Boston, MA – Campus Compact has named 181 student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country as 2013 Newman Civic Fellows.  Nominated by their college and university presidents, these students are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.

As these students tackle community challenges, they provide fresh energy and perspective, inspire and mobilize others, and develop their own skills and potential. Through service, research, and advocacy, Newman Civic Fellows are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.

“These students represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders. They serve as national examples of the role that higher education can—and does—play in building stronger communities,” notes Campus Compact President Maureen Curley. 

Newman Civic Fellow awards are made in memory of Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, who dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform.  At the core of Dr. Newman’s leadership was a belief in the power of individuals to make a difference and in the power of connection with others. Frank Newman had a tremendous impact on American education and its role in the development of citizens who want to make a difference.  This class of Newman Civic Fellows embodies this spirit and dedication.

The Newman Civic Fellows Awards are made possible through the generous support of the KPMG Foundation.

For a full list of the 2013 Newman Civic Fellows, please go here.  

About Campus Compact
Campus Compact is a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the public purposes of higher education. As the only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact promotes public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps forge effective community/campus partnerships, and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum. Campus Compact’s membership includes public, private, two- and four-year institutions across the spectrum of higher education. For more information, visit www.compact.org.

INDIANAPOLIS – Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded a three-year $900,000 grant to the Indiana University Foundation on behalf of Indiana Campus Compact, a consortium of more than 40 Indiana college and university campuses committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. This funding will enable Indiana Campus Compact to create and support programs that offer service-learning opportunities to Indiana college students, deepen students’ commitment to community service, and provide them with valuable job-related skills. 

“As Indiana Campus Compact celebrates 20 years of advancing citizenship and service in higher education, we are thankful for the continued generosity of Lilly Endowment,” said Dr. Jerrilee Mosier, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast and Indiana Campus Compact Board Chair.  “This grant will enable Indiana Campus Compact to continue to support Indiana’s institutions of higher education in their purposeful engagement with Hoosier communities.” 

This civic engagement has both an immediate and long-term impact on Indiana, explains Sara B. Cobb, vice president for education at the Endowment.  “Studies show that college students who are active volunteers tend to develop lifelong commitments to giving and volunteering and encourage their friends and families to get more involved.  The Endowment is pleased to support Indiana Campus Compact’s efforts to inspire many more young people to serve their communities.”   

Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer, Purdue University North Central Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education, has seen a positive change in her students as a result of Indiana Campus Compact support. “Service-learning has empowered my students to make a connection between the classroom and real life. It gives me great hope for our future to see them take on issues of social justice and address important community needs.”

About Indiana Campus Compact

Indiana Campus Compact supports higher education’s efforts to develop students into well-informed, engaged citizens. By providing programs, services, and resources, Indiana Campus Compact serves as a catalyst for campuses and communities to improve people’s lives through service-learning and civic engagement initiatives. For more information, please visit www.indianacampuscompact.org. 

About Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his two sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., with gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical company.  The Endowment is primarily committed to the causes of education, community development and religion.

About Indiana University Foundation

Founded in 1936, the Indiana University Foundation is dedicated to maximizing private support for Indiana University by conducting fundraising campaigns and programs, investing the endowment, and providing advancement leadership and development services.

Among the 14 finalists, 11 are Compact members. All told, 501 members were named to the President’s Honor Roll including the five winners and 14 finalists. Seventy-two percent of the institutions recognized on the Honor Roll are Campus Compact members.

“The recognition of such a high percentage of our members by such an elite distinction validates that our mission of deepening civic engagement is absolutely the right path for us to be taking.  It re-energizes us to do even more and we congratulate our members receiving this distinction,” said Campus Compact President Maureen Curley. 

The 2013 Presidential Award winners are:  Georgia Perimeter College, Dunwoody, Ga.; Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa.; and the University of Connecticut, Storrs-Mansfield, Conn.; as well as La Sierra University, Riverside, Calif., for its Promise Neighborhoods model; and Nazareth College, Rochester, N.Y., for its early childhood education efforts.

The institutions were cited for their achievements in general community service or in one of two special focus areas which align with the President’s education and innovation priorities, the Promise Neighborhoods model and early childhood education.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents, representing more than 6 million students, who are committed to fulfilling the public purposes of higher education. As the only national higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact promotes public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps forge effective community/campus partnerships, and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum. Campus Compact’s membership includes public, private, two- and four-year institutions across the spectrum of higher education. For more information, visit www.compact.org.

For the full list of Honor Roll awardees and information on eligibility, please visit www.nationalservice.gov

 ###

Established in 1998, Connecticut Campus Compact has the membership of Connecticut presidents of colleges and universities, with Fairfield University President Rev. Jeffery P. von Arx, S.J., serving as chair. Its mission of improving community life and social responsibility mirrors Fairfield’s Jesuit mission of serving others.

“With the vast majority of colleges and universities in Connecticut being members – from public and private, research and an Ivy League university – our position in Connecticut is unique,” said Dr. Saul Petersen, CTCC executive director and a co-author. “We alone have the capacity to bring all colleges and universities together in order to find solutions to today’s issues related to Connecticut’s civic and economic prosperity.”

