All posts by Carolyn Meyer

MIIS Community “Gift of Giving” 4th Annual Event

Midd Points
Naomi’s Office filled with toys in the Casa Fuente Building

Four years
ago, our MIIS community started participating in a “Gift
of Giving” Event which benefits the Monterey County Migrant Farm
Workers.  The Non-Profit organization that runs this generous project is
called “The Christmas Project” which was established in 1978 by a woman named
Gladys Anderson located in Watsonville. The
Christmas Project began in 1978 in response to the needs of many children in
Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, including children served by Child Protective
Services. The story goes that Gladys Anderson met Maria, a twelve-year-old girl
who wanted a doll for Christmas. She had never had a doll and her mother could
not afford to buy one. After telling her office about Maria, a colleague
brought a doll to work. Gladys’ children gathered toys to share, and The
Christmas Project was born. Since that time, people from the community have
volunteered countless hours to help with the Christmas Project. Their
word-of-mouth efforts have brought Christmas joy to so many!!

Gladys has
since moved to Las Vegas, but has a commitment to keep up this tradition and
thus comes down every year in December to coordinate this wonderful community
effort. This project has fulfilled thousands upon thousands of dreams and
wishes come true and provided gifts and smiles to children and families in
need.  Last year alone they brightened the lives of over 2,100 children
and adults.

The Christmas Project provides toys, gifts, and food certificates to
children in need. Each family member has the opportunity to make their
Christmas wish request. In addition to gifts each family is given a food
certificate to help brighten their Christmas meal. Volunteers deliver the
beautifully wrapped gifts to the residents of the migrant labor camps in
Monterey/Santa Cruz County.

This year,
through our MIIS community’s heartwarming generosity and good heartedness, we
transformed the lives of 98 children and adults.  In the past 4 years, we
have helped make it possible for this program to bring such joy to nearly 500
children and their families!

This is a
community event that I hope to continue for as long as I am here at MIIS and
that when the day comes, that I am no longer here, it will be an honor to be
the liaison for the project or pass the torch so that the event that has
brought such great joy to our community, can be carried in wonderful and joyful
service!! 

Naomi
R. Braswell

Operations Coordinator | Office Services & Gift Shop | MIIS
Landlord Housing Info

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Phone: 831-647-4120 or 831-647-3572

Email: miishousinginfo@miis.edu  or
nbraswell@miis.edu

International Poetry Night December 15

MIIS News & Events

The MIIS International Cultural Gathering invites faculty and staff to our last two events for this semester. Please find attached flyers related to the events.

  1.  International Music Night:  Thursday, December 5th  (6:00-8:00 pm @ Holland Center) 

Join us as we
celebrate the end of the fall semester with live performances, karaoke, and
songs from across the globe! Students, faculty, and staff are invited to share
with us their musical talents or simply to come  and enjoy the
international music and fun atmosphere.

  •  International Poetry Night: Sunday, Dec 15th
    (5:30-7:30 pm at the Faculty and Staff lounge (Lara
    Soto Adobe)

Join
us in celebrating our first anniversary for the International Poetry
Night . It is another opportunity
to hear great poetry, connect, detox, rejuvenate, and celebrate the end of the
semester!

Feel free invite your colleagues, friends and family.

Hope you have
a great rest of your week!

Best,

Rana

Rana Issa

Assistant
Professor of Professional Practice

Arabic Studies
Program

Graduate
School of Translation, Interpretation

and Language
Education

D202

Monterey, CA
93940

Tel. 831-647 4601

MIIS Community Annual Food Drive

MIIS News & Events

Dear MIIS Faculty and Staff and Students: 

On October 31st, our MIIS Community kicked off our Annual Food Drive.  This is a community event that has taken place on campus for over 20 years.

Our Goal is to raise 1,000 lbs of non-perishable food items by NOVEMBER 18TH

Here is where we are after 8 days:

Please look in your cupboards over the weekend. Perhaps you have some items that you can bring and it won’t cost you a dime!  Bag them up, and bring them in! 

This year we have three collection barrels on campus – one in Samson Center Dining Area; one in the McCone Atrium; and, the third in Office Services.

If you would rather write a check to donate, there are some envelopes in Office Services, located in Casa Fuente, that you can obtain. 

For every $1 dollar that is donated, $5.00 worth of food is purchased . . . . and out of every dollar donation, 95% goes directly to feeding the hungry.

