Dr. Don Carpenetti
The monies will be used to develop and implement science presentations at local pre-school and elementary schools, designed to increase science literacy among area youth and promote interests in science that will carry over into adolescence. Marietta College students will gain experience presenting and teaching scientific principles. Funds requested would be used to purchase materials for the educational presentations. The program will involve 6-10 students per semester in addition to faculty. All involvement by faculty and students will be done on a volunteer basis. Students will have a better understanding of the challenges the United States faces as we fall further behind other industrialized nations in science literacy and hopefully an increase in interest in science within the youth of the Marietta community.
- Social Activism / Change
Preparing Diverse Educators in a Global Community
Sponsor: Dr. Marybeth Peebles
The monies will be used to allow potential educators to explore the global community. Multicultural, multilingual school districts will become host sites for Marietta College Education students, who are mainly from a mono-cultural background. Students will be immersed in the education of African-American, Latino(a), and other minority students. The experience will expand the teachers' awareness of the impact of race, socio-economic status, ethnicity, language, and gender on the educational opportunities and achievement of minority students and will demonstrate the need for educational equity. Approximately eight students and one faculty advisor will participate in the experience during the week of December 5-9, 2005.