Continue reading this press release from the Fairfield University Press Room

“Boston, MA – A report by Campus Compact defines a new concept in civic engagement on college campuses called Engaged Learning Economies.  Initiatives at US colleges and universities, which utilize common strategies to merge civic engagement with economic development through strategic partnerships, create Engaged Learning Economies, according to the report.

In  “Engaged Learning Economies: Aligning Civic Engagement and Economic Development in Community-Campus Partnerships,” the authors report that by strategically aligning these two types of activities, campuses are having a positive impact on both student learning at these institutions and economic development in local communities where these partnerships take place.

Partnerships between institutions and communities which consciously commit to several guiding principles create the cornerstone of these Engaged Learning Economies.  The three common principles identified are:

• establishing democratic partnerships,
• aligning campus goals, policies, and practices, and
• building community capacity.

More than 25 different collaborations, programs, and initiatives are spotlighted in the report as models of Engaged Learning Economies, and they are taking place at colleges and universities of varying size, type, and geographic locations across the country.  The examples include collaborations at private colleges, public universities, and community colleges — demonstrating that all types of higher educational institutions can develop an Engaged Learning Economy. Authors of the report observe that the institution must develop a cultural and structural framework which supports effective and truly democratic partnerships.

Some of the examples of Engaged Learning Economies cited in the Report include the following:  

• in response to economic distress in Camden, New Jersey,  the Camden Campus of Rutgers University (the State University of New Jersey) aligned its own departments in order to mobilize and involve faculty and students to help increase the capacity of local secondary schools and improve performance and graduation rates;
• Flathead Valley Community College’s partnership with the Montana Arts Council spurred the College to develop marketing and business workshops for artists;
• the University of Iowa became a critical leader in Dubuque’s Initiative for Sustainable Communities; and
• Widener University’s conscious participation in a partnership with three other institutions helped to develop the economy of the financially distressed city of Chester, Pennsylvania where the 108 acre campus is located.

Says Campus Compact Board Chair Dr. James B. Dworkin, Chancellor of Purdue University North Central, “This Report tells an exciting story about the impact which Engaged Learning Economies can have, not only on our higher educational institutions and our students, but also on local communities.”

“In the wake of the global financial crisis, when so many communities are suffering, and at a time when our need for civic education and democratic collaboration has never been more urgent, the opportunity for our higher educational institutions to create a nexus of meaningful long-term civic and economic change is not only hopeful, but a powerful prescription for our country’s civic and economic future,” adds Dworkin.

Campus Compact leaders are issuing the report to assist higher educational institutions in developing Engaged Learning Economies and are convening a meeting of colleges and university presidents this week to examine the report in greater detail.

Says Maureen F. Curley, Campus Compact President, “This report is significant in the framework it provides to help colleges and universities deal with critical contemporary issues and build democratic relationships which are enduring and sustainable.” She adds, “Our members are so eager to delve into the report that 60 college and university presidents are flying to Chattanooga, Tennessee to discuss this framework and lead and participate in workshops based upon the report.”

In addition to defining the three key principles of democratic partnerships, campus alignment, and building community capacity, the report outlines the common themes utilized by those institutions examined in the report which lead to the Engaged Learning Economies.

In establishing democratic partnerships:

• partnering agencies acknowledge the importance of understanding and maintaining strong relationships with one another;
• community members and campus staff, faculty, and students co-locate on and off-campus;
• community organizations and businesses co-develop knowledge with campus partners.

In aligning campus goals, policies, and practices:

• polices and processes support the free-flow of knowledge among business, community, and the academy;
• faculty are leveraged to embed civic engagement and economic development into academic and disciplinary cultures;
• courses employ collaborative community-based learning;
• training and educational programs support community members’ personal and economic advancement.

In building community capacity:

• campus partners see themselves as responsible not only for conducting research but facilitating its application;
• campuses integrate regional interests into development projects; and
• community partners have the capacity to absorb and utilize knowledge

Amanda Wittman, Ph.D., Campus Compact Director of Academic and Strategic Initiatives, and Terah Crews, Faculty Associate and University Innovation Fellow at Arizona State University, co-authored the Report.

Campus Compact has been at the forefront of the civic engagement movement for 30 years, seeding the field for the current community service/civic engagement model. It provides resources to academic communities who value a true hands-on approach to their campus community partnerships.  By bringing together literature and ideas as presented in this latest report Campus Compact continues its mission of assisting institutions in their commitment to civic engagement through active support, resources and training.

About Campus Compact
Campus Compact promotes the public purpose of higher education.  Through a national network, the organization supports public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps campuses forge effective community partnerships, and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum. Campus Compact’s membership includes public, private, two- and four year institutions across the spectrum of higher education. For more information about the organization visit www.compact.org.”

Boston, MA – From across the country, college and university presidents all members of Campus Compact have nominated promising student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in their community to be Newman Civic Fellows. Through service, research, and advocacy, these Fellows are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues, and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.

