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We at the Libraries are
guided by our mission: “Western Libraries connects—people to people, people to
place, and people to learning.” One of the many ways in which we make such
connections is through collaborating with students, staff, and faculty to
create educational proposals that have meaningful impacts. As such, Western
Libraries has participated in several Green Energy Fee (GEF) Grant Program sponsored projects, including one during winter quarter
that emphasizes the importance of social equity as an integral component of
sustainability. The GEF Grant Program supports projects that are designed to
increase student involvement and education, reduce the University's
environmental impact, and create an aware and engaged campus community.
This coming Wednesday, February 26th at 5:00
pm in the Library Presentation Room, (Wilson Library 164F), we will host a
viewing of the film The Economics of Happiness, followed by a panel-led dialogue that explores the
topic of social equity as an important aspect of sustainability while asking
the question: how can we create and sustain happiness as a community? Environmental Studies Associate Professor of
Natural Resource Policy Dr. Grace Wang, Leadership Development Specialist in
Western's Leadership Advantage Program Dr. Joanne DeMark, and Fairhaven student
concentrating on social justice and education, Andrew Eckels, are the three
main panelists who will lead this conversation as a complement to the themes
featured in the film.
"The film touched on the social equity piece of sustainability. It asks: what is true happiness? Can we get happiness from material things? Or is it through building networks of support and community, and through bonding with other individuals?" explained project co-sponsor, Phi Kappa Phi member, and Learning Commons Program Coordinator Shevell Thibou. "Basically, the relationships we build with one another are what's most important, and this project focuses on community--both building and supporting community."
There is another component
of this project that may surprise you. While the connection between sock moneys and
sustainability may not seem like an obvious one, here at Western and thanks to Office of
Sustainability (OS) staff member Carol
Berry, sock monkeys and sustainability do have a special relationship. Berry
gifted the Libraries Mathes Figurine Collection with the sock monkey Hans Wholebean
after the Circulation Department received their Sustainable
Office Certification. Hans quickly became the Libraries’
institutional symbol of sustainability, as he demonstrates on this, the Libraries’ sustainability
blog, The Green Shelf. Since Hans has a loyal following around the
library, and as one thing frequently leads to another, Thibou, Berry, and
others began considering how they might do more to highlight the social equity
piece of sustainability, and in doing so discovered another connection between
social equity and sock monkeys.
“We started talking about
how sweet the sock monkeys are and how the small little stuffed animal can
brighten up your day. Earlier, I had talked with a middle-schooler who needed
help with a project about child abuse, and she explained what those kids have
to go through when they are transferred to a different home,” explained Thibou.
“I was thinking about how comforting the sock monkey could be and I brought
this up at the OS ‘Lunch & Learn,’ and then we stumbled upon an idea of
finding a way to make sock monkeys for these children.”
Thibou pitched the idea of
forming a group that could make personalized sock monkeys (using re-claimed
materials for all of the monkeys’ clothing), to give to children who are
transitioning into foster care. Thibou contacted Bellingham’s Children
Administration Office to gauge their thoughts on this proposal, and they
responded with support.
“The children who are
served by the Bellingham Children’s Administration Office often come to our
office en route to foster or relative care with only the clothes they are
wearing and no toys or personal items,” explained Laurie Alexander from
Bellingham Children’s Administration. “I am sure they would be very excited to
receive a sock monkey and it would be a bright spot for them in the midst of a
very challenging time.”
After Thibou received
approval from the Children’s Administration office, University Residences
employee June Fraser-Thistle grew very excited about this idea, and immediately
organized students, staff, faculty, and community members to get together for the
monkey-making workshops.
“I couldn't have led this project if it wasn't for all
of the work and motivation received from June and all the others in the ‘Stitch and Munch’ group that have put
their heart and hard work into this project,” stated Thibou. The “Stitch and Munch” group began work during spring quarter 2013, and since
then have created about 32 monkeys. Ultimately, 50 handmade sock monkeys will be
given to Child Protection services for young children as they are being placed
in new homes.
This
past fall quarter, Thibou and her team members, Learning Commons student
liaisons Caroline Dallstream and Simon Bakke, officially applied for a GEF
grant in order to plan an event that focused on the “human” side of
sustainability, and then also arrange to work with Phi Kappa Phi to jointly
host two more monkey-making workshops, which is also what led to the film event
this coming Wednesday.
The
film event and monkey-making workshops are jointly sponsored by Western
Libraries, The Learning Commons, the Green Energy Fee Grant Program, Phi Kappa
Phi, and Associated Students. As Thibou explained, the goal of this
project is to explore how we can build and nurture sustainable communities, and
how we can learn from each other. "It's all about caring for ourselves and for each other, and making the world brighter and better." In other words, it's about making meaningful connections, to people, to place, and to learning.
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