Patrons & Partnerships
Patrons & Partnerships
Ep 06: Outreach and East Gainesville with Dr. Karen Cole-Smith
A Conversation with Dr. Karen Cole-Smith, Executive Director of Community Outreach and East Gainesville Initiative at Santa Fe College. Dr. Cole-Smith has been involved in empowering citizens and promoting engagement in the community for over three decades. She offers insightful information on resources for those who may need them and on why service to the community matters.
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You can view a transcript of this podcast on ACLD's YouTube Channel.
Hello. Welcome to Episode 6 of Patrons and Partnerships. Today, our guest is Dr. Karen Cole-Smith, Executive Director of Community Outreach and East Gainesville Initiative at Santa Fe College.[music] So thank you for being here, and would you please introduce yourself and your organization or organizations, and affiliated programs.
Dr. Cole-Smith:It's a pleasure to be here as well. I'm Dr. Karen Cole-Smith, Executive Director of Community Outreach and East Gainesville Initiative at Santa Fe College, where I have served in various capacities for more than three decades.
Tina:What inspires you to be so involved in supporting our community?
Dr. Cole-Smith:Well I'm basically inspired by what is referred to as servant leadership, the concept by Robert K. Greenleaf and that concept really focuses on serving first, followed by leadership principles that helps you to be a good leader, which includes such characteristics as empathy, listening, and respect of diverse opinions. I also see my job as a ministry, not really a typical job, but a job that is really from a 24/7 job, where I'm always available to help meet the needs, the educational needs of the people in the community. The other thing that inspires me is the excitement of residents who want to do more, and learn more and if I can be a part of making that happen, and seeing the results, then that inspires me. It's almost like when you throw a rock out in a river, and there is this one ripple, but over time the ripple gets larger and larger, so you recognize that you're impacting a larger number of people in the community.
I live by the Book of Micah, 6:8, which says:"He has shown you what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly." And so I want that to be evident in all that I do, in helping to empower people in the local community. That's really what inspires me. I do believe there is enough blessings to go around, so that all of us can benefit, as we meet people at every level.
Tina:This isn't a scripted question, but just in response to what you just said, do you recall how early in your life did this drive and passion to serve others, when did that begin for you?
Dr. Cole-Smith:Well I was raised by my mother, who was a teacher and also by my grandmother, who served in the community and served in the church. So I think a combination of the messages that I received from them, really contributed to my wanting to give back, and serve. I think most of us are familiar with the phrase, "To whom much is given, much is required." And so I do believe that, and feel like as long as I am here on this earth, I want to serve, and give, and make a difference.
Tina:Would you please provide an overview of the East Gainesville Initiative? That's something that you're involved with through Santa Fe. Can you talk about what led to its development, what agencies you partner with, and what types of services and programs that East Gainesville Initiative is focused on? The office of the East Gainesville Initiative was developed in 2002, when our new President, Dr. Jackson Sasser came on board. And he felt very strongly that we needed to have a designated department that was called Community Outreach, to ensure that whatever the college was providing, that the community would be aware of all of our educational opportunities and resources that we could provide. And so with that, we're now going into our 19th year of providing services via the department of Community Outreach East Gainesville Initiative. But the entire college is serving in many capacities. And many of the departments are focusing quite a bit on the persons and residents in East Gainesville.
Some of the partners that I work with are:obviously the Alachua County Library -- thanks for all you do-- the Alachua County Public Schools, the Chamber of Commerce, Howard Bishop Community School, Women Working With Women, we partner with more than 20+ faith-based churches in East Gainesville, the Alachua County Jail, Catholic Charities, Gainesville For All, Black on Black Crime Task Force, the University of Florida Office for Diversity, B.O.L.D. - (Brave) Overt Leaders of Distinction, YouthBuild, CommunityCode Inc. to name a few. There are close to 70+ community-based partners that EGI is connected with.
Tina:Now how do you measure the impact of East Gainesville Initiative on the community it serves?
