Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was unafraid to fight for civil rights even in the face of fierce opposition. As the fight for racial justice continues today, ɫ����Ƶ students are inspiring the next generation to stand up for their beliefs and to carry on King’s legacy.

As part of the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice’s MLK event series, students will lead virtual story times for preschool and school-aged youngsters. They will read and discuss books about using one’s voice to create change.

“These children are the future,” said Tessa Pequita, ’23, an elementary education and psychology major from New Bedford who aims to study reading in graduate school. “We have to put this seed in them young so they can inspire others and make this world a better place by standing up for what they believe is right.”

Tessa and Chantel Almanzar, ’23, organize a recurring bedtime book club through a collaboration between ɫ����Ƶ and the educational nonprofit Raising Multicultural Kids. They recruited peers who became role models for the youngsters as they read stories with messages of diversity and inclusion.

“I love how it’s about multicultural kids and how we’re choosing books that represent them,” said Chantel, a health science major from Lawrence who aspires to become a doctor.

The program, which attracts children from as far away as Canada, also teaches ɫ����Ƶ students how to engage children even through a computer screen; a skill that Chantel and Tessa may find useful in their careers.

“A lot of our students want to be educators,” said Nicole Mitchell, ’11, G’21, senior site manager for Jumpstart, a service organization within the institute. “For those who don’t want to be a teacher, it’s still a great opportunity to serve the community.”

The MLK-themed virtual story times are one aspect of the Martin Richard Institute's 2022 programming honoring King. The series also includes virtual discussions, film screenings and guest speakers. Also, the ɫ����Ƶ community will gather on March 26 to make aprons for classrooms, welcome home signs for families transitioning out of homelessness, and school supply bags for kids in need.

“We really wanted to make sure it was an accessible program for everyone in the community and adaptable so we’re still capturing the essence of Dr. King’s work,” said Laura Mulvey, G’18, assistant director at the institute.

For more information and to register for events, visit the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice’s website.

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

These children are the future. We have to put this seed in them young so they can inspire others and make this world a better place by standing up for what they believe is right.

Alice’s Café serves up far more than pastries and orange juice. Its menu includes dancing, art, and cuddling with baby farm animals. The eclectic programming is planned by ɫ����Ƶ interns and implemented for an important purpose.

As a so-called memory café held twice a month at the Bridgewater Senior Center, Alice’s Café caters to people facing cognitive changes and their caregivers.

“A lot of people with dementia feel isolated,” said intern Rachel Birtwell, ’23, a communication sciences and disorders major from Taunton. “The whole point of Alice’s Café is to reduce the stigma and get them more socially engaged. It leads to a more meaningful and stimulating life.”

At a recent café session, Rachel brought in a movement specialist to lead seniors through a musical exercise. ɫ����Ƶ students joined in. Gathered in a circle, participants young and old swayed to music, shook maracas, and waved streamers. The intergenerational bonds took shape literally as everyone connected their arms to a large fabric and moved it as one in time to classical music.

Rachel, and volunteer Maggie Walsh, ’23, said their service helped solidify their aspirations to become speech-language pathologists working with seniors.

“It’s really fulfilling to do this,” said Maggie, who is from New Bedford. “I’ve met a group of older adults who I’ve learned a lot from.”

Alice's Café is named for a senior citizen whose dementia progressed due to isolation and loneliness during the pandemic. Bridgewater resident Don Sweetman Sr. hopes the café helps his wife, Elaine, who also has dementia, avoid the same problem.

“That’s the idea – to keep her moving,” said Don, who attended a caregiver support group while Elaine visited the café. “We have gotten so much support.”

Thanks to the town-gown partnership behind the program, this is the first intergenerational memory café in Massachusetts, said Emily Williams, the town’s elder affairs director.

“It was a natural fit,” she said. “We wanted to do something for people with cognitive changes and (Professor Karen Aicher) wants her students to learn hands-on in a community-based setting.”

