2013 Year In Review

As the year comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the great moments that made 2013 memorable for all of us at Oregon Campus Compact.

MLK Day of Service

We celebrated the fourth annual MLK Day of Service by organizing a massive effort to collect, clean and redistribute books for children.  700 students from nine colleges and universities lent their time and effort to this task.

Over 40,000 books were distributed into low-income homes, libraries, and schools in Multnomah County.  The economic impact of the volunteer hours was worth over $46,182.

---

Alternative Spring Break

Alternative Breaks are short term immersion trips which are opportunities for service and connection.  In 2013, fourteen of our member campuses organized and implemented an Alternative Spring Break excursion.   Students travelled to Jonestown, Mississippi to serve while gardening, house painting, and tutoring.  Students worked to alleviate hunger and homelessness in San Francisco.  Trips served both local communities and communities as far away as Hawaii and Nicaragua.  Click here to see the map of all of our Alternative Breaks.

President's Dinner

Under the helm of new Executive Director, Josh Todd, Oregon Campus Compact held the first Presidential Dinner in ten years with 14 presidents in attendance.  The theme was: "Presidential Leadership & Collective Impact: How Presidents are Redefining Community Partnerships to Improve Student Outcomes."

---

New Member Campuses

Membership continued to grow in 2013 as ORCC welcomed Tillamook Bay Community College as a new member.  ORCC also welcomed back previous member campuses, National College of Naturopathic Medicine and Mt. Hood Community College.

New Board Member Dr. Jessica Howard

ORCC welcomed Dr. Jessica Howard, President of Portland Community College Southeast Campus as a new member of Oregon Campus Compact's Board.  Dr. Howard supports ORCC's mission with a particular focus on the power of service on community college campuses.

A Night in Serve-Landia

In April, we gathered at Picnic House in downtown Portland to host "A Night in Serve-landia."  The event was a rousing success, with our extended community turning out to support us.

In total, we brought in 75 new donors and raised $12,000. All proceeds will benefit Oregon Campus Compact to help ensure every Oregon student graduates as an engaged, global citizen.

---

VISTA

In 2013, we said goodbye to our former AmeriCorps VISTA team and welcomed 23 new VISTAs.  These ORCC VISTA members were busy this year performing many tasks related to poverty alleviation around their communities including; the creation of a scholarship fund for students interested in taking Alternative Breaks, the organization of a Homeless and Awareness Week,
and the creation of multiple programs that helped under served students file for FAFSA, apply for scholarships and learn how to become model college students.

Leadershape

ORCC Hosted its first statewide LeaderShape Institute.  LeaderShape is a dynamic, challenging, and exciting week long event intended to produce a breakthrough in the leadership capacity of participants.  Thirty-two students from eight Oregon colleges and universities took on this challenge and emerged with the motivation to make a lasting impact on their campuses and in their communities.

---

Connect2Complete

ORCC started a new program, Connect2Complete, which is focused on improving graduation rates for Oregon community college students through community-engaged learning and service.  Connect2Complete is based on a national Campus Compact program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is currently operating in Washington, Ohio, and Florida.  With support from Oregon Volunteers and the Corporation for National and Community Service, ORCC will bring Connect2Complete to 8 community college campuses.

Staff Transitions

2013 was a year of staff transitions.  Sadly, we had to say goodbye to longtime ORCC staff members Signe Bishop, McKenzie Miller, and Emily Gilliland who moved on to Oregon Health and Sciences University, Girls on the Run, and HandsOn Network respectively.  We welcomed Josh Todd as our Executive Director and Kendra Henry as our AmeriCorps VISTA Program manager.

Moving Forward Into 2014

Reflecting on the struggles and victories of 2013, we welcome 2014 with open arms.  We intend to take our successes and build upon them.  We look forward to hosting the second annual LeaderShape conference.  We are getting geared up and excited for the 2014 MLK Day of Service.  We are going to repeat the successes of "A Night in Serve-Landia" and Alternative Spring Break.  We look forward to breaking new ground with the Connect2Complete program, sowing new seeds and seeing what connections grow. 

Thank you friends, family, alums, and supporters, for a wonderful 2013.  We look forward to your continuing support to make 2014 even better.