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John Quinones, ABC News Correspondent and author of: Heroes Among Us: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Choices.to be Keynote Speaker for Texas Campus Compact's Live.Learn.Serve Dinner

John Quiñones is a co-anchor of "Primetime" and was most recently a correspondent for "Primetime Thursday" and "20/20." He had previously been a correspondent for "PrimeTime Live" since November 1991. Quiñones has also served as a co-anchor of "Downtown," covering unique stories for the newsmagazine that premiered in October 1999.

Quiñones' recent work includes a "Primetime" hidden camera report in which he went undercover to reveal how clinics were performing unnecessary surgical procedures as part of a major nation-wide insurance scam. He reported on a religious sect in Northern Arizona that forces its young female members to take part in polygamous marriages. He also reported on such diverse topics as the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping case, the plight of conjoined twins and the ongoing search for the notorious Zodiac killer. He followed along with a group of would-be Mexican immigrants as they attempted to cross into the U.S. via the treacherous route known as "The Devil's Highway." And Quiñones traveled to Israel for a CINE Award-winning report about suicide bombers.

During the second war in Iraq, Quiñones reported on life inside a busy U.S. military field hospital, and also on the role of female Air Force pilots. On September 11, 2001, Quiñones followed a mother and her daughters as they desperately -- and successfully -- searched for their husband and father thought trapped in one of the fallen World Trade Center towers.

In September 1999, Quiñones anchored and reported a critically acclaimed ABC News special called "Latin Beat," focusing on the wave of Latin talent sweeping the United States, the impact of the recent population explosion and how it will affect the nation as a whole. He was awarded an ALMA Award from the National Council of La Raza. Quiñones also contributed reports to ABC News' unprecedented 24-hour, live, global Millennium broadcast, which won the George Foster Peabody Award.

His reports for "20/20" have included an in-depth look at the unprecedented lawsuit against the Cuban government by a woman who claimed she unknowingly married a spy; an exclusive interview with a Florida teenager who brutally killed her adoptive mother; and a look at sex abuse in schools. Quiñones was honored with a Gabriel Award for his poignant report that followed a young man to Colombia, as he made an emotional journey to reunite with his birth mother after two decades. Quiñones covered the Albanian refugee crisis for a "20/20" one-hour special on Macedonia and Albania.

Quiñones won six national Emmy Awards for his "PrimeTime Live," "Burning Questions" and "20/20" work. He was awarded an Emmy for his coverage of the Congo's virgin rainforest, which also won the Ark Trust Wildlife Award.

Quiñones has also been honored with a World Hunger Media Award and a Citation from the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards for "To Save the Children," his 1990 report on the homeless children of Bogota. He received a 1990 Emmy Award for "Window in the Past," his look at the Yanomamo Indians.

Quiñones joined ABC News in June 1982 as a general assignment correspondent based in Miami, providing reports for "World News Tonight With Peter Jennings" and other ABC News broadcasts. He was one of the few American journalists reporting from Panama City during the U.S. invasion in December 1989.

Quiñones has reported on a wide range of stories originating from Central America, including the political and economic turmoil in Argentina and civil war in El Salvador. In 1988, Quiñones filed more than 50 reports from Panama, detailing the country's turmoil and U.S. efforts to oust Manuel Noriega.

In April 1990, Quiñones received a National Emmy Award for his work on the ABC documentary "Burning Questions -- The Poisoning of America," which aired in September 1988.

Prior to joining ABC News, Quiñones was a reporter with WBBM-TV in Chicago. He won two Emmy Awards for his 1980 reporting on the plight of illegal aliens from Mexico. From 1975 to 1978, Quiñones was a news editor at KTRH radio in Houston, Texas. During that period, he also was an anchor-reporter for KPRC-TV.

Quiñones received a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communications from St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas. He received a master's degree from the Columbia School of Journalism.

