SERVICE LEARNING
PROGRAM
El Paso Community College
Issue 9
June 2013
S uppo r t t he B o rde r Fa r m Wo r ke rs
The Border Farm Workers Center is passing through very difficult economic times and needs the support of every person who believes and sympathizes with their mission. This is an emergency situation that requires solidarity as widespread and urgent as possible. The center has provided much needed relief to border farm workers in many critical
areas such as warm meals and a safe space to rest. The Border Farm Workers Center is the result of many years of
struggle by the Sin Fronteras Organizing Project, an organization that has supported and empowered border farm
workers to improve their living and working conditions through rights and leadership training, access to justice and
related issues.
To support the efforts of Sin Fronteras and the center, the Service Learning Program will be collecting non-perishable
food items for the center’s kitchen. We will collect items throughout both summer sessions. You can bring donations
to our offices at Valle Verde A1314 or Rio Grande A125. For questions or more information please call 831-2489.
Additionally, the Border Farm Workers Center is also in great need of volunteers and economic resources. For more
information on how you can provide more help to the center, please contact Carlos Marentes at
marentes@farmworkers.org.
In This Issue:
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Spring 2013 Service Projects:
Toiletry Drive for Villa Maria of El Paso
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KCOS Telethon
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La Posada Home Garden
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Earth Day
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Reynolds House Easter Hunt
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Rebuilding Together
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Service Learning Recognition Ceremony
New Service Learning Co-Coordinator
Engaged Scholar
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Spring 2013 Report
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Students: 411
Hours of Service: 11,084
Instructors: 48
Economic Impact in our Community: $242,850.44 according to the latest data released by the
Corporation for National and Community Service. Each hour is valued at $21.91 in the state of Texas.
http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/pressroom/value_states.cfm
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To i l e t r y D r i v e f o r V i l l a M a r i a
La Posada Home Garden
During the month of February and with the collaboration
of the Valle Verde library, we collected toiletry items for
Villa Maria of El Paso . Villa Maria is a home where women
in crisis can go for help. It is a place where women can find
secure shelter and guidance to help them work their way
from crisis to self-sufficiency. Villa Maria was founded in
2007 and offers each guest comprehensive planning to
help each woman find solutions for her crisis. Professional
case management services also accompany each woman in
exploring options for job training, employment, counseling,
transportation, housing, medical care and education.
EPCC Students continued working in La Posada
Home garden. The community garden project
started during the semester of Spring 2012. During
the past semester students planted some more
herbs and plants and cared for the existing
ones. The children at the shelter are enjoying
their garden and are enthusiastic about planting
and caring for the flower bed garden and for the
vegetable garden.
The Valle Verde librarians were instrumental in making this
drive a success. They challenged all offices in the C building
and were able to collect over 650 items out of the total
900 items collected. Due to the great response, we were
able to donate items to other shelters such as the Reynolds
House, the Opportunity Center for Women of El Paso and
the Annunciation House.
We hope more students become interested in the
project during the upcoming Summer 2013 term
so it can continue expanding. If you’re interested
or know someone who might be interested in gardening please contact the Service Learning Program at 915-831-2489 for more information.
Items being delivered to the shelters by Service Learning Staff
KC O S Te l e t h o n
EPCC Service Learning students assisted KCOS 13 with their marketing
strategies this past semester. KCOS
is a public television station and an
affiliate of the Public Broadcast
System (PBS). Students were able to
participate in a live telethon where they had the opportunity to network and help the community.
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Students at La Posada Home and some of the plants at the garden
Earth Day 2013
The Service Learning Program
participated in the Earth Day
festivities organized by the
Recycling Program at EPCC.
The program staff played
‘recycling loteria’ with students in the Valle Verde Cafeteria Annex. Students enjoyed themselves while learning more about the recycling
process and received prizes
such as notebooks, water
bottles and backpacks.
Reynolds House Easter Hunt
Easter is a time for celebration and family fun. The Reynolds Home hosted an
Easter egg hunt for the families of the shelter as well as for families that at
one time lived at the shelter. More than 50 families showed up to participate
in the event. EPCC students made the day even more special by partaking in
the event.
EPCC Students at the Reynolds House
R e b u i l d i n g To g e t h e r i n G l o b a l Yo u t h S e r v i c e D a y
On April 27, EPCC Service Learning partnered up with the Visiting Nurses Association and Rebuilding Together to celebrate Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). GYSD is a coordinated annual event which gathers young people around the
world in conducting community service, service learning, and youth voice activities that benefit their communities. This
year, EPCC students helped three local families to make improvements to their homes. Students cleaned yards, painted and performed minor repairs in the homes of three very grateful families.
