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75 校友 choir members to record an online performance of “Children of the Heavenly Father.“视频, 在复活节周日上映, inspired the Office of 校友 Engagement to expand virtual 校友 programming.
As daily updates of COVID-19 left the future unpredictable in mid-March, Carroll’s 校友 team started to look to upcoming events planned for Chicago, 密尔沃基, 用批判的眼光度过整个夏天. The reality became that in-person events just weren’t going to happen with new restrictions of social distancing needed for the safety of all. 仍然, the university sought to stay engaged with its community of 校友 and quickly transitioned to a series of virtual events that have involved classes and performances.
和, 到目前为止, they seem to be working with 265 attendees over the first month of offered events gathering via Zoom calls to participate in courses that have involved fitness, 烹饪, and nutrition tips and a community coming together each Friday night via 脸谱网 Live to listen to the musical talents of 校友 performers.
The launch of the virtual event engagement model started as a partnership with Carroll’s 文理学院工作人员聚集在那里 75 校友 choir members to record an online performance of “Children of the Heavenly Father” that was shared with a live audience via Zoom on Easter Sunday. Between performers and viewers, the event drew 133 participants.
“当我们首演那场演出时, it inspired us to think outside the box of how we can engage 校友 in different ways,” said Senior Director of 校友 Engagement Dolores Ocampo Brown ’99, M.Ed. ’10. “We’ve been able to engage people from all over the country. With the virtual classes, it does support one of Carroll’s pillars of lifelong learning.”
The initial experience with this choir event helped the Office of 校友 Engagement to realize the possibility of real-time performances when people in lockdown craved connections and the team began to brainstorm its transition from in-person opportunities to online events for 校友.
还有上课和表演, the university has also provided since the pandemic hit virtual experiences for 校友 that included a virtual run, in which participants ran alone but shared photos via social media as well as their routes with each other; a book club, which now meets regularly; and a virtual event with Chicago-area 校友 featuring a chat and visit with President Cindy Gnadinger. 这些活动吸引了另外93名参与者. The office has also shared crossword puzzles and CU word searches as another virtual opportunity through emails to help 校友 during lockdown.
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“It’s been fun working with the team to look at new possibilities and new ways to engage with 校友 that we can continue until we get quote, 取消报价恢复正常,奥坎波·布朗说. “People will be more out and about but our hopes are to continue to do virtual engagement on a monthly basis.”
团队无法完成这项工作, 虽然, without the generosity of the 校友 providing their knowledge for the classes offered and talents of live musical performances—and they have all given of their time at no cost to Carroll. Ocampo Brown said the university is grateful to 校友 who have given of their time and hope others with talents might consider sharing their skills with their fellow Pioneers online.
承诺布鲁斯08, a DJ formerly with iHeart radio who is now working independently on gigs and projects, hosted a party-style atmosphere of music with friend and special guest DJ Heathen that the usual 7– 8 p.m. 事件一直持续到晚上9点.m. after people online encouraged the duo to keep the music going.
“我当时就想, ‘What's a way that I could try to bring the radio environment or club or party to people at home and to forget about what’s going on for a minute,布鲁斯说. “That was the goal and I’m glad we were able to accomplish that. 我们玩得很开心.”
Ian Ash ' 08 (Abrahamson 最后的蜜蜂 乐队, 原名伊恩与梦想, helped launch Carroll’s first-ever 脸谱网 Live musical events in May. He said as a full-time musician with gigs cancelled during the quarantine that the Carroll experience provided an audience but also a chance to stay sharp with performance.
“It was a good opportunity to just be a storyteller,” he said. “In this setting you get to take a little more liberty to be personal with the people who are commenting.”
校友凯特·彼得森，12届, 注册营养师, shared nutrition and recipe skills in a series of two virtual events. She said the experience provided her an opportunity to not only help Carroll but to make other connections with 校友 and potential clients interested in working with her through her business Kate Peterson Nutrition. She encourages other 校友 with skills to share to give it a go.
“一切都在变化，一切都颠倒了, people are offering a lot more grace and forgiveness for making it happen,她说. "The cool thing about doing these virtual events is you can let your personality shine through and you can show we're all making it happen."