Community Action Awards

Funding students who make an impact around the world.

Each summer, approximately 50 Bard students receive Community Action Awards (CAA) from the Center for Civic Engagement.
CAAs support student efforts to engage with communities locally, nationally, and internationally by providing funding for participation in unpaid or underpaid internships that address issues impacting people around the world.

2019 Recipients

Yuval Elbaz    Vita Sjerlin-Jones    Victoria Choy
Tsion Kiros    Sophia Doctoroff    Sherry Chowdury
Serena Warren    Sam Kiley    Sakinah Bennett
Sadia Saba    Rachel Hodes    Vatalie Verges
Nadia Russell    Mitchell Levinson    Melina Roise
Maggie Holloway    Lourdes Garcia      Lillia Mannes
Kate Gonzales    Joelle Powe    Jadyn Gray-Hough
Ethan Dickerman    Ella McGrail    Eliza Watson
Valentina Flores    Tim Wehrle     Dayveliz Hernandez
Angelica E. Merino Monge    Alex Lynch    Alethea Ayogu

Featured Recipients

Natalie Verges '20

Metropolitan Council on Housing

Part I:

Working at Metropolitan Council on Housing has been an exciting experience. The women founded organization has been around for about sixty years and continues to be run by a small, female-led staff today. Met Council is part of a larger coalition, Housing Justice for All-- a coalition made up of many different housing justice and tenants' rights organizations across New York state. A goal for Met Council and organizations alike remains the fight for new legislation, as Housing Justice for All has continued to pressure the Senate and Assembly for newly structured rent control laws in New York City.

I happened to join the team at a crucial time; the rent laws in New York state were about to expire on June 15th, with a new round of voting for rent laws. New laws in NYS would protect millions of tenants from unfair rent increases, displacement and eviction, and strengthen tenant rights. The hope was for the passing of nine bills for universal rent control that would offer greater protections to New York city residents, especially in a time where rent in New York City has hit an all-time high.

At 6 am on my second day of interning, five other interns, all other members of Met Council and I rode a bus to Albany to lead a demonstration at the State Capitol building. The day was exciting and revelatory, as we heard testimonies from tenant organizers, and demanded that the Senate listen to what the tenants of New York have to say. Organizations such as Democratic Socialists of America, Make the Road New York, Poor People's Campaign, and many others joined together. We occupied the Million Dollar Staircase, blocking the entrance to Governor Cuomo's office.

On that day, 63 people from our coalition were arrested for civil disobedience. I realized then the work I'd be doing at Met Council would be extremely active and participatory-- how inspiring to be surrounded by such passionate and dedicated activists.

Part II:

On June 15th, I sat in my apartment in Brooklyn live-streaming the vote in Albany on the nine new rent laws being proposed. I was nervous, but the final vote surpassed our expectations. While only seven out of the nine bills that were being proposed were actually passed, this was still an incredible and historical win for tenants and housing justice groups. The bills that were passed had an immediate major and material impact on tenants. Many tenants I had spoken to in their buildings in person detailed to me their fears and experiences: of possible eviction, seniors who had already been pushed out of their homes, and the pressure to exit rent-stabilized apartments. These same people could now afford their housing in July with the passing of these bills.

Our later work focused on targeting predatory landlords in the Washington Heights area. We organized more tenants to speak out against said landlords while demanding accountability and spreading awareness about predatory buying practices. Being part of Met Council at that time was incredibly eye-opening. Being surrounded by members and activists who have been fighting this fight for over 60 years gave me a deeper appreciation for the work I was doing. The community focus and hands on engagement with people we were fighting for was incredibly special and I feel proud to have been a part of it!