Mr. Quiñones will be the keynote speaker for Texas Campus Compact's Live.Serve.Learn Dinner November 5, 2009 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Austin, Texas. In addition, to speaking, Mr. Quiñones will also be available prior to the dinner to sign copies of his new book, Heroes Among Us: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Choices. Prices for the Live.Serve.Learn. Dinner for Texas Campus Compact Members-$1000.00 per table, or $100.00 per person. Non-Members of Texas Campus Compact pay: $1500.00 per table, or $150.00 per person. See this website for details on how to order, or email patricia@texascampuscompact.org

It is with mixed emotion that we announce the departure of the president of the University of Houston-Downtown. Max Castillo has led this unique, thriving, public, liberal arts university that provides access and opportunity to each generation. President Castillo has served in his present capacity for the past 17 years, and during this time, the University has continued to grow and respond to the needs of the greater Houston region.

      We wish Max continued success, health and happiness as he embarks upon his one-year sabbatical - extended to him by the UH Board of Regents. He will return to UH part-time, in the fall of 2010, as a professor, teaching Graduate Leadership.

      As a founding member of Texas Campus Compact, Max has been a beloved board member since October 4, 2000. We will always remain grateful for all that Max contributed to Texas Campus Compact and for all of his contributions to the state of Texas, to helping to "Close the Gaps," and for his dedicated passion to higher education.

      As the president of the University of Houston-Downtown, UHD is a separate university in the UH System and the most diverse of its kind in the western U.S. President Castillo credits his faculty, staff and students for opening the door for UHD to expand from a single building with a few thousand students, to a campus of five state-of-the-art buildings with nearly 12,000 students since it began in 1974. The campus is located near the convergence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayous in Houston's downtown district, an area that continues to enjoy a rapid revitalization. On October, 2007, a segment of NBC's "Today Show," focused on the nation's 4th largest city, and included information on cycling paths, walking paths and canoe tours of Houston's skyline, all centered along the bayous that run through UHD's campus.

      President Castillo holds a B.A. and an M.A. degree from St. Mary's University in San Antonio and an Ed. D. from the University of Houston. He became UHD's president in 1992, after serving for ten years as president of San Antonio College. During his tenure at UHD, President Castillo has actively positioned the institution as an integral part of the economic, social and civic well-being of the metropolitan area. Since 1993 he has:

Corrected a severe shortage of space through construction of four new buildings, including the Academic Building and Jesse H. Jones Student Life Center (1997); the Commerce Street Building (2004) and the Shea Street Building (2007)-home to UHD's College of Business. In addition, UHD renovated the historic Willow Street Pump Station, just a short distance from Allen's Landing - the birthplace of the country's fourth largest city. This historic building now serves as an attractive option for community meeting and exhibition space.

Opened the doors to the development of master's programs in criminal justice, teaching, professional writing and security management by succeeding in lifting a statutory prohibition on graduate programs at the university.

Improved and expanded articulation agreements between UHD and community colleges allowing joint degree programs and easier transfers from local community college systems. As a result, UHD's transfer student enrollment has increased by more than 33%.

Extended educational access to UH-Downtown by adding the Weekend College, expanding on-line and off-campus course offerings, and creating the Urban Teacher Education program, the College of Public Service, and the University College Learners Community for first-generation-in-college students.

Expanded pre-college preparatory programs and corporate/community collaborations; relationships with local school districts; and implemented matching scholarship funds to aid UH-Downtown students with financial needs.

Advanced the university's corporate, foundation and federal funding support for academic programs such as the Scholars Academy in the College of Sciences and Technology, increasing the university's endowment by 83% in the past ten years and positioning the university for future growth and greater financial solvency.

Established a center for transfer students

Prairie View A&M is helping Ethiopian farmers by training them to breed better, and more sheep and goats for economical, and human sustainment. Texas Campus Compact Executive Director Patricia Paredes recently visited the Prairie View Research facility while on a visit to Ethiopa. Patricia, (pictured right), received a warm reception and a facinating presentation from the Facility. She brought back their presentation to share with Texas Campus Compact members. <<See the presentation here>>

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) Has New Service Initiative

President Obama is announcing a nationwide service iniative which serves as the beginning of a sustained, collaborative, and focused effort to meet community needs and make service a way of life for all Americans...

