The Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL), located in Klingbeil House, has been working to provide students and staff with volunteer outreach opportunities for about 20 years. Director Byrd Hughes has been with the program for 12 years.
When she first entered the role, most of her work consisted of working with building relationships with nonprofits and organizations to focus on civic and community engagement within the community. Because of Lasell’s “connected learning” approach, students learn using a hands-on method in the classroom. Offices like the CCBL allow them to apply this learning style to the outside world, helping them to get involved and make a difference in their community.
Hughes said that the CCBL has been flexible in adapting to the needs of community partners in order to provide them with the support they need to be successful. This is achieved by actively asking and listening to what the organization needs to thrive, rather than going into the situation assuming what they may need help with.
“I think historically, as a higher education institution, it’s sometimes been operating from a savior complex. And what I mean by that is students and institutions going into communities like they have all the answers and devaluing what a community brings to bear and the strengths that a community has,” Hughes said.
“I think now we go in with the mindset that we know that a community has benefits and assets, and we want to uphold those things and bring the resources that we have to strengthen the community as opposed to going in thinking that we have all the answers and we’re not listening to their voices,” Hughes said. “I think it’s more about centering communities and understanding that the resources that we’re bringing are there to uplift what’s happening in the community as opposed to having the answers to whatever the problems are.”
Often, local organizations reach out to the CCBL with volunteering opportunities that Hughes publicizes through Laser Involvement, where students can sign up to participate. Hughes also works closely with community partners to provide them with student volunteers. One such partner is Community Servings, an organization based in Jamaica Plain that prepares, packages and delivers meals to individuals and families with terminal illnesses.
Once a month, student volunteers go to Community Servings to prepare and package the meals. Hughes said that this program was frequently attended before the pandemic, and since 2020 the CCBL has been working to increase participation.
“One of the goals of the CCBL is really to help reestablish the culture of service for the institution,” Hughes said. “Pre-pandemic we had a really strong student involvement in organizations beyond campus. As we started to come back from the pandemic, I found that students are a little apprehensive of going off-campus, and I understand that for a number of reasons…So my goal is really to rebuild those skills in that engagement for students.”
The CCBL also organizes on-campus programming through the Campus Pantry and with Lasell Votes. They recently collaborated with Case House and Dining Services for an event called “Let’s Taco Bout Ballots,” which consisted of a taco station, patriotic mocktails and dessert in the dining hall. Case residents and Resident Assistant (RA) Lyric Miller were at the table presenting information about the ballot and helping students register to vote.
Miller met Hughes at RA training in August, and has worked with her since then to plan the event. “This election is crucial for our fu- ture human rights and for policies that will significantly impact marginalized groups. That’s why we believe it’s important to encourage students to vote and educate them about the process,” Miller said. “I think having the event organized makes it more accessible for other students. Seeing their peers involved may encourage them to learn more about voting and what’s on the ballot,” she said.
Hughes encourages students looking for a community within the university to reach out to the CCBL. “We try to focus on helping students to build community. Whether that’s here on campus or beyond campus, I would say for students who are still kind of looking for ‘their people’ or still figuring out where they fit into the Lasell environment, we are a great of- fice to reach out to,” Hughes said.
“I would encourage those students to reach out to our office just to explore not only the resources that are here on campus, but what may exist for them beyond campus as well,” she said.
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