Sacred Heart University Education Club
Year Established: 2012
Number of Members: 80
Executive Board Members:
Current President: Francesca Bruno
Incoming Co-Presidents: Colleen O’Melia & Erin French
Treasurer: Samantha King
Secretary: Elizabeth Zaffina
Advertising Chair: Ashley Nordone
Club Motto: “Make the world more awesome!” –Kid President
Everything You Need To Know About SHU’s Education Club:
CO: Tell us a little bit about your club. What’s your club’s mission?
FB: Our club works to provide all students with hands-on learning opportunities through organized lectures, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. The Education Club helps facilitate a community-based learning environment to prepare members for their future in education and teaching. All students are encouraged to join regardless of their academic program!
CO: What are some past events/volunteer opportunities that the Education Club has hosted and/or participated in?
FB: We hosted a book drive and read aloud last spring at Discovery Magnet Elementary School just down the road from the university. The book drive was called “Giving the Gift of Reading.” We actually collected and donated over 1,000 books! Volunteers from the community came to read to a variety of classes, the mascot of Bridgeport’s professional baseball team, “The Bridgeport Bluefish,” paid the school a visit, and Bobby Valentine also stopped by! Needless to say, the event was a huge success. This past fall, we participated in a campus-wide Autism Awareness walk and also hosted a Technology Day Conference for local high school students from the “Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Teachers” Program. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about cyberbullying and to introduce students to specific educational programs and references. This event is definitely an educational yet fun way to interact with high school students! Just this past week, we had the privilege of partnering up with Near & Far Aid, a local organization that aims to close the achievement gap in Fairfield County– the largest in the United States. Continuing to celebrate the gift of reading, we read to a group of preschool students at a charter school in Bridgeport called “New Beginnings Family Academy.” This read aloud was not only interactive and fun, but it was also for a great cause!
CO: Have you hosted any guest speakers over the past few years as a club?
FB: Yes! Last semester, the 2014 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, John Mastroianni, was our wonderful guest speaker. Last year, Ron Berler, author of Raising the Curve, and Brother Sean from SHU’s study abroad program in Dingle, Ireland came to speak with us. SHU alumni (who have all been through SHU’s Education Program) have also come to share their stories and provide us with helpful advice for our futures as teachers.
The above photo was taken with the 2014 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, John Mastroianni!
CO: Do you have any upcoming events or volunteering opportunities?
FB: We are kicking off the second half of spring semester with a pencil drive for “The Pencil Project.” Our club has already been collecting unsharpened pencils to ship to places in need around the world. We are sending a box of pencils to Costa Rica with Sacred Heart students, a shipment to Swaziland, Africa, and also to schools right here in Bridgeport. The value of education is so important. By providing students with the right materials, they will be able to move forward in the right direction. “A pencil and a dream can take you anywhere!”
Click here to learn more: http://www.thepencilproject.com/
CO: Where do you see the club five years from now? Are you confident that this club will remain an involved, prominent club on campus?
FB: In five years from now, I see this club growing and taking even more steps to enhance both their own academic achievement and the academic achievement of other students. The Education Club’s enthusiasm will continue to spread for years to come!
A special thank you to the Education Club’s current president, Francesca Bruno, for taking the time to participate in this interview. Keep up the great work!