Alethea Ayogu

Iranti
Johannesburg, South Africa

Iranti’s office is located in Braamfontein, the heart of the Johannesburg CBD. The non-profit consists of a modest 12 staff members; all of whom are a part of the LTI community and works across a network of partner organisations. Given the range of skills and positions, from editors and DP’s to fundraising experts and educators, part of my task at the office has been understanding the projects at hand in order to propose and then create supplemental materials and resources. In this way, the internship offers me a wide margin of agency and pushes me to critically analyse and cross-reference my experiences, challenges, and needs as a queer youth in the United States with that of the Lesbian, Trans, and Intersex communities in South Africa.

Given the organisation is by and for LGBTQI South Africans, in my day-to-day engagements at the office I am able to glean from other black, queer South Africans their perception and experience of, and frustration, the work we do. This everyday ethnographic exercise was at the core of my initial attraction to this worksite; for my senior project I’m interested in exploring the diversity in experience of ‘born-free’ LGBTQI+ persons in South Africa and those that experienced the transition to democracy post-apartheid. Through developing resources, strategies and media with Iranti I am able to contribute to the impact work they conduct across both of these demographics.

Presently, this has taken the form of developing a facilitation guide and resource detailing ‘Methods in Dealing with Vulnerable and Marginalised Persons and Voices’ with notes on ‘Muted Channels of Queer Subjectivity,’ ‘Consent’ as well as moderation techniques for facilitating dialogues between groups of mixed demographics, for example, how to balance majority-minority views in public forum. This is especially pertinent as their modus operandi often takes the form of dialogues between community members including representatives from the church, families, and tribal leaders.

Further, granted much of this work is done in pedi-urban or rural areas the dialogues up to this point have largely been didactic as opposed to discursive; and due to staffing and resource allocation, limited to one time events. We are currently working to develop a method that takes into account the importance of sustained dialogue in assessing the implementation of knowledge and change in community sentiment while ensuring communities have ownership over this dialogue and can, over time, continue it internally.

Iranti also produces a number of educational and investigative media, which is not yet accessible to the public. I am assisting in the construction of their digital archive, specifically working with metadata and indexing.

Eliza Watson

Samos Volunteers
Samos, Greece

High atop the city of Vathi, a small port town on the coast of Samos, loud cheers and claps echoed through the winding cobbled streets of the ancient district. Climbing up steep hills, my thighs burning and my temples dripping sweat in the blistering Greek heat, I followed the celebratory sounds with a group of travelers from around the world. We looked at each other, not sure what to expect once we reached our destination:, an old amphitheatre overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and gigantic Samos mountains. Stumbling confusedly through the maze of foreign streets, we rounded one last corner and were met with an explosion of joy. Music spread through the scene as people danced to the beat, pulling their neighbors’ hands and waving colorful flags. People chatted and yelled to one another, multiple different languages crossing the crowd, as a large colorful banner waved behind them bearing the words “World Refugee Day.”

My first day working with Samos Volunteers, a small NGO located in Samos, Greece that provides aid and support to those living in the island’s refugee camp, fell on World Refugee Day.

The experience of those living in the Samos Refugee Camp is incredibly challenging. The camp was originally created to hold five hundred people, but is now overflowing with more than four thousand. Tents surround the barbed gates as people are forced to live in the “jungle,” sections of trees and dirt just outside of the official camp. There is no running water, no electricity and not enough food. Multiple disease outbreaks are spreading through the camp.

The experience of refugees in Samos is hardly one to be celebrated. Yet, even amidst the desperate conditions, when I entered the Amphitheatre overlooking Samos on World Refugee Day, I saw nothing but joy.

Samos Volunteers, the organization for which I work, supported a talent show for World Refugee Day, choosing to focus on celebrating the talents and contributions of refugees, instead of the public images of sadness and suffering. Each performance was unique, offering example upon example of the talents and humanity of the refugees: guitar playing, kickboxing, acting, singing, dancing, and more. The festivities provided a way for refugees and asylum seekers to reclaim their identity by showing the world who they really are, not victims, but people with skills, hobbies, families, and so much more.

