A team of NSCM faculty volunteered their time and expertise to give high schoolers a boost in communication skills during this summer’s Peace Ambassadors Leadership Summit (PALS) at UCF.
PALS is an educational program organized by National Voices for Equality, Education and Enlightenment (NVEEE), which offers high schoolers the opportunity to advance their leadership and communication skills in a collegiate environment. University professors and experts lead workshops that help students develop critical thinking skills, college and workplace readiness, and emotional and interpersonal growth.
This year, Senior Lecturer Dr. Christine Hanlon led workshops on communication in college and active listening.
“It was a pleasure to work with the participants of the Peace Ambassadors Leadership Summit,” said Senior Lecturer Dr. Christine Hanlon. “The participants were enthusiastic about learning and had great questions. I am looking forward to hearing about the their future successes.”
Each year, faculty and guests from the Nicholson School of Communication and Media participate in the program, educating and preparing students for professional communication environments. Faculty who participated this year include: Dr. Melissa Dodd, Dr. Christine Hanlon, Rick Brunson, Tricia Connelly, Dr. Erica Rodriguez Kight, Dr. Michelle Dusseau, Dr. Robert Littlefield, and special guest speaker Raysean Brown, who serves as the community violence intervention strategy director for the City of Orlando’s Peace Orlando program.
Raysean Brown
Michelle Dusseau
Erica Kight
PALS also hosts annual summits at Georgetown University, the University of Florida, and Florida International University. NSCM Associate Lecturer and Assistant Director for Mass Media Dr. Erica Rodriguez Kight works with NVEEE leaders to host the event at UCF each year.
“I love working with NVEEE founder Jowharah Sanders and her team,” Kight said. “They are doing incredible work to empower high school students, and I have enjoyed helping facilitate their efforts here at UCF. I am also grateful to my colleagues who volunteered their time in the summer to make an impact on these students’ lives.”
Dr. Robert Littlefield, NSCM Founding Director and Professor, ran a workshop on speech and debate. Picking one of the topics offered by the students, Dr. Littlefield split the group of students into two groups, one tasked with advocating for and one tasked with opposing the allowance of pajamas in school dress codes. In addition to coaching the students on communicating effective arguments Dr. Littlefield stressed the importance of respectful communication with your opponent.
“I have always enjoyed working with high school students,” Littlefield said. “They are ‘in the moment,’ so to speak. They ask questions, react honestly, and they call things as they see them. I volunteered because some of my favorite moments in the classroom have been spent working with younger students, and I thought I could have something to offer.”
For more information about PALS at UCF, check out www.nveee.org/pals-at-ucf/.
Written by Erica Kight.
Published to Nicholson News on August 1st, 2024.
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