Texas Campus Compact
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state
officePatricia Paredes, M.A. Executive
Director Lynn Prince Director
of Operations/ AmeriCorps*VISTA Administrator Katie Hardgrove TxCC VISTA Leader executive boardDr. Charles
Cotrell, Chair President, St. Mary's University Dr. Steve Kinslow,
Vice Chair President, Austin
Community College District Dr. Juliet Garcia, Immediate Past Chair President, The
University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Dr. Ana
Guzman President, Palo Alto College Dr. Cary Israel President,
Collin County Community College District James Spaniolo,
J.D. President, The University of Texas at Arlington Dr. George
Wright President, Prairie View A&M University
Texas Campus Compact
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Colorado
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Austin, Texas 78701
Building
Communities. Educating Citizens
our website TxCC Corporate Donors    Community Partners   Texas Campus Compact Statewide Initiatives   
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 | TxCC News
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Texas Campus Compact attends Baylor Poverty Summit
By Katie Hardgroves, TxCC State VISTA Leader
On Saturday, November 7th,
Lynn Prince and I had the distinct pleasure of presenting at Baylor
University's Poverty Summit in Waco, Texas.
This was my first time visiting Baylor and I was equally impressed with
the beauty of the campus and the dedication and work that the students, staff
and faculty put into hosting this event.
This year marked the second annual summit, which included three days of
activities and 12 breakout sessions. We
were excited to be invited to lead a breakout discussion about the role of
service learning on campus, and how it relates to alleviating community
poverty. Our student group not only gave
up their Saturday morning to learn with us, but was active, engaged, and
excited. It is a pleasure to share our
message of the power of service learni ng, and see students as they "get it."
As a VISTA Leader, I am so encouraged by Baylor's amazing example of how service learning, and dedication to combating poverty can come
together in such a perfect way; further spreading the message that college
students can do something to help. This
event was truly a testament to the creative spirit of the service learning
staff and students at Baylor, and a true model of programming that I hope will
spread to other campuses across the state.
I want to extend a gracious THANK YOU to Marianne Magjuka,
who coordinated the event and works as the project supervisor for Texas Campus
Compact at Baylor. Amanda Allen, our
VISTA at Baylor, was a major contributor to the planning and success of the poverty
summit. See you there next year!
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| Compact VISTA News
| From Mark Estes, Campus Compact National VISTA Leader
Conference Call Series:
Campus Compact is facilitating a series of
conference calls throughout the year focused on specific VISTA related issues.
We have our first two scheduled for December and they will be:
Alternative Spring Break and VISTA
Tuesday, December 8 -
2:30pmEST/11:30amPST
Facilitator: Rachel Dingman, VISTA Leader for Maine Campus Compact
This call will focus on what a VISTA's role can and can't be in helping campus
ASB projects. We will also discuss fund raising methods, travel policies, and
project sites. This call is open to VISTAs, VISTA Leaders, and supervisors. As
a VISTA, Rachel Dingman helped coordinate an ASB trip to the Texas Gulf Coast
last Spring with Colby College.
Retooling CC VISTA Programs to Fulfill Poverty Goals
Thursday, December 10 - 2:30pmEST/11:30amPST
Facilitator: Meghan Oakley-Henning,
VISTA Project Manager for Pennsylvania Campus Compact
One of the issues that many of our
VISTA programs face is showing how our initiatives are aiding in the fight
against poverty. Pennsylvania Campus Compact recently changed their VISTA host
site application to focus on four key poverty related areas:
1. Improving At-risk
Student Achievement
2. Increasing College Access for At-risk High
School Students
3. Increasing Food Access for Low-income
Families
4. Increasing Energy Efficiency of Low-Income
Homes
Meghan
Oakley-Henning will discuss how Pennsylvania's model has altered and adapted to
the goals of CNCS. This call is open to VISTA Program Supervisors and VISTA
Leaders.
