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Action Fund Past Projects

What others have done with the Action Fund…

Session Student Name Project Title/Description
Spring 2018 Gianna Brassil Human Rights Podcast
At New Tactics, we hold regular conversations on a variety of human rights topics through the medium of online forums. My project aims to expand our online conversations model to a podcast platform. With this new project, we aim to investigate the role of podcasting in human rights work and the unique ways in which compelling audio storytelling change and challenge how we consume human rights related content.
Jaime Hasama Putting the Beauty in the Beautiful Game
Soccer is known as the beautiful game since it can be played anywhere with almost no equipment, but why do we only see the same white, middle class demographic in the United States? We work with girls from immigrant families, girls of color, first generation, and low-income situations to prepare them for college soccer recruiting. We guide them through the process while also building a more diverse soccer community through bi-weekly mentoring sessions and weekly soccer games.
Clara King Photovoice Narrative Project
This project will work with high school students at Breakthrough Twin Cities. Students will have the opportunity to use photography to identify, represent, and enhance their community through the process of taking photos of their surroundings and discussing the resulting images with their peers. The project will culminate in a final exhibition of student photography. 
Fall 2017 Ariana Hones The West Side Frisbee Team
The aim of this project is to create a youth ultimate frisbee team at Neighborhood House, located on the West Side of St. Paul. There are three goals of this project. The first is to help youth stay active. The second is to build leadership and community through ultimate frisbee. The third goal is help close the college access gap and assist Macalester in reaching out to our local youth. Macalester’s two ultimate teams will do skill workshops with the team as well as serve as mentors in leadership and college accessibility. The Action Fund will help kickstart the ultimate frisbee team by purchasing uniforms, tournament costs, and other programming materials.
Mara Steinitz Comparative College Visits with Urban Roots
Urban Roots Youth will visit three different colleges around the Twin Cities for a tour, lunch and an information session. The students will compare options for higher education and decide which works best for them. Local colleges will build and strengthen ties with this local youth development non-profit.
Rachel Lieberman An Urban Retreat for New Authors
Rachel Lieberman (Macalester Student and Teacher with Cow Tipping Press) will work with Bryan Boyce (Founder and Director of Cow Tipping Press) to organize a writer’s workshop on Macalester’s campus for adults with developmental disabilities in the larger Twin Cities Community. Rachel will lead the workshop, and Macalester students, staff, and faculty will volunteer as support staff to help facilitate the writing process. Afterward, there will be a lunch discussion for all participants, volunteers, and observers, that is open to the larger Macalester community.
Spring 2017 Michael Curran Artist Education Workshops, Patrick’s Cabaret
This workshop series is intended to address the wide-ranging financial, artistic, and structural challenges particular to artists of marginalized identities. In four peer-led workshops, artists will select an issue area relevant to them (from personal finance to methods for building safer arts spaces) and teach about how they’ve been able to survive as artists on the edge of culture.
Katherine Lane and Tasneem Issa Foldscope: Exploration, Discovery, and Science for Everyone, Foldscope Instruments, Metro College Prep Schools
This project shares The Foldscope (a $1 origami microscope) with educators, scholars, youth, and the Macalester community. The low-cost scientific tool is a starting point to discuss education equality and to expand access to science by providing opportunities for curiosity and exploration.
Claire Looney Clothing as a Catalyst for Change: Self-Care and Body Image in a Domestic Violence Shelter, Casa de Esperanza
This project focuses on improving the function of the clothing donation room at the domestic violence emergency shelter, including reorganizing and decorating so that new shelter residents are able to have an experience closer to & “shopping,” emphasizing their worth and the importance of practicing self-care. The changes to the room will culminate with a celebratory gathering and body image workshop for the residents.
Elena Torry-Schrag and Mia Smith Breakthrough Community Collaboration, Breakthrough Twin Cities; Youth Farm
60 BTC middle school students will engage in a service learning project with Youth Farm to expand their definition of community and provide them with the opportunity to experience civic engagement.
Emma Wise and Martin Moore Decolonizing Public Parkland by Building Bluebird Houses, Saint Paul Natural Resources, Saint Paul Public Housing Agency, Youth CARE, and Elpis Enterprises
To engage the residents of public housing of Saint Paul with nature and natural spaces and parks through a birding hike and building a bluebird nestbox to learn about birds in an urban habitat during a one day workshop, and the installation of the nestboxes in public park space thereafter.
Spring 2016 Nina Escriva Fernandez Power of Me: The Next Step in the Journey of Young Latin@ Leaders, Casa de Esperanza
Provided Latin@ youth leaders with yoga and self-defense training to complement other summer curriculum.. At summer camp workshops at the end of the project, the students transferred these skills to their peers.