The Focus of this iniative is America's Economic Recovery, and will empower Americans to participate in recovery through a new call to service.

The aim of the initiative is "to use the convening power of the federal government to promote and highlight new and existing service projects, encourage volunteers to stay involved in their communities over time, and empowere people from all walks of life to take a leadership role". The Corporation for national and Community Service is the key coordinating federal partner, and is working with the White house, federal agencies, and hundreds of non-profit and community groups.

From www.serve.gov website: "On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Ed

ward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a bold expansion of opportunities for all Americans to serve their communities and our country. During a time of almost unprecedented challenges it is critical that we all work together, the government alone cannot fix everything. Working together in a sustained, collaborative effort, we can harness our greatest resource, our people, and change the course of history.

This website is a new portal for you and all Americans to find your own ways to serve in your own communities. Just choose your keyword - "education," "environment," or whatever interests you - and type in your zip code to see what opportunities our partner organizations have in your area. Americans are putting their own country back on the right track, be a part of it."

AUSTIN, Texas- The preeminent resource for civic engagement and service learning, Texas Campus Compact (The Compact) announces the formation of its inaugural advisory council made up of educators from member campuses across the state.

“With immense pleasure we announce our council which was created to serve as a consultative and advisory body to provide valuable input to The Compact on matters related to its mission, objectives and goals,” said Patricia Paredes, Executive Director of The Compact. “The council will convene twice annually, providing advice on how to best attract corporate participation, new member campuses, as well as enhancing existing program initiatives and partnerships.”

Congratulations to accomplished individuals on the advisory council for The Compact:

To find out more about The Compact, its mission and member universities and colleges visit: www.TexasCampusCompact.org., or contact:

Texas Campus Compact Consortium to compete for the Learn and Serve America Higher Education Consortium FY-2009 grant.

Texas Campus Compact joined with a consortium of six institutions of higher education to compete for the Learn and Serve America Higher Education Consortium FY-2009 grant. Colleges joining with Texas Campus Compact are:

* Prairie-View A&M * Richland College * Southwestern University * Texas Christian University * Texas State University, and* University of Texas at Brownsville

* Utilizing faculty, students and community volunteers to design and create a park along a bayou in a low income section a city, hurricane flood clean up, and painting old homes

* Utilizing theater, music, art, students and faculty design and present music, plays, and movies in a economically hard-hit city district to bring in spending customers from the community and university to the area

* Creating a Community Assistant Program of local non-profits, whose mission include poverty, housing, health care, education, family violence, and environmental sustainability. The program benefits non-profits by having a service- learning program/qualified college student provide valuable essential staffing needs

* Working with low income residents, college faculty, student government, Greek institutions, and a local community service organization to create a series of community gardens on donated university, city, and public school properties. Community classes on environmental issues, planting, healthy/thrifty food buying, and related issues will be an ongoing process as well

* Expanding the GO Center by adding a Mobile Tutoring Center, operated by university students, who are mentored and trained by university professors, to provide academic tutoring and college readiness assistance to high school students in low socio-economic areas.

I leave for Texas Tech University shortly but wanted to get you this report prior to my travels. Since January, my speaking engagements to faculty about service learning have taken me to UT Brownsville and to Houston Community College, and I will be traveling to Texas Tech University on the 26 – today -- and 27, to speak at their first annual Community Engagement Conference. And, I am scheduled to moderate the UTHSC’s first conference on service learning on April 2.

The Compact has created a lot of buzz during the session this year as we hosted our first Lobby Day at The Capitol, last March 9. Our team met with 24 members of the Texas Legislature --- 7 senators and 17 representatives – highlighting TXCC and the importance of service learning and how it is helping to close our state’s gaps of educational inequity. The result: Representative Jim Pitts offered to put forth a Ryder for TXCC, in the amount of $100k annually, to become a line item on the legislative budget. Other states allocate money directly to their Campus Compact’s, for example: Currently, Florida Campus Compact received $450,000 in funding from the Florida Legislature; Washington Campus Compact receives $250,000; and Utah receives $100,000 from the Utah Legislature.