To access theses calls:
Dial-in
Number: (605) 475-4875
Access Code: 661097#
Compact Website Updates
I am currently facilitating a working group comprised of members in the
Compact network. We are creating a VISTA link in the Network Only section of
the Compact website with multiple resources. We will keep you informed of
updates we will be making over the next few months. Specials thanks to the
participants of this group:
Steve Godecke - Oklahoma Campus Compact
Erin Pringle - Campus Compact for New Hampshire
Karen Powell - Louisiana Campus Compact
Francesca Smith - Wisconsin Campus Compact
(email Mark for passwords)
Opportunity for AmeriCorps
Alumni at Brandeis University
Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) and the Heller School for Social
Policy and Management are recognizing AmeriCorps members with the first ever
National Service Scholarship Program! AmeriCorps members and alumni
applicants will be honored based on community service, national service, and
plans for continued service. Applicants must complete an essay to
qualify. The $1 Million program will also award Masters students in the
Heller School as "Heller School AmeriCorps Alums National Service
Scholars". Awardees will become lifelong members of the National Service
Scholars Network. For more information on the Heller School, visit: http://heller.brandeis.edu/
Brandeis is one of more than 100 schools nationwide that recognizes its
AmeriCorps members. For more, visit: http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/benefits/ed_award_match.asp
If you have any questions about anything, feel free to contact me. Again, have
a great holiday everyone!
-Mark
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Mark Este
National AmeriCorps VISTA Leader
Campus Compact
45 Temple Place
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 357-1881 ex: 206
(617) 357-1889 (fax)
meste@compact.org
Skype: markaeste
www.compact.org
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National Service and Youth Unemployment
Strategies for Job Creation Amid Economic Recovery
Federal investments in our national service programs are an important
way for Congress and the Obama administration to tackle high
unemployment and growing poverty across the nation. The almost
two-year-long Great Recession appears to be giving way to an incipient
economic recovery, but job growth and wage growth will be slow in the
months ahead. Providing short-term employment opportunities for jobless
youth and helping to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations to
transform participants' long-term career prospects would strengthen the
economy and spur economic demand.
Full Story...
Nourishing Texas' Children
Preventing the twin challenges of childhood hunger and obesity
Policy Briefing Paper
November 10, 2009
Children need adequate, nutritious food in order to be healthy and grow. However, too many children in Texas do not know where their next meal is coming from, and, when food is available, it is too often junk food with little or no nutritional value. With Texas having the nation's highest rate of
food insecurity in children and also a high rate of child obesity, the overall health, mental well being, and academic outcomes of Texas children suffer.
Read Full Paper...
New Conservation Corps to beautify trails, help young adults with jobs and education
Xavier Netherland said he has felt more independent since he started
working a month ago with a team dedicated to preserving the trails alongLady Bird Lake.
Netherland is one of the nine inaugural members of the Austin
Conservation Corps - a 12-week program that pays college-age people to
improve city parkswhile gettingan
education. The 19-year-old Austinite said he hasn't worked very much in
the past and has valued his work experience with the program.
Read Full Story...
Faulty figures: The great dropout debate
Despite years of research, the true picture of dropout and graduation
rates remains elusive, even the subject of cross words between
researchers. The consensus: Far too many Texas public school students,
particularly those from poor and minority families, don't cross the
high-school finish line.
Read Full Story...
The Search
Degree Required, but You Don't Have One
SOME job seekers harbor a secret that prevents them from applying
for work they know they could do. Or they worry that if this fact comes
to light in a job interview, it will explode and cause them to be led
unceremoniously to the door.
These are people who went to college but never got a degree.
People who have had "some college" are far from rare. After six
years, more than 40 percent of those who started at a four-year
institution have not finished, according to data from the Education
Department.
Read Full Story...
The New Myths Of Gifted Education
More than 25 years after myths about gifted education were first
explored, they are all still with us and new ones have been added,
according to research published in the current Gifted Child Quarterly (GCQ), the official journal of National Association for Gifted Children
Read Full Story...
