Rebuilding Lives
Posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Commitment to the Common Good: Rebuilding Lives Through the AUS Women’s Education Program
Each Thursday at 5:30 a.m., women battling homelessness, addiction, and histories of abuse board the bus for the hour-and-a-half ride to Antioch University Seattle (AUS). Upon arriving on campus, they find welcoming friends, a warm breakfast–and a safe place to learn.
“We have a place to be creative, to express ourselves and to become whole,” says participant Monica Erickson. “We can be quiet and expand our minds without harm.”
Since 1998 the Women’s Education Program (WEP) has given homeless and formerly homeless women the opportunity to regroup, connect, and meet with members of the AUS community for activities from art and writing workshops to microbusiness classes.
The program grew out of a collaboration between AUS, the Women’s Housing Equality & Enhancement League, and The Sisters Project, a nonprofit serving the homeless. It has since bloomed into a successful, multifaceted effort that touches the lives of the women it serves. And yet, it makes an equally powerful impact on involved students, faculty, and staff.
“Everyone has a desire to learn when given the space and support,” says adjunct faculty member Phoenix Raine, PhD, who runs the program. “A lot of these women are in recovery or come to us with a history of abuse. The opportunity to nurture their spirit and desire to learn is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.”
AUS students contribute to the WEP through a 10-week course that satisfies their service learning component–and through ongoing volunteer opportunities that many seek out even after meeting their degree requirements. Using the skills they’ve developed studying art therapy, organizational leadership, psychology, and other fields, they share their knowledge with the women while gaining practical, real-world experience.
“Being involved has really rounded out my Antioch University experience,” says art therapy student Alyssa Griskeiwicz. “To feel engaged with community members from different programs as well as community members from the greater Seattle area has been important to my personal and professional development.”
Faculty and Staff Offering Vision and Support
Raine, who earned a master’s in education at AUS, credits the administrative leadership for bringing together the energy and intellectual capital of students, faculty, and staff for this effort. Another key to the WEP’s success is that it addresses a broader question: “What does it mean to be sustainable?”
“As a result, we have not only an immediate influence on the greater good but also a methodology that builds toward a long-term impact and awareness of social justice,” says Raine.
Antioch University faculty members Mary Lou Finley and Candace Harris played a central role in developing the program vision. Assistant director of admissions Candiss Eickelmann, who shows up every Thursday to prepare that warm breakfast, earned the university’s 2008 Horace Mann Award for her contributions to the WEP. The prestigious award honors individuals who have earned victories for humanity through their work or volunteerism.
The program’s newly formed advisory board and move from a nine-month to year-round calendar of offerings are testament to its strong foundation and long-term commitment to the community. It is well-positioned to help women and to educate every individual who plays a role for years to come. “The WEP,” says Raine, “has become a model of how to apply both theory and practice so that everyone who is engaged has learning opportunities.”
Faculty member Susan Starbuck shares Raine’s enthusiasm about the WEP. “It’s a transformative experience for our teaching and learning, and adds to our involvement with students and the wider community,” Starbuck says. “And with faculty involved on a rotating basis, we represent Antioch University’s values of social justice.”