Near the end of the night, as the sun was setting over the city and water, a stunning pink sky became the backdrop of one of the most beautiful days I have ever witnessed. People tiredly called to one another, “thank you” and “goodbye, my friend,” as the crowd began to dwindle back down the hill. The love and joy that radiated from every single person there, proved exactly what World Refugee Day and Samos Volunteers was all about: humanity, kindness, and community.

Ethan Dickerman

Germantown History Department
Germantown, NY

On June 1st, I began my internship with the Germantown History Department, located in the former Reformed Parsonage (circa. 1767) in Germantown, New York.

Thus far, my work has focused on refining the relationships between the German and Dutch families that built the site, and the African American families that lived there in the 1800s. Another component of my work is refining the sequence of ownership at the site, so as to better understand who was present there and when. Once complete, these projects will allow both the GT History Department and Bard Archaeology to make more accurate inferences and conclusions regarding historical events at the site.

As of today, I am nearing the end of this portion of my internship. Starting soon, I plan on aiding the History Department in acquiring ArcGIS, a mapping program used by Archaeologist, Urban Planners, Ecologists, and others to visually display data.

Earlier this Spring, Professor Lindner and associates used this software to produce a comprehensive and interactive historical map of Germantown. Not only does this show how the town has changed over the course of the past three hundred years, but it also allows people to engage with the towns history, so that they can see how their own property has changed over time.

With that in mind, I will help set this interactive map up at the History Department, so more GT residents can engage with it. From July to August, I plan on working with the artifacts recovered by the Bard Archaeology Field School to ensure that the students are recording, processing, and interpreting them correctly. This component of my internship is critical, as an inaccuracy in a students field notes (missing info, wrong info, illegible writing) could have an impact on the archaeology at the site. For me, this takes on even greater importance considering that the area being excavated this summer (the backyard) relates to where we believe a structure (a barn, a shed, or a home) once stood.

With that in mind, I plan on designing an exhibit to reflect my work with these artifacts and the possible structure that once stood in the backyard. Finally, throughout my internship I will be in contact with both Professor Lindner and Thomas Shannon, the Germantown Historian. While the three of us have discussed the aforementioned components of my internship, I have also informed them that I am open to expanding into other things should they suggest that. As such, my internship may have a dynamic quality to it and could change in time. Regardless, I look forward to what the coming weeks of work will bring!

Jadyn Gray-Hough

Alliance Theater
Atlanta, GA

I am interning at the Alliance Theatre in downtown Atlanta, Georgia this summer. At the camp, there are a lot of interns and we will swap roles and partners every week. We are assigned a group to work with for one or two weeks. We also work carpool for drop-off and pick-up of all students. I have worked an Improv camp with 4th and 5th grade students and now I'm working a Musical Theatre camp with high school students.

On the first day, after receiving my blue Alliance Theatre staff shirt, I was directed to the Selig Black Box Theatre. I was joined by another intern, Jordan Garnett who was originally going to be working with Musical Theatre. We learned of our similar experience at Georgia’s Thespian Conference and met with the class’s teaching instructor, Mrs. T.

Alongside Mrs. T in the morning and Mrs. Hannah in the afternoon, we would be teaching improv techniques and games which lead to students’ final showcases on the last day of camp. During the week, Jordan and I took turns teaching the students warm- ups, energy games, and drama games before the teacher started improv-specific games and activities. During lunch, all of the interns have to bring their students to a designated place at the Woodruff Arts Center and the campers are free to eat and play any games.

The cutest thing to see was when the students paired up to play Late Worker, an improv game where someone has to explain why they were late to work but can only refer to other performers who act out the excuse behind the “boss.” Sometimes interns will facilitate games with large groups of students during lunch. This helps students interact with each other, teaches more games than time allows in the classrooms, keeps campers off of their phones, and discourages isolation and loneliness.

With the Musical Theatre camp, I am acting more as a stage manager, as well as being a singer in their performances. The camp is doing an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet that takes place in Atlanta and is told through the music of Smokey Robinon and the Miracles. The production gender- swaps roles and tag teams roles within the performance.

