As part of their school work, University of Washington Bothell students have been building a solar-powered cooler for a farm in Woodinville, helping the city of Bothell study transit options, sharing a classroom at the Monroe Correctional Center with inmates and mentoring high school students in the Bothell Youth Court.
And that’s just a small fraction of their community engagement projects. The many community partners were honored as co-educators May 19 at a recognition celebration led by Kara Adams (above, left) who heads the Office of Community-Based Learning and Research.
Adams applauded the partners and handed out citations and gift water bottles to their representatives.
Special recognition went to partners of five years or more: 21 Acres, Center for Human Services, City of Bothell, Edmonds School District, Friends of North Creek Forest, Northshore Community Schools, Northshore School District, Northshore Senior Center and Woodmoor Elementary. Photo: Kara Adams, left, with lecturer Gary Carpenters and students Jasmine Giles and Anastasia Evangelista who participate in the University Beyond Bars program.
Susan Jeffords, vice chancellor for academic affairs, told the audience at the North Creek Events Center that community engagement is part of the identity of UW Bothell, part of what makes the University special.
Jeffords (left) says that can be seen in the success of Pell grant students, who come from low-income families and typically struggle at most institutions. But at UW Bothell they graduate at the same rate as non-Pell students.
Pell students stay and finish at UW Bothell partly because of the personal commitment of faculty, Jeffords says, and also because students who are engaged in the community become more involved and committed.
(Photos by Marc Studer)