As these students tackle community challenges, they provide fresh energy and perspective, inspire and mobilize others, and develop their own skills and potential. This year, the Fellows will leverage an even greater capacity for service and change through online networking. In keeping with their generation’s emphasis on networks over hierarchies, Newman Civic Fellows will share ideas and materials to further their work in a Facebook group especially for Fellows.

“These students represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders. They serve as national examples of the role that higher education can-and does-play in building a better world,” notes Campus Compact Board Chair James B. Dworkin, chancellor at Purdue University North Central.

Through service-learning courses and other opportunities for community engagement, colleges are developing students’ public problem-solving skills, such as the ability to analyze community needs, the willingness to participate in public processes and debate, the commitment to raise awareness about challenges, and the ability to inspire others to become part of solutions.

“Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, had a tremendous impact on American education and its role in the development of citizens who are eager and prepared to make a difference,” explains Campus Compact President Maureen Curley. “He dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform and this new group of Newman Civic Fellows would have inspired him. They are reflections and affirmations of his life’s work.”

Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents—representing some 6 million students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. For more information about the organization and the award, visit www.compact.org.

Indianapolis, Indiana – Indiana Campus Compact is hosting a two-day summit for college and university administrators, faculty, staff, students, and their community partners to address engagement between campuses and communities. The Summit includes a luncheon discussion with national, state, and local leaders, an awards reception and ceremony, and interactive workshop tracks tailored to each constituent group. The gathering will take place in Indianapolis on March 31st – April 1st, 2011, at the Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites.The luncheon discussion will be moderated by Emmy Award winning journalist Kim Hood Jacobs and will feature Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers, National Campus Compact President Maureen Curley, and Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry.Other speakers for the event will include the Vice President for Accreditation Relations for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, Dr. Karen Solomon, and Dr. KerryAnn O’Meara, a community engagement researcher and scholar from the University of Maryland. The summit will feature faculty, staff, and student presentations highlighting both community engagement research and applied practices, a track specifically designed for academic deans and department chairs focused on community engagement in the promotion and tenure process, and a student track which will include workshops on service leadership and a session devoted to collaboration.“The Indiana Campus Compact Service Engagement Summit will provide a platform for dialogue and collaboration among leaders in the field of community engagement as well as an opportunity to recognize outstanding contributions to Indiana’s communities.” Indiana Campus Compact Executive Director Maggie Stevens said. “The power of the Summit will be the opportunity for individuals from these diverse member institutions to come together to learn from one another, connect with their peers, and strengthen their impact on our communities.”Indiana Campus Compact is a network of 42 college campuses that supports higher education’s efforts to develop students into well-informed, engaged citizens. Providing programs, services, and resources, Indiana Campus Compact serves as a catalyst for campuses and communities to improve people’s lives through service-learning and civic engagementinitiatives. IndianaCampusCompact’smembershipincludespublic,private, two- and four-year institutions. As the only state-wide higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Indiana Campus Compact promotes public and community service which develops students’ citizenship skills, helps campuses forge effective community partnerships, and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum. For more information, visit www.indianacampuscompact.org.

Washington, DC – Recognizing that talent development is fundamental to the success of cities, CEOs for Cities is launching a $1 million prize competition to encourage college attainment in America’s major metros.

The national non-profit network of urban leaders committed to creating next generation cities will award the prize to the metropolitan area that exhibits the greatest increase in the number of post secondary degrees granted per capita over a four-year period.  The competition is part of CEOs for Cities’ effort to encourage cities to realize their “Talent Dividend” and improve their economic potential by increasing their college attainment rate by one percentage point.

“Research shows that 58 percent of any city’s success, as measured by per capita income, can be explained by the percentage of college graduates in its population,” explained Carol Coletta, president and CEO of CEOs for Cities.  “There are huge financial gains to a city that can be achieved through small improvements in educational attainment alone.”

Dr. Nancy L. Zimpher, Chancellor of SUNY and Chair of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities said, “Thanks to CEOs for Cities, we now know that for every one percentage point increase in our college graduation rate, New Yorkers will earn an additional $17.5 billion each year.  This is an exorbitant amount of income, and it has the capacity to drive our economy to new heights and simultaneously address a critical need for improved student success. The Talent Dividend Competition is an added incentive for cities across the country to renew their focus on college attainment and degree completion.”

Registration for the prize opens today and will close on May 1, 2011.  The $1 million prize will be used to launch a national promotional campaign for the winning city.

Don Borut, President of the National League of Cities, welcomed this innovative approach to improving educational attainment in urban America. “Our cities are working hard to meet the rising demand for more and better education, but we are facing great fiscal constraints,” he said. “The Talent Dividend provides proof of the intrinsic economic value of college attainment for cities, and the prize encourages partnership across sectors, so that entire communities collaborate to achieve our economic potential.”

“We see this competition as a grassroots opportunity to spread the message that attaining a higher education degree has become an economic imperative in the United States,” said Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation, one of the sponsors of the prize.

