UM Hosts M-Tech for Spring Training

'Tis the season for spring member trainings as each weekend campuses have been hosting close of service events for their members. This past weekend I was lucky enough to be a part of one of these training events as it took place here in Missoula. The collaborative event between UM and M-Tech kicked off first thing Saturday morning and members seemed to have no problem getting dirty during the service project with Garden City Harvest. After receiving a tour of the beautiful 10 acre PEAS farm in the scenic rattlesnake valley region of Missoula, we were given our assignment. No, not gardening or weeding: activities which most of us anticipated we would be partaking in. Instead, we were given the far more exciting job of making compost! This process consisted of laying alternate layers of manure and hay in a huge mound that will eventually decompose into compost. After a couple hours of hours spent productively playing in the mud (well, manure actually), we headed back to UM's campus smelling strongly of compost, for the remainder of the training. 

Corps Leaders Sean and Shanna planned a number of valuable afternoon sessions for their members covering topics such as how to best represent their Campus Corps term of service into one's resume.  Members also had the opportunity to participate in a civic reflection that allowed them the chance to reflect on the impact that their term of service has had upon themselves and upon the communities in which they served.

The training ended with a meaningful discussion on an especially relevant chapter of Paul Rogat Loes' book The Soul of a Citizen, which serves as an excellent resource for anyone with the intention of maintaining a high level of civic engagement in their local community.  Each member that attended the training received a copy of the book to take home with them and use as a resource in their citizenship development. The training wrapped up late Saturday afternoon and members left the experience with many new ideas as to how they can continue the Campus Corps mission of meeting the critical needs of our communities far into the future!