The Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service is the perfect place to start. Located in the Schine Student Center, the staff at the Shaw Center will listen to who you are and help you find the placement that is best for you.
And now even better, the Shaw Center has received a grant to support 25 part-time AmeriCorps community service positions. The grant from New York Campus Compact, the New Yorkers Volunteers, and the Corporation for National and Community Service will be used to support the recruitment of college students to volunteer in their communities—helping to increase the capacity of local nonprofit organizations and schools, and meeting critical community-defined needs.
The AmeriCorps Education Award Program currently operates on 15 campuses across the state. Overall, 350 college students will participate in the program this year, and will contribute approximately 105,000 hours of service to their local communities. Through the Education Award Program, college student volunteers in New York will be eligible to earn $1,175 upon successful completion of 300 hours of service. Collectively, students across the state will receive more than $400,000 in education awards. This year’s program will focus on education and economic development, aiming to increase mentoring of disadvantaged youth and create more jobs across the state. In addition, members will also engage in activities from flood relief efforts to health and wellness education.
The Shaw Center was selected as one of four locations to pilot the program in 2010. During that pilot, 9 undergraduate students completed 2700 hours of service at Syracuse schools and community agencies. Syracuse University students earned over $10,000 in AmeriCorps education awards, which could be immediately applied toward their student expenses. This year, Shaw Center hopes to recruit 25 students for the program.
“The Education Award Program brings valuable resources to currently enrolled students who are committed to serving their communities,” said Laurie Worrall, Executive Director of New York Campus Compact. “At a time when financial resources are tight, this program rewards both students and their institutions for continuing their commitments to serve their communities.”
For more information on the Education Award Program at Syracuse University, contact Program Manager Colleen McAllister at literacy@syr.edu. The first information and orientation session will be held on Friday February 1st at 2:00pm.
