Educators for Community Engagement National Gathering

Posted by on April 18, 2003

Dear Faculty, Community Partners and Students Engaged in Service-Learning,

On behalf of the Educators for Community Engagement (formerly known as the Invisible College) and the National Gathering Local Planning Committee, I encourage you and your service-learning partners to join us for the 9th National Gathering: “Gathering at the River: Connecting Communities, Expressing Cultures and Enriching Lives” in Minneapolis, June 26-28th, 2003, hosted by the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

The Early Bird Registration Deadline is May, 16, 2003
Discounted Registration for Teams of Three or More Individuals (representing at least two categories – faculty/staff, community partners and students).

For complete information and on-line registration for this summer’s National Gathering (NG) please see http://www.e4ce.org.

A brief overview is included below:
What is the Educators for Community Engagement?
A national membership organization composed of faculty, staff, community partners, and students, who strive within our various institutions and positions to integrate learning and service within the diverse communities in which we work and live.

What is a National Gathering (NG)?
The annual meeting bringing together our membership to engage in learning, growth and change through participation in learning circles. Learning Circles are at the heart of the NG – safe spaces where individuals gather to engage in deep conversations, reflect on experiences, share projects, ideas and strategies around a topic or issue in service-learning. Past learning circle topics have included: Institutions as Agents of Social Change, Campus-Community Partnership,
Diversity and Power, and the Voice and Power of Students on Campuses and in Communities. This year’s NG participants will select from 14 learning circle topics and 13 pre-gathering workshop topics. Some of the many pre-gathering workshops include sessions on Community-based Research, Economic Development, Funding Service-Learning, Reflection Tools and Leading Learning Circles.

Thursday, June 26, 2003
9-4 Pre-gathering workshops (half or full-day sessions)
5-6 Reception
6-7:30 Opening Dinner
7:45-9 Learning Circles I

Friday, June 27, 2003
9-12 Learning Circles II
12-2 Lunch and Campus Compact 2003 Ehrlich Faculty Award Presentation
2-5 Learning Circles III

Saturday, June 28, 2003
9-11 Learning Circles IV
11-12 ECE Business Meeting
12-2:30 Closing Celebration Picnic
3-6 Optional Community Outings

For information about the National Gathering please email: lhirt@class.cla.umn.edu.

I hope you will join us in Minneapolis!

Peace,

Laurel Hirt, 2003 National Gathering Host Coordinator