Author: Mark Este

Guam – Guam Community College is proud to announce that freshman Pre-Nursing student Carolyn Sanchez is a recipient of the Hawaii Pacific Islands Campus Compact (HPICC) 2010 Community Impact Award for a homeless community service project she initiated last semester.

This is the first time that a student from a U.S. territory has been recognized for the award, according to Moneka DeOro, VISTA coordinator for the GCC Center for Civic Engagement. DeOro nominated Sanchez for the HPICC award. HPICC encompasses 16 member institutions around the Pacific, and the award recognizes one student per institution who exhibits outstanding leadership and innovative approaches in their community service or service-learning endeavors both on their campus and within their community.

Read the full article at Pacific News Center

The Northern New England AmeriCorps*VISTA Collaboration is comprised of the Campus Compact state affiliates in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The collaboration is based on mutual interest in supporting service and service-learning focused on anti-poverty measures across the more than seventy colleges and universities in our collective memberships. Our goals are to develop strategies that will provide access to higher education for low-income individuals, support small and faith based community organizations that serve low-income communities through volunteer recruitment and assist low income communities to access resources related to public safety, disaster relief and emergency preparedness.

Colleges and Universities can do many things to help alleviate poverty in their communities. Campus Compact VISTAs in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont, work at a college or university to strengthen partnerships between community non-profits and campuses. VISTAs also develop and expand service-learning programs focused on anti-poverty measures in all areas of education and human needs including literacy, mentoring, health care, housing, and technology.

By coordinating the integration of service and academics, VISTAs will effect sustainable change that serves community needs while fostering the development of leadership skills and civic engagement in college students.

With twenty-four site placement options ranging from urban to rural, the Northern New England Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA program offers many exciting opportunities.

Position Description:
Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont Campus Compact are looking for individuals to serve on a tri-state AmeriCorps*VISTA team. Positions will begin in with training in mid-August and you must be able to make a 1-year commitment.

Benefits:

• $1,500 cash stipend or $5,350 Education Award upon successful completion of service
• Yearly living allowance of $10,696 – $12,204
• Relocation allowance
• Federal student loan deferment
• Option to purchase life insurance
• Child Care (eligibility determined by income)
• Non-competitive eligibility for federal employment for the year following completion of service
• Extensive training

Service description:

• Working to increase access to higher education opportunities for low income individuals
• Recruiting, training, and sustaining volunteers
• Developing partnerships with local community agencies that combat poverty
• Working with college faculty and administration to support service initiatives on campus such as: Alternative Breaks, America Reads, America Counts and mentoring programs
• Assisting with developing service-learning programs and projects

Qualifications:

• College Degree
• Excellent communication skills
• Public speaking skills
• A positive attitude
• Desire to work with college students
• Volunteer experience and a demonstrated commitment to service
• Leadership experience

For more information, or to submit a cover letter, resume, and reference list, please contact:

Erin Pringle
AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader
Campus Compact for New Hampshire
3 Barrell Court, Suite 200
Concord, NH 03301
603-223-2302 ext.313

Langston University-Tulsa will host its first national conference for educators April 12-14. Professors from across the country will gather to discuss the importance of adopting a more student-centered pedagogy…

…LU-Tulsa, along with the OU-Tulsa Community Engagement Center and faculty from Purdue University, will host the three-day National Conference on Learner-Centered Teaching at the LU-Tulsa campus…Other sponsors include the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the National Agricultural Library, and Oklahoma Campus Compact…

>>Read the full article at The LU Gazette

AUGUSTA — A faculty member at the University of Southern Maine is one of three professors who were honored Wednesday by the Maine Campus Compact for their efforts to promote public service through higher education.

Lorrayne Carroll of Portland, a professor of English and gender studies at USM, received the Donald Harward Award for Faculty Service-Learning Excellence in a ceremony at the Maine State Museum.

Elizabeth Eames, an associate professor of anthropology at Bates College in Lewiston, and Craig McEwen, a professor of economy and sociology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, also received the award…

>> Read the entire article at The Portland Press Herald

College men participate in campus activities at disproportionately low rates, but deliberate efforts to recruit them can help, according to the findings of a two-year study of 14 institutions that was presented here on Tuesday at the annual conference of Naspa—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education…

…student-affairs officers packed a room to hear initial findings from the study, which was financed by a $600,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment. A full report, “Engaging College Men: Discovering What Works and Why,” including case studies from each of the 14 campuses, will be published this summer by Men’s Studies Press…

>>Read the entire article at The Chronicle of Higher Education

MARS HILL — Sometimes it may seem that “the hungry” are far away and that there is nothing that the average person can do to alleviate their suffering.  But the organizers of Hunger Week, to be held next week at Mars Hill College, are hoping to change those perceptions for students, faculty and staff.

