Each year, Maine Campus Compact hosts its Annual Awards Ceremony recognizing the outstanding work in public service and civic engagement by Maine faculty members, students, campus organizations, community and corporate partners.

The Â鶹APP (UMA) Office of Civic Engagement is proud to announce that Kathryn Walker, Assistant Professor of Dental Health, was awarded the The Maine Campus Compact Donald Harward Faculty Award for Service-Learning Excellence. This award recognizes outstanding Maine faculty who integrate community or public service into the curriculum and who work to institutionalize service-learning.

Â鶹APP Dental Club was awarded the Maine Campus Compact President’s Campus Leadership Award for their hard work giving away more than 4000 children’s toothbrushes, contributing to Ronald McDonald House Charities, and more.

Maine Campus Compact is a coalition of 18 member campuses whose purpose is to catalyze and lead a movement to reinvigorate the public purposes and civic mission of higher education. They seek to transform campuses in ways that develop better informed, active citizen problem-solvers, stronger communities, and a more just democratic society.

The Â鶹APP is pleased to announce the following award recipients from the UMA community

Katherine Weatherford Darling, Assistant Professor of Sociology, was selected as a recipient of the Donald Harward Faculty Award for Service-Learning Excellence. This award recognizes outstanding Maine faculty who integrate community or public service into the curriculum and who work to institutionalize service-learning. Recipients are nominated and those selected demonstrate a clear evidence of reflection, community benefit, reciprocity with community partners, and a commitment to advocating for service-learning and/or community action on campus and beyond.

Katherine Weatherford Darling is a medical sociologist and health equity researcher with training in feminist science studies and the ethical, legal and social implications of genomics. Her research and pedagogy actively challenge hierarchies of expertise within and beyond the university. With students and community partners leading the way, she uses participatory sociological methods to understand how social inequities impact the health of Maine communities. Students’ deep personal knowledge and embedded relationships with their communities are essential to their research, and Katherine encourages them to reflect on the interactions between their experiential and academic learning processes.

Heidi Toner, recent UMA 2022 Graduate and previous Student Government Association Chair, received the Heart and Soul Student Award. This recognizes Maine undergraduate students who are actively involved in transforming their campuses and communities into environments of civic engagement. Through a nomination process, six students are selected for this honor. The award goes to students who have developed positive community and campus change; worked to institutionalize their community projects; demonstrated leadership; and implemented innovative approaches to social issues.

Heidi Toner was a non-traditional student in Mental Health and Human Services Program with a concentration in Addictions Counseling on the Bangor campus of the Â鶹APP (UMA-Bangor). Her two teenage daughters are her motivation and inspiration. Heidi has served as President of the Bangor Student Government Association at UMA-Bangor, and also advocates for those affected by substance abuse through the Maine Recovery Advocacy Project. Her efforts on campus to bring self-care and wellness programs, breakfast/snack baskets, and toiletries to the students of UMA-Bangor have been her passion.

Â鶹APP Social Science Program received the President’s Campus Leadership Award. This award recognizes a student organization or campus department at each MCC member institution for contributions to community service, service-learning, and/or civic engagement efforts on their campus.

Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition (MPAC) was awarded Community Partner of the Year Award for their work with Â鶹APP Prison Education Partnership.

Salvatore Cardinale was awarded the PILLARS Honorable Mention Student Award. This award recognizes Philanthropy, Innovation, Learning, Leadership, Action, Responsibility, and Service.

Maine Campus Compact is a coalition of 18 member campuses whose purpose is to catalyze and lead a movement to reinvigorate the public purposes and civic mission of higher education. They seek to transform campuses in ways that develop better informed, active citizen problem-solvers, stronger communities, and a more just democratic society.

UMA Civic Engagement is now accepting student applications for the Newman Civic Fellowship!

Each year, UMA can nominate ONE student to this national fellowship opportunity, which includes leadership development, national networking, and mentoring.

Are you that student? Or do you know that student?

