2014 CSNAP (Citizenship, Service, Networking and Partnerships) Student Conference 

November 7-8, 2014, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
 
CSNAP is the largest annual conference in the Southeast developing college students to be effective leaders and participants in civic/community engagement.  The 2014 CSNAP marks the 21st anniversary of this event. 

The theme "Raise Your Voice and Take Action" reflects the critical need for thoughtful youth voices to bring attention to the challenges but also the need for strategic action to address them. Participants will be introduced to the issues underlying the need for service and to best practices that build their understanding of how to engage, while networking with other students who are leading community engagement work on their campuses. 

 

Friday night includes a group service project, dinner, and reflection. Saturday includes plenary sessions and workshops.Special guests include Jason Lee, Founder and Executive Director of the Jubilee Project, and Josephus III and the Poetry Project.

 

Register and learn more.   

The Campus Compact Annual Survey Returning Soon!   

Although on hiatus this past year, the Campus Compact's member survey is will return this fall. This survey is the most comprehensive and widely distributed review of service, service-learning, and civic engagement in higher education. Through this instrument, we are able to calculate student and faculty involvement in service and service-learning, measure campus infrastructure for community engagement and more. More information coming soon.  

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Recent Stories on the NC Campus Compact Newsfeed

Campus Election Engagement Project-NC challenges students to register, vote

NC campuses work to monitor, measure community engagement 

Four NC schools ranked among top 20 for service-learning

Ben & Jerry's Foundation Grassroots Organizing for Social Change Program

Deadline: October 15th               

Office Depot Foundation Grants for Education, Capacity Building, and Disaster Preparedness and Response

Deadline: October 31st

Research on Critical Issues in Advancing Community-Engaged Scholarship Grants

Recent Publications:

• 1 in 5 North Carolinians lived in poverty in 2013 according to new census data. Learn more here.
• The Budget and Tax Center of the NC Justice Center recently released the State of Working North Carolina 2014: North Carolina's Tomorrow - Seeking Good, Quality Jobs to Build an Economy that Works for All.
• Read the Fall Volume of the International Undergraduate Journal for Service-Learning, Leadership, and Social Change. 
• Order the second edition of Global Entrepreneurship, co-authored by UNC Greensboro's, Dianne Welsh, which includes a broad overview of global entrepreneurship, a discussion of specific topics of international and global entrepreneurship, area studies coverage, and a case study.

• 2014 Millennial Impact Report - By 2020, Millennial (those born after 1979) will make up 50% of the workforce.  How will this generation contribute to nonprofits and attempt to solve complex social issues?  Those were just some of the questions the Case Foundation and the research firm Achieve contemplated as part of their comprehensive survey of Millennials.  The results found that while this generation gives time, money and skills to causes, they differ from other generations in that they view their network and voice as beneficial assets they can offer a cause. 

•  "The Challenges of Rewarding New Forms of Scholarship: Creating academic cultures that support community-engaged scholarship," a new report from NERCHE   provides a set of findings and concrete recommendations for both the University of Massachusetts system office and the individual campuses for measures that can be implemented to advance community-engaged scholarship.  

• A recent report "Connecting Youth and Strengthening Communities: The Data Behind Civic Engagement and Economic Opportunity" released by Opportunity Nation, provides fresh and compelling evidence that certain types of civic engagement predict positive outcomes for at-risk and low income youth and the economic health of states. 

This film, created by educators as a resource for educators, is the end result of two years of gathering interviews and research. The film presents discussion by all of the participants -- the trainers and instructors, the students, and the community partners receiving the service - of Service Learning as a teaching strategy. The film presents "chapters" based on particular impacts: community and personal growth impact, career choice impact, civic engagement impact, social issues impact, career preparedness impact, and financial impact (on the community). Because instructors and administrators have varying needs, Making the Connection: the Service Learning Revolution is available in two running times: 44 minutes, and 15 minutes and is available for purchase for individual viewing (downloading or streaming format), or for group presentations as an educational licensed DVD.

18th Annual Continuums of Service Conference

International Symposium on Service-Learning

"Service-Learning as a Global Interdisciplinary Movement: Transforming Communities and Higher Education"
May 28-30, 2015, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Deadline: October 15th

2015 Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning & Civic Engagement through Higher Education

March 11-13, 2015, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR

Deadline: October 17th

2015 International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL) and the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning Conference

"Learning without Borders"

September 22-25, 2015, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Journal for Civic Commitment (JCC) Spring 2015 Issue 

Deadline: October 31st

Conference on Community Writing

"Building Engaged Infrastructure"
University of Colorado Boulder
October 16-17, 2015
Deadline: December 5th

Matt Belles, Assistant Professor in the Division of Education at Pfeiffer University, participated in the Fusion Project sponsored by Maine Campus Compact, May 27-June 9, 2014. Through this faculty development project, faculty learned how to infuse service-learning components into online courses to give students hands on, real-world experience to strengthen learning, create connections to the larger community, and improve student retention rates.Below is his overview of the experience.

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The Fusion course utilizes an in-depth approach to progressive service learning in an online environment.  Online learning can be a challenge for many, and the concept of online service learning is an even greater stretch.  However, the robust Fusion model and current landscape of technologies does make online service learning achievable.  The name itself, Fusion, describes the process of bringing together the online learning and service learning experiences.  The Fusion model contains a remarkable eight-block blueprint for online service learning.  These eight blocks are grouped into four distinct units.  Unit One is project design, which sets the tone for the service learning project.  The most important step in this unit is to fully describe both your class and expected outcomes from the project.  Unit Two expands upon your outcomes to describe the scope of the project.  This includes community partner relations, partnership agreements and project management plans.  The third unit makes the critical step into preparing learners.  Tending to the needs of online learners, building an online community and describing student competencies around the service experience are all significant in the learning process. The final unit culminates this work into elegant accountability practices.  Here is where the work needed to measure your outcomes, reflect on the class accomplishments and celebrate success in the course are all described.

Two significant contributions in the Fusion model are the advanced use of technology and a problem-centered approach.  A full complement of technology is necessary to drive the learning and service components.  This includes a basic learning management system (blackboard, moodle, google classroom, etc.) as well as other video and audio programs.  The Fusion course uses Google Hangouts, Audacity and Screencast-o-matic to accompany the online modules. These technologies provide support when needed while also requiring accountability for completing each task.  It is important for these technologies to be structured within a problem-centered approach to service learning.  This is accomplished by creating an actual problem statement between the class, the instructor and the community partner.  This step ensures the purchase on the expected outcome and provides a substrate for guidance throughout the course.

 The Fusion process impressed upon me the importance of maintaining a progressive vision for service learning within the online class environment.  Following the blueprint improves the service learning experience while allowing for explorations in alternate techniques.  My most significant service learning course uses a personal learning approach.  This approach applies current health promotion theories to the personal interests of each student in the course. Students then create, implement, reflect and share on a health promotion strategy following work I designed utilizing the blueprint.  This technique introduces students to a multi-level experience process.  First, students are exposed to the traditional classroom experience. Second, they receive a synchronous online experience. Lastly, they participate in a personal experience based on their interests to improve the health of a small group.  These three integral concepts fuel each other to establish a remarkable learning experience for the student.