During this first class we set the agenda and expectations for the upcoming semester as well as integrated members of our class that were abroad by updating them on what we have been doing. First, we opened the class by having pizza and listening to some reminders from Dr. Arcaro. He informed us that the steering committee would be operating again and that we would need to elect two members of our class to be there. Christian and Erin Luther volunteered to attend the steering committee meetings. He said that this semester the steering committee will be different because it will have more specific goals, objectives and deliverables. Dr. Arcaro wants our class to assume the role of “seers” or mentors; essentially we will be giving more than we will be getting. Secondly, Dr. Arcaro said that he wants the Periclean program to transition towards a more transparent and collaborative mechanism for the distribution of funds. He wants to have an advisory committee that will be in charge of “asks” from each class and he wants the steering committee will work on developing this. There will be a veto power for the advisory committee, but the distribution of funds will essentially be more structured than it has been in the past.

 

After Dr. Arcaro’s talk we discussed changes to the syllabus for the spring semester. We explained that a new addition to this semester will be the creation of posters displaying our major work and research. This will serve as our “writing for a purpose” requirement and will be helpful for the younger classes. Secondly, we decided to only do a final written reflection and have the normal mid-term reflection be oral with our accountability partner. Lastly, we changed the structure of the KBG’s so that there is more sharing involved. Each group that attends an event will spend 5-10 minutes sharing what they learned in class. This way the KBG element of the class is more collaborative and we are able to benefit from other people’s learning.

 

Next, we had committee updates to update the people that were away last semester and over winter term. Each committee shared what they have done and what they hope to accomplish for this next semester. The People Planet Profit committee will be focusing on small logistics for the upcoming summit. Most of the larger issues have been handled. They want everyone to be sure they are available during the Summit as they will need all hands on deck. The LUPE committee wants to focus on the sustainability of their initiatives this semester. Specifically, they want to be sure there is a plan in place so that the ESL classes and curriculum they have created will last into the future. To do this, they are focusing on converting their curriculum to electronic form and contacting organizations on campus that may be willing to take it over. The book editing committee will be focusing on the final draft of the book, and everyone should plan to turn in the final draft of their chapter over the next few weeks. The fundraising committee will be focusing on Cookies-to-Go-Go during the Summit and outside of the Summit as well as any other fundraising ideas that come up. They want to encourage everyone to start brainstorming about this.

 

Finally, we gave announcements. There are several things that members of our class are working on that are very exciting and interesting. We got a $750 donation from the Office of Sustainability to go toward our Summit and they are considering having an eco-rep table at the conference. One problem we are having with the Summit is whether vendors are allowed to sell their products. Isabel has been following up with the woman in charge but is not having any luck. This is an ongoing initiative that we are working on because we think that this is an important part of the conference that we were looking forward to incorporating. Caroline is looking into the Two-dollar challenge, which is a challenge being sponsored by our key-note speaker, Sean Humphrey. She will create a survey so that we can gauge the class’ interest in participating. Morgan is also holding a photo exhibit contest with El Centro and is seeking help to plan this. Diana and Pablo from El Centro are helping with this.. The goal of this is to show another side of Honduras, rather than just the bad parts of the country that are typically displayed in the media.

As we begin spring semester:  updates from the director

First, welcome back all of you who traveled during January term.  Snowpocalypse 2016 was a minor inconvenience back here at Elon but I know many of you had major delays in your return to the US, and I am glad to hear that everyone is home safely.

Back on campus and near campus there was a great deal going on, so here are some quick updates:

• The Class of 2016 set a new mark for our program by being the first cohort to take advantage of COR 445 “Global Partnership thru Service.”  All Elon students are required to take a COR capstone class and from now forward that university requirement can be filled through Periclean.  Click here to see a late draft of the syllabus. The entire cohort was active and enrolled in this capstone class, with three of their members traveling to Honduras for a good portion of the term then reporting back to the class on campus in the last week.
• You will be hearing more about this is the coming weeks and months, but ’16’s are putting together a book that will provide a detailed description of their three-year journey and provide useful and critical advice for all future Classes as well as non-Periclans that want to know more about the many complexities of international partnering and development work.
• Using as a guide the work the ’16s did, associate director Mat Gendle has developed a template syllabus for COR 445 that can be used next year and beyond.
• Registration for “People, Planet, Profit,” another initiative of the ’16’s is in full swing right now.  In partnership with the Love School of Business the ’16’s have organized a on day summit focusing on the question “We believe that making ethical decisions and making a profit are not mutually exclusive. Do you agree?”  Go here or here to learn more and to register.
• The Mentor’s for both the ’17’s and ’18’s were leading study abroad classes, Steve Braye to Ireland and Carol Smith to New Zealand.  I did work with Professor Moore and Susan Reynolds from the ’17’s and we did move forward with contacts in Namibia in the American Cultural Center, the Ministries of Education and Agriculture and administration and faculty from the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia.  The ’17’s will have much on which to work preparing for travel to Namibia this June and again in January 2017.
• Plans for travel to Zambia will begin to ramp up just after the start of the semester.  Braye, Gendle and a good number of the ’18s will spend time in Zambia in May-June building with Habitat for Humanity-International and laying the groundwork for future partnerships there.
• In addition to spending a good deal of time visiting the ’16’s classroom (conveniently in Global Commons 200) I continued work on my research on the humanitarian aid and development world.  Look here for some blog posts that will be helpful to you as you explore questions about the “humanitarian aid system.”  As part of my research I have become more familiar with the aid work nomenclature and methodology.  I encourage all Classes to read about and perhaps begin using the “log frame” technique that has been the sector standard for decades.
• On January 25th I did a presentation to the Elon admissions staff about Periclean Scholars and how to communicate this opportunity to prospective students.  They has many great questions, but summarizing this remains a challenge.
• Megan, ’16 and Chase, ’18 continued work on the Periclean Foundation and on getting alumni updates.  Check on this post by Chase featuring Kelly Parshall from the Class of 2010.  This work will continue throughout the spring as well.

Our program remains ever evolving and I look forward to working with all of you even more closely this spring.

Tom Arcaro, director

Keep up with Periclean through Facebook.

 

 

 

Interview with Kelly Parshall, Class of 2010

by Chace Blackburn, ’18 

 

I was lucky enough to talk with Kelly Parshall (Periclean Alumni from the class of 2010) last Thursday. I spoke to her experience in Periclean Scholars, her winter term trip to Ghana, her semester in Dar Es Salaam, and her service in the Peace Corps in Vanuatu.

Parshall said she felt she didn’t really find her place at Elon until joining Periclean as a freshman in 2007.

“I felt pretty isolated to just events within my area of interest (global studies) until my global experience class. At the end of the course, my professor handed out applications to Periclean Scholars, which seemed like such a cool opportunity,” she said.

“I didn’t believe it was real. I mean, a bunch of 18 and 19 year old students about to address social issues. I was astounded.”

Parshall was no stranger to volunteering or immersing herself in cultures different from her own.

“I did a lot of volunteer work during high school- I worked for Habitat for Humanity, in soup kitchens. But I had never left the country before, which is why I thought Periclean would be so cool.”

Even though Parshall was well-versed in volunteering and had a passion for social justice, Periclean was nerve-wracking at first, as she recalls.

“At first I was really intimidated because we had a lot of go-getters in my class. But Dr Heidi Frontani was our mentor, who was really cool, and helped me feel more at ease.”

In 2008, Parshall traveled to Ghana with her fellow Periclean Scholars.

“I was tutoring African refugees when I was in Ghana. I was so astounded by the gratitude I was shown while there. It inspired me to drop the semester abroad in Sussex, England I was planning. I had some wiggle room in my schedule, and so in lieux of traveling abroad to England through Elon, I decided to spend a semester in Tanzania through University Corps.”

So during the fall of her senior year at Elon, Parshall packed up her bags and spent four months in Dar es Salaam.

“Dar es Salaam was a huge change in my life. It’s one thing to read about abject poverty, its another to see families living in it. It gives you a sense of gratitude.”

This gratitude propelled her to write a piece entitled “Swim Champ,” which details her experiences being a mzungu in Tanzania struggling with white privlege and can be found here.

