Two civic engagement groups at Eastern traveled to Richmond, VA, for the IMPACT conference on Feb. 27 at Virginia Commonwealth University. Eastern’s Jumpstart group and its local host, the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), sent student-alumni brainpower to the meeting.

“The IMPACT conference is historically the largest annual conference focused on the civic engagement of college students in community service,” said Lexie Mastroianni, community engagement coordinator for the CCE. 

The event gathered students, faculty, administrators, AmeriCorps members, and nonprofit professionals to explore service-learning, advocacy, and community-based research. Attendees participated in workshops on topics including mental health, nonprofit support, and leadership development. 

“It is a great network to see how different communities and leaders from around the world can come together to support and advocate for topics ranging from social justice to food and housing insecurity,” said Mastroianni, who traveled with the group as a chaperone. 

Eastern's chapter of Jumpstart, a national early education program, was represented by Mikayla Field ‘19 and student Valerie Rosario, who presented a project titled “Champion Early Learning Equity: Jumpstart’s Approach.”  

“Our topic focused on how Jumpstart works to close the achievement gap by providing high-quality early learning experiences for children in under-resourced communities,” said Field.  

“We made our attendees reflect on their own experiences and did an interactive activity that was fun and educational about what Jumpstart does,” said Rosario, who emphasized the impact of volunteering. “I feel that volunteering has opened my eyes to the community around me, my own biases, and has made me reflect on what more I can do now and in the future.” 

CCE student leaders at the conference were also able to learn material that was useful for their career interests. “I attended workshops on social justice in education and the civil discourse of politics, which are highly relevant to my majors in secondary education and history,” said Jayson Caballero ‘26. 

These student leaders credited the CCE with providing them the opportunity to experience the conference and deepen their commitment to civic engagement. 

“I believe that participating at the CCE is important because once we enroll here at Eastern, we become a part of this community that is bigger than ourselves,” said Olivia Gardner.  

Isabelle McClelland emphasized how the CCE has shaped her career aspirations. “My time at the CCE has strengthened my passion for helping others through many different lenses and overall solidified my career path,” she said. 

The conference also provided students with a broader perspective on social issues and new ways to support their community. “One of the workshops we attended was about the school-to-prison pipeline, which was so incredibly fascinating and supported my coursework as a psychology major with a minor in criminology,” said Giavanna Marmo. 

Networking was another key takeaway for attendees, as student leaders had the chance to connect with individuals nationwide who share a passion for service.  

“Through workshops and networking with students across the country, I gained valuable insight on how to boost volunteer programs and create further sustainable change,” said Allison Kazmier.