At its CORE: Bridging the gap with community, first responders

Use this link to sign up to volunteer for the next Recess at Krout on Nov. 8 and get Berg Service Challenge points.

During Heidelberg’s Justice Jog earlier this year, students expressed fear about seeing law enforcement personnel in uniform.

There’s a lot to unravel, but those very real emotions sparked an idea on campus to begin to change the narrative, and CORE was born.

CORE – short for Community Opportunities for Resource Engagement – is the product of a discussion between Heidelberg Psychology and Criminology student Yaniah Powell, Criminology Professor Dr. Sarah Lazzari, and Aaron Nelson, Heidelberg’s Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, to bridge the gap between Heidelberg, the Tiffin community and first responders. CORE held its first official event in October, with the second planned for Friday, Nov. 8.

“We’ve just begun to open the door,” Sarah said, adding that the ultimate goal of CORE is to increase a sense of belonging.

Planning started in the summer. The ’Berg team partnered with the Tiffin Police Department, the Seneca County Sheriff’s Department and the Tiffin Fire Division to brainstorm ideas that would connect the community, specifically Heidelberg and local law enforcement.

“The goal of holistic community belonging ensures that everyone in our community feels a sense of belonging and inclusion,” Sarah said. “It is also just as important to make sure that our entire community, regardless of age, race, gender or socioeconomic status, is knowledgeable about all of the resources the community provides.”

At its core, CORE provides opportunities for conversation, sharing of information and relationship building.

With that in mind, the planning team decided to interact with second- and third-graders at Krout Elementary School during recess for their first official activity. When Krout Principal Michelle Wise threw out that idea, “the local law enforcement got really excited about it,” Sarah said.

On Oct. 11, about 10 ’Berg students volunteered, along with five local law enforcement officers including Police Chief Dave Pauly – for the Krout recess activity. Yaniah was one of them. The kids and adults enjoyed typical playground activities – climbing on the jungle jim and lively games of kickball, basketball and races. They seemed to really get a kick out of a game of “jail,” where they “locked up” and “released” the adults. Chief Pauly even showed off his mad magic skills.

“I really enjoyed it. I definitely got a workout and I got six hugs,” Yaniah said. It was important to give the ’Berg students an opportunity to do something fun and meaningful off campus. “That community engagement piece is really important because our community is so much more than just our campus.”

Though not involved in the planning, Student Affairs Coordinator Ben Pugno took in the first recess activity as a parent. “I thought it was very cool. It was interesting to see how quickly the kids ran up, not only to the law enforcement officers but to our students too,” he said.

Days later, the kids were still talking about that recess, asking when the officers and the Student Princes would return, Ben added. He envisions the opportunity blossoming beyond the elementary kiddos, where the initial impact is taking place now, and how that will change as they get older.

Those kinds of opportunities to expand CORE are exactly what the Heidelberg team is exploring. For now, they’re planning to return to Krout on Nov. 8 for another recess engagement. They’re hoping to continue with their activities monthly through the end of the school year, Yaniah said.

“We have a lot of ideas. We’re just building relationships now so we can move forward,” she said.

The possibilities are limitless. “It was important to get our foot in the door to open up the possibilities of what we can do next,” Sarah said. “We’d love to expand to work with middle school and the high school to broaden the conversation.”

Yaniah has some specific goals for her involvement in CORE.

“Tiffin is our home too,” she said. “I just want to leave the community a better place than I found it.

“The main goal is to bridge the gap, give young people more confidence in their safety. … I want them to know that there are people who look like them, who really care about them.”