Issue Workshops
Above: a poster made by the students in a Food Security Issue Workshop
Scroll down for descriptions.
These eight-week long workshops offered each spring give Warren Wilson students a spectrum of experiences within one issue. Through direct service and educational meetings, students gain a better understanding of how current policy affects community agencies and the populations they serve. Time is set aside for students to meet with local experts, hear the stories of those directly involved, and reflect upon how their own perceptions of the issue change over the course of the workshop.
Students apply to the workshop of their choice and those chosen (6-10 per workshop) participate as a group in direct service, advocacy and policy work to gain a better understanding of the issue. Attendance agreement is required. Participation in an Issue Workshop fulfills PEG 2 of the Community Engagement Commitment or counts as 25 hours towards the 100 hour service requirement.
Workshop structure:
- All workshops begin the week of February 25 and end by April 27
- Direct service experiences that seek to broaden student understanding of issue
- Knowledge assessments and reflection sessions
- Policy and advocacy workshops with agency representatives and community leaders
We are offering four workshops this semester that focus on:
Applications will be available online Tuesday, February 12 and due Tuesday, February 19 by 5:00 pm
Housing First
It has been 20 years since Dr. Sam Tsemberis of NYU developed the housing first model to end homelessness. Since then, cities and organizations across the country including Asheville have applied the practices of the housing first model in their 10-year plans to end homelessness with great success. Our workshop will focus on Asheville’s largely successful implementation of this model. Homeward Bound in particular has moved 482 individuals into permanent housing with an 89% success rate for their clients. The workshop will include site visits and direct service with Homeward Bound and other organizations around Asheville. We will bring in experts from these organizations to lead discussion to better understand the complex issues that face the homeless community.
Leaders: Rob Compton, Breanna Ryan, Misha Perez ,and Sam Sissay
Land Conservation
Land conservation is a vital necessity in helping to protect and sustain Western North Carolina’s natural inhabitants and species for future generations. In this workshop, we will remove and identify different invasive species in Western North Carolina. We hope to gain an understanding of how these species arrived in Western North Carolina and their implications on the local ecosystems. In addition, the workshop will focus on the techniques and tools involved with trail maintenance and why trails play a key role in Western North Carolina. Our direct service will involve both invasive species removal and trail maintenance through Western North Carolina Alliance and Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. Transportation is provided.
Leaders: Vivian Williamson and Jasmine Woo
Community Gardens & Empowerment
This workshop will take a comprehensive look at how different communities are mobilizing to become connected with their food source through community gardens. We will be discussing how working in a garden can create unity and build connections between people. During the course of this workshop students will engage in direct service with community partners as well as spend time evaluating strategies to work effectively in these communities. We will work to understand what empowerment looks like and how community gardens can strengthen and build more inclusive and empowered communities. We will most likely be working with the Shiloh community garden as well as the garden at Emma Family Resource Center. Direct service will most likely be on Saturdays and educational events will be during meals on Tuesdays/Thursdays and occasionally in the evening.
Leaders: Emma Post, Rita Gunter, and Blanca Perez
Education Reform
This Issue Workshop will be focusing on Education Reform. We will be taking a closer look at the differences and similarities of Public Schools & Charter Schools in their efforts to improve public education. We will work in collaboration with Hall Fletcher Elementary and Artspace Charter School for our direct service.
Leaders:Ana Lara, Amanda Wilson, Iliana Hernandez
Check out this video about Issue Workshops!
Watch other Issue Workshop Videos here!