“In the increasingly competitive global economy, it is vital that as many Americans as possible attain college degrees so they can be prepared to contribute to our nation’s future,” said American Council on Education President Molly Corbett Broad. “That is why we are very pleased to partner with CEOs for Cities over the next few years on this important and innovative effort to develop talent in our metropolitan areas.”

The Talent Dividend Prize competition is supported by the Kresge Foundation and Lumina Foundation for Education.  “We believe that this competition will motivate local leaders to think creatively about reaching out to both traditional and non-traditional students to improve college achievement,” said William Moses, Program Director for Education at the Kresge Foundation.  “Four years from now, when the prize is awarded, we hope to not only have improved life outcomes and fostered a workforce that is educated to compete, but to have secured evidence of what really works to create a pathway to college completion.”

CEOs for Cities and its partners will host a launch event for cities that register for the Talent Dividend Prize competition on May 10, 2011 in Chicago, and the winner will be announced in September 2014.

The Talent Dividend Prize competition is open to all U.S. cities with a metropolitan population of 500,000, or the largest metropolitan area in a state based on 2009 American Community Survey data.  Each metropolitan area is required to register and submit annual documentation of its educational attainment efforts in order to be considered for the prize.

Eligible cities may register at www.TalentDividendPrize.org.  Urban leaders from any sector are eligible to register; however, each city is required to appoint a key liaison and a 6-8 member advisory panel composed of leaders from multiple sectors.

The prize competition is an outgrowth of City Dividends, CEOs for Cities research that calculated the monetary value to cities and the nation of increasing college attainment rates by one percentage point (Talent Dividend); reducing vehicle miles traveled by one mile per person per day (Green Dividend); and reducing poverty rates by one percentage point (Opportunity Dividend).

#    #    #

CEOs for Cities is a national network of urban leaders dedicated to building and sustaining the next generation of great American cities.

The two new Board members are Mary E. Lyons, PhD, president of the University of San Diego, and Sally Mason, PhD, president of The University of Iowa. They join a distinguished group of leaders from across the country representing all segments of higher education as well as the philanthropic and business communities. The Board guides the organization in its mission of deepening higher education’s ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility.

“We are thrilled to have these dedicated leaders join our Board,” notes Campus Compact president Maureen F. Curley. “Each has a strong background in leading organizations and in creating sustainable structures for strengthening communities. Moreover, each one holds a firm belief in community engagement and the power of student learning through civic engagement. Their positive accomplishments and experience bring inspiration and practical knowledge to the table.”  To continue reading, download the press release.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has selected 115 U.S. colleges and universities for its 2010 Community Engagement Classification. These institutions join the 196 institutions identified in the 2006 and 2008 selection process.

Colleges and universities with an institutional focus on community engagement were invited to apply for the classification, first offered in 2006 as part of an extensive restructuring of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Unlike the Foundation’s other classifications that rely on national data, this is an “elective” classification—institutions elected to participate by submitting required documentation describing the nature and extent of their engagement with the community, be it local or beyond. This approach enabled the Foundation to address elements of institutional mission and distinctiveness that are not represented in the national data on colleges and universities…

>> To read the full press release: Click Here

2010 Community Engagement Classification designees.
♦ – denotes active Campus Compact members

AR
♦Auburn University
AL
♦University of Arkansas at Little Rock
CA
♦Azusa Pacific University
♦California State University, Channel Islands
♦California State University, Dominguez Hills
♦California State University, Sacramento
♦University of Southern California
♦Whittier College
CT
♦Central Connecticut State University
♦Norwalk Community College
♦University of Connecticut
FL
♦Florida International University
♦Florida State University
♦Nova Southeastern University
♦University of North Florida
♦University of South Florida at St. Petersburg
GA
♦Berry College
Morehouse School of Medicine
♦North Georgia College & State University
♦University of Georgia
ID
♦University of Idaho
IL
♦Chicago School of Professional Psychology
♦Columbia College of Chicago
♦Western Illinois University
IN
♦Indiana University Bloomington
♦IUPU Fort Wayne
♦Purdue University North Central
♦Saint Mary’s College
♦Taylor University
♦University of Indianapolis
♦University of Notre Dame
IA
♦Buena Vista University
KS
♦Kansas State University
♦University of Kansas
LA
♦Loyola University New Orleans
♦Our Lady of the Lake College
ME
♦Unity College
♦University of Maine at Machias
MD
♦Loyola University Maryland
MA
♦Clark University
♦North Shore Community College
♦Suffolk University
MI
♦Calvin College
♦Hope College
♦University of Michigan-Flint
♦Western Michigan University
MN
♦Macalester College
♦St. Cloud State University
MS
♦Jackson State University
♦Millsaps College
Mississippi State University
♦University of Southern Mississippi
MO
♦Missouri State University – Springfield
♦Rockhurst University
♦University of Missouri – St. Louis
♦Westminster College
MT
♦Montana State University-Bozeman
NH
♦New England College
♦Plymouth State University
♦Southern New Hampshire University
NJ
Bergen Community College
♦Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
♦Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
NY
♦Adelphi University
♦Cornell University
♦Hobart and William Smith Colleges
♦Jefferson Community College
♦Skidmore College
♦St. John’s University-NY
♦Stony Brook University
♦SUNY-Oneonta
♦SUNY-Oswego
♦SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry
NC
♦Elizabeth City State University
♦Gardiner-Webb University
♦Wake Forest University
OH
♦Denison University
♦Hiram College
♦John Carroll University
♦Miami University, Hamilton
♦Miami University, Ohio
♦Oberlin College
OR
♦Oregon State University
PA
♦Bucknell University
♦Elizabethtown College
♦LaSalle University
♦Millersville University of PA
♦Muhlenberg College
♦Saint Joseph’s University
♦Temple University
♦West Chester University of PA
SC
♦Columbia College
TN
♦Belmont University
♦Lipscomb University
♦Tennessee State University
♦The University of Tennessee at Martin
TX
♦Blinn College
♦Collin County Community College District
♦Saint Mary’s University
♦Sam Houston State University
♦University of Texas at Arlington
♦University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
University of Texas at El Paso
UT
♦Southern Utah University
♦University of Utah
♦Westminster College
VT
♦Saint Michael’s College
♦Southern Vermont College
VA
♦James Madison University
University of Richmond
WA
♦Heritage University
♦Seattle University
♦Western Washington University
WV
♦West Virginia University
WI
♦St. Norbert College