The piece describes her experience of accidentally joining the national Tanzanian swim team, and the embarrassment that ensues. But on a deeper level, the story entails the nature of white privilege, and how it separated Parshall greatly from her peers.

“Even the good friends you make you would have uncomfortable moments with. One of our Tanzanian friends organized a trip, and at the end of t he trip, we realized he’d asked for way more money than was needed. This was really hurtful and made me realize the cultural gap was going to be much harder to bridge than I had ever anticipated.”

After graduating from Elon, Parshall spent two years in Vanuatu, working as a Community Health Facilitator. It was there that she constructed 30 new VIP toilets, managing and implementing a $9,000 USAID climate change adaptation grant, conducted community health outreach in malaria prevention, sexual/reproductive health, NCD screening, water and sanitation and child nutrition, and liaised with community leaders to form a disaster committee, create multi-hazard disaster response plans and coordinate food aid distribution. But it was also during that time that Parshall experienced a heartbreaking conflict.

“There was a huge cyclone, category 5, headed straight for Vanuatu. The American government sent us a plane, for only Americans to get on. It was so painful to know I was safe while everyone around me was panicking. I came back to help, but it was still such a hard time, and felt it divided me even more from the citizens of Vanuatu.”

In January 2015, Parshall started working for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation) in Venautu. Here she continued to help with aid efforts for the cyclone she so narrowly escaped. Managing a 100,000 Euro budget, she worked in emergency food aid distribution, food monitor training and knowledge management.

She is now back in the states, applying for graduate schools and looking for jobs within the realm of food security, always remembering Periclean for starting her down this road.

“Its all about the baby steps of what you’re comfortable with. Periclean made comfortable doing more than I ever thought I could. It’s what inspired me to do a semester abroad in Tanzania, and
to join Peace Corps, which is something I never thought I would do. I realized, through Periclean, that I didn’t just want to sell or provide a service, I wanted to work in community development. It’s interesting to me, and makes me happy.”

Her advice to Periclean Scholars?

“Study abroad- wherever you are interested to go. If you plan to do Peace Corps or any kind of volunteer work, invest in learning practical skills. The people that got hired in Vanuatu studied administration, medicine, logistics. Have realistic expectations about your time abroad- I am so happy I did it, but I also know that I didn’t save the world. You have to realize that’s ok; you still made an impact.”

The book “Mapping Our Success” published in 2015 by Dr. Arcaro’s own Carpe Viam Press, and written by Elon’s Periclean Scholars is now available in e-book format, in addition to its original print format.

If you haven’t heard of the book, make sure to check it out. This handbook is a large step forward for the Periclean Scholars program at Elon University. By including a large variety of information ranging from a record of successes by prior Classes to a clear and specific breakdown of the program, the handbook acts as a tool for both participants as well as for a wider audience of students, faculty and administrators at other institutions. With this handbook Periclean Scholars will have a point of reference regarding timeline, standards, and expectations for their Periclean career.

This handbook will prevent “reinventing the wheel” and create a medium for different Classes to showcase both their strategies and our unique process of civic engagement and global outreach. In order to accurately depict the changing nature of Periclean Scholars, the handbook will be an ongoing process that will be updated when needed, most likely on a yearly basis. The descriptive nature of the handbook will be able to explain the goals, mission, and intention of Elons’ Periclean Scholars in order to document the program and attract more participants.

To purchase the book on Kindle, click the copy of “Mapping our Success” on the right.

My name is Chace Blackburn and I work in the Periclean Scholars office. I am a sophomore strategic communications major, and my Periclean Class is concentrating on the African nation of Zambia. You may have heard some posts from me, or my colleague, Meg Griffin, but today I wanted to send out an update on the Periclean Foundation website.

I will be revising the Periclean Foundation website so as to make it easier to use and more informative. I hope this will gain traction, especially regarding the alumni pledge.

