Networking!

I would first like to announce that it has been exactly one month since I started here at Cabrini Connections and like always, time flies when you're having fun.

As part of our Volunteer Recruitment Campaign and in the general realm of continuing networking, Dan Bassill and I met with Jon Marino, who is just finishing his Public Interest Program Fellowship with Chicago Public Schools. Jon is now working with the Center for Global Engagement at Northwestern University, where he will be developing ways of getting people involved in global volunteerism and public service. While Jon's organization is oriented more globally and our organization, due to its focus of course, is mainly focused locally, both of our organizations have a lot in common. There were many issues that we touched upon in our almost two hour meeting, and I could easily dedicate several posts about these issues, but one of the issues that I think is important is the issue of using universities as a place where networks can be created towards the realm of social change.

First of all, Northwestern is a research university and both Dan and Jon had the idea of having grad students collaborate with organizations such as the Center for Global Engagement or Cabrini Connections, and study the ways these programs implement social change and problem solve. Then, they can publish these findings in a dissertation or a book so that other organizations can use this information for their own benefit. We all agreed that all these researchers at universities do some wonderful research, but mainly just to get published in a journal where only a few people will read it. Why not get the information out and into the public and use this information to benefit others, in addition to explanding knowledge.

Also, I highly encourage you to visit my fellowship's website:
www.northwestern.edu/nupip and see not only what I have said about my experiences so far at Cabrini Connections, but also about what other fellows are doing with their organizations.
Finally, a fond fairwell to Paul Wei, our intern from Hong Kong. It was such a pleasure meeting Paul and I also encourage you visit his blog (under the Hong Kong Blog link in my favorite links section) where you can see the really cool animation that Paul created while he worked with us. Paul demonstrates how an organization like Cabrini Connections is not just looking locally, but internationally for ways of creating social change.