President Robbyn Wacker chose recipients for 2020 Minnesota Campus Compact engaged campus awards. The awards include honors for a student, a professor and two community organizations.
The 2020 Minnesota Campus Compact awards promote civic work and civic learning. Based on recommendations Wacker chose three of the awards while the Engaged Campus Award is one of four elective awards presented by the Minnesota/Iowa Campus Compact. In addition she chose Student Government President Kridish Uprety for the national Campus Compact Newman Civic Fellowship honors.
Student Leadership Award
Brittney Topliff
In fall 2018, Brittney Topliff noticed that students were hungry while working as a peer Learning Assistant for a chemistry class. She wanted to help her fellow students, so she started a food pantry in the College of Science and Engineering. Eighteen months and many hundreds of hours and contacts later, her efforts have lead to the creation of on and off-campus partnerships and a new campus-wide Huskies Food Pantry that opened in March in the Miller Center Library for all students to access. The campus-wide pantry is now located in Atwood Memorial Center and is serving students affected by the COVID-19 situation.
Civic Engagement Leadership Award
Dr. Michael Dando
Dr. Dando’s work is centered on community-driven, democratically engaged learning. He is involved with organizations locally and nationally that support education, creative arts, leadership development and technology innovation in rural and urban settings, and teacher development. These include: Hip Hop Association of Advancement and Education, Hip Hop Youth Research Association, National Science Foundation, National Council of Teachers of English & American Educational Research Association.
Community Partner Award
Since 2016, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota has partnered with St. Cloud State, ISD 742, and Spanier Bus Co. to create an innovative professional mentoring opportunity for St. Cloud State staff, faculty, alumni, emeriti and business leaders.
These BIGS are matched with local junior high students (LITTLES) in the AVID program. Matches meet twice a month on the St. Cloud State campus over the lunch hour. This popular program has nearly doubled in size each year to date. The setting and structure allows LITTLES to see the potential for higher education.
Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration
Nominated jointly by the presidents of St. Cloud State University, Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict, Create CommUNITY of St. Cloud earned the inaugural Minnesota/Iowa Selective Engaged Campus Award for Community Collaboration. The award is one of four elective honors presented by the Minnesota/Iowa Campus Compact.
Create CommUNITY is a grass-roots community movement that was started in the office of the Mayor in St. Cloud, Minnesota over 20 years ago; then known as the Mayor’s Racial Harmony Team. Over the years, the organization changed its name, honed its mission, vision and membership. The Create CommUNITY mission is Dismantling Racism through Systemic Change. Their vision is to provide a welcoming, anti-discriminatory environment with respect and opportunity for all. The board is composed of residents, leaders in education, business, industry and faith communities.
Currently, Create CommUNITY focuses on three areas of work: educational attainment, health care access and housing access. This organization has not only provided a forum for enhancing outcomes in these focus areas, but they have also, for the past 14 years, organized an Annual Conversation on Race. This event, like their mission and vision, is focused on bringing people from diverse backgrounds together to have intentional conversations around key issues to facilitate transformational change for individuals and institutions in a safe and supportive environment.
The Annual Conversation on Race brings our community together in a new way, forming a new community tradition that attracts between 250-600+ diverse participants each year. This event remains a staple in the region for listening, learning, understanding and expanding hearts and minds-creating a healthier, more welcoming community.
