- Northern Essex Community College - http://www.necc.mass.edu -
Partnerships in Lawrence, Annual Report 2011
Attesting to NECC’s Core Value of Collaboration, we are committed to developing productive, collaborative relationships within the college and among our greater constituencies in the greater Merrimack Valley.
NECC fosters strong relationships with organizations in Lawrence, maximizing mutual benefit between our students’ experience and community needs. In 2010-2011, NECC had 24 active partnerships, reaching thousands of individuals with programming, assistance and education. Partnerships range from annual events that NECC helps to plan and execute in the city, to ongoing relationships involving faculty, NECC students and volunteers working together to build capacity, leadership and improve conditions in the City of Lawrence.
One of our longest partnerships has been with the Lawrence Senior Center, spanning more than six years. NECC’s Community Relations Associate Director works closely with the Senior Center to provide assistance in planning events and offering support with student volunteers. NECC has assisted with the Annual Christmas Party, Annual Mother’s Day Breakfast, and Monthly Food Basket Days. The college screened the Alma Award winning documentary “Roberto Clemente” at the Showcase Cinemas, as well as doing a special showing at the Lawrence Senior Center. NECC also brought White Fund/Hispanic Cultural Enrichment program speaker, Dominican Republic Congresswoman Minou Tavarez Mirabal to the Senior Center to present “Political Participation in Combating Violence toward Women: A Reflection 50 Years After the Assassination of the Mirabal Sisters”.
Another partnership with breadth and depth is the college’s affiliation with Groundwork Lawrence (GWL), a nonprofit organization that creates the building blocks of a healthy community through environmental and open space improvements, community food programs, youth education & employment initiatives and community programming and events. NECC works with GWL on their Annual Kite Festival, Glow Gala, the Spicket River Cleanup and Harvest Festival, and the Earth Day/Comcast Cares Day. NECC Student Outreach Squad (SOS) students help to set up events, assist with registration and greeting, serve food, and aid in any other way they can be of help.
Earth day / Comcast Cares Cilty of Lawrence Clean-up
One of our newest partnerships in Lawrence is with Heritage Commons, a nonprofit residential community for people of all ages and incomes. NECC Volunteers are helping to get their community center up and running. One SOS student has been assigned to do her work-study there eight hours per week.
NECC’s Grant Resource Center continues to thrive, serving 486 people from 66 communities over the past 4 years with workshops on grants research, grant writing and access to premier funder databases. Thanks to support from United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, NECC continues to provide these workshops, as well as access for the general public to AGM’s Grant Makers Directory and The Foundation Center Online’s Funder Database.
In striving to remain the best resource for our community, NECC in Lawrence is proud to list the many other partnerships we have fostered over the 2010-2011 year.
Dual Enrollment, Recruitment, Project Impact research coordination; Hispanic Cultural Enrichment Program speaker Sonia Nazario’s “Enrique’s Journey and America’s Immigration Dilemma”
(Fiesta de Salud & Diabetes Conferences); Student Outreach Squad and Medical Assistant students participate in Annual Health Fair
Volunteer support coordination at annual events (Hike for Hope, Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas Basket preparation and distribution); NECC student group service learning activities
(Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)Working with Lawrence students to promote college awareness and readiness via FAFSA Days, College Fair, Dual Enrollment
Workshops for IDA programs, Lawrence Saves! Campaign Design group participation, Promise Neighborhood Arlington Community Design Group speaker; past New Skills Academy
National Night Out assistance with organization, volunteer recruitment, info table; steering committee and finance board participation
Membership, past presidency, support of youth and scholarship programs
Planning board, sponsorship, emcee at event, and SOS volunteer support for cultural/historical event celebrating the city’s history (Bread & Roses Strike of 1912)
Concept mapping project “Turning the Curve on Teen Pregnancy”
Board of Directors (past president), support with fundraising activities such as the Corn Fair and the Theater annual Fair, support of Lawrence Youth Violence Prevention Collaborative
NECC is represented on the Board of Directors and offers support for planning annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner; collaborator in Grant Resource Network housed at NECC
Assistance in New Paint annual fundraiser with set up and volunteers support (SOS) at event
Lee Woodbury with Associate Director, Community Relations, Niurka Aybar
Volunteer assistance to man the Eye Care Van during Mammography and Women’s Care Day; interpreter support (past support during fire at camp & Clothing Line Project)
The Deshpande Foundation has partnered with NECC, as well as UMASS-Lowell, Merrimack College, Middlesex Community College and Cambridge College to support innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among students and community members through the Campus Catalyst, Community Catalyst and Leadership Program initiatives.
MV Sandbox Leaders
Campus Catalysts
NECC provides FAFSA completion and Myers Briggs Type Inventory workshops for Diploma Plus students
Partnership of Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard School of Public Health with Lawrence to research health disparities; NECC has provided assistance in planning and execution of the project and houses data results on-site
Partnership between Peabody Properties, COMPASS for Kids, Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office and community partners such as NECC, Lawrence Community Works, Notre Dame Education Center, Salvatore’s and Little Sprouts, to provide permanent housing, skills training, support services and jobs to formerly homeless families from Lawrence.
NECC partners with YouthBuild to provide college readiness workshops and activities, Math Review refresher course, and linkage to campus events.
NECC’s Community Relations Associate Director is a member of the Council.
NECC also has a long history of annual participation and support for:
Article printed from Northern Essex Community College: http://www.necc.mass.edu
URL to article: http://www.necc.mass.edu/community-engagement/community-partnerships/partnerships-in-lawrence-annual-report/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2009 Northern Essex Community College. All rights reserved.