Thanks to a $30,000 donation from Ability Pediatric Therapy CEO Pam Goble to Texas Campus Compact, the Ability Pediatric Therapy STEM Scholarship for Service Learning will be awarded to three students per year for each of the next three years, at $3,000 each, for a total of $27,000 in scholarship money for the three-year program. According to Texas Campus Compact executive director Patricia Spencer Potyka. In keeping with the organization’s mission, scholarship winners will demonstrate a commitment to service learning.

“Texas Campus Compact is doing important work throughout Texas by encouraging service learning among college students and faculty, resulting in helping to Close the Gaps of educational inequity in our state,” said Goble of the donation. “We’re proud to be stepping forward to sponsor scholarships for students committed to Texas Campus Compact’s mission.”

“We’re thrilled that Ability Pediatric Therapy has come forward to sponsor these scholarships with its $30,000 gift,” said Potyka. “This is a groundbreaking scholarship program — the first of its kind in Texas — and Ability’s generosity has allowed us to move forward with this initiative to support service learning in Texas.”

Information on eligibility and the application process will be coming in early 2011, and the initial three scholarships will be awarded for the 2011-12 school year.

More information on Texas Campus Compact, which is part of National Campus Compact, a national network of more than 1300 presidents nationwide, who are committed to service learning organization and civic engagement, while developing citizen-stewards, is available at its official website, www.texascampuscompact.org.

SouthCoast Serves is pleased to introduce our  AmeriCorps Student Leaders in Service.  Funded by a $5000 grant through Massachusetts Campus Compact, five UMass Dartmouth students will work with five SouthCoast Serves partners on various community projects which will benefit the South Coast region from October 2010 until May 2011.   Each student has committed to serve 300 hours with their host sites and in exchange, as AmeriCorps members, they will each receive a $1,000 education award.

Matt Kennedy is a senior at UMass Dartmouth majoring in marketing.  He is working at United Neighbors of Fall River, a Community Connection Collaboration which is working to strengthen the community of Fall River.  Previously, Matt volunteered with the Dracut Baseball Association as an assistant coach and with a Thanksgiving basket drive.

Courtney Kurzweil will be serving as the assistant volunteer coordinator at the City of New Bedford. She is a senior who is majoring in political science and minoring in sociology. Courtney is a member of the Rotary Club and UMass Dartmouth’s Rotaract club.  After graduation, she plans to go to law school and continue to serve with Rotary.

Charles Nicholson will be serving at the Dartmouth YMCA.  Specifically, he will be assisting with the YMCA’s Sharing the Harvest program, which is a community farm where all the produce is donated to local food pantries.  Charles is a senior and a marketing major and is involved with intramural athletics on campus.  He enjoys playing basketball and football.

Katie Trujillo is a junior who is majoring in human resources and marketing; she will be working at the United Way of Greater New Bedford.  Katie’s main responsibilities will be maintaining and updating the United Way’s volunteer database: www.volunteersolutions.org.  Katie has volunteered at Smiles Mentoring and with the Special Olympics.

Samantha Wonson is serving at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Bedford.  She will be assisting with managing volunteers, especially America Reads tutors.  Samantha is a senior and a marketing major who is a peer mediator and a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team at UMass Dartmouth.  She has previously volunteered with Toys for Tots and the Girl Scouts of America.

