Volunteer Action Center Represents Largest Delegation of Attendees at Compact25 Conference

The Center for Community Engagement's Volunteer Action Center attended the annual Compact25 conference in Atlanta, Georgia, from March 31 to April 2, returning with fresh knowledge on community and civic engagement to share and spread on campus. Twenty-two VAC student board members from Razorback Food Recovery, Full Circle Food Pantry, P.A.L. (Passionate About Literacy), Student Engagement and the Executive Board heard from campus leaders from around the country and shared their experiences about empowering student-led programs.  

Compact25 is the largest national conference focused on higher education's role in creating and fostering equitable communities and democracy, and "supports, engages and challenges higher education to realize its public purpose." This year's conference focused on this mission, featuring knowledge-to-action workshops, Promising Practice lectures, roundtable discussions and meet-ups, creating a space for greater connections between higher education institutions and their civic and community engagement leaders to grow.  

At the opening session of the conference, the U of A was honored to stand by President of Massachusetts College of Art and Design Mary K. Grant as being the largest group in attendance, making up one-third of the total students in attendance. On the first day of the conference, VAC Executive Board members Gavin Miller, Natalie O'Brien and Jade Scott hosted a meet-up where they presented on transitioning student-led programs, a practice the organization has fine-tuned over its 14 years on campus. In their session "Empowering Student-Led Programs: Navigating Growth and Transitions," these student leaders walked attendees through their student-led board selection and transitioning process. The session was well received, and the VAC was recognized by conference organizers for an impactful session with plentiful engagement from faculty and staff from other institutions.  

During their time in Atlanta, the VAC explored historical sites such as the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, the King Center and Centennial Olympic Park where they absorbed the local history and culture, which provided new experiences and promoted great conversations amongst board members.  

Compact25 was educational and inspiring for VAC board members, highlighting the crucial role student leaders play in increasing community engagement and civic responsibility on campus. With their newfound knowledge, connections and resources, VAC student leaders are well-equipped to expand student involvement in community and civic service and strengthen community partnerships at the U of A.