The pledge originated with the class of 2016 pledging to donate $100 a year. The Periclean Foundation admires the Class of 2016 and is expanding their challenge to every Alumni class of Periclean Scholars. If every Alumni would donate just $100 a year, just $8 a month, then we would have $15,000 dollars to support our partners and future Periclean Scholars. This is before the funding provided by our partners, such as the Redwoods Group, every year. Current and future projects would succeed like never before if all past and future Periclean Alumni donated just a small amount every year. By Homecoming 2016, we are challenging every class to do the same.

I hope that the additions to the Foundation website will be pleasing and informational. There is a lot of information now regarding the class of 2010 and their work in Ghana. Though that work was impressive, each class since Periclean’s conception has met objectives that need to be noticed. The work of the classes of 2006-2018 in such countries as Namibia, Honduras, Mexico, Zambia, Ghana, Sri Lanka, India, Haiti, Honduras, and even here in the Appalachian Mountains needs to be recognized and displayed prominantly.

I hope that the new edits to the website will bring everyone clarity as to what Periclean Scholars is and how they can get involved. If you follow the website, and have any suggestions or ideas as to how best edit the site, please email me at cblackburn7@elon.edu.

Peace, love, Periclean.

Chace

Follow the Periclean Scholars on Facebook

 

     This semester our partnership with Latinoamericanos Unidos Promoviendo la Esperanza (LUPE) has been challenging, but ultimately successful and rewarding. We have been challenged in developing our communication strategies and identifying cross-cultural and professional boundaries. As students, we have many resources and information that we can share, but we also recognize that we have much to learn from the members of LUPE.  This realization is one that comes with humility and self reflection, and helps us understand what it truly means to be in a partnership.  Together we have continued the joint ESL program, developing curriculum and recruiting volunteers to make the classes sustainable after we graduate in May. Through our role in this program, our efforts as students have compelled us to become active and informed members of the community.  We have developed deeper ties both professionally and personally with the members of the organization, and we’ve come to understand a variety of systemic issues through their lens.

     Our committee’s relationship with LUPE has been very different from the past semesters. We were able to immerse ourselves deeply in their organization by attending events, experiencing the taxing yet fulfilling process of community mobilization, and engaging in vibrant discussions at board meetings. LUPE’s monthly gatherings are held at Elon’s Downtown Community Center, which in itself helps to strengthen the relationship between Elon and LUPE. At the board meetings, members of our committee have had various opportunities to learn about what the organization does to help the community and respond to the needs of its constituents. We also were able to lead discussions to assist in organizational goal achievement and increased program efficacy.  These discussions ranged from budgeting, to creating a 5-year plan, to organizing program information to prepare for grant applications. The LUPE board was always excited and willing to learn about how our groups could collaborate in order to strengthen their organization and better serve the Latino community in Alamance County. Some of our committee members even had the opportunity to discuss grants with the Board Director in her home over a cup of coffee. Being invited to her house was an amazing experience, in which we learned so much more about her past and her passion for helping others and how that shapes her involvement in LUPE.

     On October 31st, North Carolina held another Faith Action ID drive at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Graham. This event was extremely symbolic of the collaboration between different members of the community, in light of the outcome of the HB318 vote that took place just days before. The event was a huge success, serving over 320 people from North Carolina and surrounding states.  Police officials, religious leaders, media reporters, representatives from community non-profits, students, and local citizens gathered in a single space with a common goal of social justice and human equity.  As student volunteers, the LUPE committee members saw first-hand the power of community organizing and solidarity at work.  With the distribution of IDs, the leaders of Alamance County not only demonstrated their desire to be a part of the integration of the community, but they also defined their role as advocates for immigrant rights through opening a pathway for immigrants to assert their autonomy and–quite literally–their identity within the community.