  Ngan “Jasmine” Nguyen Reaching Out, Supporting, and Empowering Southeast Asian Immigrant/Refugee Families, Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE)
Provide a forum for Southeast Asian immigrant and refugee parents, particularly Hmong and Karen, to be better equipped in supporting their daughters as they transition from high school to college, as well as foster mutual understanding between parents and daughters through digital storytelling.
Nita Chai, Sophia Wiedmann, and Abby Fleeter Liters in Learning, Minnesota Internship Center Charter High School (MNIC)
Provide students with durable plastic water bottle, as well as educational information on the benefits to wellbeing from drinking more water daily.
Spring 2015 Yolanda Burckhardt and Juliette Myers Empowering Women: Developing Strengths and Career Goals, Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE)
Provide an opportunity to participate in the Junior Achievement Job Shadowing Program. Students will receive one-on-one career and leadership training. In the weeks leading up to the job shadowing, Macalester interns will design and lead workshops using StrengthsFinder–building career and networking skills, and self-awareness.
Elena Torry-Schrag Breakthrough Twin Cities Bridge Activities
Breakthrough Twin Cities is a six-year, tuition-free program that prepares under-resourced youth for college and inspires the next generation of educators. This fund would facilitate activities between the Breakthrough and Macalester Communities through a college visit and group civic engagement project and create a bridge between the two communities.
Lazareena Thaveethu Garden Revitalization Project
This project aims to bring together student youth and community members to spread awareness about Earth Day and the roles they could play, to better serve the community spaces on the East Side of Saint Paul. I will be leading a short seminar and gardening activity on Earth Day, April 22 and on Saturday, April 25.
Sofia Halperin-Goldstein and Rachel Swanson Oral Histories and College Access: A Family-Based Collaboration, Casa de Esperanza
Host a group of eight Latina mothers and their families at Macalester to continue their year-long collaboration on an oral history project. In addition to a discussion circle with the adult participants, Macalester students will engage the youth in a college access program involving a campus tour and information session.
Fall 2014 Emma Ensign-Church Girls Group, West 7th Community Center
Re-­implement this group with an official curriculum that promotes self-­esteem, develops life skills, and inspires positive motivation in young girls, with a specific focus on college ­readiness.
Colleen Cilwick, Hector Santiago Bautista Aniceto, and Peace Madimutsa Dance it Out, Shine Bright!, Metro Social Services, Inc. (MSSI)
This project uses dance to teach at risk children and youth how to carry on distress free and harmonious lives and thus be able to shine at their brightest levels in school and in the world.
Brett Hahn Health Break, Sabathani MNIC
Provide students healthful snacks in accordance with the USDA’s “Smart Snacks” guidelines during school breaks.. Facilitate health discussions and provide the on-site Health Advocate with a better means to reach students and address their health concerns. Health Breaks will encourage students to adopt more healthful lifestyles both in and outside of the school environment in addition to solidifying lasting relationships between the Health Advocate and students.
Allison Vandenberg-Daves Create Pollinator Garden, Youth Farm
The project aims to restore pollinator habitat in the Twin Cities, by engaging youth in the creation of a pollinator garden. This will encourage youth leadership, and educate youth farmers, along with the broader community, about pollinator decline and the steps our community can take to reverse it.
Carolyn Willis and Wynonna Ardiansyah Sex Health Curriculum at MNIC
Empower students through knowledge of sexual health and reduce the stigma around this important topic amongst the staff and student body.
Spring 2014 Li Guan, Courtney Olson, Sam Burlager Carrotmob, LEDC & Lake Street – Carrotmobbing: rewarding businesses that commit to environmentally friendly practices through organizing the positive power of consumerism. Letting consumers “vote” with their dollars, and financially supporting businesses lacking capital to participate in sustainability.
Antonina Storniolo, Miriam Magaña Campus Visit, MNIC
Bring MNIC students to visit the Macalester campus, enabling the students to learn about the opportunities that the college provides and Macalester will be able to engage in partnership with a community organization, helping strengthen our current connections.
Fall 2013 Prakshi Malik Acting Out the Economy, WISE
Experiential Learning with Girls Getting Ahead in Leadership at Junior Achievement
Partnered with Women’s Initiative for SelfEmpowerment to give GGAL members an opportunity for experiential learning that focuses on financial literacy, career exploration, and leadership skills.
Carol Mejia, Elisa Lee, Adan Martinez, Jocelyn Cardona, and Isabel Ruelas Dare to Dream Conference: Demystifying the College Admissions Process for First-Generation College Students and Families
Partnered with Hmong American Partnership, NAVIGATE, and Common Bond’s Skyline Towers to hold a conference for 50-70 first generation college students and their parents to learn and experience the college process. Included a panel discussion, campus tour, and workshops on Financial Aid and the Admissions process.
Julia Sillen, Nina Slesinger, and Ilana Master Signed Sealed, Delivered
Partnered with Twin Cities Correspondence School and Common Good Books to offer a series of workshops on diverse creative forms, with the end goal of creating mail art and personalized letters.
