By CNCS Staff
National Service News Week In Review
When we stand shoulder-to-shoulder during times of challenge, we can truly make a difference. That is the power of national service — it connects people from all walks of life, in small towns, in big cities, and everywhere in between.
This week, we recognized the contributions of colleges across the country that are committed to service, launched a new website that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the AmeriCorps VISTA program, and spread the word about a new initiative, Employers of National Service.
Read on to discover this week’s updates. And stay tuned for an exciting announcement on Tuesday about Volunteering and Civic Life in America!
Spreading the Word: This week’s Employers of National Service amplification day was a huge success. Your participation spread the word far and wide about the valuable skills that AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni bring to the workplace. Thanks to your efforts, the total number of organizations signed up as Employers of National Service passed 100!
Also, we had a reach of more than 2 million unique Twitter users, reached more than 32,000 people on Facebook, and had nearly 2,500 people visit the Employers of National Service website to learn more about the initiative.
There are three weeks until the Dec. 31 deadline for charter members to join, so please continue to promote Employers of National Service.
Investing in Education: Last year, President Barack Obama called upon Americans to expand access to high-quality preschool for every child in the country. And the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is answering the president’s call.
The SIF and the Institute for Child Success (ICS) will make new resources available to help states and municipalities design evidence-based early childhood programs. This initiative will provide coaches and advisers who will assist communities in developing their own Pay for Success models. Learn more about the SIF and its evidence-based approach to finding solutions that work.
Engaging Students in Service: The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions whose community service efforts achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. And this week, four institutions received this presidential distinction: California State University, Loras College, the University of Nebraska, Omaha, and Wheelock College. Learn more about their exemplary service projects and this important recognition.
Celebrating Capacity Building: Fifty years ago, our nation’s leaders launched a program that they hoped would lead the fight against poverty. And today, the AmeriCorps VISTA program remains unmatched in its ability to create innovative solutions for low-income families and communities in every part of the country—large and small, urban and rural.
This week, we launched our new AmeriCorps VISTA 50th anniversary microsite, which features great stories, photos, videos, and highlights from the program’s history.
Giving Back: Even though he has only been a Senior Corps RSVP volunteer since February 2013, Jack Maines has already devoted more than 1,400 service hours to helping his community. A retired IBM computer consultant and Navy veteran, Maines has helped the Senior Corps RSVP Program of Montgomery County, PA, develop the My Free Tutor Program, an online resource that is used to tutor students in math and science.
He used his expertise to write several thousand lines of computer code and created a web-based application for Senior Corps RSVP staff who schedule tutoring sessions, match volunteer tutors with students, and track students’ progress. Learn more about the Senior Corps RSVP Program of Montgomery County.
National Service in the News
AmeriCorps
Educators visit Highland Elementary to learn about reading corps program
Sun Focus, December 8, 2014
Minnesota Reading Corps is an AmeriCorps program that provides trained literacy tutors for children age three to grade three. From a strategic quantitative standpoint, Highland Elementary Principal Michele DeWitt said that in the 2011-12 school year, 80 percent of Highland third-graders were proficient in the MCA Reading assessment
AmeriCorps NCCC
Brookeville man joins national service program
The Gazette (MD), December 9, 2014
Curt Warner of Brookeville recently was inducted into a 10-month term in the National Civilian Community Corps, an AmeriCorps program. About 80,000 people serve in AmeriCorps programs each year, including about 2,500 with the National Civilian Community Corps.
AmeriCorps VISTA
Pickleball grows in popularity on peninsula
Clarion (AK), December 12, 2014
Last June, the Sterling Community Center started organizing pickleball events, said Lynn Lockner, who works for the AmeriCorps VISTA program and helps the Sterling Community Center come up with events and programs.
Senior Corps
Pembroke volunteers honored with President’s Volunteer Service Award
Wicked Local - Pembroke (MA), December 10, 2014
Mayflower RSVP, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program for Plymouth County, recently presented the prestigious President’s Volunteer Service Award to 16 Plymouth county volunteers at a special ceremonial dinner and fundraising auction held at Waverly Oaks Golf Club in Plymouth.
Social Innovation Fund
Focus on Evidence: Social Innovation Fund Case Study
Nationalservice.tumblr.com, December 11, 2014
The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a credible and consequential model for meeting unmet human needs in American communities. So says a new book providing a comprehensive history of the Obama Administration’s efforts to promote evidence-based social policy.
Illinois gets second largest preschool grant
Voices of Chicago School Reform (IL), December 10, 2014
According to materials provided by the White House, the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Social Innovation Fund and the Institute for Child Success will make new funding available for states and communities to develop such financing tools for early childhood education.
National Service Blog
Providing Early Computer Science Opportunities to My Students
Nationalservice.tumblr.com, December 11, 2014
By Jaishri Shankar
As we mark Computer Science Education Week (Dec. 8-14) I’ve been thinking about my own experiences with the field, and those of my students. Though we’re a generation apart, up until now our experiences – or lack thereof – have been largely the same.