     In November, our committee was thrilled to hear that all funds raised during our upcoming Cookies to Go-Go event would support LUPE.  In order to supplement the success of Cookies to Go-Go while also exposing our partner to the Elon community, our committee collaborated on an event that would take place alongside the fundraiser’s headquarters in the Moseley Student Center.  There, we planned a live film screening of El Regreso and sold homemade desserts provided by LUPE’s board members.  This event was appropriately called “Cookies to Go-Go LIVE”, as student participants were able to see our Periclean class’s main fundraising event come to fruition, while also having the opportunity to interact with a valuable local partner. Our committee’s sustainable efforts were focused on encouraging Elon students to get to know LUPE and its mission, while also understanding more about Latino culture through the film experience. As this effort was a success both for the members of Periclean and LUPE, we hope to plan a similar event for next semester.  Our committee agreed that Cookies to Go-Go LIVE was a great way to finish the semester and set the trajectory for our committee’s plans to make this relationship truly sustainable. We hope to invest our efforts in the Elon student body by fostering a sense of curiosity, passion, and respect among students with regard to the role LUPE plays in the greater community. By educating other students about the issues that LUPE confronts, we hope to build the foundation for a collaborative relationship that strives to pursue a common vision for social justice even after we graduate.

–Erin Luther, Anna deDufour, and Megan Griffin 

 

As part of the release of the new newsletter to alumni, partners and current Periclean Scholars, we would like to announce that the Periclean Foundation (PF) website is up and running. This website is for alumni, parents and friends to stay informed at how Periclean Scholars’ projects have been progressing since the graduation of each Class. Will Lyle,  Class of 2011 and PF webmaster will be updating the site as new information comes in on new projects and developments from our partners and hosts abroad.

But to do this we need your help! There are more than 218 Periclean Scholar alumni, and as this is a student run organization, most the information known about our partners lies with you! The Periclean Foundation can only succeed with active participation by our alumni and to help us stay informed with the work you and our partners are doing. Do you have any new information, photos of our project site or stories to tell? Send it in to us, so that we can make sure everyone knows about the great work you have done!

Furthermore, take note of the Alumni Giving Challenge created by the graduating class of 2016. They are challenging the other Alumni classes to keep our partnership thriving. Without donations from Alumni, our ability to support your projects long-term is diminished. Just $10 a month from every Alumni would give us the means to support and expand upon all of the Periclean Scholars projects.

If you are interested in learning more about the Periclean Foundation, or donating, check out the website at: http://www.pericleanfoundation.org/.

Here is a message from Amber Camp King from the Class of 2006 urging you to give.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZalpPyjl5YY

 

 

Update from the Director-Tom Arcaro

Hear from Elon’s Periclean Director Dr. Arcaro about all the initiatives Periclean is undertaking this fall.

Interview and Visit with Amber Camp-Class of 2006

Periclean members Meg Griffin (class of 2016) and Chace Blackburn (class of 2017) had the opportunity to interview Periclean Alumnus Amber Camp King, who graduated in 2006, about her experience with the beginnings of the Periclean program.

Interview with Todd Ruffner-  of 2008
A Periclean Alumnus from the class of 2008, Todd shares with Meg and Chace what it was like to film a documentary in Chiapas, Mexico.

Updates from the Speakers from Each Class

Representatives from the Classes of 2016 (Honduras), 2017 (Namibia) and 2018 (Zambia) share their class’s current undertakings and future goals at the Celebrating Periclean Scholars event held on October 21st.  Though we have no photo proof, Dr. Lambert did stop by for a short visit.

Update on the Periclean Foundation

Periclean Director Dr. Arcaro gives an update on the Periclean Foundation website, which is now up! He urges alumni to take part in a giving challenge in which every alumni is encouraged to donate 10 dollars a month.

 

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Class of 2018 

Bethany Lake and Samantha Perry were the speakers for the class of 2018. They presented on many topics including the committees the class has created, including: Fundraising, Video production, Steering Committee representatives, Public Relations, Planning induction for the class of 2019, their local partner, Habitat for Humanity, Current events in Zambia, and a Social committee facilitating class bonding and relationship building. As well, they have divided up researcg topics as so: arts and leisure, ecnomy, education, health and public health, environment, hist
ory, religion, political and international relations, and family and gender. They are now looking into issues that affect Zambia and the best initiatives to fix them.

