Welcome to INVOLVED 2008!

 

Involved is the Day of Service for incoming freshman (transfer students may also participate!). It is a very special event that takes place during Orientation Week. The Center for Social Concern is the proud sponsor that brings you this amazing experience. On Tuesday, September 2nd, you and hundreds of entering students will embark on an exploration of service in the areas of health, education, housing, urban art, and community building in the city. Over half of the class of 2011 participated last year. It is hoped that this year's class will break that record!

 

What makes Involved distinguishable from the other Orientation events?

Involved is very unique and inspiring experience. It gives students the opportunity to learn about the city they will be living in for at least 4 years. Most of the students will be walking on foot to the site location, thereby giving the student the chance to walk around and explore Charles Village and neighboring communities. Involved will also introduce students to the endless ways you can get involved in community service during your stay at Hopkins. In addition, students are exposed to the issues that urban cities, such as Baltimore, must face and how existing community organizations help to alleviate those issues.

 

Also, students will be exposed to a 3-step model of community service:

  1. Awareness: Students will learn about a socio-economic or environmental issue impacting Baltimore City and what the host organization does to alleviate the problem.
  2. Action: For 3 hours, the incoming freshman will work side-by-side with other students of their residence hall, community members, and other JHU students on a service project.
  3. Reflection: After their projects are completed, students will have a chance to share their experiences and discuss what they learned about community service in Baltimore City.

What can you expect on the day of service?

Some will do an urban beautification project, while others will work at overnight shelters, sorting items to be given to the community. Others will learn about the Baltimore City Public School System, while creating packets of supplies for kids in the Johns Hopkins's Tutorial Project, which tutors below grade level elementary school children. Yet another group will meet with homeless men who are in the process of turning their lives around. All together there will be more than twenty projects for your incoming class.

 

The reflection piece will take place at our campus Interfaith Center (For more information visit the website. Click here) At the reflection we will be raffling off gift certificates from a variety of local businesses. Some examples of past local businesses that have donated are:

  1. Tickets to the Senator Theatre: www.senator.com
  2. Gift Certificate to Tapas Teatro: http://www.tapasteatro.com/
  3. Tickets to the Visionary Art Museum: www.avam.org
  4. Red Maple : http://www.930redmaple.com/

Information on Past Activity Sites

Involved visits many sites, anywhere from elementary and middle schools to nonprofit organizations or local churches.

 

In the past we have visited Margaret Brent Elementary and Middle School, Barclay Elementary and Dallas-Nicholas Elementary School. All of which are community-schools of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation (GHCC). In the past we have partnered with GHCC to do a plethora of different activities throughout Baltimore City. Some activity sites have included:

  1. Village Learning Place: http://villagelearningplace.org/index.html
  2. Shepherd's Clinic: http://www.shepherdsclinic.org/
  3. Project PLASE: http://www.projectplase.org/
  4. National Student Partnerships: http://www.nspnet.org/offices/baltimore.htm

For more information on this year's sites and sponsores, click here!