Scottsdale Community College Presents 6th Annual College to the Community on November 16
~Maori educator from New Zealand travels to Scottsdale to partner with SCC for ?College to the Community? Day ~
Scottsdale, AZ (November 7, 2007) ? In the language of New Zealand?s indigenous Maori people, Iwi means community. On Friday, November 16, a shared value of Iwi will bring Michele Kawana, Maorian educator, and her daughter Tiffany Kawana, together with Scottsdale Community College faculty, students and staff for SCC?s 6th annual College to the Community day. During College to the Community, approximately 100 SCC employees and students will team up and spend several hours at six local nonprofits to provide the agencies with valuable assistance with their activities and projects.
Participating nonprofit organizations include Arizona Animal Welfare League, Crisis Nursery, Thomas J. Pappas School, Horses Help, St. Mary?s/Westside Food Bank Alliance, and the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Kawana, her daughter, and several faculty members from SCC?s Language and Communications department have chosen to volunteer with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation.
Kawana has a history of working with students from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, beginning when SCC Fine Arts faculty brought students to Australia and New Zealand on study abroad programs where they lived and worked with the aboriginal people and Maori communities. During those visits, SCC?s students and faculty forged a strong bond with Kawana and the Maori people, and developed a great appreciation for the Maori culture and customs.
?For two weeks we were embraced by various Maori communities including Michele's home Marae, TE Rangitapu Marae in Ohawe, Aotearoa,? said Linda Hicks, SCC?s Communication and Performing Arts Department Chair. ?Each community we visited honored our group with a warm, traditional welcome, followed by mounds of traditional foods, songs, art projects, stories, and language lessons reminding us all that we are far more similar than we are different.?
Kawana is thrilled with the American attitudes about giving back to the community through service. ?One of the many things I like about your culture is your willingness to do and acknowledge volunteer work,? explains Kawana. ?We would love to participate in College to the Community wherever you choose to put us. I think however it would be us gaining most from the experience!? Kawana plans to arrive a day early so that she can teach the Maori language to SCC students during a special workshop held on campus.
Event:
College to the Community
Date:
Friday, November 16, 2007. SCC volunteers will meet on campus at 11:15 AM and travel to agencies at 12 noon
Participating Nonprofit Organizations:
Arizona Animal Welfare League?working with animals and quick work projects for agency fundraisers.
Crisis Nursery?facilitating craft and educational projects with the children and completing work projects on-site.
Thomas J. Pappas School?working with children in classrooms and helping the teachers with day and after-school programs.
Horses Help?sprucing up stalls and surrounding areas including building and fences.
St. Mary?s/Westside Food Bank Alliance?sorting and packaging food items for families.
Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community?working with agency or tribal department on painting or landscaping projects.
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About Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.
To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.
Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu
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