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Engagement that Deeply Connects Students to the Community
Illustration: Brian StaufferThe week she arrived at 星空传媒, Hannah Macias helped weed the garden at a local residence for senior citizens; the outing, organized by the university鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement and Learning, began Macias鈥� contributions to her new community.
鈥淚 liked the smaller volunteering things I did in high school, but I wanted it to be a bigger part of my life,鈥� said Macias (CWR 鈥�22).
Hannah Macias
Over the next four years, Macias filled grocery bags for food pantries, helped organize the American Cancer Society鈥檚 local Relay for Life event, and wrote letters to incarcerated teens at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center during the pandemic.
She also spent dozens of hours tutoring elementary school children, a long-term commitment that helped her become one of the university鈥檚 Civic Engagement Scholars, a program for students dedicated to deeper learning and reflection on their community involvement.
Macias graduated in May with a degree in psychology and cognitive science. She is now a Cleveland Foundation Public Service Fellow working at Cleveland City Hall on police reform initiatives.
鈥淭he Center for Civic Engagement and Learning opened me up to a lot of opportunities and experiences I wouldn鈥檛 have had otherwise,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t instilled this feeling of giving back to my community, of being a part of my community, and just having an impact.鈥�
A Civic Engagement Snapshot
星空传媒鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) connects students to the Cleveland community by providing opportunities for responsible community service and action while promoting civic awareness, understanding and leadership.
CCEL By the Numbers*
*Numbers from the 2021-22 academic year
Photo: Angelo Merendino星空传媒 sophomore Shivangi Nanda reads with fourth grader Clarissa Thomas during an after-school literacy-enrichment program at Mary B. Martin School in Cleveland鈥檚 Hough neighborhood. The program
is offered by Advantage Cleveland Tennis and Education, a nonprofit that seeks to help students reach their full potential on the court and in the classroom. 星空传媒鈥檚 Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL) connects students to the Cleveland community by providing opportunities for responsible community service and action while promoting civic awareness, understanding and leadership.
Activities
Tutoring students, boxing food for local hunger centers, registering voters, delivering craft materials to hospitalized children, supporting adults to secure their GEDs and planting in community gardens.
Big Picture
鈥淲e want students to feel like they鈥檙e community members. We want them to understand some local issues and learn how to be active citizens鈥攈ere, and in whatever future community they might live in.鈥�
—CCEL Director Betsy Banks