The 2014 Civic Engagement Awards have been announced, recognizing outstanding individuals and community partners in their excellent civic engagement.

The Minnesota Campus Compact provides opportunities for presidents of member institutions to give statewide recognition to effective leaders in the development of campus-community partnerships through their annual Presidents’ Awards for Civic Engagement. Each institution’s president may recognize one honoree in student leadership, stewardship, and community partnership.

Senior Anna McDevitt received the Presidents’ Award for Student Leadership based on her participation in several on and off-campus activities, as cited in her congratulatory letter from President Jack Ohle.

“Your recognition is based on your outstanding involvement in the Servant Leadership Program and Building Bridges, as well as your leadership in a number of social, environmental, and climate justice initiatives,” Ohle’s letter said.

McDevitt believes she earned the award by doing what she enjoys and is excited about what this award means for the future of Gustavus.

“Honestly, I feel like all I did to earn this award was to have fun working on issues that I really care about… I think the fact that a student working on environmental and climate justice issues–like me–received this award means that we have exciting things happening here on campus and a lot of important work to look forward to in the near future. Our divestment campaign here at Gustavus, and our front-line work with tar sands is gaining considerable popularity around the state. If this momentum continues on and off campus, Gustavus has a unique opportunity to become a climate leader in Minnesota,” McDevitt said.

Lynnea Myers ’05 MSN, PHN, RN, CPNP is an assistant professor in nursing, and received the Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Award. She has incorporated civic engagement into the clinical portion of her Child Health and Community Health Nursing classes to enhance her students’ learning.

“In my Child Health course, we have partnered with the High Step program, a program designed for high school students in the local community who are interested in health care careers. I first met with Amanda [Bell, their instructor] in 2012 to talk about [partnership]. In Fall 2012, we piloted a project together were students in my Community Health Nursing course designed and taught sessions to high school students on basic cares provided to patients. The partnership was expanded in Spring 2013, when I designed a community-based learning project for my Child Health Course [along with] Jeffrey Rathlef and Dave Newell. A variation of this project occurred this past fall in my community health course where Gustavus students expanded their reach to include not only the High Step program, but also Sibley East High Schools and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop Schools,” Myers said.

Myers is humbled by the award and is thankful to all that have helped her along the way. She highlighted the fact that community based learning is reciprocal. She claims as much as High Step has learned from her and her students, they have learned just as much from High Step.

Peter Olson of the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota was the Presidents’ Civic Engagement Community Partner Award recipient. He has partnered with Gustavus and Dr. Kyle Chamber’s Developmental Psychology classes to offer psychology students an opportunity to conduct research and observational studies as part of their developmental psychology course, and is currently developing a “Living Lab.”

Jeffrey Rathlef of the Center for Servant Leadership is very excited about the Living Lab, which will be the first in Minnesota.

“The Living Lab offers students opportunities to conduct research, and aims to educate parents and the public about child development through the process of scientific discovery.  The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota has been committed to the partnership with Gustavus in a manner that has enhanced campus and community outcomes,” Rathlef said.

All three award recipients will be recognized on April 16 at St. Thomas, during a luncheon and reception put on by the Minnesota Campus Compact.