If you simply do not have the time, bring me the cash, and I will shop for you!!!

We will be sending out regular emails in the next 10 days to keep you updated on our community’s progress. Thank you all!

With deep appreciation!

Naomi Braswell and the Staff Advisory Team

Operations Coordinator | Office Services & Gift Shop

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Phone: 831-647-4120

Email: nbraswell@miis.edu

Institute Holds 3-day Training on Restorative Practices

Midd/MIIS Collaboration

In effort to build community and foster more collaborative decision-making, the Middlebury Institute held a three-day training on restorative practices in mid-November on the campus in Monterey.

These practices are emerging many student life departments in universities, but can be applied more widely to foster creativity, collaboration, and well-being at the workplace. The training was guided by facilitators from the International Institute for Restorative Practices.

This training was also offered on the College campus several times in the recent past.

Future training are likely in the works, but interested faculty and staff can learn more at the  International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP):

·         What is Restorative Practices?

·         Defining Restorative

o    Social Discipline Window

o    Restorative Practices Continuum

o    Nine Affects and the Compass of Shame

o    Fair Process

o    Restorative Conferences (including the restorative questions)

o    Circles

Ask any of these training participants about their experience to learn more:

Ashley Arrocha, Student Services

Laura Burian, Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, and Language Education

Jeff Dayton-Johnson, VP Academic Affairs

Lydia Gentry, Library

Alisyn Gruener, Student Services

Jeni Henrickson, Office of Digital Learning & Inquiry

Rana Issa, Language Studies Faculty

Pamela Jungerberg, Library

Carolyn Taylor Meyer, Immersive Professional Learning

Betty Nguyen, Events Management

Grace O’Dell, Center for Advising & Career Services

Melissa Sorenson, Organizational Development

Patricia Szasz, Language and Professional Programs

Toni Thomas, Academics

Scott Webb, Center for Advising & Career Services

Julianne Merry, Alumna MAIEM ’15

Thanks to Melissa Sorenson for organizing this training with the IIRP.

Institute Celebrates Immersive Learning, Applied Research, and Hands-On Learning Projects in 2nd Annual Report

MIIS News & Events

Learn about Middlebury Institute student immersive learning, research, and other hands-on learning projects from the last academic year in the second annual Immersive Learning, Research, and Impact Report. 

This report celebrates onsite courses, practicum, and fellowships managed through MIIS programs or courses. It is also a celebration of the Middlebury faculty and staff who support these students in their learning.

Every year, we are gathering more information on projects that take students outside of the traditional classroom and provide them with the opportunity to have an impact in their field even before graduation. 

Learn more
about immersive
learning at MIIS.

A special thanks to Blaine Barkley MA NPTS ’20 and Valerie Castello for their work developing this report.

Institute Celebrates Immersive Learning, Applied Research, and Hands-On Learning Projects in 2nd Annual Report

MIIS News & Events

Learn about Middlebury Institute student immersive learning, research, and other hands-on learning projects from the last academic year in the second annual Immersive Learning, Research, and Impact Report. 

This report celebrates onsite courses, practicum, and fellowships managed through MIIS programs or courses. It is also a celebration of the Middlebury faculty and staff who support these students in their learning.

Every year, we are gathering more information on projects that take students outside of the traditional classroom and provide them with the opportunity to have an impact in their field even before graduation. 

Learn more
about immersive
learning at MIIS.

A special thanks to Blaine Barkley MA NPTS ’20 and Valerie Castello for their work developing this report.

MIIS Staff Advisor Team Announces First Friday Staff Meet-Ups

Midd Points, MIIS News & Events

The Staff Advisory Team will hold a monthly meet-up with staff from 12-1:30pm every first Friday. The next Staff Meet-Up on October 4th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in MG-100 or via Zoom: go.miis.edu/staffmeetup. The topic will be “New Staff Governance Roles and Feedback” with guest speakers Ashley Arrocha and Bob Cole.

Ashley Arrocha will speak about her new role on the Institute Board of Overseers (IBO) and discuss the staff input process and share feedback related to the IBO. Bob Cole will provide Middlebury Staff Council updates and a general overview of his role Staff Council.

There will be time for a Q&A and open discussion after the presentations.

Staff can read past newsletters and view recordings of these meetings at http://sites.middlebury.edu/staff.