“Hunger is an issue across the world and even here in western North Carolina,” said Dallas Thompson, North Carolina Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA worker at Mars Hill College.  Hunger Week is a way that we can demonstrate that the choices we make, including the food we eat ourselves, and the way we live our lives, can make a difference in the availability of food for other people.”

Hunger Week includes a series of activities on the campus which will educate students, staff and members of the public about food and its distribution around the world.  The week will also include several fund raising opportunities for Neighbors in Need of Madison County and MANNA foodbank…

>>Read the full article at the Asheville Citizen-Times

Ohio Wesleyan University has been selected to host an Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA worker during the 2010-2011 academic year, says Sue Pasters, OWU’s director of Community Service Learning…

…“Ohio Wesleyan has a long tradition of service and service learning, including hosting five previous Ohio Campus Compact VISTA volunteers,” Pasters says. “The overwhelming results have been both positive and proactive in developing sustainable campus/community partnerships to meet needs.”

Past VISTA workers have helped to found the Buckeye Valley Reads program, which 11 years later continues to provide tutoring for third-graders in the Buckeye Valley School District, and the Latino Outreach program, which assists Delaware’s Hispanic population with translation and other services in conjunction with the Woodward Family Resource Center, 200 S. Washington St.

>>Read the full article at: Connect2 OWU

PRICE – The purpose of the Utah Campus Compact Statewide Recognition Event is to recognize the work of outstanding faculty, staff, students and community partners at member higher-education institutions on a statewide level.

All 13 colleges in Utah are members of the UCC. Each institution is encouraged to submit one award recipient from each of four categories: the committed community partner, civically engaged scholar, civically engaged staff member and civically engaged student…

…These are some outstanding people who have great accomplishments, goals and ideals. As time goes on and people come and go at College of Eastern Utah, may we all have the courage to dream and to work for our dreams. May we all strive to be better people and help those around us be better people, a SUN Center philosophy.

>>Read the full article at: The CEU Eagle

Connecticut Campus Compact is a statewide consortium of higher education institutions joined together to advance the public purposes of colleges and universities, to help students become more engaged leaders in their communities and to strengthen communities. CTCC is part of a national network with 35 affiliated state offices and more than 100 colleges and universities as members.

CTCC VISTA members mobilize college service-learners and volunteers to serve poverty-affected students and community members, develop and sustain campus/community partnerships to serve poverty-affected students and community members and develop college service-learning courses addressing poverty related issues.

The CTCC VISTA Leader will assist VISTA members in developing authentic reciprocal, meaningful and effective relationships between community partners and institutions of higher education. With nearly ten sites statewide, the CTCC AmeriCorps VISTA program provides exciting opportunities for individuals interested in taking leadership in a progressive field. The VISTA Leader will make a statewide impact as they recruit, support and train VISTAs through their experience and help them to fight poverty in their host communities.

The VISTA Leader will work closely with the program coordinator and executive director to manage the CTCC AmeriCorps*VISTA team. The  VISTA Leader will be responsible for:

• Planning and coordinating monthly VISTA training/meetings;
• Working collaboratively with CTCC staff to design and VISTA orientation and ongoing professional development opportunities;
• Providing ongoing VISTA support via phone, email and site visits;
• Connecting VISTAs with appropriate service-learning, community service, poverty, public safety and other resources as needed;
• Leading teambuilding activities;
• Recruiting, interviewing and coordinating VISTA member placement.

The VISTA Leader will also work on CTCC initiatives throughout their term of service.

