OCSL: UMass Serves newsletter

  
    
        
        

      

    UMass Serves!

      
February 20, 2008          
Announcements for UMass  students, faculty and community partners interested in Community Service Learning

      

        

              You are receiving this message because of your connection to Community Service Learning at UMass Amherst.            
If links and images do not display properly, click here to  read UMass Serves! on our website. 
QUICK LINKS
Use these links  to quickly find opportunities and information of interest to you.

                      
                         
                          
Academic opportunities
Volunteer & civic opportunities
Scholarships, grants & fellowships
Conferences & other events


                         
                        
Opportunities to present/publish
Student employment opportunities
UMass Serves! subscription info

                      
ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES
COMBINE SERVICE AND LEARNING
Submit an Independent Study proposal (due February 25, 2008)
Through the Independent Study option, students can combine academic content with community involvement to craft their own service-learning courses. This opportunity is open to all students. Click here to learn more about  integrating service into your learning.
THINK OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Apply to the Citizen Scholars Program (due March 28, 2008)
The Citizen Scholars Program offers students an environment to think critically about social issues and act creatively to produce change.  In this academic service-learning program, students develop knowledge and skills needed to be  effective community leaders who can work collaboratively with others for social change.  Find more information and applications at www.umass.edu/csl/citizenscholars. 
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VOLUNTEER & CIVIC OPPORTUNITIES
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER HOLYOKE 
Seeking volunteers
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke welcomes  volunteers to any of its afternoon and/or evening programs. The organization is looking for  people who can commit for an entire semester. The Boys & Girls Club welcomes students to tutor the youngsters and/or help with  homework. The organization is also interested in students who have particular  skills, such as dance, arts & crafts, and would like to lead a program. Those interested in this opportunity should contact Laurie Millman at lmillman@hbgc.org.
GREAT FALLS MIDDLE SCHOOL (Turners Falls, MA)
Seeking volunteers
 The seventh grade team at Great Falls Middle School has 
              identified a need for tutors to help students in a 1:1  or small group
              setting, in a variety of subjects.  Students who might be
              interested in engaging in this type of service would be meeting a
              great need, and would learn a lot in return! Those interested in this opportunity should contact Meghan Fitzgibbons at riseturners@dialself.org or (413) 863-7258.
VOTE!
Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Click here to find out how to register to vote, get an absentee ballot while away at college, access a Spanish/English glossary of election terms and get ideas for mobilizing others on campus.
FIND OTHER LOCAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Check out CSLinks
This database lists hundeds of opportunities for students looking to enrich their academic experiences or simply contribute to their community.  Check out CSLinks anytime from anywhere!
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$CHOLARSHIPS / GRANT$ / FELLOW$HIPS
UMASS AMHERST FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE
            
Information sessions: February 28, 2008 & March 7, 2008
			
Annually, the UMass Amherst Provost's Committee on Service Learning awards grants to units and faculty planning to build CSL into a course, a major, or into other parts of their curriculum.  Five types of awards will be available for 2008-2009. 
            To assist faculty in preparing proposals, two Information/Technical Assistance sessions will be held before the March 28 deadline. Click here for more information about these sessions and about available fellowships.
            
STAPLES FOUNDATION
 
Applications due:
 February 29-March 14; June2-June16
 
 The  Staples Foundation for Learning aims to teach, train, and inspire people from all walks of life by providing educational and growth opportunities. The Foundation supports programs that provide job skills and/or education for all people, with special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. The goal of the Foundation's grant program is to help local groups with programs and services that will positively impact their communities every day. Nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii, that address the Foundation's mission are eligible to apply. For the first two funding cycles in 2008, proposals must be submitted between February 29 and March 14 and between June 2 and June 16. Visit the website listed below for application guidelines. 
For more information, click here.
            
