ELON, Jan 8 – Over 16,000 college students from 147 campuses in 28 states, plus the District of Columbia, are expected to engage in volunteer service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These projects, which include everything from clean-ups at local nature preserves to hosting diversity and peace-based educational festivals for youth, will take place on or during the week of the federal King Holiday, Jan. 18.
Each of the 147 campuses received a grant to support their projects from North Carolina Campus Compact, one of six lead agencies to receive funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service to mobilize volunteers for the King Day of Service. The other lead agencies are the Points of Light Institute, Youth Service America, Service for Peace, Campus Kitchens and the National Alliance of Faith and Justice.
Participation has grown steadily since Congress passed legislation in 1994 encouraging Americans to serve on the King Holiday. The MLK Day of Service focuses on bringing people together from diverse backgrounds to meet needs in their local communities.
State Campus Compact offices in Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia received funding, which will then be disseminated to a total of 83 member campuses in the form of mini-grants. Thirty-six individual campuses across 15 states and the District of Columbia received out-of-network grants. Funding was also given to 28 campuses throughout North Carolina.
For more information about the campus-based service efforts, contact Leslie Garvin, Associate Director of NC Campus Compact at (336) 278-7278 or visit www.nccampuscompact.org for a complete list of participating institutions. To learn about the national MLK Day of Service visit www.MLKDay.gov.
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North Carolina Campus Compact is a coalition of 46 college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. NC Campus Compact is a member of national campus compact which has over 1,100 presidential members and 35 state offices.
The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. For more information visit www.nationalservice.gov