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Volume 41, Issue 10
February 17, 2004
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February 17,
2004
Civic service pays tuition
Delynn Bodine
Contributing Writer
MCC students will have more than $400,000 in scholarship money available
to them from the federal government. Although the money is not officially
in the college’s hands yet, it will be soon, according to MCC Director
of the Center for Service Learning Duane Oakes.
Individual awards range from $1,000 to $2,362 for hours of service given
to the community and are directly available to any student who enrolls
in the AmeriCorps UCAN Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico Serve Program.
Broadcasting major and Phi Theta Kappa Regional President Zahid Arab
has been involved in AmeriCorps since spring 2003. His $2,362 scholarship
helped him give time to volunteer instead of spending his time working.
He volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club by coaching football. The consistent
time commitment has enabled him to develop relationships and be a positive
male role model to those he serves.
Arab feels he has made a difference in the life of a shy young man on
his team. Arab has watched him develop confidence and even gain the courage
to try out for his high school basketball team. “I would highly
recommend AmeriCorps service to every student. It has taught me the importance
of civic engagement and helped me grow tremendously. I have learned how
to branch out and develop leadership and communication skills,” said
Arab.
MCC boasts one of the largest AmeriCorps programs in the United States.
Awards for the 2002–03 totaled $122,925. Over 360 MCC students
took advantage of the financial awards and volunteer opportunities, compared
with only 16 students at Arizona State University.
Volunteering also gives students the opportunity to develop skills, build
a resume while gaining experience and test their field of choice. Education
major Tammy Simpson said, “Volunteering at Adams Elementary helped
me explore my career choice and make sure that teaching is what I want
to do.” Initially she had concerns about the time commitment. The
benefits of volunteering soon outweighed her concerns as she learned
how to make it work. Throughout her experience, she developed important
contacts in the Mesa Public School District that will aid her when she
is looking for future employment. Her volunteer experience also qualified
her to receive another additional renewable scholarship.
Lupe Contreras, also an education major, said her experience at the Mesa
Arts Academy helped her become aware of other cultures and gain classroom
experience required for the education program at ASU. She is now even
more determined to become a teacher. Her experience also helped her secure
employment as a teacher’s aide. The staff at the Mesa Arts Academy
praised Lupe and other volunteers for their assistance in helping children
learn how to read.
Another volunteer program at MCC is the service-learning program, which
is a teaching method that connects academic learning with meaningful
community service. Students may be enrolled in an in-course option available
in over 40 classes in 28 disciplines that incorporate service-learning
components. Required volunteer hours vary, and depend on the class. The
independent service-learning option is also available to all MCC students.
A service-learning credit is required for all honors students.
Hundreds of MCC students attended the sixth semiannual community expo
in January to gather information for over 25 community agencies. Police
and fire departments, elementary schools, museums, Boys and Girl Clubs,
county courts, St. Vincent de Paul and a variety of other agencies were
represented. The variety of agencies represented made it easy to match
students’ interests with volunteering. The community expo made
available community volunteering opportunities for AmeriCorps and service-learning
students.
According to Christine Hernandez, AmeriCorps Coordinator in the Center
for Service-Learning, MCC students logged a total of 68,468 hours of
community service through AmeriCorps during the past year. During that
same time, service-learning students logged an additional 31,216 hours
to make a total of 99,684 hours of service contributed to the community
by MCC students.
“AmeriCorps and service learning help fulfill our mission as a college,” said
Oakes. The MCC mission statement states, “The mission of Mesa Community
College is to promote excellence in teaching and learning, preparing individuals
for active citizenship in a diverse global society … Our ultimate purpose
is to improve the quality of life in the community we serve.”
It is not too late to sign up for one of these programs. Students can find out
more and register for AmeriCorps and service learning in the Center for Service-Learning,
located in the Kirk Center. The phone number for the center is (480) 461-7393.
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