Students working hard at the Rebuilding Together event
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Service Learning Recognition Ceremony
Students who participated in Service Learning during the academic year 2012-2013 were recognized at a ceremony on
Thursday, May 9 at the Administrative Service Center Boardroom. EPCC President, Dr. William Serrata, joined us for the
first time to congratulate students in their efforts to strengthen our community. Steve Smith, Vice-President of Instruction, and Claude Mathis, Dean of Communication and Performing Arts also attended the event. Remarks were given by
Dr. Serrata, Mr. Mathis and Patricia Islas, program coordinator.
Students were recognized with certificates stating the number of hours and the organization they have served. 29 students completed more than 40 hours and also received a service pin. Three students received plaques for the most
hours: Melissa Salgado (116 hours), Viviane Rivas (88 hours) and Mia Hinojosa (88 hours).
Images of the Recognition Ceremony
New Service Learning Program
Co-Coordinator
Dr. Naomi Waissman, Biology Professor at the Transmountain Campus, has been
appointed as Service Learning Program Co-Coordinator. The following is a message from Dr. Waissman:
I look forward to serving the EPCC community in a new role as a co-coordinator
in the Service Learning Program. My new role will start this Summer 2013. I
thank the Service Learning Coordinator Patricia Islas, Dean Claude Mathis, Dean
Rick Webb and Vice President Steve Smith for their support of my effort in this
new capacity. I am enthusiastic to support a program that is currently serving
over 70 community organizations. Involvement from almost 50 instructors district-wide and over 400 students has contributed to almost a quarter million dollars that EPCC contributes to our community in service learning hours each semester. That’s amazing. More importantly, Institutional Research data shows that student who participate in Service Learning more than once are several time more likely to graduate or transfer to a 4-year institution. I have
consistently noticed that civic engagement inspires our students to appreciate their community and their academic opportunities. Community outreach also builds a strong student community of support for one another.
Patricia Islas and her team have done an amazing job in growing the Service Learning Program since 2006. Their
efforts also include grant awards such as the POWER program. This program involved community outreach to
organizations protecting water resources and promoting environmental conservation from students and faculty
in STEM disciplines. In addition to these successes, special events are also coordinated every semester to help
serve organizations that help children, seniors, or families in need. In the most humble way, I hope to support
their diligent efforts and to do my best to contribute to future growth of Service Learning at EPCC.
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Engaged Scholar
D r. J o s e A . P a c h e c o - L u c e r o
Dr. Jose Pacheco-Lucero was born in Wurzburg, Germany. Due to his family military background, he grew up in Germany, Korea and Southern US. He is currently
an Assistant Professor of Biology at the Northwest Campus.
Dr. Pacheco earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas
at El Paso (UTEP) in 2001. In 2007, he received his PhD in Biology from UTEP. His
dissertation title was “The New World Thief Ants of the Genus Solenopsis”. Later,
he was a research associate at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado.
Dr. Pacheco has worked at El Paso Community College for four years and has been
an active participant in the Service Learning Program since the spring 2012 term.
He has encouraged his students to serve our local community through the creation and maintenance of a Library Reading Garden / Hummingbird Garden as well
as the creation and presentation of education workshops for children ages 6-12
and Early College students in a variety of biological topics. Currently, Dr. Pacheco’s
students are responsible for the maintenance of the garden, the creation of a vertical garden/fountain and the development of a field guide and educational workshops to accompany the hummingbird garden.
Additional to the service he performs with his students in the garden, Dr. Pacheco
participates in several committees within the college. Some of the most recent
committees he has served are the Piper Professor Award Nominations Committee,
the Faculty Credentials Committee and the Tuition and Fees Committee. He is also
the current chair of the Biology Major’s Book Selection Committee, the NonMajor’s Book Selection Committee, the Course Curriculum Review Committee
(Biology 1408) and the Northwest IE Team Appointment Committee.
Dr. Pacheco plays soccer every week and coaches a U-10 Boys soccer team on the
weekends.
Dr. Pacheco and his students working in
the garden
Summer Deadlines (Timesheets):
Summer I: June 24, 2013
Summer II and 10-Week Sessions: July 29, 2013
El Paso Community College Service Learning Program
Co-Coordinator: Patricia Islas / 831-4183 / pislas@epcc.edu
Co-Coordinator: Dr. Naomi Waissman / 831-5021 / nwaissma@epcc.edu
Main Office: Valle Verde A1314
Phone: 831-2489 and 831-2204
www.epcc.edu/servicelearningprogram
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