Term of service: 07/01/2010 – 06/30/2011

Qualifications:

1. Prior experience as a full time VISTA (required)
2. College degree – A.A. or B.A./B.S.
3. Proven leadership ability, capacity to work within a team and also independently
4. Experience working with post-secondary students
5. Knowledge of and experience in service-learning, volunteer management and national service
6. Strong organizational, project management and event planning skills
7. Ability to manage short and long-term deadlines
8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
9. Strong computer skills

Benefits:

1. Annual living allowance of approximately $15,910 (paid as a monthly stipend of $1,325)
2. Post service education award or end of term cash stipend
3. Health coverage
4. Relocation allowance (if eligible) and travel to VISTA Leader Training
5. Non-competitive eligibility for federal employment following year of full-term service
6. Student loan forbearance and childcare assistance if applicable

To apply, please fax or email a cover letter, resume and three references to:

Anne Watkins
CTCC AmeriCorps*VISTA Search
Connecticut Campus Compact
Fairfield University
University College 201
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
awatkins {at} fairfield(.)edu
Phone: (203) 254-4000 x2312
Fax: (203) 254-4106

FRAMINGHAM — For 18 Framingham State College students, spring break meant long work days of climbing scaffolding, priming and painting walls and building foundations at a Habitat for Humanity site in Washington, D.C.…

…The trip was organized last fall by Adam Goldfarb, a Massachusetts Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA member currently in a one-year placement at Framingham State as a community service leader.

>> Read the full article at The MetroWest Daily News

AMERICORPS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

OVERVIEW
The AmeriCorps Youth Development Specialist is a full-time, temporary position which will begin immediately and go until the end of September. The Youth Development Specialist will focus on projects and tasks associated with recruitment, hiring, advertising, and outreach for the VYCC Summer Conservation Program, and should be prepared to take on additional responsibilities as they arise. The Youth Development Specialist will have the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
The Youth Development Specialist position is ideal for a highly motivated, enthusiastic team player who is interested in working with an organization which has a tremendous impact on the young people and environment of Vermont. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator, detail oriented, comfortable with public speaking, proficient at juggling multiple tasks, and thrives on reaching out to young people and community members. The position will center on recruitment of seasonal employees, hiring youth participants, building relationships with program partners, and ensuring that the experience for participants is successful. As an AmeriCorps Member with the VYCC, the Youth Development Specialist will also be trained in disaster relief and may be part of a response team should the need arise.

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
The VYCC is a non-profit service, conservation, and education organization modeled after the 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps. The VYCC instills the values of personal responsibility, hard work, education, and respect for the environment in young people. Young adults aged 16-24, work, live, and study together in small groups, completing priority conservation and park management projects throughout Vermont under the guidance of highly-trained leaders.

Environmental Factors
The Youth Development Specialist will be based out of the VYCC Headquarters Office in Richmond, VT. The office currently houses 20 full-time staff, as well as varying numbers of interns and volunteers who assist with special projects throughout the season. The Youth Development Specialist must be able to maintain focus and productivity amidst a bustling office atmosphere while sharing office space with others. In addition, all staff work with 17 year-round School Instructors and over 40 summer seasonal staff on a regular basis. The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is an organization that cultivates success using a team approach. All staff must balance personal initiative and independence with an ability to effectively utilize the team process.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Recruitment and Outreach

• Manage the advertising plan and budget including web ads, print ads, and informational mailings to contacts
• Manage the outreach plan including selecting events to attend, scheduling class room presentations, organizing community information sessions, and staffing each event
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with partnering organizations including schools, universities, youth programs, etc.
• Mintain and update the recruitment section of the website as necessary
• Design and update marketing materials including posters, mailings, and on-line applications
• Track and report progress of recruitment goals

Selecting & Hiring Corps Members

• Select and hire approximately 200 youth participants for VYCC’s summer field season
• Conduct phone interviews with applicants as necessary
• Track crew demographics and composition utilizing database systems
• Ensure various grant requirements are met

Corps Member Support

• Work closely with the VT Department of Labor to enroll, support, and communicate progress of youth in the WIA program
• Ensure youth participants are thoroughly informed and prepared for the experience prior to commencement
• Provide additional information to Crew Leaders about participants with barriers to employment
• Work closely with Program Coordinators to ensure participants are set up for success
• Assist with communications with youth support workers when necessary
• Provide letters of recommendation for participants when requested
• Assist with youth evaluation process

Other Responsibilities

• Assemble end of the season statistics
• Conduct end of the season assessment and implement necessary changes
• Attend Field Staff Trainings as needed
• Attend program events and start ups as needed

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge

• Course of study in hiring, youth development or other relevant area

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Exemplary time management, organizational skills, and attention to detail
• Working knowledge of computers and office technology
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Abilities

• Strong sense of initiative
• Belief in VYCC mission
• Willingness to put in long hours to get the job done
• Willingness to adjust to variable work load and duties
• Ability to manage complex logistics

Compensation

• Living Stipend and AmeriCorps Education Award
• AmeriCorps Medical Insurance Coverage
• Training in disaster relief preparedness
• Hands-on professional development
• Being an important team player in a non-profit organization which has a tremendous impact on Vermont
• Supportive, challenging atmosphere with dedicated and professional co-workers

TO APPLY
Send cover letter, resume, and references to Abigail Mendenhall at the address below or by email to Abigail.Mendenhall {at} vycc(.)org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with the position to be filled ASAP.

