Developing active leaders through VT Engage

I love Blacksburg the most as we start to see the first signs of spring breaking around us. I have been doing my best to soak up these first few days of sunshine, and if the blankets and hammocks on the Drillfield are any indication, so are our students! With the weather warming, it’s clear that I am feeling the first waves of spring fever. Perhaps you are hearing that from your students too...

As everyone becomes more active, I want to highlight how our Hokies are taking action in and around our community. At Virginia Tech, we are committed to developing student leaders with a commitment to service, which is why I’m so proud of VT Engage: The Center for Leadership and Service Learning.

VT Engage focuses on increasing civic engagement, fostering leadership development, and helping students discover their agency. I had the privilege of speaking with Meghan Weyrens Kuhn, director of VT Engage, to gain insight into their exciting happenings.

Civic Engagement and the Civic Leadership Academy

Civic engagement is a central pillar of VT Engage. To Meghan, it means fully understanding and addressing the pressing issues within one’s community. She emphasizes the importance of constructive dialogue, which teaches students the skills needed to have meaningful conversations with people who hold differing viewpoints.

“VT Engage is a place where we teach students to lead and serve alongside community members and give them skills to engage in community and positive change,” stated Kuhn. “Students often look ahead to the communities they will join post-graduation, so we show them the need to be present and enact change here, and by the time they leave, they are equipped to be leaders in any community they join.”

She is particularly proud of their recently launched Civic Leadership Academy. “Throughout the program we find out how students show up as leaders and teach them how to start civic discourse, engage in dialogue across differences, and be an active listener,” Kuhn said. Kuhn shared that students use the skillsets they developed through Perspectives, a constructive dialogue program offered in partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute, to engage in these conversations.

After graduating from this six-week course, students are eligible to become a mentor for this program. Meghan remarked, "It was so great to see the way they learned, focused on growth, and developed friendships. It gave me hope.”

The Big Event

Civic engagement centers around working to make a difference and promote a higher quality of life within our communities, and nothing exemplifies this more than our annual Big Event. This is one of my favorite events hosted by the university. It is a day that highlights the camaraderie, love, and appreciation our students hold for the Blacksburg community.

Throughout the day, thousands of our students, faculty, and staff show up, split into teams, and are assigned to a local resident with whom they will volunteer. Last year, we were able to complete almost 1,200 service projects in a single day. It is a 23-year-old tradition that I look forward to every April.

Co-curricular programs

In addition to the Civic Leadership Academy and the Big Event, VT Engage provides students with the tools to lead, serve, and be civically engaged within the Blacksburg community. They offer signature programs such as voter engagement and registration events in collaboration with the Hokies Vote Caucus, including a large drive on National Voter Registration Day.

They also offer alternative break options, where students can dedicate their academic breaks to help people in need. Meghan encourages parents to talk with their students about participating in these programs. “Our students really believe in our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), and this is a great way to live out service as a way of life,” Kuhn stated. “While going on a typical, warm spring break is fun, I highly encourage students to consider joining our alternative spring/summer break trips. These allow us to travel and serve across the U.S. We have even been able to go and do projects in the Dominican Republic.”

VT Engage also partners with initiatives like the Prison Book Project, Period at VT, the ACC Leadership Symposium, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Society, to which 45 new members were inducted last month.

Supporting your student

College can be stressful, and financial hardships and food insecurity can challenge a student’s ability to focus on their education. VT Engage leads programs that ensure students’ basic needs are met such as The Market at Virginia Tech and Campus Kitchen. Initiatives such as these ensure that no Hokie faces food insecurity, whether they live on or off-campus.

VT Engage also provides numerous scholarships and research grants for students. These resources can be used for study abroad, undergraduate research, and internships. All opportunities can be found on gobblerconnect.vt.edu and their website, engage.vt.edu.

When you talk to your student, I hope you encourage them to take advantage of the multitude of programs and resources available to them. Please remind them that opportunities and support are always within reach!