Community Engagement Through the CCEC

As August faded into September, energy and vibrancy returned to Whitman’s campus with the start of the academic year and the welcoming of new and returning members of the Whitman community. With the pomp and circumstance of officially opening the year behind us, the ongoing work of building and sustaining community begins. As with many parts of campus, the Career and Community Engagement Center (CCEC) is here to support this important work—on and off campus—through myriad opportunities including volunteering, internships, connections with alumni mentors, and the pursuit of competitive fellowships and grants.  

Milenko Matanovič, founder of the Pomegranate Center in Seattle, once said, “When it comes to community, together we always know more”, making the point that a community is a “complex ecosystem that intertwines nature and humans who belong to diverse practices, opinions, professions, ideologies, and cultures.” We believe that to work toward addressing complex social issues, it is only through community collaboration, direct action, and engagement with multiple forms of knowledge, that we can begin to create change. 

During a student leadership retreat at the end of August, the fifteen student leaders of the CCEC’s community engagement program shared in reflection and conversation about what “community” and “community engagement” mean and how they wish to engage with, and encourage their peers to engage with, the Walla Walla community. We explored many different understandings of “community”—ranging from personal to academic definitions, as well as the different forms it can take, such as communities of affinity and proximity. We discussed what it means to be “in community” with people and how they, as students, can be engaged, compassionate members of the Walla Walla community. 

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education notes that “community engagement captures the equity minded and inclusive model of collaboration between communities and institutions of higher education.” The CCEC strives to build and support mutually-beneficial, sustainable partnerships with local community organizations that offer all members of the Whitman community opportunities to come alongside our partners to support identified projects that further the capacity to achieve their mission. We use the Triangle of Quality Community Engagement and the States of Community Presence as grounding principles for this collaborative work and encourage members of the Whitman community to consider how they may wish to engage in community with our region.

The CCEC offers several ways for students, staff and faculty to engage with our community through volunteer events and programs. From campus-wide activities like Tri-College Community Day and the Holiday Gift Drive, to specific projects for student clubs and organizations, and student-led community engagement programs—regardless of limits on your availability—there is a way for you to participate. Currently, our student leadership team is recruiting students for six different ongoing volunteer programs. 

• Buddy Program - led by Madeline Langdon ’27, buddyprogram@whitman.edu.
  Connects students with adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Whitties meet with their community buddies twice a month for scheduled activities like dances, movie nights and more, or get together with their buddies to get coffee, go to the park or just hang out together. The Buddy Program’s primary community partner is the Walla Walla Valley Disability Network.

• Food Justice Project - led by Bella Nasman ’25 and Abd Alghani Rahmoun ’27, foodjustice@whitman.edu.
  Supports the work of community partners who address issues of food access, food sovereignty, resource distribution and other aspects of our food system. Whitman volunteers assist with food distribution events, box builds and the backpack bridge program in local schools. The primary community partner is the Blue Mountain Action Council Food Bank.

• Whitman Friends Program - led by Sofie Nyssen ’26 and Benitha Tumukunde ’27, friends@whitman.edu.
  Builds strong and lasting friendships between Whitties and Walla Walla Public School (WWPS) elementary students. Whitman friends join their WWPS friend for lunch and recess once a week, and are invited to a day-long carnival on campus with their Whitman friend. The primary community partners for the Whitman Friends Program are Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Walla Walla Public Schools and Communities in Schools. 

• Friends Rock Program - led by Andrea Diaz-Garcia ’25, friendsrockww@whitman.edu.
  After-school mentorship that fosters connection between middle school, elementary school, and Whitman students through rock climbing. The program aims to increase students’ self-esteem, teamwork abilities, and openness to new experiences. The primary community partners for this program are Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Walla Walla Public Schools and 21st Century Community Learning Centers. 

• StoryTime Project - led by Mavie Pham ’25, storytime@whitman.edu.
  Reading with the youngest members of our community is important. Whittie volunteers visit elementary and preschool classrooms to support improvement in children’s listening, speaking, writing, reading and critical thinking skills by reading aloud to them. The primary community partners are Walla Walla Public Schools, Communities in Schools, Center for Children and Families, Little Angel’s BioDome and The Kids’ Place.  

• Walla Walla Stream Team - led by McKenna McShane ‘26, streamteam@whitman.edu.
  Centers around environmental sustainability, stream habitat restoration, wetland mitigation, and riparian habitat restoration. Through regular, monthly volunteer opportunities, Whitties do outdoor work that improves stream ecosystems, including removing invasive species and planting, among other things. The primary community partner for this program is the Tri-State Steelheaders.

All of these programs were created through student initiative and out of stated needs from local community partners, and they continue to be student-led with support from CCEC staff. Through engagement in these programs, students gain connection, new skills, new perspectives, and valuable experiences. They expand their “ways of knowing” and add depth to their education. As they reflect on these experiences, the CCEC staff is here to help them consider how they might continue to be a connected, committed, compassionate presence in the communities and organizations they move into in their “Life After Whitman.” For more information about Whitman’s Community Engagement programs, please contact Abby Juhasz, Director for Community Engagement at juhasza@whitman.edu.