We re-scheduled our Rapoport Conference on Civic Renewal and Community Engagement and it is now scheduled for November 12 & 13. I have a tentative intern scheduled to begin working at The Compact on the conference; Sara Mayer is a Communications major at St. Edward’s University and will be a wonderful addition to our team. We are hosting our second Student Lyceum titled, HIV AIDS Awareness & Prevention, in conjunction with Prairie View A & M University on Monday, March 30; Jim and I will be traveling up to PVA&M that morning.

Internal operational changes include the addition of Lynn Prince. She came highly recommended to The Compact by Jim and as our Director of Operations, she brings many years of administrative, operational, and business management skills. Lynn has already accomplished a great deal in the past several months. In particularly, she has been maintaining our database and categorizing our university and community college prospects. Additionally, she has also been maintaining our web site [a big job because of its constantly changing nature] and is the producer and editor of our TC2 News – please send her any tidbits of information from your campus that you would like to have included. We will begin sending our TC2 Newsletter to prospect campuses and will also be sending them an e-membership informational.

Our membership drive preparations have been underway for the last few months. Jim Conditt and I met personally with the UTHSC in San Antonio who have joined. What is beneficial to The Compact is that their accreditation standards now include their having to offer service learning opportunities to their students. I will be targeting the health science centers in Tyler and Houston as well. I have been in conversations with Lakeview College in SA, who also intends to join The Compact.

PR is being handled by Amy Kauffman; as you recall, she is our former intern / Director of PR; Amy graduated from UT last May and has since opened up BlueBird Public Relations. Amy has been drafting press releases and distributing statewide to all major cities electronic and print media as well as all pr / marketing departments for all of our member campuses. She has issued press releases for: VISTA recruitment; VISTA host site recruitment; new Carnegie Classification members; Lobby Day; and our PVA&M student lyceum. TXCC is receiving her services pro bono, in exchange – we have placed the BlueBird logo on our website.

Jim just submitted our Learn & Serve grant request to CNCS. Our TXCC-HEC includes: Prairie View A & M; Richland College; Southwestern University; TCU; Texas State; and UT Brownsville. We are requesting 325k and are excited about our prospects. VISTA recruitment is still in progress; we have been allotted the most slots ever by CNCS – 25.

We are pleased to announce the delivery of our first webinar, scheduled for April 9. Jim will be overseeing these and they will be an excellent new member benefit. We plan to broadcast statewide to interested members and VISTAs. Jim has also done a fine job overseeing and managing: www.meetup.com/education-96/boards/

As the Communications Chair for IARSLCE, I developed their new tag line and have been instrumental in helping them to revamp their website. I was selected to be on this national board for research and service learning at the recommendation of National Campus Compact CEO Maureen Curley.

Barbara Mink, ACC board of trustee and founder, facilitated an internal, strategic planning meeting; it was highly successful and will be useful to our next board meeting. In the process, we reviewed our Bylaws, which need to be reviewed and amended by the board. As a result of our STEM in Action grant, we have been in conversations with TANO, who has submitted a proposal for fiscal oversight since we will be routinely audited by the TWC this June. Steve is currently reviewing this proposal.

Our inaugural Advisory Council is now established and we will be meeting in April and / or May. I will be working closely with this group on our conference planning and implementation of our inaugural TXCC Student Board on service learning and community engagement, which we are in the process of establishing. The Compact Impact faculty fellows’ publication is almost completed and is being produced by the UT Press.

Joe Zavaletta of UT Brownsville and I have been in conversations with the One Star Foundation to implement an online certification in service learning. Currently, there are 31 higher education campuses that offer a degree and / or certificate in service learning and / or civic engagement – none of which are in Texas. I am on the committee developing our State Plan on Service and Volunteerism, in conjunction with CNCS and One Star.