According to Michelle Hantman, President of the United Way and a SouthCoast Serves founding partner:  “This is a great win/win, the community is getting significant support with Katie’s work and Katie is getting great experience. We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to a successful year.” Deirdre Healy, the Assistant Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at UMass Dartmouth added , “The 1500 hours that these students will be contributing to service in the South Coast region is the equivalent of more than $15,000 dollars worth of work.  And since many of the Student Leaders in Service are working to recruit additional volunteers, the value of their time goes up exponentially every time a new volunteer is recruited.”

SouthCoast Serves is a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth facilitated collaborative that fosters service and volunteerism to meet the needs of our community by leveraging resources, expertise and capacity to maximize impact.  For more information, please visit our website at www.south-coast-serves.org.

Campus Compact Draws Promising Connection Between Civic Engagement and College Access/Success

A new white paper from the non-profit organization Campus Compact provides compelling evidence that college students who participate in civic engagement and service-learning activities earn higher grade point averages and have a better chance of staying in college and earning degrees.

Boston, MA — A new white paper from Campus Compact provides compelling evidence that college students who participate in civic engagement and service-learning activities, earn higher grade point averages and are more likely to complete their college degree.

Further, “A Promising Connection: Increasing College Access and Success through Civic Engagement” finds that two- and four-year higher education institutions across the nation, as well as K-12 schools, are intentionally linking dimensions of civic engagement with learning to educate students for civic life. The result can be the strengthening of educational, economic, and social assets of colleges and communities alike.

The paper also reports that civic engagement involving K-12 students can strengthen the pipeline to colleges and universities⎯helping to address issues of college access and student success in college. These outcomes are especially true for first-generation college attendees, students of color, and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The findings were presented recently at Campus Compact’s Presidents Leadership Summit 2010, hosted by Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. and Georgetown President John J. DeGioia−chair of the National Board of Campus Compact, along with Compact President Maureen F. Curley. Dr. DeGioia was joined by 100 college presidents from public, private, two- and four-year institutions across the spectrum of higher education and Campus Compact state directors from Hawaii to Maine, all of whom share his conviction that civic engagement and service-learning can play a significant role in increasing college access and success.

The meeting was convened by Campus Compact to respond to President Barack Obama’s challenge that, “By 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” The United States currently ranks only 12th among the 36 countries in a College Board study of countries with the highest graduation rates, the highest of which is Canada with a graduation rate of 55.8%.

Dr. DeGioia explained that the President’s challenge means we must increase the percentage of Americans completing an Associates Degree or higher by 4.2% annually by 2020. “This will require a growth of over 8.2 million new degrees in this time frame. To do this we will need to ensure more students are on their way towards a degree, and that more are successful in completing studies necessary for a degree.”

“This is a distinctly American story,” he continued, one that connects democracy and educa-tion with the flourishing of each community. By connecting the livelihood of American commu-nities and colleges, the utilitarian drive to produce the most competitive workforce becomes an issue of civic responsibility, of giving back to the community and to our country…”

The Summit was funded through a seed grant from Lumina Foundation for Education and KnowHow2GO⎯the nation’s largest foundation dedicated exclusively to increasing students’ access to and success in postsecondary education. Lumina’s own goal is to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60% by 2025.

Generous support was also received from Georgetown University, USA Funds, Jenzabar, Inc., Community College of Allegheny County, Montana Campus Compact, National Student Loan Program, Natixis Global Associates, and Widener University. The American Council on Education (A.C.E.) was also a partner.

To read and download “A Promising Connection: Increasing College Access and Success through Civic Engagement” or learn more of the proceedings of the Summit, visit Campus Compact’s website: www.compact.org.

Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents⎯ representing some 6 million students⎯who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. As the only national education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement, Campus Compact promotes public and community service that develops students’ citizenship skills, helps campuses forge effective community partnerships, and provides resources and training for faculty seeking to integrate civic and community-based learning into the curriculum.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Campus Compact President Maureen F. Curley, please contact Sue C. Kelman, Director of Communications: skelman {at} compact(.)org or 617-357-1881, x207. Photographs of the event are also available by request.

>>Read the Full Interview Here

*For more information visit: California Campus Compact

As head of the agency that oversees federal volunteer and service programs, Corvington is determined to expand opportunities for service to more Americans and targeting service toward solving pressing social issues. “If you want to be remembered for more than the size of your income or the square footage of your living space, seek to serve some greater good than your own,” he said.

Corvington presented UTSA President Ricardo Romo with the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll Award in recognition of the institutions promotion of community and service-learning on campus. Nearly 20,000 students led and participated in service projects during the 2008-2009 academic year on a variety of issues from mentoring disadvantaged youth to feeding the hungry.

Earlier in the day, Corvington met with San Antonio Mayor, Julian Castro, held a roundtable discussion with a group of community leaders, and visited the McAuliffe Middle School where AmeriCorps members are working with the Diplomas Now program to increase graduation rates among at-risk students.

The full text of Corvington’s speech as prepared is available here. Following are excerpts:

“The big question before you today is not how can you use the degree you have earned at UTSA to achieve personal fame and fortune. The question is how can you use what you’ve learned in college to benefit your family, your community, your country, and your world. In short, how can you serve?”