Nina Slesinger Yes And…
Partnered with HUGE Theater to provide improvisational comedy lessons for adolescent girls to teach them the power and value of speaking up.
Yang Zhang Health Education with Native American Community in Twin Cities
Partnered with Division of Indian Work to raise awareness of health issues among a Native American community. Hosted a series of health forums and training sessions that addressed community health topics to groups in need.
Spring 2013 Emma Buechs In the Heart of the Beast/Phillips Project Partnership
Established a partnership between the three community center sites of the existing Phillips Project of the Youth Programs of HOBT. Chaperoned and bussed Phillips Project students to and from public workshops.
Caroline Devany Building Our Village: A Collaboration Among Frogtown’s Gardeners, Local Business Owners and Macalester Students
Through the addition of a shaded pergola structure to “Our Village,” a community garden based in Frogtown, an opportunity was created for community building, with long-term goal of building a vibrant community space.
Margo Faulk Dream of Wild Health
Purchased cooking ware for nutritional cooking classes for Native parents of young children as well as provided an opportunity for Macalester students to learn more about community based nutrition, culturally sensitive public health initiatives, and food justice in the Twin Cities.
Sofia Halperin-Goldstein Soy un/a nino/a fuerte: The Development of an Activity Workbook to Increase Resilience Among Latin@ Children Living at a Domestic Violence Shelter
Funded the printing and binding of a resiliency- based workbook for Latin@ children ages 4-12 that aims to encourage participants to recognize and communicate their inner strengths and emotions, in addition to negotiating their identities through a process of cultural exploration.
Fall 2012 Jessica Ramirez Allied in Sexual Health Advocacy and Outreach
Partnered with Family Tree Clinic to promote and expand testing for sexually transmitted diseases, as well as train and educate leaders on sexual health. Aims to promote sexual health on college campuses.
Sara Saltman, Antara Nader Skyline ELL Resource Library Project
Partnered with CommonBond Communities ELL program to create an ELL Resource Library for the students attending the adult English class at Skyline Towers.
Essie Schlotterbeck Learn to Ride Bike Fleet
Purchased a fleet of bikes for a series of adult Learn to RIde classes, held in partnership with Cycles for Change and the Community Partners Bike Library in Saint Paul. Taught a series of Learn to RIde classes.
Spring 2012 Caroline Devany, Julia Sillen Greetings from University Avenue
Showcased the vibrancy of University Ave through postcards created by a Macalester printmaking class, enabling the University and Macalester community to build through artistic expression.
Emma Gerushun-Half, Miriam Magana Establishing the MNIC Health Club
Founded a peer-led health organization at the MN Internship Charter School so that students could learn about health issues, raise health awareness, and educate their peers.
Fall 2011 Becca Cohen, Lydia Lippold-Gelb, Teal Radford The New Face of the Jourdain
Implemented a recycling program in the Jourdain housing complex in the Hope Community. Partnered with Aeon, a non-profit developer, the project connected with the community to create a sustainable program.
Jonas Buck, Wayne Lee Avid Mentoring Program (AMP)
Worked with the AVID mentoring program at Highland Park Senior High School to improve the curriculum and materials from previous years in order to adapt to new audiences of students. The project also allowed for students to keep their resources at the end of the program.
Steve Peyton Redevelopment for the Community and the Future
Created community forums to provide a voice for valuable public input for the redevelopment of the Ford Plant.
Charlotte Fagan, Hannah Geil-Neufeld, Ainsley Judge, Sasha Lansky, Kayla Nussbaum Girls on the Move
Built bike literacy through skills exchanges with 7th and 8th graders at the Laura Jeffery Academy and Macalester students interested in bike maintenance.
McKenna Bernard, Nadia Foo Kune, Paul Rebman Fostering Recycling in an Apartment Building for Individuals Affected by Long Term Homelessness
Created a recycling system that helped develop environmental sustainability and fostered skills for those who have suffered from homelessness.
Kelly Cargos, Erin Daly, Kyle Gename, Emma Wheeler Project for Pride in Living: Energy Reduction Venture
Reduced energy waste through implementing a community-based social marketing plan to increase sustainability and environmental education, helped improve self-sufficiency in lower-income environments.
Claire Henkel, Bo Scarim, Mollie Siebert Sustainability as a Model for Community Living
Fostered a sustainable lifestyle in a Project for Pride in Living-owned subsidized housing unit by using psychological principles to help community members engage in more sustainable habits and conscientious behaviors.
Harry Kent, Abbie Shain Little Free Library
Re-imagined the “Mac Bubble” and fostered stronger community interaction between the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood and the Macalester College community through the installation of the community library, creating more opportunities for Macalester literature to be heard beyond campus.
Spring 2011 Sadie Cox Addressing the Digital Divide with Project for Pride in Living
Project for Pride in Living came to speak at Macalester about the problem of the digital divide and their efforts towards fostering inclusion. Mac students had the opportunity to volunteer in a computer training workshop for K-6 students in PPL’s “Homework Hangout” program.
Emma Kalish, Eric Goldfischer, Maya Pisel, Aditi Rao Economic Justice /Partnering with Peace House Community
