Current research highlights the lack of civic engagement among young people, raising concerns about future citizenship and participation in our democracy. There is little indication that a new generation is inclined or prepared to fill vacancies created by the retirement of senior administrators in government, education, social service, and traditional non-profit sectors. By coordinating and augmenting existing resources, the Public Impact Initiative will motivate Dartmouth students to lead civically engaged lives, and provide them with the policy, management, and strategic skills necessary for careers in the common good. The Initiative will include peer institutions in strategic planning, evaluation and post-graduate programs to identify best practices, target measurable civic health outcomes, and encourage replication.

The Public Impact Initiative is a campus-wide effort to strengthen student civic engagement, to encourage students pursuit of careers in the common good, and to use Dartmouth s assets to benefit the region. The Initiative is housed in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center, Dartmouth s center for public policy research, deliberation, and teaching. We plan to link several existing community service and internship programs with a curriculum, career counseling and skills training to provide a coherent experience for students and a road map for their future direction. We request support for the Initiative s first phase to augment current Rockefeller Center offerings with strategically targeted new programs and enhanced student support to strengthen political civic engagement on campus. The funding will expand administrative capacity to foster collaboration among Dartmouth s Tuck School of Business, undergraduate centers, and the Office of Career Services, and long-term partnerships with top-tier public and non-profit employers, and other colleges and universities nationwide.

The Public Impact Initiative will begin by convening employers who hire people into the political world to determine the core competencies and experiences needed for the next generation of public policy and independent sector innovators. This group will include non-profit managers, union organizers, think tanks, campaign and advocacy representatives and legislative councils. This initial meeting will ensure the correct focus for the Initiative. Discussions will inform the Center s program development and assessment protocols and, by engaging the independent sector in Dartmouth s vision, will plant seeds for future national collaboration.

A Comprehensive Program for Civic Leadership
The Public Impact Initiative will include integrated curricular, co-curricular, research, and skill development opportunities to support students interested in pursuing careers in the common good, and to enhance the civic health of all students. The Initiative will structure students progression from consideration of academic policy frameworks, through sophisticated research and practical contributions in the policy world, to specially designed post-graduate training for non-profit management. Students will gain strategies to pursue new ideas, a context for policy development, and an opportunity to prove themselves in the real world of policy and public service all within an infrastructure that facilitates civic innovation and discourse. Each of these elements will be fully integrated to maximize their cumulative impact. The Rockefeller Center will utilize a detailed longitudinal assessment to measure effectiveness, and will solicit student feedback to investigate additional opportunities.

Programming will include an expansion of the civic engagement curriculum, rigorous experiential skill building, and new co-curricular offerings to strengthen civic responsibility among all students as noted below:

A. Building Civic Skills
Participation and Civic Engagement Course Building on new research in the United States and emerging democracies abroad, this class will focus on civic engagement and participation by combining readings, research and field experience. The literature will focus on issues of political participation, issues that affect political activism and grass roots mobilization, polling as a campaign tool, and political strategies that reflect historic demographic trends. The class will include guest lectures from practitioners (preferably some in residence), and a practicum in which students work on a campaign, in a political action committee, party organization or advocacy group, at a press organization, or in a grass roots organization.
Legislative Research Shop Strategically located at the mid-point between the capitals of Vermont and New Hampshire, the Research Shop will provide information to lawmakers in both states, proactively and upon request, in the areas of education, health, and the environment. Both legislatures are part-time and have minimal staff to address increasing policy responsibility in the new devolved environment of state government. Twenty-four paid student researchers will provide in-depth research from other states and produce appropriate policy briefs. A post-doctoral fellow and the Associate Director of Research for the Rockefeller Center will supervise the student researchers.
Civic Engagement Skills Training Filling a need articulated by politically-inclined students, the Rockefeller Center will provide intensive one-week training sessions for students on grassroots and political mobilization. Leading experts in political organizing will teach media strategies, database management, polling, lobbying, volunteer coordination, campaign finance, strategic planning, and fundraising.

B. Developing Civic Leadership on Campus
Leadership House This will be a residence for on-campus civic leaders, complete with space (computers, conference room, and reference information) to support the Research Shop, skills workshops and non-profit ventures. Civically active Dartmouth alumni will provide mentoring activities here as well.
Civic Practitioners in Residence Borrowing from successful models at other colleges and universities, the Rockefeller Center will create a practitioner in residence position on a year-round basis. The position will be for individuals with significant professional experience in the area of public service, politics, or policy. In addition to writing and conducting research, these leaders in their fields will mentor students and, when appropriate, teach a seminar in collaboration with a Dartmouth faculty member. The practitioners will advise the Office of Career Services on new opportunities for graduates and on opportunities for campus program enhancement.

C. Supporting Students Beyond Graduation
Non-Profit Bridge Program Based on the nationally renowned Tuck School of Business Administration Bridge Program, the Tuck School will offer a four-week non-profit finance and management boot camp for recent graduates. This proposal includes seed money for program development and thirty scholarships for Dartmouth graduates. Over time, we will add ten additional attendees from peer institutions whose tuition will help support program costs. < >< > Dedicated Staff for Careers in the Common Good Responding to student demand for more information on public and independent sector careers, the Initiative will support dedicated staff to ensure expert counseling, internships, exposure to national fellowships, and national caliber fairs for careers in the common good.

Building Capacity for Future Growth
The Rockefeller Center must expand its capacity in order to achieve these ambitious programming efforts while maintaining its current level of excellence. Such an expanded operation will over time enhance the Center s potential for entrepreneurship in the field of civic engagement. The Leadership House adds a residential component to enhancing civic health, and will provide additional space for programming and visiting residential scholars. Rockefeller Center has identified opportunities to further increase capacity through consolidation of current staff responsibilities and the strategic addition of new positions. New job descriptions will include a strong focus on fundraising to sustain the Initiative, and on leveraging partnerships to maximize collaboration and replication.

Evaluation
To ensure success, the Public Impact Initiative will provide a baseline assessment of the civic health of undergraduates at Dartmouth College, compare the results to similar assessments at peer institutions, and conduct a longitudinal study to measure the success of program elements against the stated goals. The assessment will utilize the civic health indices developed in the Pew Charitable Trusts-funded CIRCLE Study conducted at the University of Maryland, and will explore incorporating other emerging protocols. Unlike traditional assessments of civic activity on campuses that focus on inputs (i.e. number of hours of community service, use of work study for service, etc.), this evaluation will measure outcomes by evaluating a student cohort s civic health, and tracking the cohort longitudinally to test the effectiveness of new strategies.

Partnerships and National Impact
The Public Impact Initiative will partner with colleges and universities at the forefront of undergraduate efforts in enhancing civic engagement. We will collaborate on the initial focus group, on an institution-to-institution evaluation of civic health, and on participation in the Non-Profit Management Bridge Program. Using these key collaborative elements, we will identify core competencies in the marketplace; diagnose gaps in civic health; test new strategies to address shortfalls; identify best practices for strengthening civic health; and gain a critical mass of students for the Bridge Program to test its effectiveness in launching students into careers in the common good. We will share findings of these collaborative efforts nationally. We expect the reports to spark a national exchange of undergraduate strategies to achieve specific measurable outcomes in the quest for stronger civic engagement in the next generation. Current institutional partners include Tufts University, Stanford University, University of Vermont, and Middlebury College. We will pursue additional national partners when the project is fully funded.

Conclusion
Capitalizing on Dartmouth s long history of academic excellence and Rockefeller Center s strength in public policy, we are eager to build programs, facilities, and expanded capacity to ensure that Dartmouth students are prepared for lives of active civic leadership. We will engage peer institutions from the outset to collaboratively establish measurable outcomes and identify effective practices for national replication. Through this focus and partnership, the Public Impact Initiative will advance research on undergraduate strategies to enhance civic engagement, and pave the way for developing a new generation of civic leaders in America.

web: http://www.twc.edu/

Website: http://religiouslife.stanford.edu/events/wmmw/index.html

-City Year Serve-a-Thon, where all first-years are required to participate in a service learning project .

-The Scholarship Program, where first-years with a demonstrated interest in community service are eligible for this program which awards $5,000 annually to students who wish to enhance their community awareness, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

-BankBoston/Bentley College Forum, an annual event which brings together business executives, community representatives, students, faculty and staff to explore the relationship between business and community.

-America Reads, where students are involved in literacy partnerships with local schools, libraries, and youth groups.

Website: http://ecampus.bentley.edu/dept/bslc/index.html

I. Service learning, integrated with classes or independent study
II. Civic and career development for pre-professional students
III. Co-curricular community service

Website: http://www.csp.msu.edu/slc/

From Service Matters 1998: Engaging Higher Education In the Renewal of America s Communities and American Democracy

Website: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/advancement/development/projects/roosevelt/presleadership/presleadership.html

The program combines a year-long internship of twenty hours a week in a public or non-profit agency with two seminars on issues important to the future of New York City. Special events such as tours, guest lectures, and career workshops enhance the program.

Over the year, Scholars gain:

Firsthand experience of the institutional, economic and political forces that shape public policy.
An opportunity to work directly with public servants on issues that confront them daily.
A generous stipend.
Eighteen credits in Urban Studies.
A mentor from the Hunter College Alumni Association who has similar career and/or personal interests.
A competitive edge in seeking public service careers or admission to graduate school. With the program director, scholars review job descriptions provided by agencies, selecting several at which to interview. Internships are matched as closely as possible with students’ interests and skills.
Scholars take on specific projects, conduct research and analysis, attend staff meetings, and become involved in the functions of their agencies.
Public Service Scholars also participate in two weekly seminars each semester:
– An in-Service Seminar which encompasses the work in the internship and provides an introduction to skills that promote a successful internship.
– Seminar on the City which focuses on the problems of New York City and possible solutions.
Internship placements are available in over 200 public and non-profit agencies and offices of elected officials.

For more information, contact the Hunter College Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, urban {at} hunter.cuny(.)edu

At the conference 300 students attend panels on topics such as city planning, government and elections, and community development. Additonal plans for the project include linking it more closely to civics and American government curricula at local high schools, preparing supplementary material for high school teachers, and developing a companion career guide.

Website: www.civicmind.com/wlevin.htm

The mission of the Office is to promote a values-based approach to career and life planning with opportunities for career exploration through service-learning, cooperative education and internships. The mission of the office reflects the college mission of using knowledge in the service of others and staff members are very much in harmony with this approach. The Career Development Office provides information on public and non-profit career choices and community- based organizations are invited to Career Fairs and on-campus recruiting. Neumann College is part of the Delaware Valley Education Consortium which sponsors the annual Greater Philadelphia Teacher Job Fair to provide students and alumni with the opportunity to meet with representatives of local and national school districts for teaching positions. Students have had cooperative education and internship experiences in a variety of non-profit organizations. Many have taken full time positions with educational, health care and other non-profit organizations. The Director has also developed a course on Socially Responsible Career Planning to be offered in the future.

Website: http://www.neumann.edu/life/career_development.html

Through this unique program, the Points of Light Foundation seeks to enhance the national and community service field by developing young leaders. The Foundation provides a salary with benefits, a travel and professional development budget, and extensive national training for each YES ambassador. The YES ambassador develops an action plan that indicates how they will work at the local, state and national level to build the capacity of organizations to create service and leaderhisp opportunities for you and mobilize more young people to become community problem solvers.

As a result, it became clear that encouraging student interest in nonprofit career areas could not be done in a student s final semesters on campus. Instead a comprehensive program including volunteer, service-learning, internships, fellowships and full time employment support was required. Luckily, UVM s Community Service and Service-Learning Internship coordinators had well-developed programs and a history of collaboration with each other and across the campus. As a result, this year we have catalogued hundreds of full time job openings, in excess of 1000 internships, more than 100 Work-Study community service positions, nearly 300 short-term service opportunities. In addition, there have been monthly workshops attracting hundreds of students, in-class presentations to hundreds more, and one-to-one consultations serving well over 1000 students per year.

As major events are key to building awareness, the Non-Profit program has sponsored “”For Purpose, Not for Profit,”" a daylong event featuring volunteer, internship, and employment options. This event attracted 500 students and drew media coverage from network affiliates and praise from community leaders. In addition, we have hosted Fellowship Day, which highlights over 50 nonprofit organizations offering one and two year employment opportunities to students; and AmeriCorps Day, providing information to students and training to staff about identifying and applying for AmeriCorps/VISTA options. In addition, we co-sponsored the regional Student Activism Conference, where students and community members discuss the importance of engagement and advocacy, and the Senior Women s Transition dinner, which brings together graduating students and alumnae who have transitioned into successful careers.

While many students participate in our events, workshops and individual appointments, still others prefer to take advantage of our hundreds of web-based resources (e.g. postings of volunteer opportunities, internships, Work-Study openings, and full-time jobs, or our extensive collection of printed reference materials and fellowship options. Career Services staff members, led by the Assistant Director for Non-profit Careers, the Service-Learning Internship Coordinator, and our own AmeriCorps/VISTA member, collaborate across campus to raise the profile on jobs related to the public good.

For further information on UVM s Nonprofit Program, please contact Adrienne Ramirez Puches, Assistant Director for Nonprofit Employment or Pamela K. Gardner, Director of Career Services.