About the Newman Civic Fellowship

The Newman Civic Fellowship is intended to honor the leadership legacy of Campus Compact founder Frank Newman by recognizing community-committed students. The fellowship is a one-year experience that provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions to help them develop strategies for social change. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides in-person and virtual learning opportunities focused on the skills fellows need to serve as effective agents of change in addressing public problems and building equitable communities.

Application Deadline

All applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm on January 18. Contact Kati Corlew at kate.corlew@maine.edu for more information.

UMA is a member institution of the Maine Campus Compact, and may only nominate one student for this fellowship. This application is designed to help us get to know students who are interested in this fellowship opportunity so that we can put forward a strong nomination for our selected student.

More Information

Nominees must commit to providing a short reflection piece (video, article, or letter format) to Campus Compact during their fellowship year. UMA Civic Engagement will be happy to support you in developing this reflection, perhaps even partnering with Â鶹APP media center if you opt to develop a video or article about your fellowship experience.

The nominee’s institution must commit to helping the nominee identify a local mentor for the duration of the fellowship. UMA Civic Engagement will be happy to help you to identify a local mentor.

If the nominee is selected, the nominee’s institution is encouraged but not required to cover the cost of transportation to the annual convening of Newman Civic Fellows. UMA Civic Engagement has committed to covering transportation costs to the annual convening of Newman Civic Fellows.

Each year, UMA can nominate ONE student to this national fellowship opportunity, which includes leadership development, national networking, and mentoring.

Are you that student? Or do you know that student?

About the Newman Civic Fellowship

The Newman Civic Fellowship is intended to honor the leadership legacy of Campus Compact founder Frank Newman by recognizing community-committed students. The fellowship is a one-year experience that provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions to help them develop strategies for social change. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides in-person and virtual learning opportunities focused on the skills fellows need to serve as effective agents of change in addressing public problems and building equitable communities.

Application Deadline

All applications must be submitted by end-of-day on Friday, January 15th. Contact Kati Corlew at kate.corlew@maine.edu for more information.

UMA is a member institution of the Maine Campus Compact, and may only nominate one student for this fellowship. This application is designed to help us get to know students who are interested in this fellowship opportunity so that we can put forward a strong nomination for our selected student.

More Information

Nominees must commit to providing a short reflection piece (video, article, or letter format) to Campus Compact during their fellowship year. UMA Civic Engagement will be happy to support you in developing this reflection, perhaps even partnering with Â鶹APP media center if you opt to develop a video or article about your fellowship experience.

The nominee’s institution must commit to helping the nominee identify a local mentor for the duration of the fellowship. UMA Civic Engagement will be happy to help you to identify a local mentor.

If the nominee is selected, the nominee’s institution is encouraged but not required to cover the cost of transportation to the annual convening of Newman Civic Fellows. UMA Civic Engagement has committed to covering transportation costs to the annual convening of Newman Civic Fellows.

Kayla Kalel

Each year, recognizes up to six college students statewide with a Heart and Soul Student Award. This award is presented to students who are actively involved in transforming their campuses and communities into environments of civic engagement. They have developed positive community and campus change, and have worked to institutionalize their community projects.

UMA is pleased to announce that Maine Campus Compact recognized Kayla Kalel with a Heart and Soul Award. Kayla is an Interdisciplinary Studies major on the UMA Bangor Campus. She has focused her studies in the areas and interconnections of criminal justice reform, mental health and human service, and sustaining communities. She serves as Chapter Lead for Young People in Recovery – Brewer, a national grassroots organization for people in or seeking recovery from substance use disorders. A certified doula, Kayla offers free services to mothers in or seeking recovery.

While the usual in-person ceremony was not possible, Maine Campus Compact recognized award recipients via a .

UMA student Amanda Gardner as she celebrates receiving her Associates Degree in Justice Studies in 2017. Gardner is a 2020 Newman Civic Fellow and will receive her Bachelor of Science Degree in Justice Studies from UMA in 2021.