“President Obama believes, as I do, that citizen service is essential to solving the big problems facing our nation – from poverty and high unemployment to the dropout crisis that is especially devastating in communities of color. Service cannot just be about counting the hours – it must be about raising test scores, lowering the dropout rate, eradicating poverty, moving people from the unemployment to the dignity of work. In short, service must be about making a real difference – the kind of difference that you are making right here at UTSA.”

“Young people like you throughout this country are making a difference. Right here in San Antonio, AmeriCorps VISTA members in a program called College for All Texans are working in this city’s public schools, helping to pave a smoother path to higher education for students who might otherwise never get that chance – students who hopefully will one day sit where you are sitting today.”

“Whether you pursue service as a career, a passion, or both, as you leave here today, there is a lot of work to do. We live in a time of extraordinary challenges. Too many of our brothers and sisters here in San Antonio and throughout this country are living in poverty. Too many are dropping out of school. Too many of our seniors are alone and neglected. Too many of our young people have been cut down by crime and guns and violence in our communities. We have the power to tackle these problems. But we need your help. Government cannot and should not do this work alone.”

###

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

>>Read the Full Press Release: Corporation for National and Community Service

Students from Anderson University, IPFW, Ivy Tech- Lafayette, IU-Bloomington, IU-Northwest, IU-South Bend, Ivy Tech-Central, Ivy Tech-Valparaiso, Saint Mary’s College, and USI will come together to:

The program will be led Indiana Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America), Rachel Rekowski and will feature guest speakers Franklin College Service-Learning Coordinator Doug Grant, The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention Program Director Michael Hurst, IUPUI Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies Dr. Larry Zimmerman, and Bread for the World Chair Dave Miner.

In describing the program for the week, Rekowski said “A coalition of college students from across the state of Indiana will come together for an intense and challenging week of in-depth learning.  Students will experience homelessness through a variety of avenues including living in a homeless shelter, visiting an archeological study site focused on homeless culture, and touring and serving at local non-profits that provide services to persons experiencing homelessness. We hope this experience will inspire students to be advocates for our homeless neighbors and become change makers in their communities.”

Indiana Campus Compact is a network of 42 college campuses that involves students, faculty and staff in service-learning and civic engagement in order to educate citizens, prepare tomorrow’s leaders, and contribute to the quality of life of America’s communities.  With support from its governing board comprised of the presidents and chancellors of its member campuses, ICC supports the integration of service-learning and civic engagement into campus culture by facilitating collaborations, sponsoring programs, sharing best practices and promoting awareness of higher education’s role in graduating well-informed, engaged citizens.  For more information, visit www.indianacampuscompact.org.

Dr. Worrall has enjoyed a distinguished career in higher education, serving most recently as the Dean of the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity at Defiance College, and before that as the founding director of the highly regarded Irwin W. Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning at DePaul University.  At DePaul, Laurie was also a member of the founding team of the Msgr. John J. Egan Urban Center, and was the institutional liaison to the Illinois Campus Compact. Laurie earned an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in higher education management; her dissertation topic was Discovering the Community Voice:  The Community Perspective of the Service-Learning Program at DePaul University.  Laurie also earned an M.S. in public service management at DePaul and B.A. in English at Northern Michigan University.  A native of Syracuse, Laurie will officially begin her work as Executive Director of the New York Campus Compact on June 1, 2010.

Upon the announcement of Worrall’s hiring, outgoing director Jim Heffernan stated: ”The New York Campus Compact is indeed fortunate to have the leadership, experience and dedication of Dr. Worrall as we approach our tenth anniversary.  As a seasoned administrator in community-based learning, and a respected voice in civic engagement and campus/community partnerships, Dr. Worrall is a true find.  We look forward to her arrival, and to NYCC’s continuing vitality.” These sentiments were echoed by NYCC Executive Committee co-chair and President of Ulster Community College Donald Katt, who stated: “New York Campus Compact is extremely fortunate to be able to appoint Dr. Laurie Worrall as its new Executive Director.  She possesses a passion for civic engagement and approaches her responsibilities in an entrepreneurial way.  While at DePaul University in Chicago, she grew a service learning program from 11 courses that placed 250 students to one with 200 courses placing more than 3000 students!  Her program became the largest of its kind in Illinois. She also served on the Executive Council of the Illinois Campus Compact for eight years and became their Executive Council Chair before leaving the state for a senior academic leadership position at Defiance College in Ohio.  I truly feel she possesses the experience, the zeal, and the commitment to take the New York Campus Compact to the next level.”

The New York Campus Compact is the largest of 35 state compacts in the country, comprised of 82 institutions across the state committed to student civic engagement and the fulfillment of the public purposes of higher education. Cornell University has hosted NYCC since its inception.  For more information on the New York Campus Compact, please refer to www.nycc.cornell.edu.