Cooked a meal for Peace House, a community center for people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Minneapolis, MN.
Brett Srader, Anna Waggener, Sean Ryan, Kidist Sewdie, Julia Wallhager Culture and Cuisine: Somali Youth in the Twin Cities
Connected students from Project for Pride in Living with Macalester students, particularly international students from Africa. During this gathering, we explored cultural commitments and the difficulties of maintaining culture in a new home, particular with relation to the Somali and East African context.
Hannah VanDenBrandt From My School to Yours: Stimulating College Interest and Bridging the Arts
Third grade students from Linwood A+ Elementary, a local art-infused magnet school, traveled to Macalester College for an arts focused campus visit.
Fall 2010 Kathlynn Hinkfuss, Jonas Buck Avid Mentoring Program (AMP)
Designed to match Mac students with 2nd semester juniors from Highland Park Senior HIgh School to facilitate a meaningful peer relationship and provide guidance on the college application process.
Leah Krieble, Lauryn Gutierrez Camp CAMERA
Gave Mac students in MacPic the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership skills, their appreciation for their community, and their strong interest in photography.
Kayla Nussbaum, Charlotte Fagan, Hannah Geil-Neufeld, Emily Hanson Girls on the Move
In collaboration with Sibley Bike Depot, was an after-school bike safety and maintenance class for 7th and 8th grade girls at Laura Jeffrey Academy.
Spring 2010 Bethany Battafaranao, Beth Moretzky Medicinal Melodies
Students volunteered and organized visits to the United Hospital to perform music to lift the spirits of the patients.
Dara Hoppe, Rachel Mueller, Jesse Yourish Jane Addams School Victory Garden
Planted a victory garden at Baker Community Center. Through the process of creating the garden, students had intentional conversations about culturally significant foods and worked to empower participants at Jane Addam School for Democracy to learn and engage together across cultural and generational differences.
Elise Griffin Building Environmental Awareness & Empowerment in Somalian Communities and Schools
In collaboration with the MN Internship Center and different areas of Macalester College, the program worked to raise environmental awareness and involvement in Somalian Communities in the Seward Tower West apartment buildings through education, subsidization, and action.
Kim Delanghe, Andrew Gramm, Keith Armstrong Whittier International Elementary School Education Garden
This project fostered collaborative partnerships between Whittier International Elementary school, Bethlehem Community Center/ Project for Pride in Living, Youth Farm and Market Project.
Piera Von Glahn, Trina Pastarr, Laura Bartolomei-Hill Worming our Way to a Better World
These students served as a link between Macalester and the community in the endeavor to bring composting resources to students living off campus. They educated citizens and installed compost systems.
Fall 2009 Alessandra Fuhrman Hubbs Center Lounge/Tutor Room Improvements
This project worked to improve educational resources at St Paul’s Hubbs Center by furnishing the tutor lounge with bilingual dictionaries. Also worked to recruit Mac students to volunteer with the Hubbs Center.
Roman Raymundo Software for ELC Computer Lab
Helped the English Learning Center (ELC) have access to more copies of a CD-ROM which provided essential listening, reading, and writing skills.
Spring 2009 Amanda Caneff, Alan Bartolai, Elena Slavin Promoting Youth Wellness in the Community
Students purchased athletic equipment and mural-painting materials, hosted a community painting day, and sponsored two days of community learning about sports and health with Mac athletes, Parking Crossing (Project for Peace in Living low – income affordable housing site) and the Wellness Center.
Aparna Bhasin, Sarah Moskowitz College Week
College Week inspired middle school students at the West 7th Community Center in Saint Paul to explore and pursue opportunities for higher education. It also served to build a bridge between the West 7th and Macalester communities.
Kristin Riegel Daring Dialogues: Discovering the Leader Within
Addressed the lack of young Latina voices in the Twin Cities media by providing a series of 12 workshops that served as both a site of learning and creation of a collective magazine.
Fall 2008 Jason Rodney Exco-Waite House Partnership in Education
The project helped cement a partnership between the Experimental College of the Twin Cities (EXCO) and the Waite House in Minneapolis. Jason facilitated EXCO’s help in providing “Learning Zone” programming at the Waite House Community Center, which serves a largely Latino/a and immigrant population.
Michela Bolla Family Planning Brochure Development and Production
Michela Bolla developed and produced a brochure with information regarding the Minnesota Family Planning Program as well as services provided by the Family Tree Clinic. The project included distribution of the brochure to patients at the Family Tree Clinic and to members of the surrounding community, including colleges, women’s organizations, and health centers.
Rebecca Holohan Women’s Self-Defense: Building a Partnership with Feminist Eclectic Martial Arts
This project sent 10-15 female Macalester students to a five-class self-defense course at a local non-profit organization, Feminist Eclectic Martial Arts. The self-defense classes were paired with ongoing educational sexual assault prevention and awareness efforts on campus and were designed to be the first step in building a lasting partnership between Macalester and FEMA.
Spring 2008 Carolyn Loeb, Laney Barhaugh, Mara Mackinnon MN Internship Charter School

