Outreach Category
04.12.2012
Need some help getting your lawn in shape? NC State has an app for that.
The university’s Turfgrass Program has launched the NCSU Lawn Care app, with all sorts of information on lawn care, grasses, pests and irrigation that should be useful to homeowners and commercial landscapers.
“When you’re outdoors, whether tending your own lawn or working on a golf course, for example, our app makes it easy to access critical lawn care information right when you need it,” says Charles Peacock, professor of crop science and leader of the app project. “It also answers timely questions about situations specific to North Carolina’s transitional lawn grasses.”
The app will take advantage of information on the Turfgrass Program’s popular TurfFiles website, and will have up-to-the-minute news alerts on issues ranging from turf pests to weather conditions.
The free app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod. An android version is in development.
10.24.2011
Mary Pat and Jenna visit with a friend.
Mary Pat Bulfin, a Caldwell Fellow, had just returned from a LeaderShape conference sponsored by NC State’s CSLEPS (Center for Student Leadership Ethics & Public Service). She was looking for a way to translate what she had learned into a service opportunity. She had learned that the key to leadership is forming relationships. It’s about having people around you that you share a common experience with.
So she married that goal with the love she had for Jenna, a Sheltie Shepherd mix she had rescued from an animal shelter in 2005. The result is Pawssibilities, a new student organization on campus focused on outreach. Bulfin started it with three other friends, and right now the group has about 15 members who work with their dogs and with trainers, preparing them to go into hospitals and assisted-living facilities to visit with people.
“The whole goal of Pawssibilities is to empower students to let their love of animals be a catalyst to reach out to isolated communities in society,” Bulfin says.
The organization holds bi-weekly meetings, and Bulfin says NC State has been good about letting members bring their dogs to its facilities. She is especially appreciative to Chris Ashwell, associate professor in poultry genomics, who serves as faculty adviser, helping Pawssibilities solidify speakers to come in and talk about animal-assisted therapy. Speakers will either come help the dog owners train or speak about experiences they’ve had reaching out to those in need of love and contact.
More members of Pawssibilities donate time.
You have to be nationally registered with the Delta Society, a national nonprofit dedicated to animal-assisted therapy, in order to participate in the therapy in these facilities. It’s a process that is quite intense with both a performance exam with the handler and pet and then a written exam for the handler. When they actually go into a hospital or nursing home, the handlers and their dogs interact in different ways, always getting a feel for whatever is needed. It might be some tricks in the form of canine freestyle that Bulfin and Jenna do. Or it may just be sitting still and letting their dogs be petted.
Forging these new relationships with hospital patients or elderly people is a natural extension from Bulfin’s time at NC State. “What the Caldwell Fellows program has brought me is tremendous relationships and has helped me understand leadership is about relationships,” she says. “That whole concept of bringing diverse people together is what the Caldwell Fellows are about. And that’s the core value of Pawssibilities.”
10.18.2011
Volunteers gather for National Wolfpack Service Day at the Park Alumni Center.
The first numbers have started to come in from National Wolfpack Service Day, which was held Saturday by Alumni Association networks around the country. Volunteers gathered in cities from Phoenix to Raleigh to serve their respective communities.
More than 350 people came out to 20 different locations in Wake County to give back. Several alumni volunteered at NC State’s Open House, serving as guides directing prospective students around campus. Volunteers also dedicated time at William B. Umstead State Park, even staying late to finish staining cabins. And alumni cleaned up the visitors’ center at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
“It was the largest event we’ve ever done for our network,” says Adam Compton ‘09, leader of Wake County’s network. “It was great to see our Wolfpackers, the young ones and members of the Forever Club, come out and do community service together.”
NC State volunteers in Alamance County.
In Alamance County, five network alumni volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, logging a total of almost 20 hours of service on Saturday.
Check out more photos from our National Wolfpack Service Day events from around the country here. And check back on the blog this week as we receive volunteer totals from other locations.
10.11.2011
For our last installment in our Alumni Network National Wolfpack Service Day profiles, we talked with Ken Clifton, the Guilford County Network leader, about his network’s plans for Saturday.
In the past, the Guilford County Network has donated canned foods for Wolfpack Service Day, but this year, Clifton wanted to do something different that would raise more awareness.
So the network will be volunteering its time at the Light the Night Walk, setting up, breaking down, taking pictures and cheering on the participants walking and who have raised money for blood cancer research, support groups and educational materials.
How large is your network, and how many members will participate in National Wolfpack Service Day Saturday? The network we have is about 75 people. We’re hoping 25 people will show up. We’re hoping to grow our network, and we’re working on that.
What is the best thing about your network? The group that we have go above and beyond what is needed. They have a great passion for NC State. They represent State very well.
What event do you have planned for National Wolfpack Service Day? We’re volunteering for the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. They have a walk Saturday. It’s called the Light the Night Walk.
