NORSE VIOLENCE PREVENTION
On Monday, April 4th PASS will host a workshop around an important topic, violence prevention and consent culture. As a student organization, PASS is proud to offer the Bystandard Workshop, which is educating about prevention and how to step into a situation that might escalate to a moment of harm.
To learn more about ways to get involved, or seek support, visit the Norse Violence Prevention link.
As the nonprofit and corporate world have had to change and adapt to the global pandemic, volunteering and employee engagement have not gone unscathed. Many traditional opportunities to take part in group and individual volunteer events have had to either cancel, reschedule, or move to a virtual platform. While this initially may not seem ideal, there is opportunity to engage more often and have just as big of an impact while participating in virtual volunteer opportunities as one would have being in person. Seeking a connection and wanting to feel that the work one does is a critical part of satisfaction and engagement. Providing virtual volunteer opportunities could be a solution to maintain morale during an uncertain time. Another benefit is that there is a need for volunteers with expertise and a specific skill set, the virtual volunteer platform provides the flexibility for those to provide services to many nonprofit organizations that may not otherwise be possible. Both the organization and individual can feel the benefits of volunteers, making an exceptional case to encourage everyone to consider virtual volunteering. There are resources available to search virtual opportunities below.
https://www.volunteermatch.org/
https://americorps.gov/join/find-volunteer-opportunity#/
For some more specification organizations that have virtual volunteer options available try the Smithsonian Museum: Become a Smithsonian Digital Volunteer and help them make historical documents and biodiversity data more accessible.
https://transcription.si.edu/
or
St. Jude: Send free cards to patients of St. Jude's through
https://www.stjude.org/get-involved/other-ways/online-card-message-patients.html?sc_icid=impactgiving-sendcard-bttn
As Thanksgiving is approaching, and we are entering the "Holiday Season", I cannot help but reflect on where we were this time last year. Phone calls and group texts with my family were being exchanged daily to determine if gathering would even be possible. Talk of smaller groups, masks, and canceling all together was the norm. One year later, and although we still need to be careful, the conversations have shifted back to who will bring the stuffing and cranberry salad.
President Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving to celebrate the Fall Harvest after the Plymouth settlers made it through a very hard Winter. With the help of Native Americans, they learned how to grow new crops and hunt native animals, to overcome adversity. This seems relevant, as we are coming out of a hard year. I would like to think that as a community we learned our lesson that we need each other. Not everyone has access to the same resources, and it is the responsibility of those that can access the resources to share and help. In a time of chaos, let us be thankful for each other and what we can all learn from each other. It is not what we say we are grateful for, but how we treat each other and live our lives that expresses genuine gratitude.
I would challenge everyone to continue the momentum that was created last year, and give not only thanks but support to anyone how may be in need. I am so grateful that I will gather with my family in person again this year after not seeing them last year, but I know that is not the case for everyone. To truly give thanks, is to share and support. Consider some of the following ways show thanks:
1. Invite someone to your Thanksgiving that may be alone this year
2. Volunteer at a local food pantry or church
3. Make an extra meal for a family that may not be able to afford the large meal
4. Donate to a charity or organization that supports a cause important to you
5. Pay for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop, or fast food line
6. Give someone a compliment
I speak from experience when I say that getting out of bed each morning and make myself look presentable, roll through the workday with a smile on my face, then use the evening to attend NKU classes and engage in homework seems like the most a person can put on their plate. I was not in the market to join a student organization. Especially, as I am an (old) working adult and was not sure the benefits would outweigh the burden of adding one more task. However, as surprises often happen, when accepting the position as the Graduate Assistant for the MPA Program, I became emersed in our student organization, PASS, and I love it! I want to take time to share the experience with other students, and dispel any rumors that being a member is a time-consuming commitment, but a flexible opportunity to engage, network, and give back to the community.
If you are not familiar with the Public Administration Student Society (PASS), it is open to any MPA students. The organization was created with the specific goal of enhancing the student experience. The organization leads and takes part in community service events, hosts social gatherings for students to build relationships, and engages with alum creating outstanding networking opportunities. Of course, one benefit is that this will look good on a resume showing leadership and commitment to service. However, it is time to be selfish and think about how your time commitment will bring some immediate gratification.