AmeriCorps Youth Development Specialist Search
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
1949 East Main Street
Richmond, VT 05477 www.vycc.org

(802)-434-3969
fax: (802) 434-3985
info {at} vycc(.)org

The Wisconsin Campus Compact (WiCC) VISTA Project is currently seeking individuals interested in making community change for AmeriCorps*VISTA positions, 2010-2011.

WiCC VISTAs help build capacity to serve low income communities in Wisconsin by forming partnerships between higher educational institutions and community organizations, nonprofits, and schools.

We are a state-wide organization offering placements in the following areas: Milwaukee, Madison, Waukesha, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Kenosha, Racine, Rice Lake, Fond du Lac, Marinette, Menomonie, Sheboygan, Wausau, Whitewater.

Member Duties:
Wisconsin Campus Compact is committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education. Through our state office and the national Campus Compact network, member institutions receive the training, resources, and advocacy they need to build strong surrounding communities and teach students the skills and values of democracy.

WiCC VISTAs work closely with college students, faculty, administrators and community partners to promote service and civic engagement through close relationships with community based organizations.

Every site is different and every community unique, but here are some examples of the work you could do as a VISTA:

• Support community projects that alleviate poverty, such as tutoring programs and community gardens
• Recruit, train and mentor volunteers
• Write grant proposals to support partnership activities
• Help educate campus communities about local poverty issues
• Gain experience in project management and communications skills

Program Benefits:

• Monthly living stipend of $858-891per month (amount depends on region)
• Childcare assistance (if eligible) of $400 per month
• Relocation allowance if moving more than 50 miles
• Health coverage
• Monthly training and conference opportunities
• Option of Education Award of $5,350 or Cash Stipend of $1,500 at the end of service
• 10 personal days and 10 sick days
• Option for life insurance
• Loan deferment for most federally funded student loans
• Non-competitive eligibility for federal jobs after service

Skills:

• Associates or Bachelor’s degree OR similar life experience
• Community service experience
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Takes initiative, is a self-starter
• Creative and innovative
• Relationship-building, teamwork, and leadership skills
• Flexible, deals well with change
• Excellent organizational and computer skills

NOTE: VISTAs serve full-time and cannot be enrolled in school or hold another job while they are serving.

To apply: http://www.wicampuscompact.org/vista/vindex.php

Contact:
Francesca Smith
AmeriCorps*VISTA Program Director
Wisconsin Campus Compact
608.890.3223
francesca.smith {at} uwex(.)edu
Wisconsin Campus Compact
432 N. Lake Street, Room B121B
Madison, WI 53706

National AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader Campus Compact

Boston, MA

The overarching objective of the national Campus Compact VISTA leader position is to support the Campus Compact VISTA network in state Compact offices across the country, through communication, collaboration, promotion and resource sharing.

Key Goals:

1. To develop support mechanisms and act as a resource for VISTA program supervisors, VISTA alumni and VISTA leaders,
2. To facilitate communication among VISTA programs,
3. To share promising practices,
4. To conceptualize possibilities for VISTA professional development, and
5. To look for innovative ways that the VISTA program may expand its effectiveness, efficiency and impact.

Possible projects include:

• Updating VISTA resource pages on national website.
• Fostering communication between state VISTA leaders and program supervisors.
• Fostering communication between and with Campus Compact VISTA alumni.
• Developing leadership within the network by establishing working groups to improve systems, identify challenges and recommend solutions.
• Publishing a Campus Compact VISTA newsletter or other type of communication to foster resource-sharing, communication, and a sense of collective impact and identity.
• Assessing the needs of VISTA leaders and program supervisors across the country, and how these needs may be met collaboratively.
• Assembling and disseminating a collection of promising practices (i.e. recruitment, retention, training, documenting impact, member support, etc.).
• Highlighting the work of VISTA programs by identify and writing stories that demonstrate community and member impact and work.
• Exploring opportunities for professional development for VISTA leaders and program supervisors (such as a Campus Compact VISTA leader track at VISTA leader training, organizing a national summit, creating working groups to explore professional development options, etc.).
• Representing the Compact at conferences, workshops and meeting as assigned.
• Working with the director of institutional development to expand and implement Campus Compact VISTA Alumni Network.
• Other responsibilities that may arise that would further contribute to the Compact.

