Connectivity Through Service Learning and Civic Engagement

Posted by on March 17, 2014

The Community College National Center for Community Engagement is happy to announce it is now accepting registrations for its

23rd Annual International Conference to be held on
Tuesday, May 20- Thursday May 22, 2014

at the
DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.

The theme for the conference is:

Connectivity Through Service Learning and Civic Engagement

For conference information and to register please visit our website at

http://www.mesacc.edu/engagement

Keynote Speakers:
Ms. Minh Dang

Keynote Address:
When Two Worlds Collide: The Joy and Sorrows of Community Engagement

Civic engagement and service-learning programs are designed to promote and establish peace, equity, and social justice. And yet, these programs confront human suffering, and institutional and interpersonal violence on a daily basis. This keynote will address how institutions of higher education can hold the tensions of our society while supporting students and communities in their pursuit of social justice. Minh Dang will discuss a philosophy of community engagement that promotes the simultaneous pursuit of individual healing and social justice. Minh will share strategies for nurturing joy and embracing sorrow; for dealing with the hope and disappointment that comes with our work. She will also share some of her personal journey in reconciling injustice in her own community.

Bio:  Minh Dang is currently an independent consultant, trainer, and speaker on issues of human trafficking, leadership development, and social justice. She provides training and technical assistance to NGOs, Universities, and government agencies across the country. Minh is a staunch advocate for survivors of child abuse and human trafficking and is developing strategies to support education, training, and leadership development for survivors.

Most recently, Minh was the Executive Director for Don’t Sell Bodies, an anti-human trafficking initiative founded by Jada Pinkett Smith.  She is passionate about promoting the integration of individual and community healing. A true “love warrior,” as her friend calls her, Minh has traveled extensively telling her harrowing story of survival from child abuse and sexual slavery in the United States.

Minh is a ten-year veteran of the service-learning field and is currently finishing her Masters in Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. Prior to graduate school, Minh coordinated the Bonner Leaders AmeriCorps Program at the UC Berkeley Public Service Center. She has served on the Board of Directors for Youth Engagement Advocacy Housing (YEAH) and The Norma J. Morris Center for Healing.  Minh also co-led weekly Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA) support groups for six years. In May 2013, Minh was one of fifteen Asian American/Pacific Islander women recognized at the White House as a Champion of Change for her efforts to end human trafficking. Follow her blog at http://minhspeakstruth.tumblr.com or on twitter @minhspeakstruth.

Pamela Tate
President and CEO
CAEL (the Council for Adult & Experiential Learning)

Keynote Address:
Credit for What They Know: Community Service, PLA, and Adult Degree Completion

Since becoming President and CEO of CAEL in 1990, Pamela Tate has become nationally and internationally recognized for her work within the higher education, public, and private sectors to make it easier for adults to get the education and training they need to succeed and to remain employable.

She is also known for helping colleges and universities develop Prior Learning Assessment programs and improve the quality of their services for working learners. Pam has worked with employers on tuition assistance policy, implementation of career and educational advising for employees, and exemplary practices in employee learning and development. She has led CAEL in the development of projects that unite business, government, labor and postsecondary education to address workforce skill shortages – resulting in industry-sponsored degree and certificate programs on-line, industry-wide career pathways programs, and regional lifelong learning and talent development initiatives. As a presenter, she is regularly sought out for her vision and insights into adult learning and workforce development and their vital relationship to the future of the economy.

In 1996, Pam was acknowledged for a career devoted to expanding lifelong educational opportunities for adults with the Doctor of Humane Letters honoris causa, conferred by SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She also received honorary doctorate degrees in humane letters from DePaul University’s School for New Learning in 2005 and from Thomas Edison State College in 2007. In 2011, she received the degree of Doctor of Public Service honoris causa from St. Leo University. In 2013, Pam was awarded the President’s Medal from Excelsior College in recognition of her continued dedication to expanding opportunities for adult learners.

Among Pam’s numerous professional activities, she currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Excelsior College, and is a member of the Commission on Quality Assurance and Alternative Higher Education, formed in 2013 by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Pam completed her doctoral coursework at the University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School of Communications, and earned master’s degrees in both English and journalism from the University of Illinois at Champaign.