. This is the month when our members renew their membership in one of the best resources for Service Learning in Texas! Through The Texas Campus Compact our members enjoy these great benefits:

• Trusted resources.
• Successful campus models for community engagement
• Funding for campus-based community outreach,
• Value and visibility for presidents
• Extensive opportunities for faculty to attend institutes and workshops
• Recognition for student leaders
• Professional development for administrators and staff
• Hands-on technical support.
• Advocacy and policy work, including work with national and state policymakers
• A growing national network of more than 1,000 committed campus presidents and chancellors

Texas Campus Compact Membership Drive is in full force. We currently have 60 community college and university members. Any member who refers a new member [and if that member joins] to The Compact will be eligible to receive $1,000.00 for their campus, in a drawing to be held the first week in July. We are also still recruiting for VISTA HOST SITES .

For more information, email us: Texas Campus Compact,

Texas Campus Compact state office staffers visited members of the Texas Legislature on March 9th and 10th, to pursue important Legislative requests, that if granted, will be returned to members of The Compact.

TXCC staff, led by Executive Director, Patricia Paredes met with over 18 state Senators and Representatives and members of the Legislative staff. By the time we left the Capitol, we had even become friends with the guards. Stay tuned for more updates as the session continues.

Welcome a VISTA at your University or College through
Texas Campus Compact

AUSTIN, Texas-Texas Campus Compact (The Compact) is currently recruiting member schools to join the 2009-2010 AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). Compact members have already displayed a passion for higher education through civic engagement and service-learning; now there is an opportunity to expand efforts and become a voice for student leaders. VISTA, a national service program, allocates college graduates to host campuses for one year, creating sustainable civic engagement programs that will benefit communities, faculty, students and higher education institution presidents.

According to Charles L. Cotrell, Ph.D., president of St. Mary’s University and chairman of The Compact, “The tremendous growth and effectiveness of our VISTA program over the seven years of its existence has helped to increase the number of service-learning courses on campuses across Texas while simultaneously recruiting thousands of student volunteers who give back, supporting the communities in which they live.” The Compact currently has 15 host sites and 17 VISTA members, serving at the following campuses: The University of Texas, Southern Methodist University and Blinn College, to name a few.

Join the movement of creating civically aware communities across Texas and become a VISTA host school now. Apply online and learn more about the program atDeadline to apply to become a host site is May 15, 2009.

For more information contact: Amy Kaufman, President, Blue Bird Public Relations at 214) 235-6043, or email Amy@BlueBirdPublicRelations.com

AUSTIN, Texas- AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is accepting applications now until April 30, 2009 for the 2009-2010 term serving at Texas Campus Compact (The Compact) Host Schools.

VISTA, once only a vision of John F. Kennedy in1963, has materialized into a vital program of young adults giving back to communities across the nation. Texas Compact VISTA members help build capacity and implement service programs on Texas college campuses. VISTA members make a year long-full time commitment of service and in return for their dedication receive a living allowance, health benefits, and upon availability an option of a $4,725 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or a $1,200 stipend after completing their service.

VISTA member Ethan Ruff served two terms at the University of Texas at Austin and comments on benefits of the program, “Working with faculty, students and community members from a wide variety of socioeconomic and ideological backgrounds will give you daily opportunities to broaden the scope of your worldview.”

As a VISTA member you help create a more civically aware community by developing and sustaining community partnerships to serve all publics with an impact to last long after your service. This unique opportunity to become a VISTA allows college graduates to gain real-world experience not present at an entry level position. A VISTA will also possess as a sense accomplishment, embracing the challenge of bringing a community together. Or, apply now to be come a VISTA.

For more information contact: Amy Kaufman, President, Blue Bird Public Relations at 214) 235-6043, or email Amy@BlueBirdPublicRelations.com

Texas Tech Sets First Community Engagement Conference

Successful universities reach beyond their campuses to share their expertise. Texas Tech has a long history of engaging with the community and is making a concerted effort to increase outreach in the areas of research, service and teaching.