Dr. Cole-Smith: The first question we ask is:"Are people benefiting fromthe services that we provide?" And so as long as we get the testimonies back and we are able to see the evidence through data and research, then we know that we are doing a good job. Also we know that there is a great need in the community for vocational and technical programs. So as we continue to hear about the need, then the college remains obligated to creating and developing additional programs to serve those residents. For example, one of our most recent programs is what's called the Rapid Credentialing Program, where we're trying to develop more short-term programs. so that persons won't have to remain in school for two, three, and four years, but they also can find quality work, and have access to good-paying jobs, in some of the short-term programs.
Tina:This is also is not scripted. Yesterday I was driving down University Avenue and Midtown and noticed how quickly the new building is going up. Will the program that you just mentioned, will it be housed in that location? I think it's great that the new building is going up, and I'm hoping that it will offer more opportunities for people on this side of town, without having to travel. You know, people that may have transportation issues, things like that. Will the program that you just mentioned be accessible through the new building?
Dr. Cole-Smith:Absolutely. And I want to stop here, because at the EGI forum, the annual forum that we have each year, the keynote speaker is going to be the president, Dr. Paul Broadie, and at that time he is going to give a vision to the community in terms of, you know, how our new building will continue to support programs and initiatives and residents in East Gainesville. So I don't want to give specifics right now, because he has, he will be giving the vision, for how the building will be used in the coming year. But we do know that in the next year and a half, The building will be complete.
Tina:I'm very excited for it. I utilized that location, the downtown location, when I was at Santa Fe. It just, it was so much easier for me to access classes there. So I'm really excited for the increase in size, more classes, more opportunities.
Dr. Cole-Smith:And we are too. You know, at the current Blount Center, persons still can come to that center and complete their degrees, because we make a conscious effort to offer, you know, all of the programs, all of the prerequisites, and all of the services that students would also receive, you know, at our Northwest Campus. So building this new building is just an expansion of what, you know, we are currently offering at the Blount Downtown Center. You asked about the impact of the program. There are two other programs that I wanted to mention. Well one other program that I wanted to mention under financial, Under, one of the programs that I wanted to mention under literacy, at the Alachua County Jail we have a Read to Me program. and that allows incarcerated men to stay in contact with their children through this literacy initiative. And so we keep up with the data and the research to show that it really does build the reading skill levels of those fathers because they are excited and encouraged because they have that continuous relationship with their children. And so to date, we've served at least more than 100+ fathers and their relationship with their children.
Tina:That's really great. Do you have any follow up with the fathers once they're released?
Dr Cole-Smith:Yes, the Alachua County Jail is maintaining that data, and it can be accessed, I don't have her name right now, but she is maintaining the data over time.
Tina:You're also involved with the Children's Trust of Alachua County, Can you please tell us about your involvement with that organization and how you became involved?
Dr Cole-Smith:Ok, the Children's Trust of Alachua County funds and supports a coordinated system of community services that allows all youth and their families to thrive. I think most people know that as we look at the vision statement, we want to make sure that there is equitable access and opportunities for all children and families in Alachua County to ensure that every child reaches their maximum capacity. In terms of how I was selected, There were- gosh- more than 70+ applications for persons to serve on the Board. They were narrowed down to 15 applications by the Board of County Commission and then the Board of County Commission sent those names to Governor Ron DeSantis, who ultimately made the decision for the final five. And so I'm glad and honored to have been selected and currently serve on the Board of the Children's Trust.
Tina:What do you feel is the value in community engagement, volunteerism, and activism, and how would you encourage more citizens to become involved?
Dr Cole-Smith:Ok, the value in community engagement, for me, is just really getting to know the persons that you are serving. Its one thing to say that you want to serve, but you really don't know a whole lot about the people. So, I think you have to take the time to get to know those persons. And that's very time consuming. Anyone who works in community outreach knows, if you’re not willing to invest the time, and the energy and the passion into finding out more about the people you serve, it's going to be very difficult for you to do a quality job in the area of community outreach. And then you have to listen. Listening is a skill, and you have to take the time to listen to their voices, and really hear what they are saying. When you listen, you're really giving the persons that you’re listening to power. And they feel empowered.
And what you’re really saying to them is:What you have to say is valid. I'm giving what you’re saying credibility.
And I'm saying to you that:I value what you're going to say.