During rehearsals, when I am not learning the music with the campers, I assist the director by making copies, passing out papers, communicating tech needs with the camp management, giving acting notes to performers, completing rehearsal reports, handling accidents, keeping track of stage blocking, and whatever else comes up in the process of putting on our show! I am learning so much and have already established artistic connections that I plan to nurture!

Joelle Powe

Adtelligent,
New York, NY

My summer internship at Adtelligent began with a positive twist. I thought I was coming to the online ad agency to work on my own and use their film equipment on my own time to construct a film about Dancehall dance. I imagined that as soon as I began my first week, I would start filming. However, the CEO set up a list of online courses about making a documentary for me to complete. To date, I have completed 4 courses and have 3 more to go.

These online courses deepened my understanding of constructing non-fiction narratives, directing shots and editing footage. I was a little resistant to all this training at first, and anxious to begin until I realized an excellent film requires thorough planning.

These courses have provided the tools to crystallise my vision. I have more exposure to the many skills a film director has to have under her belt. Last week when we brought a dancer and his wife into the green screen room, I had to provide the questions, keep the subject on track, instruct the camera men, and make sure the audio was clear.

I am learning the art of utilising a team to realize a vision. I thought it would just be me with a camera and mic heading out of the office to do interviews. So far, I interviewed 2 scholars and 5 dancers about their understanding of the role of Dancehall dancing in our society. I am learning about interview techniques and listening through practice.

I have also written three drafts of the film's narrative. This week on Thursday I will pitch the film treatment to the video production crew at Adtelligent. Adtelligent has taken my vision into their stream of work in a stronger way than I imagined. They are really interested in helping me to grow my skills to help manifest my vision to the best of my abilities.

Finally, the individuals I have interviewed have been extremely excited to be in the film. I was drawn to this internship by the abundance of unheard stories surrounding the creativity of Dancehall dancers in Jamaica. Their energy and passion for what they do despite hardship continues to inspire me.

Kate Gonzales

Center for the Popular Democracy
Brooklyn, NY

I walked 20 minutes from my home to the Center for the Popular Democracy’s (CPD) Bushwick office. The weather was mild (a good omen), but despite the temperature, I worked up a sweat. I frowned at the wrinkles that had developed on the shoulder of my shirt, pressed between damp skin and taut bag straps (a bad omen). Turns out this didn't matter: I’d meet only friendly faces.

As I toured the office, I couldn’t ignore the decor: the walls of the office were decorated with paintings, prints, and photos of protests and political messages. A mural at the far end of the main room showed brown and black people of all ages marching, smiling, and gazing directly at me. The Empire State Building peeked from the background. The mural subjects had their fists in the air, mouths open in chants, and were raising signs in English, Arabic, and Spanish: “I can’t breathe! Strike for Higher Pay! Viva la mujer! We didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us!” As I took this in, a woman talked on the phone as she paced in circles: “....no, I don’t think we want to get arrested, we have a gala later.”

I discovered my reason for coming to CPD began in the fall semester of this past year. I was abroad in Budapest, at Central European University, and found myself caught up in student protests advocating for academic freedom and workers’ rights. We marched, blocked major bridges and streets, occupied the Parliament Square for seven days, and held open classes with professors from our respective universities. The protest was a testament to the importance of access to education. I was acting more directly abroad than I ever had at home. The more passionate I became about the work and the people doing it, the more I realized I needed to take my newfound attitude back home.

After receiving an internship at the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, I was placed with CPD because of my interest in direct action and organizing. CPD is a Non-Governmental Organization that works domestically with 55 partner grassroots organizations providing legal, organizational, and research support for a wide scope of initiatives. On their website it states that the “[CPD] believe[s] that whole people have intersectional identities and need powerful institutions that fight on many fronts simultaneously,” and their commitment to a “pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda” reflects that belief. I’m still finding my way into organizing and committing to direct action. But CPD’s work demonstrates that I can start anywhere and focus on the big picture even while working local.