The Whole Applicant
PATRICIA B. TAYLOR, an assistant principal at Rye High School in
Westchester County, N.Y., noticed the shift a few years ago. Public
colleges and universities that were once content to crunch grade-point
averages and SAT scores suddenly wanted more. They began asking for
essays and recommendations, wanting to understand the academic rigor -
or lack thereof - behind an applicant's coursework.
Read Full Story...
Dropout problem drags Texas down
Two decades ago, Cristina Reyes' husband left her with two sons and
little income to support them. As her boys entered high school, she
struggled to balance parenting with a low-wage job in downtown Houston.
And she felt helpless as they began the slide toward dropping out.
Read Full Story...
Texas colleges report record rolls
Enrollment tops 1.4 million,
mostly thanks to 2-year schools.
Higher education enrollment in Texas rose 9 percent, to 1.4 million
students, in the past year, with community colleges accounting for 75
percent of that increase, according to preliminary figures released by
the state Thursday.
"It's the highest increase we've ever had in higher education," said
Susan Brown, assistant commissioner for planning and accountability at
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, referring to the
addition of 113,770 students to the rolls since fall 2008. "It's very
good news."
Read Full Story...
Colleges Are Pushed to Convert Loan System
Congress has not given final approval to legislation ending federal subsidies for private student loans for college. But Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent a letter Monday to thousands of colleges and universities urging them to get ready to use the government's Direct Loan Program in the 2010-11 school year.
Read Full Story..
In debate, UT professors extol virtues, flaws of big football programs
For a public debate of the merits and faults of big-time collegiate
football programs, there didn't seem to be much disagreement between
the University of Texas' Thomas Palaima and Lino Graglia.
During Wednesday's hourlong discussion, classics professor Palaima
and law professor Graglia agreed that large football programs like UT's
are too commercial. They disagreed on the degree to which commercial
aspects of the programs should be scaled back.
Read Full Story...
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Conferences and Opportunities
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National
Service Agency Promotes Funding for Veterans Programs
Washington,
DC-On the heels of Veterans Day, the Corporation for National and Community
Service hosted a conference call today to promote funding opportunities to
support programs that leverage veterans' skills and expertise to serve local
communities through its Veterans Corps, a program authorized by the Edward M.
Kennedy Serve America
Act. These funds are part of the $363 million requested
in the President's FY 2010 budget for the AmeriCorps program.
"For more information,
visit NationalService.gov.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
The Community College National Center for
Community Engagement wishes to celebrate outstanding campus-based
service-learning and civic engagement programs that have developed partnerships
outside their institutions. The Center seeks nominations for the following
awards:
- Collaborations with Social
Agencies (including government entities)
- Collaborations with K-12
Schools
- International Service Learning
Eligibility: This award is open to all two-year colleges who
collaborate through service-learning and civic engagement with social agencies
(including government entities), K-12, or internationally. For More Information....
Early
Registration Ends Soon for the RAISE Texas Action Summit in November!
Registration
is still open for the 2009 RAISE Texas Action Summit on November 16-17, 2009 at
the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Register today online at http://dallasfed.org/news/ca/2009/09raise.cfm and take advantage of the
early registration fee of just $75 that ends on Monday, November 2, 2009!
When
you register for the summit, please sign up to participate in one of our four
action campaigns listed below. Participants will be putting together
action plans for each campaign for 2009-2010. - Alternative small-dollar consumer loan products and policies;
- Community tax centers and EITC campaigns;
- Expanding access to education; and Matched savings accounts.
The
theme for this year's summit is Expanding Opportunities for Texans. In
addition to participating in the creation of 2010 action plans for the four
RAISE Texas areas of focus, attendees will enjoy three special presentations:
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Sincerely, 
Lynn Prince
Director of Operations/AmeriCorps State Adminstrator
Texas Campus Compact
Join our Meet Up Group!
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