A three-pronged initiative to facilitate literacy and creative exchange in the Minnesota Internship Center and Macalester communities, this project purchased classroom books for MNIC Advanced Literature class, held a “coffeehouse night” where Mac and MNIC students shared their written books, and promoted a students library at MNIC.

Jenna Harris, Sandy Robson Decorate a Mosaic Bike Cart

These students constructed and decorated a mosaic bike cart with the help of community members and organizations, including Mosaic on a Stick, MacBike, and the Sibley Bike Depot. The bike is used in the community to improve the quality of life for residents through the use of arts and an alternative form of transportation and exercise.

Jessie Light, Raina Fox, Hillary Mohaupt, Stone Cha Multi-Faith Youth Camp
Liz McCreary Helping Homeless Children at The Family Place

In collaboration with The Family Place, Liz designed a summer arts education program for homeless youth and children. The project introduced the children to a variety of ways in which to express themselves through art and created an open dialogue between homeless children and community members concerning issues of homelessness and the importance of individual expression.

Fall 2007 Brianna Keefe-Oates, Stephanie Abascal Habitaciones de Esperanza at Casa de Esperanza

The goal of this project was to provide a space for the participants at Casa de Esperanza’s domestic violence shelter to pursue their educational, employment and long-term goal sthrough an increase in available educational materials, the creation of a resource library and the installation of the internet.

Carolyn Loeb, Mara Mackinnon College Access/Higher Education Tour for MN Internship Center Charter School

Included class discussions about access to higher education for immigrants, an exchange of letters with a Macalester student partner, the change to attend a class and a college info session. It combined a visit to Macalester and Normandale Community College to give students MNIC fun and informative exposure to possibilities in higher education.