LEADERSHIP AWARD AVAILABLE

			Applications due: March 21, 2008
The Frank Newman Leadership Award provides financial support and mentorship to assist students in achieving their civic and academic goals. Two $5,000 awards are available. For guidelines and eligibility, view full application online.
STUDENT HUMANITARIAN AWARD AVAILABLE

			Applications due: March 21, 2008
The Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Award recognizes students for their innovative strategies in addressing community issues and needs, and their efforts to build and sustain this work among their peers and within their institution. Five awards are available to undergraduate students. For guidelines and eligibility, view full application online.
FACULTY AWARD AVAILABLE

			Applications due: March 21, 2008
The Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service-Learning recognizes one faculty member for exemplary leadership in advancing the civic learning of students, including public scholarship, building campus commitment to service-learning and civic engagement, and fostering reciprocal community partnerships.

          One award of $2,000 will be granted to a faculty member. For guidelines and eligibility, view full application online.
FLANAGAN FUND SUPPORTS COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING & MORE            
            
Applications due: March 31, 2008
            
The Maureen Flanagan Scholarship  offers students opportunities above and beyond the standard college experience such as study abroad, research, summer internships, alternative spring breaks, community service, or other initiatives that complement and enhance students' coursework.  For more information, click here.
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CONFERENCES / OTHER EVENTS
3rd ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL SERVICE-LEARNING: ADVANCING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE
February 29-March 1, 2008;  Indianapolis, IN
This conference will bring together practitioners, researchers, and scholars to critically examine international service learning as an intentionally designed curriculum for engaging American students in educationally meaningful international service experiences focused on developing civic skills, knowledge, and dispositions. For more information, visit the conference website.
IMPACT CONFERENCE
March 7-9, 2008;  Boston, MA
The IMPACT Conference is  historically the largest convening in the country of campus community members  involved in service, activism, politics, advocacy, and other socially  responsible work across philosophical and ideological lines. This event builds  on the legacy set forth by the COOL Conference and the Idealist Campus  Conference, spanning an incredible 23-year history. To register and see all  conference information, visit the  conference website.
7th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CONFERENCE
Women in Politics: Changing the Face of Power

            
March 8, 2008; Great Barrington, MA
The conference will explore ways in which women are shaping today's political landscape, both globally and locally. The conference will examine women's different paths to political power; women's choices to work within political systems or push against them; and women's political priorities in the U.S. and abroad. The registration for students is only $10! For more information, visit the conference website.
COMMUNITY-ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP FACULTY DEVELOPMENT CHARRETTE*
            
Call for Applications (due March 17, 2008)
            
May 28-30, 2008; Chapel Hill, NC
            
Faculty for the Engaged Campus is seeking teams from 20 diverse colleges and universities across the U.S. to participate in a charrette to facilitate development of innovative campus-wide mechanisms for preparing and supporting community-engaged faculty.  This opportunity is for  institutions  committed to furthering their investment in community-engaged scholarship
(CES) through effective faculty development and would benefit from  focused, collaborative learning  with a cadre of like-minded others. Review and download application materials here.
(*A charrette is an intensely focused multi-day session that uses a collaborative approach to create realistic and achievable designs. This charrette will convene campus teams, project leadership and expert advisors to collaboratively design innovative models of CES faculty development.)
19th Annual National Service Learning Conference
April 9-12, 2008; Minneapolis, MN
The largest gathering of youths and practitioners from   the service-learning movement. For more information, please visit the conference website.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESENT / PUBLISH YOUR WORK
None.
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STUDENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE U.S. AND ABROAD
 Through Envision EMI, you have  the opportunity to visit interesting places, improve instructional  communication skills and earn money. Envision EMI organizes programs for  students with good academic performance and impressive leadership skills. Its  mission is to foster and inspire young people to achieve their full leadership  potential. One of the conferences organized by Envision EMI, the Global Young  Leaders Conference (GYLC), is designed to educate, motivate, and inspire  students by giving them the opportunity to explore cultural differences  firsthand, challenge diplomatic skills daily, build confidence and enhance  decision-making skills in an exciting atmosphere that is challenging and fun.  To learn more about  Envision's   job opportunities  visit their employment page.              
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SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE
To subscribe or unsubsribe to this mailing list, please contact us at servelearn@acad.umass.edu.
For more information about Community Service Learning or about the UMass Office of Community Service Learning, please visit our website or contact us by email or phone at (413) 545-2015.
 

      