DukeEngage students get an early start on the summer of service at a three-day academy. | Eric Van Danen
First DukeEngage Academy Prepares Students for Summer of Service
Students hear from alumni, faculty in three-day session
Friday, May 8, 2009
Durham, NC -- Nearly 350 Duke students recently took part in the first-ever DukeEngage Academy—an intensive three-day conference designed to prepare students for DukeEngage experiences this summer across the United States and abroad.
The event, which ran from May 4-6 on Duke’s campus, opened with an address from President Richard H. Brodhead and segued into workshops exploring the topics of serving across cultures, the ethics of engagement, community partnerships and the dynamics of short-term service.
Participants also heard from DukeEngage “alumni” who went through the program last summer.
On Tuesday evening, students took part in a hunger banquet, which touched on issues of poverty and unequal access to resources.
A panel discussion comprised of representatives of Durham non-profits and local government followed to explore how students could put their experience into action upon returning to Duke this fall.
The academy concluded with an address delivered by Duke graduate Eric Greitens, chairman and CEO of the Center for Citizen Leadership. An Angier B. Duke Scholar, Greitens studied ethics, philosophy and public policy en route to earning Rhodes and Truman Scholarships.
The DukeEngage Academy was organized by Cloe Liparini, assistant director of training and student development at DukeEngage. “The intent of the DukeEngage Academy was to promote more focus on participants’ preparation for their immersive summer placements,” Liparini said. “We wanted to set a serious tone to underscore our commitment to service and a community-driven agenda.
|
Eric Greithens returned to Duke to discuss leadership and service.
|
“Our hope was that the students would begin to examine the importance of building trust with their communities, become comfortable with the notion of expecting the unexpected, and developing a realistic and hopefully sustainable project.
Now in its third year of operation, DukeEngage funds students during a summer of civic engagement work in one of 30 group programs within the United States, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Dozens of students also pursue independent projects across the world.
The program was established at Duke in 2007 with a $15 million gift from The Duke Endowment and a $15 million gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish an endowment to support DukeEngage under the rubric of the Duke Center for Civic Engagement.
Counting this summer’s participants, 800 Duke students have participated in the program since its inception.