New York Campus Compact
95 Brown Road, Box 1006
Ithaca, NY 14850
tel:  607-255-2366
fax:  607-254-6397

Contact: Elizabeth Babcock
Talloires Network Coordinator
babcock {at} icicp(.)org
(p) 202-775-0290
(f) 202-355-9317

WASHINGTON, DC – The Talloires Network and the MacJannet Foundation today announced the winners of the second annual MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship. The first place winner is PuentesUC (Bridges UC) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. PuentesUC is an innovative model of collaboration between the university and municipal governments to further student learning and local development. “This prize brings great recognition to our university and its constant mission to unite academic work with the challenges of our country,” said Ignacio Irarrázaval, director of the Center of Public Politics UC, which oversees PuentesUC.

The MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship recognizes exceptional student civic engagement initiatives based in Talloires Network member universities around the world and contributes financially to their ongoing public service efforts. Sixty-six programs from 54 universities in 27 countries around the world were nominated.

Lawrence S. Bacow, President of Tufts University, serves as the Chair of the Talloires Network, an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education. “The MacJannet Prize embodies the ambitions and founding goals of the Talloires Network and will serve to raise awareness of the contributions universities can make to active citizenship,” said President Bacow.

The MacJannet Foundation, which so-sponsors the annual award, supports the Prize as an extension of the philanthropic work of its founders, international educators Donald and Charlotte MacJannet. The foundation’s president, Tony Cook said “The MacJannet Prize is an ideal way to spotlight the most worthy and productive student service-learning projects in countries around the world. We salute the winners for their unselfish volunteer efforts and their positive contributions to their societies and the global community.”

Winning programs were selected by an international committee representing the MacJannet Foundation, the Talloires Network, and our partners. Members included: Tony Cook (President, MacJannet Foundation); Tony Kleitz (MacJannet Foundation Trustee); Rob Hollister (Dean, Tisch College, Tufts University); Goolam Mohamedbhai (Secretary General, Association of African Universities); Brenda Gourley (Former Vice-Chancellor, the Open University); María Nieves Tapia (Director, Latin American Center for Service-Learning); and Yazmín Cruz (Project Officer, Global University Network for Innovation).

This year’s first place winner, PuentesUC, was launched in 2002 to set up a link between the university and neighboring municipalities. A university-wide program with strong institutional support, its general objective is to provide real-life learning opportunities for its students and to contribute to local community development, generating a permanent link between the university and local government. Participants are students, professors, town officers, and authorities in continuous learning and development. PuentesUC (Bridges UC) refers to a bridge that links academia with city authorities and workers. Since its creation, the program has developed over 1,000 projects in 14 municipalities, with the participation of 6,500 students and 200 professors of all faculties. These projects entail coursework, professional practices, thesis or dissertations, volunteerism, extension, and research. The $5,000 prize will be used to further the program’s inspiring work.

The second place winners are the HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention Program at University of Mines and Technology in Ghana and Community Awareness Initiatives Responsibly-Directed by Engineers (CAIRDE) at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Both second-prize winners will receive $2,500.

The HIV/AIDS Prevention Program at the University of Mines and Technology began with an FM station called Dynamite FM established in 1998. The station is used to educate the local community on environmental issues, HIV/AIDS, public hygiene, and other issues. The program then expanded to field work where competitively-selected and trained students and staff visit mining communities to administer questionnaires on HIV/AIDS prevention; put on various seminar discussions, public fora, video presentations and plays to educate the local population on HIV/AIDS prevention; and to distribute condoms in the local mining camps. Since the program’s inception, the HIV infection rate in Tarkwa, Ghana has dropped from over 4% to 2.5%.

Community Awareness Initiatives Responsibly-Directed by Engineers at NUI Galway is a service-learning program where all third-year Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering students apply academic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs. Established in 2003 by Professor Abhay Pandit, it became an embedded part of the undergraduate Mechanical, Biomedical, and Electrical Engineering programs as part of a required module that previously had been solely lecture-based. The emphasis is on interacting directly with intended beneficiaries of projects. It remains the only service learning engineering program in Ireland.

The MacJannet Foundation and the Talloires Network also awarded third-place prizes, worth $1,000, to five additional outstanding programs from four continents:

The geographic diversity of the winning programs demonstrates the global scope of the movement to incorporate civic engagement within higher education. In all regions of the world, higher education institutions are responding to pressing social issues, and students in particular are championing the idea of global citizenship. The MacJannet Prize recognizes the winning programs as models for universities worldwide and will continue to encourage community engagement within higher education.

###

The Talloires Network is an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education (http://www.tufts.edu/talloiresnetwork/). Innovations in Civic Participation (http://icicp.org/) and Tisch College at Tufts University (http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/) serve as secretariat of the Network.

The MacJannet Foundation carries out the life work of Donald and Charlotte MacJannet by offering scholarship programs, awards, and other financial support for the Tufts University European Center in Talloires, France (http://www.macjannet.org/).

The MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship recognizes exceptional student civic engagement initiatives based in Talloires Network member universities around the world and contributes financially to their ongoing public service efforts. Visit http://www.macjannetprize.org/ in the upcoming months for profiles of the winning programs, and for information about next year’s competition.