Ellie Rogers Great River Greening

The goal of this project was to research barriers to greening property on the lakes of the Twin Cities areas, as perceived by landowning residents. With the help of MacCARES and Readex Research, Inc., Ellie conducted surveys and provided a proposal on how to use community-based social marketing to educate and enlist citizens to green their neighborhoods.

Ellina Xiong, Mai Youa Moua, Charles Vang Patrick Henry High School Asian Cultural Club visit to Macalester

This project aimed to expose high school students to a possible future in higher education. Patrick Henry High’s Asian Cultural Club was invited to come to campus to explore college life for a day and break down barriers of doubts in pursuing higher education.

Katy Bogart PFLAG Twin Cities immigrant language materials

The goal of this project was to make basic GLBTQ materials available in as many local languages (such as Hmong, Urdu, and Somali) as possible.

Sandy Robson MacBike and Project Pride for Living

In the fall of 2007 MacBike helped to facilitate and promote a free community bike maintenance class taught every Thursday niht at Sibley Bike Depot. Using this already existing class, the hope was to get high-schoolers and older residents interested in bikes as recreation and transportation.

Sue Xiong, Charles Vang, Lee Xiong Rondo Community Library

The goal of the project was for the involved Macalester students to act as a higher education resource for the Rondo Library; running workshops to help expose individuals to higher education, assisting in the college application process, and explaining scholarship opportunities and federal aid.

Spring 2007 Lulu Chen Open School and Asian Student Alliance Collaboration

The goal of this project was to introduce the Open School students to a college environment and to help motivate them to pursue higher education. The goal was accomplished by giving the students a tour of the Macalester campus, arranging presentations from Macalester staff on crucial information about the college application process, and allowing them to partake in an ASA panel discussion about real-life college experiences.

Fiorella Ormeno Incio Documentary Project: Twin Cities to Caracas

This documentary project grew out of footage take during the International Venezuela Solidarity Conference held at Macalester. The compiled footage showed workshops, presentations, etc. of people concerned with what democracy looks like in contemporary Latin America. Wanting to take the opportunity to deepen and continue this discussion and explore what Venezuelans themselves were thinking, experiencing and doing in the aftermath of Chavez’s re-election, Fiorella went to Venezuela to interview individuals ranging from government officials, community organizers, opposition leaders, streets vends to university students.

Victor Lllanque Zonta Accounting Project- African Dev. Center

Victor’s project provided trainings in bookkeeping and tax preparation to African entrepreneurs in MN. The trainings offered African entrepreneurs the skills they needed in order to prepare and understand financial statements, while acclimating them to the value of proper financial reporting. Adequate and reliable accounting practices are indispensable to doing business in the United States.

Amanda Coen Photo Brochure with Immigrant Law Center of MN

This project aimed to build community awareness about immigration in the Twin Cities and to enhance the public profile of the Immigrant Law Center. This goal was realized by creatively combining client interviews with photographs to produce a brochure to be publicly distributed.

Brittany Lynk Folktale Book: “Why the Moon is Free”

This project was a collaboration between a Spanish class from the Friends School and Brittany to produce the fourth section of a children’s folktale book that she had already undertaken. The class helped to illustrate the Quintana Roo story “Why the Moon is Free,” which was translated into Spanish and Maya by community members. In dong the project, it was hoped that the children would be able to see that they were capable of creating something as seemingly difficult as a book.

Fall 2005 Clare Stoschek, Trudy Rebert Young Women’s Mentoring Program with Youth CARE

These Macalester students had already been working with the organization YouthCARE to facilitate youth mentoring groups for girls when they proposed this project. The project allowed the students to take the high school youth mentors to Camp St. Croix for a day on the ropes course and time spent building their skills as mentors.

Ihotu Ali, Isabelle Chan Preventing Deportation Through Education with Immigrant Law Center of MN

The goal of this project was to translate, overdub, and distribute a 30-minute video called “No Second Chance.” This video, which was previously only available in English, was produced by the Immigrant Law Center of MN to teach immigrants that even minor crimes can lead to their deportation.

Rachel Fletcher Safer Sex Practices Booklet

For this project Rachel researched, wrote, designed, published and distributed a short booklet about safer sex practices specifically targeting young LGBTQ women and men. The booklet intended to provide overlooked or unknown information about sexual health care to an underserved population through a medium that overcame economic barriers, embarrassment, insecurity, and discrimination, challenges that can often accompany the pursuit of such information.