Why have you chosen to partner with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for this event? I’ve heard other professional people in the area talk about the work they’ve done with the society. Cancer hits everybody, and it’s a great way to give back. They’ve had great success over the years in working to find cures and develop treatment.
What is it that alumni will gain from participating in the event? The awareness of cancer and cancer research. It also highlights people who have had leukemia and lymphoma. It’s another way to wake people up to see this is another cancer we need to be fighting.
10.10.2011
Ryan DeJong ‘05, Tampa Alumni Network leader, wanted to find an opportunity that would bring out the alumni in Florida for National Wolfpack Service Day on Oct. 15. So he looked for an event involving the one temptation anyone who has spent time in North Carolina couldn’t resist: barbecue.
We talked with Ryan about his network and how volunteering at the Bluz & BBQ Festival offers a great opportunity for service this Saturday.
How large is your network, and how many members will participate in National Wolfpack Service Day on Oct. 15? The network here is kind of spread out. I’m responsible for the West Coast of Florida. We have probably about 70 Alumni Association members. Of those, about 40 actively participate in events. I would expect about 20 to be involved Saturday.
What is the best thing about your network? There’s a couple things. It’s diversity. It’s openness. In the Tampa market, we have a lot of people coming and going. Not a lot of people grew up in Tampa, went to NC State and came back home. We’ve done a nice job establishing a core of recent graduates and connecting them to a lot of dedicated families. And we’ve got a lot of the old-timers who can tell you a lot about the timeline, either academic or athletic. It’s like creating a home away from home. That’s what one of our goals is.
What event do you have planned for National Wolfpack Service Day? This year’s event is a little unique compared to other events. [The Bluz & BBQ Festival] is one of the few festivals downtown on the water that includes barbecue from local and regional venders. I found a common thread among our alumni here is a love of barbecue, especially Eastern North Carolina style. I figured I could partner an event with that, service and fellowship. Volunteers can work event security to event setup.
Why have you chosen to partner with the festival? The money raised from this event is going back to a local community pool, the Roy Jenkins Pool. It was a historical landmark that recently shut down. With this event, they hope to raise $30,000 for the reopening. They’re estimating $1.6 for total restoration. A couple of other things is that the mayor is going to be there to meet with the alumni. They’ve planned a flash mob with the Tampa Bay Lightning cheerleaders.
What is it that alumni will gain from participating in the event? My hope is that this event will draw some people from the network who don’t participate in other events. We have a diverse lineup of events. Having something more focused on the community, barbecue and music will hopefully bring some people out and get out some other folks to show NC State has a group of engaged alumni here. It’s just getting the word out there….Ultimately, it’s about giving back to the community.
If you have any questions, contact Ryan at 813-486-5094 or jrdejong@ncsu-alumni.com.
10.07.2011
Volunteers at last year's Wolfpack Service Day in Wake County.
With National Wolfpack Service Day on the horizon, we’re talking to Alumni Association network leaders about what their respective networks are doing. We’re finding an array of activities across the country for Saturday, Oct. 15.
But Wake County Alumni Network Leader Adam Compton ‘09 has lined up a wide range of opportunities in and around Raleigh, as well. We asked him about what his network has in store for its alumni.
How large is your network, and how many members will participate on National Wolfpack Service Day? It’s our largest network with, I want to say 50,000 alums living in the Wake County Area. Last year, we had about 100 sign up for National Wolfpack Service Day. We wanted to grow it, so this year we want to get it to 500 volunteers.
What’s the best thing about your network? We’re right here where it all is. We’re not that far away from home. We’re constantly able to be energized by campus and by the amazing things coming out of NC State.
Why is it important for your network to participate in NWSD? It’s a unique opportunity for networks across the country and maybe across the world one day to show the power of the Wolfpack family. That’s one of the things we’ve always done well is come together. It’s a hallmark of NC State, the amount of service we’re able to do.
What events do you have planned? Because we have so many alums living in Wake County in addition to faculty and staff living here, we really wanted to make a big push to open it up to faculty and staff and anybody out there. …We wanted opportunities that everyone could participate in. We’ve got the opportunity for people to work with NC State’s Open House. People can pick vegetables for the Interfaith Food Shuttle. We want to offer a wide set of opportunities for our Wolfpack family to participate in. We have exactly 20 sites.
What will alumni gain from participating in those opportunities? Every time I talk to an alum or a student or someone associated with the NC State community, they’re excited about service. It’s something I think is anchored to our land-grant mission. Our community is always willing to pitch in. We’ve done so many different things at NC State.
If you have any questions, please contact Allison Dodson at 919-515-0522 or at allison_dodson@ncsu.edu.
10.06.2011
National Wolfpack Service Day is on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011. Members in Alumni Association networks across the country will participate in service projects. We wanted to give our alumni a glimpse at what is going on in specific networks, so we talked with Tony Betts ‘99, leader of the Phoenix Alumni Network, about what is happening with NC State alumni in Arizona.
