This joint session will spotlight two stories of undergraduate community engagement supported through a project-based fellowship at the Carolina Center for Public Service called the MacDonald Community Fellowship. 

Undergraduate senior Daniel Zhong and Christine Cotton, Founder and Director of PORCH Communities, will present on “Empowering Eastern NC: Building Sustainable Hunger Relief Networks.” Unpacking systemic issues causing food insecurity, they will provide an overview of diverse hunger relief initiatives. They will weave in personal experiences from creating a local hunger relief neighborhood chapter in Eastern NC through Daniel’s fellowship. Attendees will gain insights into the complex landscape of food insecurity and understand how every contribution, no matter how modest, can play a vital role in alleviating this problem. Attendees will also be exposed to specific hunger-relief resources and opportunities to engage. 

Undergraduate Steph Pierson and Aisha Booze-Hall, Education Coordinator at the Marian Cheek Jackson Center, will share a presentation about identity-based education based on Pierson’s fellowship project. They will discuss how to incorporate identity into the classroom for all ages, from elementary to the university level, exploring how identity-based education fosters creativity and helps learners build community among each other both inside and outside of the classroom. They will also share photovoice projects that students at the Boys and Girls Club in Chapel Hill have created this year based on workshops Pierson facilitated in conjunction with the Jackson Center.


A Carolina Engagement Week Event
Carolina Engagement Week is your chance to explore the impact of community-driven partnerships powered by state and local community leaders and Carolina researchers. By attending one or more sessions, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the methods and collaborative approaches that are working effectively throughout different parts of North Carolina. You can also identify new opportunities to engage in community initiatives around the state designed to create social and economic impact.