To that end, Texas Tech University System is hosting the first Community Engagement Conference March 26. The conference features speakers who will bring a national perspective on community engagement. The conference, “Community-Engaged Scholarship: What Does it Mean and Why Does it Matter,” is set from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Texas Tech Student Union Building. Texas Tech, Angelo State University and the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center will all participate. The conference is open to the public.

“We are proud of the way our universities reach out to elevate the quality of life for communities in Texas and people all over the world,” said Kent Hance, chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. “We need to further these efforts and learn how to better share our knowledge and resources with those who can benefit from them.”

In 2006, Texas Tech was one of the first 62 institutions and the first university in Texas to earn the Carnegie Foundation’s classification for Community Engagement. In 2007 and 2008 the university was named to the Corporation for National and Community Service President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Texas Tech is one of 20 institutions in the state to receive the 2008 honor.

Community engagement takes many forms including service learning, where classes as part of their semester’s work do projects to benefit non-profit organizations or researchers working with community leaders and industry to solve a variety of problems.

“We hope this conference helps our faculty at all three universities not only define and assess community engagement, but also to understand the interest of federal funding agencies in documenting the societal impact of research,” said Matt Baker, conference chair and dean of the Texas Tech University College of Outreach and Distance Education.

Keynote presentations at the conference include:

• Carnegie’s 2008 Community Engagement Classification: Profile of Institutional Strengths and Challenges presented by Amy Driscoll, consulting scholars at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

• Service Learning: Strengthening Higher Education and Closing the Gaps, presented by Patricia Paredes, executive director of the Texas Campus Compact.

• Engaging Engagement: The Kentucky Experience presented by Phil Greasley, associate provost for university engagement at the University of Kentucky.

Other sessions will focus on strategies for National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health funding for engaged research and examples of successful community-engaged teaching, research and service by faculty and administrators at each university.

Registration fees are $45 for faculty and staff; $25 for students and $65 for all others. The fee includes a continental breakfast, breaks, a luncheon and closing reception. For more information or to register go to www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/outreach/conferences/engagement-conference.php.

Texas Universities Reach Milestone; Awarded Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement

AUSTIN, Texas- The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching honors three Texas Campus Compact (Compact) member universities, The University of Houston, University of Houston Downtown and Rice University with the highest designation for community engagement, joining Compact members Texas Tech and Southwestern University, earning this highest recognition.

The Compact is part of a national coalition that promotes Service-Learning and is committed to the civic purposes of higher education. The Compact advocates responsible citizenship skills, developing collaborative campus-community partnerships and supporting faculty who integrate Service-Learning into their research and curricula.

Anthony S. Bryk, Carnegie Foundation’s President says in a written statement: “We hope that by acknowledging the commitment and accomplishment of these engaged institutions, the foundation will encourage other colleges to move in this direction.”

The President of National Conference on Citizenship, David B. Smith also supports the civic movement, “President-elect Obama has announced that the theme of his inauguration is ‘Renewing America’s Promise,’ what better way to renew America’s promise than by remembering and committing to your civic duties as a citizen of this incredible country.”

The Compact congratulates UH, UH Downtown and Rice University for their extraordinary examples of civic engagement at their campuses furthering The Compact’s vision of creating a culture of citizen-stewards committed to lifelong civic engagement.

For more information contact: Amy Kaufman, President, Blue Bird Public Relations at 214) 235-6043, or email Amy@BlueBirdPublicRelations.com

In response to economic concerns and an issued statement from the Governor calling for the reduction of travel spending, The Audre & Bernard Rapoport Civic Renewal & Community Engagement Conference has been transformed into the Learn. Serve. Live. dinner. The dinner is scheduled for November 5, 2009 and will be a one evening gala to celebrate service learning, and those who participate in it. Please check back again soon for continuing developments and updates about this important evening for the higher education service learning community.

