Local leadership
Miami students work to facilitate change and experience the culture of Hamilton's Hispanic communities
Cassidy Pazyniak
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: Features
Students can explore another language and foreign culture without leaving the country-let alone the county.
"We described this project as a way to study abroad without leaving home," explained Sheila Croucher, a Rejai professor of political science and American studies at Miami University. "You can have an enlightening cultural experiences miles away from campus."
Croucher is one of the faculty partners in the Harry T. Wilks Leadership Institute's Think Tank: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally.
The Wilks Scholars Program is a group of about 35 students and faculty members, started in fall 2006 as an attempt to get involved with the local communities, such as Hamilton, Butler County and the Cincinnati area, according to Croucher.
"Hamilton resident Harry T. Wilks, a businessman, left an endowment to Miami to promote leadership studies," Croucher explained. "So, this particular think tank is unique to Miami. It's possible because of the money he left. We approach the topic of leadership through a focus on Miami students getting involved with civil engagement projects in the local community to learn valuable leadership skills through practice."
Junior Courtney Elsen, a member of the Wilks Scholar Program for a year and a half, described its mission in simpler terms.
"We recognize that there are issues in the world and in order to make an impact we must address that at the immediate, local level," Elsen said.
A certain group of Wilks Scholars Program students are working with the think tank to focus on the Latino population in Hamilton-and their experiences have ranged from teaching English, working with community business leaders and even throwing a few parties.
Getting down to business
"We've taken abstract learning: What does globalization mean in terms of how it's happening in the community around us?" Croucher said.
To prepare, the Wilks students immersed themselves in the community through a summer seminar.
"We described this project as a way to study abroad without leaving home," explained Sheila Croucher, a Rejai professor of political science and American studies at Miami University. "You can have an enlightening cultural experiences miles away from campus."
Croucher is one of the faculty partners in the Harry T. Wilks Leadership Institute's Think Tank: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally.
The Wilks Scholars Program is a group of about 35 students and faculty members, started in fall 2006 as an attempt to get involved with the local communities, such as Hamilton, Butler County and the Cincinnati area, according to Croucher.
"Hamilton resident Harry T. Wilks, a businessman, left an endowment to Miami to promote leadership studies," Croucher explained. "So, this particular think tank is unique to Miami. It's possible because of the money he left. We approach the topic of leadership through a focus on Miami students getting involved with civil engagement projects in the local community to learn valuable leadership skills through practice."
Junior Courtney Elsen, a member of the Wilks Scholar Program for a year and a half, described its mission in simpler terms.
"We recognize that there are issues in the world and in order to make an impact we must address that at the immediate, local level," Elsen said.
A certain group of Wilks Scholars Program students are working with the think tank to focus on the Latino population in Hamilton-and their experiences have ranged from teaching English, working with community business leaders and even throwing a few parties.
Getting down to business
"We've taken abstract learning: What does globalization mean in terms of how it's happening in the community around us?" Croucher said.
To prepare, the Wilks students immersed themselves in the community through a summer seminar.
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