Volume II | October 2020
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn
Message from the Associate Director
Hello! 
Community Outreach wants to let you know that we are here to support you. The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on all of us. The physical and mental stress is real! Please prioritize your health and well-being. We are in this together!      
In addition, we are only a few days away from one of the most important elections of our time, regardless of your affiliation, please vote! Make it count! Community Outreach has worked diligently to put together some of the most comprehensive information on the voting process at the local, state and national levels. Check out the Get Out and Vote section below. 
Be safe!
Miguel Colón, Director of Community Outreach
Get Out and Vote!


Election Day is November 3rd and it is time to make your voice heard.

Don't know where to vote?
Don't know if you're registered?
Don't know how to register?

Click Here to find out the answer to these questions and more as a part of our Political Engagement program's voting initiative project.
What we've been up to

Student Leader August Training: community building and education in a virtual setting


Training for CO student leaders and coordinators went a little differently than in past years. Rather than all of the 60+ students meeting together in the Student Union Ballroom, all of the student leaders met virtually. The virtual training was five days packed full of learning, collaboration and community building. Training covered important aspects of how to recruit and select participants for programs, how to train and manage participants on sites and how to facilitate impactful reflection sessions. Beyond setting guidelines for how to successfully lead student volunteers, there was an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. On the fourth day there was a panel discussion with Dr. Shayla Nunnally, Dr. Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, Dr. Shardé M. Davis, and Dr. Noël A. Cazenave who are all professors and experts in issues of white racism and racial inequality. Student leaders were able to reflect on ways to incorporate diversity into their programs and how they can be culturally competent as leaders in their programs.


The Dialogue Initiative has given space for the UConn community to think deeply on issues of inequality and democracy


The Political Engagement and Dialogues Initiative has held multiple forums over the past month surrounding the topics of race, COVID-19, and the upcoming election. One panel focused on the intersection of homelessness and voting where housing activists from various organizations talked about how voting can positively affect homeless communities. Another forum highlighted the relationship between racial inequity and COVID-19. The guest speaker, Dr. Sunil D’Cunha talked about how it has been difficult for health centers that are often in marginalized communities to function during COVID-19 while also being in the very same communities that are more likely to be affected by the pandemic. The third event took the form of a lecture by Dr. Carol Anderson who discussed how voter suppression is hurting our democracy. An upcoming panel will host congressman Joe Courtney as well as two UConn political science professors to talk about any and all questions and concerns when it comes to the upcoming election.
Program Spotlights

English Language Learners


ELL is a program that connects volunteers and community members who are learning English as a second language. Volunteers assist ELL teachers in weekly virtual classes. The goals of the program this year are to incorporate more cultural competency as well as more training on how students can maximize their impact while volunteering. The online setting has been a major adjustment for the program since it relies heavily on face-to-face interaction to build close relationships. The program has been able to adjust well however, and participants have been able to build relationships and gain a mutual cultural understanding in the online setting.
Mansfield Senior Center

This service project centers around providing social and recreational activities for senior citizens, a population that is often isolated. The program has gone virtual this semester with volunteers hosting virtual Bingo games on Fridays and virtual Trivia games on Tuesdays. So far these sessions have been going extremely well and volunteers and participants alike were excited to be a part of the program again. The Mansfield Senior Center program is planning on incorporating more activities like game nights or a book club to give more volunteers an opportunity to lead events.

Alumni Spotlight
Danielle Rubin
Class of 2020

"It was very easy to fall in love with Community Outreach"

Danielle got involved in CO as a freshman because she was interested in Special Olympics which happens to fall under the CO umbrella. As she became more involved with Special Olympics, she became more involved in the CO community. Danielle was program director for the Special Olympics assistant coaching program for one year and then went on to be the program director for the Special Olympics committee for two years. During her time in CO, she had made many lifelong friends, made incredible memories that she will always cherish and was able to get valuable leadership experience.

Currently, Danielle is in the first year of her masters degree in Communication Science Disorders at Emerson College. After graduating, Danielle is hoping to become a speech language pathologist and work with special needs children. She hopes to continue to be involved in Special Olympics and volunteer with the Special Olympics team at the school she will work at in the future.

If you are a CO alumni who would like to be featured, email us at uconn.co.comm@gmail.com
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