How large is your network, and how many members will participate in National Wolfpack Service Day on October 15? We have about 10-15 people that attend regularly. This year we’re going to have about 10 people.
What is the best thing about your network? I think that the strongest asset is having the networking aspect for alumni. An example is one of our alumna was looking for a place to live and found a connection. It’s having those connections.
What event do you have planned for National Wolfpack Service Day? We’re going to volunteer at St. Mary’s
Participants at last year's National Wolfpack Service Day in Phoenix, Ariz., where they partnered with St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance.
Food Bank. They are the largest food bank in Arizona. They provide 300,000 meals each day in the community through their partner agencies. What we’ll be doing is working at one of their warehouses. We’ll prepare shopping carts. In the warehouse, there’ll be loaves of bread, fruits and vegetables, etc. And we prepare shopping bags. It’s a week’s worth of food for them.
Why have you chosen to partner with that organization? We did it last year. We were looking for something for something that we could really impact the community with. In these economic times, we knew it was something that could make that impact with what’s happening.
What is it that alumni will gain from participating in the event? The feeling that you’ve been out there and helped better the community. You’ve given back to the community. …I did service projects at NC State so it kind of just carried on after I graduated.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact Tony at phxpack@msn.com
10.03.2011
It’s almost time for National Wolfpack Service Day on Oct. 15.
The annual day was started four years ago as a way to unite and engage alumni in valuable outreach. It’s part of the legacy of NC State’s commitment as a land-grant university to service. It’s a wonderful day to be a part of something bigger with your Wolfpack family.
There are a diverse range of projects happening within our Alumni Association networks this year.
In Phoenix, Ariz., volunteers will be helping St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance by preparing groceries for distribution. Alumni in Tampa, Fla., will volunteer at the Bluz & BBQ festival, with proceeds going toward re-opening a community pool. In Denver, Colo., Wolfpackers will participate in Gleaning Fields, an organization dedicated to salvaging usable produce to feed those in need.
Here in North Carolina, network leaders have also arranged several service opportunities. In Beaufort County, you can stop by and write letters to the troops and donate food for Hurricane Irene relief. Volunteers in Alamance County will pitch in to help Habitat for Humanity. And in Wake County, network leaders have organized activities at 20 different sites for you to choose from in lending a helping hand.
Contact your area’s network leader to get involved (you can find them here), or contact Melissa Shampine at 919.515.0530 or melissa_shampine@ncsu.edu.
Over the course of the next two weeks, we’ll be checking in with some of these leaders to discuss what they’ll be doing on National Wolfpack Service Day.
07.21.2011
Last weekend, Steven Ramos found himself sitting in a classroom at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A speaker asked the listeners if they knew anyone younger than themselves. When everyone’s hands went up, the implication was clear to Ramos — there will always be people for him lead.
Ramos, an NC State sophomore and member of the wrestling team, spent four days at the Olympic Training Center for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s F.L.A.M.E. (Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere) program. It selects minority college students — some of them student-athletes — from around the U.S. and provides them with an educational program about leadership.
Ramos said his academic adviser approached him about the program in the spring. Ramos jumped at the opportunity. “I was always on the right path,” he says. “There’s always room for growth. This weekend definitely triggered growth in my leadership ability.”
Ramos and the other 29 students in the program attended workshops and listened to speakers, including Olympic and Paralympic athletes and USOC leaders. Other speakers included people talking about their personal, professional or athletic triumphs.
“The most important thing I learned was that we all have potential, but that potential doesn’t do anything unless you use it,” Ramos said. “If you use it with hard work, you’ll achieve all of your goals.”
Ramos is primed to apply those lessons as he continues his volunteer work for NC State’s M.A.G.I.C. (Maximizing Academic Growth in College) program. Ramos, who says his father has been his greatest guide in his life, serves as a mentor to college freshmen, talking with them about strategies for being successful in college.
07.18.2011
Carlleena Person ‘07 cites Pablo Picasso as an influence. It’s not his art she emulates as much as it is his philosophy when he said, “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”
Person, who began her career in Charlotte as an artist in 2008 , has taken to painting murals in the Queen City. She uses egalitarian strokes by inviting the community - especially children - to paint on the buildings with her.
“Kids are natural artists,” she says. “When they become an adult, the world will put restrictions on them. I try to be that freeing auntie, if you will.”
Attempting to eradicate the fear of being wrong, Person tries to nurture creativity and let children know it’s alright to get paint on them, something she says she tries to get adults to also realize.
“I think painting drops the barrier for a lot of people,” she says. “I get a kick out of seeing their faces when they say, ‘I can paint on this.’”
When Person was little, she entertained herself by copying and drawing cartoon and comic book characters. Growing up in New Jersey, her appreciation for art soon included the scenes painted in subways and on buildings around her. And the murals she paints today — on buildings and on children’s bedroom walls — pay homage to the art that appeals to those who can’t afford to go to galleries or museums.
“People consider graffiti a crime,” she says, “but that was my art growing up in New Jersey.”
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