I began my journey at NKU smack dab in the middle of the pandemic. The campus, and much of the world, being shut down. It was normal for my experience to be online and somewhat isolated. I was not even aware that this was a unique experience until I started leading PASS. As I was reaching out to recruit members, I found each time I connected with a new student; I felt a little more connected to the program and NKU as a whole. There is a mutual support that comes in connecting with those sharing an experience with you, and connecting through PASS has provided that.
Being a part of PASS also presents the opportunity to build some very specific skills. With a focus on service to others, helping to plan or take part in some organizations' events will provide hands on experience that may not otherwise be available. It is real time field knowledge, while networking with others, what else can I say? There really isn't a reason not to be a part of PASS!
I am aware of time restraints. The thought of adding one more commitment can sound and feel overwhelming. My advice is that joining a student organization is a commitment to yourself, not another task that must be completed. Give yourself this gift of learning more about public administration, others in the program, and yourself.
Click here to learn more about PASS
Greg began his work with the Hamilton County Public Health in the Environmental Health Division, and moved up through several divisions prior to being named the Health Commissioner in 2020, during a global pandemic. Greg recently gave some insight into what that has been like, and how his time at NKU helped contribute to his success.
Question: With starting this position at such a unique time, do you feel that you have gotten a genuine sense of what it means to be Health Commissioner and all that role entails, or has your job been mostly focused on responding to COVID ?
Answer: I have been here 15 years, so I have a pretty good overview of the agency, but the truth is that the majority of my time has been focused on the pandemic. There was about two months in the middle of the summer that I actually had more opportunity to do some other things associated with the job, but clearly the pandemic has taken too much time.
Question: There is so much to balance right now. You have a 17 million dollar budget, 480,000 citizens, and are still outpacing Ohio as a whole on vaccination rates. This has to require a lot of collaboration and cooperation. How did your time at NKU in the MPA program prepare you for that?
Answer: At NKU I was lucky and was able to meet many people that as I took on this role, I was able to collaborate better with because I knew them ahead of time. Then also in this role we, as a region and community, really have some strong partners. Here in Hamilton County, we created this multi-organizational collaboration, or MAC, and we meet weekly. It is all the heads of the hospitals, other partners that are in charge of nursing homes, it is Doctors and public health. So we can talk on a weekly basis about what is happening. Those types of collaborations have been critical for public messaging, public understanding, but also for balancing resources to make sure we have what we need.
Question: That makes me wonder, have you seen a change in the field of public administration and how agencies work together? Do you see things changing in the future in public health?
Answer: I think many of the communities we serve now see the importance of public health, and so better dialogue happens now between public health and those communities as well as many partners.
Question: This is also an interesting time to be studying Public Administration, and going through the MPA program. Is there anything you want to share with MPA students?
Answer: From my perspective, really the MPA program is short-lived. You are only there a few years. Take every opportunity to make those relationships. That long term can help serve both your career and your opportunity to learn from those that you went to school with. It is kind of special bond. You have a reason now to call somebody in different organizations. You went to the program; you knew each other. When I graduated, I went with kids straight out of college all the way to Fire Chiefs and administrators that were further advancing their knowledge, and I felt comfortable calling them and maintaining that relationship.
Take-Aways:
There was a lot to take away from the conversation with Greg. On a personal note, he emphasized how much time he still spends outside with his family. This has been a hard year, and any free time he has had, he takes the family and will go hiking, kayaking, or just enjoy the weather. Reminders of taking care of yourself are always important.
On a professional note, the idea that collaboration between partners and sharing resources is always a good take away. Greg's emphasis on creating relationships while in the MPA program and staying in contact is a great piece of advice!
Did you see the article featuring The NKU MPA program featured in Newsweek's list of "Leading Public Affairs, Policy & Administration Programs 2021"? If you missed it in the MPA Summer Newsletter, be sure to follow the link and read all about us here!