Patricia Parede speaks about stengthening higher education and closing gaps through Service Learning Programs and Initiatives

"It's no surprise that Texas is in the bottom 10 states in the percentage of students who go to college or, in other words, the percentage of adults 25 or over who hold college degrees. ...'11% of students who go into developmental math in college never complete a college credit bearing course successfully 33% of students who go into developmental reading in college never complete a college credit bearing course successfully 24% of students who go into developmental writing in college never complete a college credit bearing course successfully"... Read more of Ms. Parade's highly informative speech.

Faculty Fellows are awarded stipends to support a mission to offer a minimum of one Service-Learning workshop on their campus, as well as one discipline-related workshop for Compact member institutions or their region. Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009-2010 academic year. Download the RFP and read more about Faculty Fellows here.

President-Elect Obama has selected University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College President Juliet V. Garcia to advise him as he prepares to assume the presidency.

Garcia was the first Mexican American woman in the nation to become president of a college or university. Obama met Garcia visited the campus in February during his campaign, meeting with faith-based groups and then students.

THECB Work-Study Request for Applications
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to provide Work-Study Mentorship grants

Dear Presidents, Members, VISTAs, Community Service Directors and other Educators,

The Work-Study Student Mentorship Program was established as a new program separate and distinct from the Texas College Work-Study Program, due to funding received from the 80th Texas Legislature. The state appropriated $5 million for the biennium to support the Work-Study Student Mentorship Program and it was implemented in the fall of 2007

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is pleased to provide this funding to college students and mentorship services to college, high school, and other P-12 students. These Work-Study Mentorship grants to institutions of higher education will assist THECB's efforts to address the Participation and Success Goals of Closing the Gaps by 2015.

According to THECB Assistant Commissioner Judith Loredo, Ph.D., "our experience has shown that providing grants, scholarships, and stipends to our G-Force Mentors has increased the number of students who are pursuing and being retained in higher education. These funds increase the persistence and subsequent graduation rates of the students and those they mentor.

The Work-Study Request for Applications (RFA) for Fiscal Year 2009 us attached and is now available here under the Agency Proposal Request heading.

The following institutions of higher education are currently receiving these funds, participating in this program through the provision of collegiate G-Forces:

Texas A & M University, UT -- El Paso, University of Houston -- Victoria; Texas State, UT -- SA, Austin Community College, El Paso Community College, Laredo Community College, Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A & M University, Tarleton State University, Texas A & M University -- Corpus Christi, Texas A & M University -- Kingsville, Texas Christian University, Texas Southern University, Texas State Technical College -- Harlingen, Texas Wesleyan University, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Dallas County Community College District, Houston Community College System, Texas Woman's University, UT -- Austin, UT -- Brownsville, UT -- Pan American, and University of North Texas Denton.

Apply now to become a Texas Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA . Our Listing ID is 9248.

Texas Campus Compact's AmeriCorps VISTA program was founded in 2001. Today, eighteen VISTAs serve on sixteen member campuses across Texas. The role of our AmeriCorps VISTAs is primarily to build capacity and sustainable infrastructures in the communities and on the campuses they serve.

Overview
The Texas Campus Compact's AmeriCorps VISTA program was founded in 2001. Today, eighteen VISTAs serve on sixteen member campuses across Texas. The role of our AmeriCorps VISTAs is primarily to build capacity and sustainable infrastructures in the communities and on the campuses they serve. Ideally, after a determined period of time and through the dedicated work of all stakeholders, the position will no longer require staffing from a TXCC VISTA.

Texas Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTAs are placed at universities and colleges that are committed to the civic purposes of higher education. These schools, or host sites, agree to accomplish three goals identified by Texas Campus Compact. These goals are integrated into the VISTA's work plan and form the structure on which additional duties and responsibilities are placed.

Compensation
Benefits offered by host sites (such as meal and housing allowances) vary depending on the site's capacity to support an AmeriCorps VISTA; however, the following benefits are offered (or required) by the Corporation for National and Community Service and will not vary: