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Current Issue - March 2009
(Release Date: March 27, 2009)
Welcome to the Current issue of the monthly NC Campus Compact Digest E-Newsletter. Announcements are posted on this page. Please click on the headings below to link to another section.
Announcements
Awards and Contests
Calls for Papers and Requests for Info
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Internship and Fellowship Opportunities
Calendar: Conferences and Events
VISTA
Resources
Announcements
NC Campus Compact Welcomes New Member!
We are pleased to welcome our newest member Wake Technical Community College! We welcome President Dr. Stephen C. Scott and Paul Norman, Dean of Students, our primary contact. This brings our membership to 42 members; 39 individual campuses and the 3 sector offices. Visit this link for the complete list of 2008-09 members.
NC-ACTS! Outstanding Service Award - Nominations Due April 1st!
We are now accepting applications for the inaugural NC-ACTS! AmeriCorps Outstanding Service Award. This award is to be presented to an NC-ACTS! AmeriCorps member who provides outstanding service to their service site by going above and beyond the responsibilities and duties stated in their Service Site Agreement. The winner is a member who has used their skills and knowledge to help the site advance their mission, expand their service/client base and or enhance the services they provide. Nominees must be nominated by a current NC-ACTS! Campus Coordinator. Visit this link for more information including the Nomination Form.
Submission deadline: April 1, 2009
National Campus Compact Gets a Facelift!
National Campus Compact has officially launched their new website design at http://www.compact.org. The new site features a completely new design and structure, including a new content management system that will allow users to navigate the site more easily.
Some areas to note:
- You can now post your own events, jobs, grants, awards, and calls for proposals. Simply go to the appropriate section and use the “Post your own” link in the right-hand navigation. You can add resources and even news items the same way. Posts may take up to a few days to be approved before they appear on the site, although most will go up within a day or two.
- In addition to the new design and easier-to-use navigation, the new site features a completely updated Resources section with new categories and many new resources. The site also has a much better site map and a more useful “search” function to help viewers get the information they need.
- The home page features photos from state Compact offices and member campuses across the country. If you’d like to submit a photo for possible inclusion in the home page slideshow, please send it in jpeg (or similar format) along with a caption identifying those pictured, what institution they’re from, and what they’re doing to Bonnie at bghughes@compact.org . Photos should be clear, close-up, and action-oriented. For this use, they also need to be horizontal rather than vertical. Any individuals pictured must give written permission for Campus Compact to use the photo on the web and/or in print.
House & Senate Pass Bipartisan Legislation to Expand and Strengthen National Service
![MCj02382290000[1]](images/clip_image002_006.gif) On March 18 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the most significant overhaul and expansion of national service programs in 16 years.
The House passed H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act bill by strong bipartisan vote of 321 to 105. The vote came after a floor discussion that featured a series of Members of Congress from both parties who saluted America’s long tradition of service and cited numerous examples of volunteers and national service participants helping Americans in need through mentoring at-risk youth, building homes, teaching in underserved schools, caring for veterans and seniors, and helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters.
The GIVE Act would update and strengthen national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency created in 1993. The Corporation engages more than four million Americans in result-driven service each year, including 75,000 AmeriCorps members, 492,000 Senior Corps volunteers, 1.1 million Learn and Serve America students, and 2.2 million additional community volunteers mobilized and managed through the agency’s programs.
Follow this link for the full press release: http://www.nationalservice.org/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1265
Following House action , on March 26, the United States Senate voted 79-19 to pass the most sweeping expansion and reform of national service programs in a generation.
After renaming the legislation the “Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act,” the Senate burst into a standing ovation for the Massachusetts Senator, who crafted the legislation along with Senator Hatch and whose entire life has been devoted to public service.
The Senate’s action follows the 321-105 House vote last week in support of H.R. 1388, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. The Senate passed a substitute that largely mirrors the House bill, and differences between the versions are minor. House leaders are planning for a vote on the Senate-passed bill as early as Monday.
“I want to applaud all those who have worked so hard to see this bill through, and I am eager to sign it into law. This legislation will help create new opportunities for millions of Americans at all stages of their lives,” said President Obama in a statement http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/statements_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1278. “Our work is not finished when I sign this bill into law – it has just begun. While our government can provide every opportunity imaginable for us to serve our communities, it is up to each of us to seize those opportunities. I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country.”
The legislation would update and strengthen national service programs administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service http://www.nationalservice.gov/, a federal agency created in 1993. The Corporation engages four million Americans in result-driven service each year, including 75,000 AmeriCorps members, 492,000 Senior Corps volunteers, 1.1 million Learn and Serve America students, and 2.2 million additional community volunteers mobilized and managed through the agency’s programs.
During four days of debate, numerous Senators explained how their own service experiences in the military, Peace Corps, and other organizations taught them valuable lessons and set them on a lifelong path of service. Senators shared real-life examples of volunteers and national service participants in their states providing vital services to address illiteracy, homelessness, disasters, poverty, and other social ills.
“Today’s Senate passage of the Serve America Act demonstrates welcome bipartisan agreement on the often neglected but indispensible value of citizen service in addressing some of the most urgent challenges facing America and the world. The bill is a major expansion of existing national and community programs. Its goal is to tap much more deeply into Americans’ enthusiasm to serve, and direct it to areas and issues where it can make the biggest difference,” Senator Kennedy said.
The bill contains a wide range of provisions to expand service opportunities and strengthen program management, including:
- Puts AmeriCorps on a growth path from its current level of 75,000 to 250,000 annual members, with focus on priority needs including advancing student achievement and graduation, providing economic opportunity, increasing energy efficiency, improving health care access, and enhancing service opportunities for veterans.
- Increases the amount of the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award that AmeriCorps members receive after their completing their term of service from $4,725 to the Pell Grant amount of $5,350.
- Strengthens the nation’s civic infrastructure through creation of a Social Innovation Fund to provide seed money and scale up innovative and evidence-based initiatives and a Volunteer Generation Fund to award grants to nonprofits and states to recruit, manage, and support volunteers.
- Provides incentives for middle and high school students to engage in service through a Summer of Service program and authorizes higher education institutions to be eligible for grants to encourage students to engage in service during school and in their future careers.
- Expands service opportunities for older Americans by expanding eligibility for the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs, introducing competition into the Retired Senior Volunteer Program to better position the program for expansion, and creating other opportunities for Baby Boomers and other older Americans to transition into post-career service opportunities.
The early focus on bipartisan national service legislation comes as the economic downturn increases demands on the nonprofit sector and as AmeriCorps experiences a spike in applications and interest. Last month there were 9,731 applications submitted to the AmeriCorps online application system, more than triple the 3,159 submitted in February 2008.
Webinar: Sustaining Successful Civic Engagement Campus and Community Based Initiatives, Thursday, April 9, 2009, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (EST)
Institutions of Higher Education often focus on service learning and civic engagement initiatives that send students into the community in ways that are robust for a semester (or a quarter) but may not continue after the semester. These may be successful for the moment , often episodic, depending on a faculty member’s commitment to the community, the community organization’s commitment to the institution, or student desire to continue with the agency after the grading period ended. Three major elements may serve to inhibit the sustainability of service learning partnerships:
- It is hard for faculty members to have ongoing commitment to a community partner if they are not consistently teaching particular courses;It is hard for community organizations to know the developmental level of students who come to assist with an agency, the numbers of students, or the student expectations of the collaboration;
- Students are easily frustrated if the community-university partnership is unclear, disorganized, or unsupported.
Wagner College, through a grant supported by Learn and Serve of the Corporation for National and Community Service, created Civic Innovations: a model that fosters sustainable and successful community-university service learning collaborations. The model resulted in:
- “Community Connected Departments” and “Department Connected Agencies. “Students placed in Department Connected Agencies based on developmental skills and agency needsOn-going consistent student placement with agenciesDeeper student commitment to civic engagement and civic leadership
- Increased trust and respect between Community Connected Department and Department Connected Agencies.
Institutional commitment to this model is a combination of leadership and commitment between and among upper administration, Academic Deans, Department Chairs, and Department faculty. A critical element of this model includes broad based leadership and commitment from each level within the institution.
To register for this webinar visit: https://etr.webex.com/etr/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=929952466 (Register soon, size is limited)
Civic Engagement Professional of the Year Award – Call for Nominations
The Civic Engagement Professional of the Year Award recognizes a staff person at a North Carolina Campus Compact member campus that has worked towards the institutionalization of service, created and strived towards a vision of service on their campus, supported faculty and students, and formed innovative campus-community partnerships. Visit this link for more information and to download the Nomination Packet.
Submission deadline: April 17, 2009
Civic Engagement Administrators Conference – Register Today!
Registration is now open for this annual gathering of staff and faculty who administer civic engagement efforts on their campus. From informal networking to formal presentations, this is the opportunity for individuals to share best practices, challenges and successes. Proposed topics will include managing civic engagement efforts with limited resources, building campus structures for civic engagement, risk management and assessing civic engagement.
Due to budget constraints facing many campuses, we have reduced the conference from two days to one and reduced the registration fee significantly. Special thanks to Stacey Riemer (Assistant Dean of Students for Community Service) and Davidson College for serving as the host.
During the luncheon we will present the 2009 Civic Engagement Professional of the Year Award. We are currently accepting nominations for the award (see below for more details)
Registration Fees: $40 for members/$55 for non-members (this includes continental breakfast, lunch, materials and technology fees).
Register today at this link. The registration deadline is April 24, 2009.
Recruiting Summer Associates
NC Campus Compact is working with Triad campuses to offer a pilot Summer Associate Americorps*VISTA program that will offer first generation college students an opportunity to serve on campuses, particularly within their programs and summer offerings that target disadvantaged youth and first generation students. Students will receive a stipend and will benefit from collaboration and professional development with the other VISTAs. Professional development will help them build on their early college success, as well as develop leadership skills.
If you have first generation students who will be living in the Triad during the summer, we ask you to encourage them to apply for this opportunity. They can start the application process by contacting Jonathan Romm at jromm@elon.edu, or 336.278.7197.
 It's 2009-2010 AmeriCorps*VISTA Recruitment Time!
NC Campus Compact is recruiting applicants for 2009-2010 AmeriCorps*VISTAs. As we search nationally, we are also looking for some of North Carolina’s best. If you know of highly motivated, civically-minded students graduating this spring who may want to spend a year serving in this capacity on your campus or on another campus in the state, please contact Jonathan Romm, VISTA Director, at jromm@elon.edu.
Upcoming Poverty Awareness Week Events Sponsored by the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity
These upcoming events may be of interest to you.
April 2: Change Comes Knocking with Panel Discussion, 7 p.m. at the Hanes Art Center
Change Comes Knocking reveals the story of the North Carolina Fund, a little-known yet influential anti-poverty program from the 1960s. This powerful film looks at the combustible combination of race, class and politics stirred up by the Fund and examines its lasting legacy.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with Ann Atwater (NC Fund community organizer); Howard Fuller (NC Fund community organizer), Rebecca Cerese (filmmaker) and Thomas Lambeth (assistant to Gov. Sanford).
Co-sponsored by the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity and Video Dialog.
April 3: Howard Fuller, Poverty Awareness Week Keynote Address, 4 p.m. Hanes Art Center
Howard Fuller, noted North Carolina community organizer, passionate speaker and controversial educational advocate for minority children, will deliver the keynote address for UNC's annual Poverty Awareness Week. Fuller will discuss the grassroots organizing strategies used in NC during the civil rights movement, and the value of these strategies today in implementing solutions to poverty on the community level.
The public is invited to a reception for Dr. Fuller to be held from 3:30-4 at the Hanes Art Center.
Co-sponsored by the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, Video Dialog, CJAA, SARR, UNC-NOW, UNC NAACP.
April 9: Poverty and the Recession in North Carolina: Challenges and Opportunities, George Watts Hill Alumni Center
State and national experts to discuss the effect of the current economic crisis on the poor and near-poor in the U.S. and North Carolina.
Featured speakers:
- The Honorable Joe Hackney, Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives and President of the National Conference of State Legislatures, will deliver the morning keynote address. Speaker Hackney worked closely with members of Congress and the Obama administration to enact the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
- The Honorable Brad Miller, Representative to Congress from North Carolina, will present the lunchtime address. In addition to his extensive work on bankruptcy, foreclosures and consumer protection, Congressman Miller has been a vocal critic of the Treasury Department and the bail-out plan.
Visit www.law.unc.edu/centers/poverty/events for more information and to register. |
Earth Hour 2009 - TOMORROW!
Earth Hour 2009 is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to take responsibility and to get involved in working towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to The Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world will turn off their lights and join together in creating the vital conversation about the future of our precious planet. Over 64 countries and territories are participating in Earth Hour 2009. Join Earth Hour 2009 by turning off your lights at 8.30pm Saturday, March 28. Learn more about Earth Hour, and how to run your own Earth Hour at: http://www.earthhour.org/action/
Get Ready for AmeriCorps Week 2009 - May 9-16, 2009
Do you host the NC-ACTS!* AmeriCorps Program or AmeriCorps VISTA? If so, you understand the benefit and powerful impact of the AmeriCorps program. Please consider hosting an event during AmeriCorps Week to spread the word about national service!
What Is AmeriCorps Week?
AmeriCorps Week is a recruitment and recognition event designed to bring more Americans into service, salute AmeriCorps members and alums for their powerful impact, and thank the community partners who make AmeriCorps possible.
AmeriCorps Week provides an opportunity for AmeriCorps members, alums, grantees, program partners, and friends to shine a spotlight on the work done by members in communities across the country—and to motivate more Americans to join AmeriCorps or volunteer in their communities.
What Activities are Planned?
AmeriCorps Week events happen across the country. They include statewide AmeriCorps gatherings, award ceremonies, “AmeriCorps for a Day” events with local VIPs, community service projects, recruitment fairs, and more.
What Can I Do During AmeriCorps Week?
Those with a special interest in AmeriCorps are encouraged to use their creativity to mark the week in any way they see fit. For example, members and alumni could make presentations to students or community groups. Grantees could stage an open house, service project, or volunteer fair. Local officials and leaders could be asked to serve as an AmeriCorps member for a day. And members and programs could “spread the word” about the power of service by writing letters to the editor or blogging about their AmeriCorps service online.
Visit this link for the AmeriCorps Week website.
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