Public Leadership Activities
Service Day
Each year, Public Leadership students and staff work with Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreational Services to improve the landscape of Lake Artemesia in Berwyn Heights, Maryland. Students and staff have a blast during Service Day, a hallmark event in College Park Scholars. It provides an opportunity for those affiliated with the University of Maryland, area community service agencies, and other organizations to work together, demonstrating the value of community service activities.
Community-Based Learning and Civic Engagement
During their first year, Public Leadership students are involved in community-based learning and civic engagement activities. Through having students use their leadership training outside of the classroom, we hope that they will become more thoughtful and experienced leaders.
Please read about some of the community-based learning experiences from this year's Public Leadership students.
Advocacy Group
"Public leadership is all about democracy by the people. Each and every individual is important and her/his voice must be heard. Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) is one organization that rallies people together to unify them for a common cause. EJUSA works to abolish the death penalty in the United States one state at a time. It is an awesome experience to work with the organization to see how a nonprofit group can unite people. It is also incredible to see the direct effects of your work across the state. The Advocacy Group also works with Maryland Citizens Against State Executions (MDCASE), another organization that focuses on advocating for the repeal of the death penalty.
Working with these two organizations brings you out of the classroom and into the real world to experience exactly how democracy works in our society. It is a plus to see you are actually making a substantial difference in the community you live in. The EJUSA/MDCASE Advocacy Group is an engaging way to learn about democracy and what it truly means to be a public leader."
--Dan Murphy
Class of 2011
"Selected students travel into Washington, DC once a week to work with the Advocacy Project, a non-governmental organization. Students assist the organization with various projects, including website improvements and maintenance. With the approval of mentors, students engage in any activity dealing with the organization as a whole. Students have multiple opportunities to become involved with worldwide partners and to learn from the organization's experienced staff." The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice.
--Laura Palantone
Class of 2011
Parks and Planning Group
"As a member of the Parks and Planning group, we were able to see firsthand what goes on behind the scenes in planning parks and public goods. We were surprised at the complexity and encouraged by the possibilities of working on issues relevant to our surrounding society. The opportunity revealed to us our own limitations at the same time as showing us the need for each citizen to play his/her part in society.
If you are looking for something practical, the community-based learning programs for the first-year students put the knowledge from the classroom into practice."
--Sam Furnish
Class of 2011
College Park Community Development
"We observe and participate in civic engagement in College Park by attending community meetings concerning various developments in the surrounding area. These developments include University of Maryland East Campus , the Purple Line (light rail train), and the Cafritz Property on Route 1. Conducting interviews of the main project participants and distributing surveys to the community members to hear their opinions on the development plans will help us better understand the overall development process and residents' involvement in that process."
--Erica McNelly
Class of 2011
Schools Group
"Our Community-Based Learning project is connected with the Charles Carroll Middle School in Prince George 's county. Our first experience at the school was warm and welcoming. We were given a tour of the school and told about the special kids we would soon be working with. After weeks of interactive activities and sports with the kids, we have really gotten to know the middle-school students. Public Leadership students are positive role models and good friends that the middle school students can look up to. The college and middle-school students learn about the community around them and the individual students that they interact with each week."
--Mike Marcus
Class of 2011
Public Leadership Council
The Public Leadership Council (PLC) is an elected group of officers representing the College Park Scholars Public Leadership Program (PL). The PLC is responsible for
- Deliberating about and influencing the direction, quality, and culture of the PL Program;
- Assisting in implementing the goals and activities of the PL Program; and
- Representing the concerns and ideas of their fellow classmates in PL planning and programming.
"The Public Leadership Council (PLC) is a group of first and second year PL students and one alumni. The goal of the group is to organize events and programs to bridge the gap between first and second years in Public Leadership. We would like anyone in PL to become involved in organizing and creating fun and exciting events to bring everyone in the Public Leadership community together."
--Samantha Hanagan, PLC President
Class of 2010
Scholars in New York
Each spring, College Park Scholars students and staff travel to New York City for a fun-filled weekend that is packed full of activities including trips to a Broadway show, museums, and restaurants. Find out more information about this exciting trip by clicking on the link below:
http://www.scholars.umd.edu/nyc/index.cfm
