‘Unite, Serve, Change’

Uniting to create positive changes in the LBCC school system, ones that benefit students’ and members’ alike, is the mission.

Change Makers is the crew to carry it out. What started as a club founded by students in the Human Services department, quickly advanced into the co-curricular it is today. Built on a foundation of equity and accessibility, LB’s inclusive co-curricular is leading the charge at cultivating the positive, forward-thinking environment we all deserve.

One example of this is their most recent adventure to the virtual, three day National Organization for Human Services conference. There, students were able to attend professional development sessions, as well as network with professionals and professors from all over the country. The words fulfilling,  refreshing, and inspiring, were all used by student attendees to describe this experience.

Interested in joining the cause? Change Makers warmly welcomes all LBCC students no matter the major or year. If you have a desire to help others in our college community, this might be just the co-curricular for you. If interested, or even just a tiny bit curious, contact advisor Liz Pearce at pearcel@linnbenton.edu. She’ll be thrilled to hear from you and will answer all your wildest questions. The next meeting for Change Makers will be at the start of Winter Term, date and time TBA. 

Change Makers also played a key role in the SLC’s ‘Mental Health Awareness Week’ in Spring 2021, hosting listening rooms intended to promote active listening skills for students. The group also penned a grant proposal for LBCC to purchase the Calm App for the entire student body, allowing students to have easy access to meditation and self-care. In other words, Change Makers has our backs.

When speaking on her motivation for starting Change Makers, Co-Curricular Advisor and Professor Liz Pearce said she “Wants students to have a bridge between the classroom and the real world. It gives them so many more chances to keep playing out how to connect what we’re learning to the real world.” 

The co-curricular is currently workshopping a variety of upcoming projects; a Human Services advising session for Winter, a professional networking event in Spring, as well as running a self-care series for both terms. There may even be a possible name change in the group’s future. As these plans aren’t yet set in stone, keep your eyes wide and ears open for any and all upcoming projects and offerings from this group. They’re leading the way for LBCC students to have a more positive, inclusive, and connective experience through their college, professional, and personal lives.