This summer, I’ll be working primarily in development, so I’ve spent my time researching potential donors and contacts, writing grant proposals, and helping to generate material as various events emerge. We’re looking ahead to our People’s Convention in July, which will gather 1,700 activists, organizers, leaders, and elected officials for a weekend of “transformative learning, action and collective power-building.” Because of my connection through the Bard Center for the Studies of Hate, I will also be conducting my own research on how CPD defines hate and, in turn, how they combat it through their work, but I’ve only just begun and started to delve into the literature that CPD produces (and there’s a lot). I look forward to seeing how the summer progresses, and how my engagement with direct action and activism transforms over the coming months.

Lilia Mannes '20

Baan Unrak Animal Sanctuary

Lilia Mannes '20
Baan Unrak Animal Sanctuary

Part I
I am currently interning at the Baan Unrak Thai Animal Sanctuary which is located in a town in Thailand, close to the border of Burma. While it is called an “Animal Sanctuary,” we work mostly, but not exclusively, with dogs and cats. It is the only source of veterinary care in a four-hour radius, and as such is relied upon heavily by the locals who are able to bring their animals to the clinic for free. I first came to this sanctuary two years ago as a volunteer when I wanted to experience a new part of the world and help animals. I have always loved animals, and am grateful to have the privilege and opportunity to return. The impact the sanctuary has on the local population, human and non-human, through the increased accessibility to veterinary care impressed and inspired me. They also run spay and neuter camps in which the vets travel to nearby villages to sterilize as many dogs and cats as possible in an attempt to limit their population growth.

While the veterinary services provided are a central element of the sanctuary, I am not a vet. My time is instead spent caring for the dogs that live at the sanctuary. This care includes taking care of their basic needs which are reflected in the daily procedure at the sanctuary. We arrive at eight in the morning and start by cleaning the poop from their enclosures and providing fresh water. The dogs are split into groups of one to five that live together in specific enclosures. After that it is the dogs favorite time of day: walk time. The dogs go on at least one walk a day, and in order to walk every dog the volunteers must go on at least two, sometimes three walks, walking between one and four dogs at a time. After the walk we prepare breakfast for the dogs. Some receive a simple bowl of kibble, and others are on special diets due to health concerns. The feeding takes awhile as there are about 40 dogs at the sanctuary, and they must be supervised to prevent them from stealing each other’s food. Some are also on medication, so we must make sure it is consumed by the dog that needs it. Despite the limited funds, the sanctuary is able to provide specialized care for the dogs that need it.

It takes a few hours to complete the above tasks, and then we break for our lunch. After lunch there is more time to clean, do laundry, bathe dogs, and do other miscellaneous things before we feed the dogs for the second time. It is currently the rainy season in Thailand, which makes everything more dirty and difficult. Various things come up every day, for example yesterday one of the enclosures was flooded from the heavy rain. So, we dug a small channel to divert the water out of the enclosure. While there is a certain routine of things that must be done daily, we never know what the next day will bring.

Part II
Reflecting on my time spent working and conducting research at the Baan Unrak Thai Animal Sanctuary it is clear how critical the location of the sanctuary is for both the foreign volunteers who come to work there and, more importantly, for the local population.
The volunteers appreciate the laid-back or sleepy atmosphere of the town as well as the connections they develop with locals, giving them the sense of a somehow more “authentic” experience. For many volunteers, the time spent working at the sanctuary and living nearby provides a positive contrast to other experiences they have had as a tourist. While Thai tourism to the area is increasing, there is little foreign tourism and volunteers enjoy the absence of the typical tourist crowd. Because the volunteers are fond of the location of the sanctuary, they are able to stay longer and often come back, providing a superior labor force which the sanctuary relies on.