Dr. Aicher, an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, said the internship provides an immersive experience for students to work with senior citizens.

“I really love this internship,” Rachel said. “I think it’s relevant to my career goals.”

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

A lot of people with dementia feel isolated. The whole point of Alice’s Café is to reduce the stigma and get them more socially engaged. It leads to a more meaningful and stimulating life.

It can be easy to feel lonely while social distancing and observing stay-at-home recommendations, especially if you’re a senior citizen. But, for local elders, ɫ����Ƶ students and recent graduates are here to forge connections.

ɫ����Ƶ's Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice is partnering with the Town of Bridgewater’s Senior Center on two intergenerational initiatives that foster safe socialization. In one, volunteers become seniors’ pen pals. The other focuses on capturing elders’ stories of their youth.

“I know a lot of seniors are especially affected by what’s going on right now,” said participant Heather McKenna, ’20, who recently earned a social work degree. “Any form of community is very important.”

ɫ����Ƶ and town staff had discussed partnering before the pandemic hit. But, the efforts take on new importance now.

“It really shows, even with everything going on, you can make a difference in someone’s life,” said Nick Jordan, ’20, who majored in communication studies.

Jordan and McKenna are among more than two dozen students and alumni serving as seniors’ newest pen pals. They are also part of a smaller group of paid interns working on the Reunion Project, which Massachusetts photographer Lora Brody launched to record seniors’ stories. Their memories and portraits will be displayed this fall.

“We knew our students were eager to stay connected to service and the community and give back,” said Laura Mulvey, G’18, program manager in the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice.

Seniors are excited to share their stories, especially with young people who are eager to listen and learn from them.

“They really do enjoy being around youth and teaching us. They enjoy sharing their wisdom,” said Emily Williams, the town’s elder affairs director. “This is great to have the two generations interact. They can learn from each other.”

The projects are perfect for McKenna and Jordan, who during their time as students participated in service activities and trips and conducted interviews on their WBIM radio show.

“It combines the things I loved throughout my four years at ɫ����Ƶ,” said Jordan. “To have this opportunity to get to know all these seniors is really cool.”

Added McKenna: “It gives me a sense of purpose as well.”

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

“I know a lot of seniors are especially affected by what’s going on right now. Any form of community is very important.”

Domestic violence and sexual assault don’t stop with social distancing. Neither do efforts to support victims. And, thanks to ɫ����Ƶ, information about those resources is available in several languages.

Staffers in the Massachusetts House of Representatives approached ɫ����Ƶ for help translating a flyer about hotlines and restraining orders into languages commonly spoken in immigrant communities. They worried victims would not know services remain available during the pandemic.

“We were honored they asked Bridgewater State to do this,” said Dr. Wing-kai To, assistant provost for global engagement and senior international officer.

Members of ɫ����Ƶ’s diverse community completed Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese and Khmer (the official language of Cambodia) translations.

“It shows what we can do as a campus,” said To, a Chinese native who put his own skills to use for the project. “We have good resources among faculty, staff and students who speak all these languages.”

Lyhour Sreang, an international student from Pannasastra University of Cambodia, was happy to do the Khmer translation and serve Cambodian-Americans.

“This is my responsibility as a student to do what is better for society,” said Lyhour, who also taught the language to a ɫ����Ƶ contingent who traveled to Cambodia.

Faculty members Ryan LaBrozzi, Fernanda Ferreira, Castagna Lacet and Quoc Tran also provided translations.

Thanks to their efforts, state representatives are posting the flyers on social media and in their communities. They are also displayed in package and convenience stores.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, praised the effort for allowing information “to be shared widely across the commonwealth.”

The ɫ����Ƶ translators knows these resources are especially important in the COVID-19 era as people spend more time at home.

“This is very meaningful for us to help and address the issues of sexual assault and domestic violence,” To said.

Do you have a ɫ����Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

“We were honored they asked Bridgewater State to do this. ... This is very meaningful for us to help and address the issues of sexual assault and domestic violence."