Renee Lepreau Grand Ave. Photo Project with Metro Independent Business Alliance

As a student with prior photography experience, Renee worked with the Metro Independent Business Alliance to photographically document the unique character of small, local, independent businesses in St. Paul. A final set of prints was displayed in an exhibition at the Campus Center, along with written information, the goal of which was to educate the Macalester community about the value of local businesses. The businesses also received access to completed photos.

Spring 2005 Marie Herwig Building Community On Skates at John A. Johnson Elementary

Marie proposed this project while volunteering at John A. Johnson Elementary School on Saint Paul’s East Side, where she saw a need for positive social activities for families at the school. The project paid for parents and children to attend a fun evening that included a shared meal and roller skating. Parents were also offered the chance to discuss concerns and challenges with school personnel while Mac volunteers supervised the children.

Robert Yedlin Simpson Shelter Hot Breakfast

This project aimed to serve hot breakfast once a week to 40 people at Simpson Shelter in Minneapolis. The overnight residents of Simpson are required to work early in the morning and do not receive a hot breakfast unless it is provided by volunteers. The project encouraged more Mac students to become volunteers at Simpson and provided hot breakfast on several occasions.

Sandy Robson Textbooks for Honduras

When Macalester students became aware that a local nonprofit sending books to Africa was going to dispose of several boxes of Spanish language math books they decided to act. Sandy had recently returned form volunteering in a rural town in Honduras and knew that textbooks in Spanish were desperately needed there. The project raised fund to mail the books to Honduras. 125 textbooks were sent and eagerly received by teachers.

Sarah Turner, Helene Peil Jr. MacMentors Campus Visit

MacMentors in a student-run project that pairs Mac students with “at risk” 4th-6th graders living at a subsidized housing development in St. Paul. The MacMentors make weekly visits to assist the youth with homework and lead programming to encourage the youth to consider college. This project funded a special field trip to the Macalester campus to show the youth more about college life and talk about what it takes to make higher education a reality in their futures.

Fall 2004 Erin Miller World AIDS Day – Open Arms of MN

Students in Doty and Turck Halls began by raising $106 from other students for the nonprofit organization Open Arms of MN. The funds allowed the organization to deliver a one-month supply of food to 200 families in South Africa. Students also created bulletin boards for each floor of Doty and Turck featuring information about AIDS and created holiday cards that were distributed with meals for homebound people in the Twin Cities.

Johanna Nice AIDS Day Quilt Project

The outcome of this project was the public display for ten panels of the AIDS quilt in the Hill Ballroom on campus. The goal of the quilt display was to increase awareness about the devastating tolls of AIDS while providing statistically accurate information. In a cooperative effort, numerous offices and student organizations created a quilt panel expressing multi-cultural exploration of HIV/AIDS.

Rachel Harlos SEXY- Students Educating Xs and Ys

Rachel helped a new student organization on campus dedicated to the education and discussion of sexual and reproductive health issues. Students collaborated with Winton Health Services and offered resident hall floors the chance to sponsor a floor program where students could educate other students in a safe environment. An additional goal of the project was to provide more volunteer opportunities for students interested in health fields.

Spring 2004 Jumana Al Hashal Rainbow Families

In response to public discussion surrounding the constitutional amendment to define marriage, the project worked with the nonprofit organization Rainbow Families. Jumana helped to develop a series of bumper stickers and hand printed posters to educate the public about the realities of GLBT families and offer possibilities for action.

Sarah Detzner HAP- Immigrant Legislative Project

This project involved bringing legislators together with Hmong adults learning English to encourage new immigrants to be involved and to educate senators and representatives about the issues of concern to these community members. The project included: a) letter writing to encourage immigrant literacy and to clarify the issues, b) a field trip to the State Capitol, c) a trip to Hmong American Partnership by lawmakers. Student volunteers interviewed the Hmong participants and wrote a corresponding article for the Mac Weekly to educate the campus about the project.

Janna Cuneo Seeing Women, Seeing Contributions: An Art Exhibit

Janna and FIA worked with local female artists and local social service organizations to create an exhibit raising awareness about women’s contributions to art. They created an accessible gallery space at Macalester to display art by twenty women whose art would otherwise not be publicly displayed. A community art opening during Women’s History Month brought together students, faculty, staff, community members and the artists to celebrate the women’s contributions.

