Community Engagement Council (CEC)
The UCF Diversity Education and Training Community Engagement Council brings community leaders and activists to discussions regarding UCF’s inclusion efforts. The Council members share information about community needs, experience and projects and provide advice to UCF as diversity partners.
Around Orlando
The City of Orlando is diverse and actively engaged with diversity and inclusion issues and support. Orlando is one of the nation’s most ethnically diverse cities. A new study from WalletHub shows that Orlando ranked 26th overall and 10th among midsize cities. Just a few to explore:
Veteran’s History Project
The University of Central Florida has been participating in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project since the project was announced by Jessica Souva, a program manager from the Library of Congress, at the 2009 annual Diversity Breakfast. She shared that the VHP is looking at new ways to partner with universities, particularly in Florida where they are laying groundwork for a pilot program – the first of its kind in the nation – aimed at gathering the oral histories of Florida’s veterans.
UCF has taken on the challenging responsibility with the project that began during the Fall Semester 2010. Dr. Valarie G. King, former Director of the Office of Diversity Initiatives (Diversity Education and Training), was the UCF VHP coordinator. Others involved with this project include Dr. Martin Dupuis, Assistant Dean of the Burnett Honors College, Dr. Rosalind Beiler, Chair of the History Department, James Middlekauff, Assistant University Registrar of Veteran Services, and faculty and staff members to implement the project in a comprehensive manner, throughout UCF. Veterans’ narratives, historic data, press resources, and information on the Veterans History Project can be visiting the Library of Congress’ Veteran’s History Project website.