Amanda Gardner, a UMA Justice Studies major, has distinguished herself through her leadership in establishing Ruth’s Haven in August 2017. Gardner, of Rockland, joined Penobscot Bay Ministries, a local non-profit with a vision to open a re-entry house for previously incarcerated women. She latched onto this idea and ran with it. Now Ruth’s Haven focuses on helping women who have addiction to get out of prison and into a safe home, find a job, and their way back to their children in a safe and supportive way.

“I got involved with helping to address the recidivism rate in Maine and learning about the addiction epidemic while growing up,” said Gardner. “As a daughter of a Corrections Officer I would always see the same people incarcerated and saw a need in my community,” she continued, “Through my work with Ruth’s Haven, I have seen how powerful a second chance can change someone’s life.”

“It was my honor to nominate Amanda as a Newman Civic Fellow,” stated UMA President Rebecca Wyke. “She clearly demonstrates civic-mindedness through her work with Ruth’s Haven, but her work with vulnerable populations in the criminal justice system does not end there. She also volunteers with the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project, which helps low-income families in Maine with civil legal issues, and started a weekly mentoring program with women inmates in the Knox County Jail. Amanda is well deserving of this recognition.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides the students with a variety of learning and networking opportunities that emphasize personal, professional, and civic growth. Each year, Fellows are invited to a national, in-person conference of Newman Civic Fellows and participate in numerous virtual training and networking opportunities. The fellowship also provides fellows with pathways to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“We are proud to recognize each of these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with them,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year’s Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are committed to finding solutions to pressing problems in their communities and beyond. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it’s what our country and our world desperately need.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. .

About Campus Compact

Campus Compact is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit .

Each year, UMA can nominate ONE student to this national fellowship opportunity, which includes leadership development, national networking, and mentoring.

Are you that student? Or do you know that student?

About the Newman Civic Fellowship

“The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor on the basis of their potential for public leadership.

Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change. The yearlong program, named for Campus Compact founder Frank Newman, includes virtual learning opportunities and networking as part of a national network of engaged student leaders and an optional in-person convening.”

A message from UMA’s current Newman Civic Fellow

Application Deadline

All applications must be submitted by end-of-day on Monday, January 6th. Contact Kati Corlew at kate.corlew@maine.edu for more information.

Sarah Nichols, a UMA Biology major, distinguished herself through her leadership and efforts to engage non-traditional and international students in campus activities, as well as developing collaborative events with other campus clubs and community organizations. She is the President of the French Club and one of the earliest members of the Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP), which welcomes immigrants and refugees to Central Maine.

A young mother and non-traditional student, she is currently working on projects to improve policy and supports for non-traditional students in higher education.

“It was my honor to nominate Sarah as a Newman Civic Fellow,” stated UMA President Rebecca Wyke. “She is a model of civic-mindedness, supporting students and community members who face barriers to success. At UMA, our mission is to transform students’ lives of every age and background across the state,” she continued. “It is clear that our students, like Sarah, are also committed to not only changing their own lives, but also the lives of their fellow students and community members.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to apply for exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

“We are proud to recognize each of these extraordinary student leaders and thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with them,” said Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “The stories of this year’s Newman Civic Fellows make clear that they are committed to finding solutions to pressing problems in their communities and beyond. That is what Campus Compact is about, and it’s what our country and our world desperately need.”

The Newman Civic Fellowship is supported by the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. Learn more at .

About Campus Compact

Campus Compact is a national coalition of 1000+ colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education. Campus Compact supports institutions in fulfilling their public purposes by deepening their ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. As the largest national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, we provide professional development to administrators and faculty to enable them to engage effectively, facilitate national partnerships connecting campuses with key issues in their local communities, build pilot programs to test and refine promising models in engaged teaching and scholarship, celebrate and cultivate student civic leadership, and convene higher education institutions and partners beyond higher education to share knowledge and develop collective capacity. Visit .