Qualifications

• Experience with Campus Compact VISTA programs
• One year of experience as an AmeriCorps VISTA or an AmeriCorps VISTA leader
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Experience and interest in social media and marketing
• Experience coordinating working groups with multiple stakeholders
• Strong organizational skills, project and multi-task management, public speaking, event planning
• College Degree ­ Associates, B.A., or B.S.

AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader Benefits

• Annual living allowance of $15,948 (Monthly stipend of $1,329)
• Post service educational award or end of service stipend
• Health coverage and child care
• Relocation allowance and travel to AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader Training
• Non-competitive eligibility for federal employment following the year of full-time service
• Student loan forbearance
• Transportation assistance

Interested applicants must apply online at www.americorps.gov. Please send cover letter and resume to Mark Este at meste {at} compact(.)org.

YELLOW SPRINGS — Students at Antioch University McGregor will award $4,500 to three Miami Valley nonprofit agencies, thanks to a student philanthropy grant from Ohio Campus Compact.

The university was one of 15 Ohio colleges or universities awarded the Pay It Forward: Strengthening Communities through Student-Led Philanthropy grant, according to its Web site. Students in the Human Services Systems class will divide the money among three nonprofits, helping children in Montgomery, Greene or Clark counties…

>> Read the full article at the Dayton Daily News

BOONE – Appalachian State University is the winner of the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Technology Challenge Contest for a video documenting the university’s MLK Challenge event in January. Appalachian beat out four national finalists by receiving 48 percent, or 6,701, of the 14,055 votes cast from 45 states across the United States…

…the national technology contest was developed by North Carolina Campus Compact to highlight and increase college student volunteerism on MLK Day, one of two federal holidays designated as a day of service.

>> Read the full article at Appalachian State University News

Use your experience as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member to help other VISTA members make the most out of their year of service!

The WiCC AmeriCorps*VISTA programs enrolls 35 passionate AmeriCorps*VISTA members each year in our program. Our VISTAs are placed on college campuses and in community organizations working on projects that are addressing poverty issues in a variety of ways. Our two (2) VISTA Leaders are crucial to the success of our VISTA members. The VISTA Leaders help to plan trainings (in-person and through the use of technology), recruit members, solve problems, connect VISTA members to resources and best practices, among other things. The VISTA Leader positions are housed in the WiCC main office centrally located in Madison. The VISTA Leaders travel on a regular basis to visit the 35 VISTA members across the state. The VISTA Leaders work closely with the WiCC VISTA Program Director to create a successful experience for all 35 WiCC VISTA members.

WiCC is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering civic engagement and service-learning among college students and their campuses. Our VISTA projects all work to build a bridge between the campus and community. They do this through a variety of projects such as: Campus Kitchen which gets otherwise unused food to those that desperately need it, developing community gardens to provide fresh food to food pantries and community members, developing after school science clubs to expose youth to fun science activities, creating mentoring and tutor projects, and engaging faculty and students in service-learning projects that train students to prepare taxes for low-income families. This is just a small sampling of the projects are VISTAs engage in. If you are passionate about national service, volunteerism, service-learning apply today!

The VISTA Leaders will have office space in the heart of Madison, WI, a free bus pass, a living stipend of $1091 a month and a choice of $5,350 education award or $3,000 cash stipend. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the positions will be filled as appropriate.

An ideal VISTA Leader will be innovative, patient, people-person, who loves to solve problems and feels comfortable working on a computer. Applicants MUST have one year of experience of VISTA prior to starting the position. The position start date is flexible. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter explaining why they want to serve as a VISTA Leader to:

Francesca Smith
WiCC AmeriCorps*VISTA Program Director
432 N. Lake St Rm B121B
Madison, WI 53706
francesca.smith {at} uwex(.)edu

www.wicampuscompact.org