Regarding the local population, the location of the sanctuary is crucial because of the many barriers to other sources of veterinary care. After the sanctuary-run clinic, the next available veterinary services are located about three hours and five military checkpoints away. The sanctuary is situated in a Thai village near the Burmese border, an ethnically diverse area as a result of human migration and displacement. In addition to the Thai population, many Burmese, Mon, and Karen people (ethnic groups from Myanmar) call the area home. Some have been there for generations and live in villages and others, the more recent arrivals, are confined to refugee camps. Whether they live in or outside of a refugee camp, many of these people do not have Thai ID cards, preventing them from crossing the military checkpoints needed to access the nearest city with veterinary services. By running a donation-based clinic, the sanctuary provides a veterinary option to people who are prohibited from traveling elsewhere to seek out medical care for their animals.

People are drawn to animals and develop deep connections with them. They can become meaningful parts of our lives and even considered family members. While animal care may not be the priority for many people facing life in Thailand without the freedom an ID card provides, observations from my summer led me to a particular facet about life and restrictions as a stateless person in Thailand. I recognize the necessity of access to veterinary care and believe that it is a form of social justice. Animals are typically absent in discussions of refugees and migration, however this experience opened my eyes to a new dimension of intersectionality between animals and immigration. It forces me to ask what else is inaccessible, and what can be done about that?

Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I haven’t heard from an employer yet, or if I am still deciding where I will intern, can I apply?
Yes! Applicants can submit email confirmations or letters indicating that they are in the process of applying. If granted an award, an applicant must provide final confirmation from an employer before funding is released. Final awards may be adjusted based on estimated costs associated with the final internship site (i.e., international site vs. local site).

2. Can I apply for multiple sites?
Yes, you can. However, final confirmation from an employer must be submitted before funding is released. Only one application per student is necessary with a general overview outlining the potential internship site(s) and how they meet the CAA requirements.

3. How do I know if a site is appropriate?
Most students who receive funding are working at governmental offices or agencies, non-governmental organizations, educational programs, camps or non-profits, media-based centers or community-based non-profit agencies and organizations. Bard provides many outlets to support individual student projects; therefor, Individual projects are rarely funded through the CAA. The CAA is reserved to support an onsite internship experience with an employer.

4. How can I find a site or an internship?
The CCE (civic@bard.edu) has contacts at a number of internship sites, along with the Career Development Office (cdo@bard.edu), parent network and the Alumni/ae Affairs Office (alumni@bard.edu). In addition, we encourage you to research organizations in your field of interest.

If you find or already have an organization in mind, look to see if they have a formal application process for internships. Idealist.org compiles internship listings as does CDO’s Handshake database.

5. How are Community Action Award winners determined?
A committee comprised of faculty and staff from various departments meet to review the applications. Applications take about three weeks to process.

6. Do I need to keep the CCE updated on my internship once I am a Community Action Award recipient?
Yes, we want to hear from you! All CAA recipients are required to write two blog posts for the CCE over the course of your internship and participate in the CAA Engagement Series upon your return to campus. The series includes CAA awardee sponsored events, talks, screenings, panels, etc. The focus of the series is on the issue the internship addressed. For example, if an internship is focused on science education for girls, a CAA recipient may host a panel on women in STEM.

All interns are asked to submit a supervisor’s evaluation form within two weeks of the end of the internship. In addition, feel free to send us an occasional update to let us know how things are going; we love hearing about your amazing work.

7. I’m planning on doing an academic program over the summer for which I will receive academic credit or my internship site requirements include payment to the organization—can I use the CAA to fund the tuition or payment?
We do not provide CAA grants to be used for tuition prices or to cover costs of certificate programs or to pay internship sites.

8. I won’t be returning to Bard after my internship—can I still apply?
No, sorry. All CAA recipients must return to Bard for at least one semester after the planned internship.

9. I have other questions that aren’t answered here—is there someone I can ask?
Please feel free to e-mail the Center for Civic Engagement at civic@bard.edu with any additional questions.