Center for Community Engagement &
Service Learning: General Information
CCESL Staff
Frank Coyne, Associate Director
Katie Symons, Associate Director
Jenny Whitcher, Associate Director
Eric Fretz, Director
303-871-4921
Eric directs the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning at DU. His primary responsibilities include working with faculty to develop innovative service learning classes, teaching service learning classes and working with Center staff to develop mutually beneficial community partnerships.
Previously, Eric directed the Community Studies Center at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Michigan State University and received tenure in the English department at Loras College.
Frank Coyne, Associate Director
303-871-2158
Frank began as the community coordinator of the DU/Northwest partnership in September of 2000. As coordinator, Frank oversaw this dynamic partnership that DU has created with the Horace Mann Middle School and other community-based organizations in Northwest Denver . This partnership was made possible by several grants and in overseeing these grants and the partnerships that grew out of these grants, Frank has been elevated to the role of Associate Director. In doing so, he has now expanded such partnerships into working with programs like Public Achievement and Civic Coaching throughout many K-12 schools in the Denver metro area. Frank's key role in this initiative is to pair the resources of DU (students and faculty) with the assets of schools in order to bolster the civic engagement of the K-12 students as well as the students from DU while building capacity in Denver communities. Frank just completed his Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at DU.
Katie Symons, Associate Director
303-871-3332
Katie is the Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning at DU and has been with DU since 2000. Through the CCESL, she works primarily with service learning students who either have a requirement or an option to do service for a class and helps to find appropriate site placements for them. She also assists faculty with the integration of service learning into their curriculum. Katie splits her time between this position and another, as the Assistant Director of the Social Justice Living & Learning Community, where she works closely with 22 first-year students each year. She has also been involved with the Office of Internationalization, through which she has led students to Mexico and Nicaragua on the Alternative Break programs at DU for three years. Katie is currently pursuing a master's degree in the International and Intercultural Communication Program. A fascination with multilingual communication and learning from different cultures has led Katie into this field. She brings forth her experiences from traveling and living abroad in Chile and Brazil and hopes to someday further pursue a career advocating for women's rights in developing countries.
Jenny Whitcher, Associate Director
303-871-4281
Jenny is primarily responsible for the development and implementation of campus initiatives designed to engage a broad base of DU students in curricular and co-curricular civic engagement activities. She manages the Puksta Scholars, Alternative Break, and Community Partner programs. Jenny also teaches the fall and winter Service Learning Practicum: Poverty and Homelessness. She has previously worked for the Denver Rescue Mission and Habitat for Humanity International. Jenny is currently working on a PhD in Religion and Social Change in the joint program between DU and Iliff School of Theology. She received her MA in International Human Rights from the University of Denver and her BA in Journalism and Politics at New York University.
Amelia Sapp, Office Manager
303-871-3328