Fall 2003 AnneMarie Herwig Mural of Hope with ARTrujillo

This project used the medium of artistic creation to engage Latino youth in discussion important issues in their lives. Youth from an after school program on the East Side of St.Paul created drawings based on group discussions about Latino identities. The individual drawings were combined into one large collage which was transferred to a wall in Plaza Latina, a market area for Latino-owned businesses.

Dianna Seng Asian Role Models – Como Park Senior High School

Members of Asian Student Alliance developed a presentation for students at Como park Senior High School about significant Asian and Asian-American figures in various fields. While sharing appetizers from a local Thai restaurant, the college and high school students discussed issues of concern in the Asian-American community such as identity issues, affirmative action and their personal goals as students.

Jebediah Fix Choosing Higher Education with English Learning Center

This program was designed as an introduction to college life for a group of high school students form the English Learning Center, a local supplementary education program for immigrant students. The three evening events all followed a different theme: academics, extra-curriculars, and student life. The first involved a chemistry lab taught by a Macalester Chemistry Department professor, the second a campus and dorm tour and dinner in the cafeteria and the third an introduction to the classroom lecture by another professor and a writing workshop conducted by a local Hmong writer.

Julia Eagles, Laura Kudra Mounds Park Elementary Environment Project

The project aimed to enhance the environmental education curriculum of students at Mounds Park Elementary School where Mac students worked on a weekly basis with the Discovery Club. The project’s goal was to develop an environmental ethic in the students. The project restored and improved the native species garden at the elementary school by working with the kids on garden clean up, planting, and developing a relationship with the land. The project included hands-on curriculum, including cooking projects, indoor planting as well as environmentally themed crafts and storytelling.

Spring 2003 Eliana Wolowitz Division of Indian Work Summer Day Camp

During the summer of 2003, Elana worked with the Division of Indian Work in Minneapolis to create a hands-on educational experience for their summer day camp program. This program primarily served American Indian children and focused on literacy, leadership, and self-esteem building.

Fall 2002 Tricia Gonwa Immigration Video

Tricia created a 30-minute film that looked at specific individual and community responses to the entrance of new immigrant populations into local communities. The goal was that churches, schools and other organizations would use it to prompt discussion of how individual feeling, stereotypes, and fears play into the way that their communities respond to people of other nationalities that arrive in their communities. The Minneapolis Council of Churches is already using the film and other organizations have shown interest.

Rachel Farris, Sia Her Scrapbook Project with Hmong American Partnership

This scrapbook project was designed to explore the life experiences of Macalester first-year students and Hmong adults English learners. The project fostered intergenerational and intercultural relationships between tutors and students, improved literacy skills and created a lasting memento of the shared learning experience.

Spring 2002 Erica Rov, Susannah Hansen, Sara Hopkins Mounds Park Elementary Environmental Project

This project was designed to extend environmental education at Mounds Park, a low-income, multicultural elementary school in St. Paul. The funding allowed for more in-depth projects, giving urban children (ages 5-9) a chance to spend time exploring the outdoors through gardening, art and food preparation.

Laura Smith, Sia Her Family English Learning Night with Hmong American Partnership

This project promoted family literacy, intergenerational learning, and a cultural exchange between Macalester students and the Hmong community associated with Hmong American Partnership. The project supported adult students and their children by providing intercultural literacy activities that strengthened families, enriched the academic and bi-cultural experiences of youth and increased cultural understanding. This involved working with parents to improve their teaching ability and confidence in assisting their children with schoolwork while also providing the children with academic tutoring help that the parents were not able to provide. In addition to traditional educational techniques, this project incorporated many different methods of learning through the exploration of various kinds of literacy found in the Hmong culture such as storytelling, music paj ntabu or the Hmong story cloth.

Simone King, Hannah Palmer, Rebecca Hossain Tutors and Mentors for the Sabathani Community Center

The Macalester women mentors at Sabathani Horizon’s Youth Program proposed taking a group of preteen and teenage girls to Friendship Ventures, a retreat center that uses rope courses and other experiential activities to help participants develop leadership skills, learn group cooperation, and navigate problems. The retreat served as the mentoring group’s starting point for further discussions on social skills, leadership and how to function successfully as part of a team. As an added benefit, the wooded location for the retreat also gave these inner-city girls a chance to experience a non-urban setting.