Ann Fullerton and Kiwanis Capstone win Civic Engagement Award

Hard work isn’t always recognized, but when it is, how sweet it can be!  If you’ve worked up at Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp or known somebody who has you might be aware of how hard it is to explain to someone how much amount of effort and care everyone puts in up there. It always seems to be one of those conversations that begins with you saying "It's crazy up there!" and ends with you saying, "No, really, it's crazy up there!" We go to camp for reasons other than recognition; we don't expect it, and we don't always get it.

That changed this past May when Ann Fullerton was recognized with an award for excellence in Community-Based Teaching and Learning at PSU’s annual Civic Engagement Award Ceremony. This award ceremony was built “to showcase and celebrate the civic engagement efforts of PSU faculty and community-based partners," and to "recognize exemplary civic engagement efforts.”

The Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp and Ann Fullerton couldn’t be more deserving. The partnership she has created with Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp is nothing short of magical. For the last twenty years, Ann has been an integral part of not only establishing the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp capstone but in maintaining it as a legitimate option for students of all majors. It hasn't been easy; push back has come from people wondering if Kiwanis is academic enough or whether the experience offers a well-rounded University Studies curriculum. Against all of this, Ann has been the perfect ambassador for the camp, always willing to listen to new ideas but never willing to think of camp as anything less than an educational and valuable experience. 

Ann has truly let “knowledge serve the city” and the city serve knowledge to our PSU community in the dazzling and reciprocal relationships we see every summer. Congratulations Ann, PSU students and the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp!

Get your Arts and Crafts on, yo

This was an exciting year for the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp capstone! We collaborated with another capstone, a marketing capstone, to bring PSU's longest-running service learning program up to date with an all new look and, for the first time in its history, a presence in social media!

This blog is one of the results; later this month we'll show you guys the amazing tri-fold Kiosk that was hand built out of Douglas Fir and plywood. If you take a walk over to Neuberger's first floor, you'll be able to see our new giant poster, too!

And then there's this work of hilarity, the first ever MHKC rap!

Jesse Hansen, Nic Henderson, Brian Williams, and Sam Humphrey (that's Sam singing) were the PSU seniors who came up with the lyrics and laid down the tracks.

I wish I could say that Bieber's endorsed it himself, but we haven't been able to get a hold of him for comment. We would love to get YOUR comments, though! Let us know what you think about the video and, while you're at it, please like our facebook page! It's going to be the place where alumni can keep in touch with each other and where new counselors can go to ask questions about how scared they should be on their first day of camp. We'll also be posting photos from camp, stories from camp, and videos focusing on campers and the camp experience.

Join us and share some of your own favorite camp memories!