 

Class of 2017

Olivia Gibson and Klesey Lane spoke on behalf of the Periclean Scholars class of 2017. They began by saying, “though we have had our fair share of setbacks, we are grateful to stand before you and say that our class is making progress. Last year we decided to focus on sustainable agriculture in Namibia and formed a partnership with Ecology Action. This organization educates others on a self-sustainable farming method called grow biointensive farming. This method yields 6 to 8 times more food and reduces water usage to less than a third of conventional farming methods. The method is labor and time efficient and well-suited for Namibia’s climate.” This semester, they are pursuing their contacts in Namibia and are hoping to find organizations that will want to share their newfound knowledge of how to grow biointensively and promote both sustainable farming and Ecology Action’s mission in Namibia. They are excited to expand this network to include Namibia’s Polytechnic University and the Finnish Embassy in Namibia. They have also pushed forward with our fundraising efforts on campus with a car wash, bake sale, and a gofundme page.Through fundraising they have donated both to the Ekamba community garden, which is using sustainable agriculture to help a food insecure community in Namibia and Ecology Action’s African Symposium on grow biointensive farming, which is taking place this November in Kenya.

Class of 2016

This semester, the Class of 2016 faced one of the most challenging experiences thus far, ending one of their partnerships. At the beginning of this semester, their partner Summit in Honduras decided to discontinue their partnership, cutting ties with their class. This taught their class that maintaining partnerships takes purposeful and honest communication, common ground on expectations, and the ability to truly listen and understand where someone else is coming from.They have continued work with their partner Hope for Honduran Children, who works with youth and community development in two different towns in Honduras.

Students from their Periclean Scholars cohort will go to Honduras during this Winter Term. They will be building more genuine, human relationships with the individuals served by Hope for Honduran Children. Other members will stay on campus, where they’ll be working to educate Elon about Honduras, fundraising for their projects, writing deeper reflections on their Periclean years, and collaborating with their locally-based partner, LUPE. Their work with LUPE has involved working on starting ESL classes, finding connections on campus to provide a volunteer base for the classes, and starting to write a grant for the program costs of the classes.

Finally, this semester they have also been continuing their efforts towards planning a business summit titled People, Planet, Profit to promote and educate about sustainable business. Through this conference they not only hope to bridge the gap between the college of arts and sciences and the business school, but to promote the fact that sustainable and ethical practices and profits are not mutually exclusive.

 

 

One of the initiatives for improving the alumni dimension of Periclean Scholars is to communicate with various key alumni of the program. Throughout the year, Chace and I will be contacting alumni and doing phone/Skype interviews asking questions related to the long term impact of being a Periclean Scholar.  Summaries of each interview will be presented on our blog and will be presented in our quarterly e-newsletters. Our first interview was with Amber Camp, who is a member of the Class of 2006.

We had the opportunity for our first interview of the series  to catch up with Periclean alumni, Amber Camp. When we first talked with her, she was in Pittsburgh at a cultural museum, showcasing the profound effect Periclean has had on her. She enlightened us by sharing her views on how she raises her children in accordance with values she learned at Elon. Many of her parental values stem from her experiences at Elon, including being a Periclean Scholar.  She is motivated to raise her children to be globally aware starting at a young age, which was apparent during our conversation. Throughout our conversation, her children were exploring the museum, reading books about other cultures, and trying on traditional clothing from other countries.  These similar values influence how she acts in her position at American Express. She recognizes the importance of relating to people from diverse backgrounds in a professional setting. Her professional operates virtually, and the sentiment of striving for cultural cognizance is a necessity. She has the ability to connect with people all over the United States as well as the world. She attributes her professional success to her global know-how, which she derived from her time in Periclean.

Amber has been a very influential alumni in Periclean.  Through her job with American Express she has taken advantage of their gift matching program since 2007. The American Express Foundation has been matching every single one of Amber’s donations to the Periclean program. She suggested that other alumni look into their own companies to see if they have an established gift matching program.

Amber’s class worked with Namibia. When asked if she still had ties with the country, she spoke of a woman named Matjiua. Matjiua and Amber met in Namibia, through an exchange program which facilitated their friendship. They remain close several years later by sending care packages back and forth, updating each other with videos of their kids; Matjiua was even at Amber’s wedding. This is one example of how Periclean has opened an individual’s eyes to diverse and global friendships.

To view the interview Chace and I did with amber, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoJDYjeUyQQ.

To view Amber’s PSA urging Pericleans to give, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZalpPyjl5YY.