But most importantly, what you're saying is:after all the listening, I want to do something. I want to make some things happen. And so, as a result of those voices, what programs am I going to create? What initiatives am I going to implement as a result of what you have said? So often in the community, we hear residents say Well, we had a task force, and we had a committee, but what happened? What are the results of that? So, I think, as a leader, and as a community college, we have an obligation to not only put ideas forward and listen, but we have an obligation to create and design programs that actually meet the needs of the people. And so when we developed the East Gainesville Initiative, we did not, as a college, say'here's what we think you need'. We went out and we developed various focus groups and we talked to the people and we said'Tell us what you need. If you had to identify the top six priority areas, what would those six areas be?' And have not wavered. Over the 19 years, we have not wavered from what the people have identified as most important. Workforce development. Educational outreach. Literacy. Technology outreach. Connections with the faith based community. Parent empowerment. Those were the six key areas then, they remain the six key areas. Now we may be doing things differently as the years have progressed. We may have created more innovative programs based on the increasing needs, but those are the six priority areas that were defined and identified by the community.
Tina:If someone were to approach you and ask you how or the best way that they could become involved, what advice would you give to them?
Dr Cole-Smith:Well, they can certainly volunteer. There's always a need to help mentor, The research clearly shows that mentoring still makes a difference. So they can mentor, they can volunteer with some of the hands on programs. Sometimes we just need people to be present to help set up tables, to help pass out literature, to help answer questions about Santa Fe. But, here's what I'd really like to ask all of the listeners, you can be a Santa Fe Ambassador just by telling people what the college has done for you. Maybe you graduated. Maybe someone had given you advice from the college. And if that impacted you in any way, then you tell your story. You give your testimony. And your stories and testimonies will be just as impactful and in some instances more impactful, than what we have to say at the college.
Tina:I think when you talk about it, it sounds easy *laughs* Very often people think that they have a desire to help or to volunteer or to be active in their communities, or to support an agency or an organization that they care about, but think, sometimes, that they don't have the power, or they don't have the time, or that it won't make a difference. But, listening to you speak, it actually sounds very simple. And… the more people engage in that simple activity, the more it has impact.
Dr Cole-Smith:And I'm so glad that you said that, because sometimes we're looking at the whole forest as opposed to just looking at one tree. All we have to do is just get started, no matter how small it is in your eyes. Just sitting down and listening to someone for 10 minutes that can make the difference. Or saying to someone'Why don't you take advantage of the GED Program that they have at the Blount Center?' just that one statement count change lives, and could change the educational trajectory of a person who's been sitting there saying'it's not possible'. So, it doesn't always have to be a grand thing, just as long as there's something that allows you to give a person hope and motivation to take the next step. toward educational success.
Tina:Well that also sounds like a message of positivity instead of negativity. Its very positive, go do something for yourself that can potentially have that, what you called the ripple effect, on your community or, you know, in a wider area.
Dr Cole-Smith:And share your story. I think so often, people will look at a person and say'Gosh, they're at that level!' But they don't know the journey that that person took in an effort to get to that level. And so we should never be afraid or ashamed to tell our story beacuse that's just a continued confirmation of if you get started, if you work hard, and if you connect with people who want to help you, then you, too, can have the educational success that you want.
Tina:I really you being here and talking to us more. I truly believe we've only barely scratched the surface of a conversation that we could have. But, for now, is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Dr Cole-Smith:Yes, you know this past year, we've talked about so much loss, as it has related to the pandemic, and, for the listeners, I just want to continue to highlight that there's still much to gain through educational opportunities. So, when you hear about new programs or new initiatives, or additional resources that we have at the college, I’d like to encourage you to take advantage of those resources. The people are there, the staff, the mentors. We are available to help you. And all of the partners that I mentioned earlier, we're working collaboratively to make a difference. Its not about any particular partner, or any particular agency, but we are working together for the greater good. And just to remind you that you can't loose hope, because education is the greatest gift that we can give to people. That is what really empowers us and that is what motivates us to move to the next level. So take the first step, and we'll help you take the second step.
Tina:I think we will end on that. A truly, truly great statement. So, Dr Cole-Smith, thank you so much for being here. I hope that we can have you back relatively soon, But, thank you again, I really appreciate it. And thank you for all of the good work that you do.
Dr Cole-Smith:You're welcome, my pleasure.