IN THIS ISSUE:

*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*Internships, Jobs, and Beyond...
*In the Spotlight: A Glimpse into the Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception






SAVE THE DATE: 12th Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception
Monday, May 18th 2009
AVRR brings together community partners, students, faculty, staff, and administration to celebrate the hard-work, dedication and exemplary service in the community throughout this academic year. Nominations are now open for the following awards:
• President’s Volunteer Service Award
• Perry Herst Prize
• Faculty Service Award
• Staff Service Award
• CSRSO Award
• Turkington House Award
• Community Partner Award
Visit ucsc.uchicago.edu for award descriptions, eligibility and nomination forms.

EVENTS
Washington Park Growing Season
Saturday, March 21
9:00am
Washington Park (5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr.)
Brush off the snow, come out for some fresh spring air and chat with friends as preparation begins for the Washington Park growing season. For more information contact Madiem Kawa at 773-203-3418.

Social Impact: Speaking the Language of the Market
Tuesday, April 7th
4:45 – 8:00 pm
Harper Center – Room 104 (5807 South Woodlawn Avenue)
Are you interested in green building design or community development? Do you want to better understand public-private partnerships? Does the status of America’s Education System concern you? If so, please save the date for a conversation about these topics through the lens of business. The event will cost $10 for University of Chicago students. Please contact Hannah Bascom at hbascom@chicagobooth.edu with any questions.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Grand Boulevard Federation seeks volunteers to assist with child care needs on Friday, March 27th – Saturday, March 28th from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM at 10 W. 35th Street. Interest is in volunteers who have an interest in early childhood, child care, and working with youth. You may volunteer for all or one of the days, or even for a half-day. Lunch will be provided. For more information contact Andrea Lee at andrealee@grandboulevardfederation.org.

Volunteer in Africa is organization in Ghana which offers volunteer work and volunteer travel programs anytime year round to Ghana, Africa. Their program promotes sustainable development, international cooperation, friendship and understanding in Ghana. Volunteering includes opportunities in orphanages, schools, media/journalism, and HIV/AIDS. For more information: http://www.volunteeringinafrica.org/ghana.htm

Each One Teach One is a nonprofit organization that caters to under-performing and underserved students on the south side of Chicago. As a Coach Volunteer, you will work with targeted students for the entire semester; tutoring, teaching, and cultivating logical thinking and problem solving skills, so that they may begin to work through their math challenges with minimal assistance. It should be noted that all of our Coach Volunteers are adept in high school-level mathematics. For more information, contact Janisse Norman at Each1Teach1@UReach.Com or 877.274.1284.


INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Dr. Angela Perez Miller Scholarship 2009
Due: 03-27-2009
Named after the late Dr. Angela Perez Miller, who dedicated her life to the rights of Latinos in education and health, the scholarships are offered to first-year college students who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the amounts of $1000. To receive the application or if you have any questions please contact Melissa Gonzalez: (773)542-7077, melissa@latinospro.org

DOROT Internship
As a DOROT intern you will be exposed to the complex issues of aging, and gain experience in all aspects of DOROT's operations. Among many activities you may: visit with seniors in their homes, escort seniors to cultural events, doctor appointments or shopping, tutor seniors in computer use, and assist professional staff in the DOROT office with the planning and execution of programs. To apply contact Shayna B. Finman, Coordinator of College Volunteers at sfinman@dorotusa.org or fill out the online application at www.dorotusa.org

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A Glimpse into the Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception
Klara Scharnagl, Staff Writer

At the end of each academic year, the University Community Service Center hosts its Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception to honor outstanding houses, groups, and individuals in service. Previous winners include Woodward House, recipient of the Turkington House Service Award, and Emma Boast, recipient of the Bernard O. Brown Service Award, both in 2008.

Priyanka Kumar, former RA of Woodward house, stressed the fact that she “had a wide variety of students participate,” and “what is important to note is that the participants were NOT necessarily the same kids that went on all the house trips.” The events that ‘Woodwardians’ participated in ranged from in-house to off-campus activities, from stuffing envelopes while watching movies in the house lounge for the Hyde Park and Kenwood Hunger Programs’ fall mailings, to spending five different Saturday mornings at the Living Room Café. “This experience,” explained Kumar, “gave students the chance to prepare and serve meals to the homeless and underprivileged living on the South Side of Chicago…by the end of the year we had volunteered at the Café five different times, with about 4-5 different students each time.”

Another event which Kumar describes as unique to her two years at Woodward was the participation in the Chicago Sun Times’ “Season of Sharing.” “The program works such that interested people request letters written to Santa by children living on the South Side of Chicago and enrolled in the Chicago Public School system,” explains Kumar. “Students [in Woodward] requested anywhere from one to as many as ten letters, and some even chipped in together to answer one or two letters as a group.” Once the letters were received, the ‘Woodwardians’ were responsible for purchasing, wrapping, and labeling the items requested by the children, and Kumar organized the delivery of the gifts. “In the end,” she says, “we had more than 22 students participate, and we answered almost 50 letters.”

“I hope,” Kumar says, “that the students got a sense of how easy it is to make an immeasurable impact on the community we live in and on the lives of others who are not as well off as we are.” These acts of service were done with great enthusiasm and the desire to help people in the community, or even to just get out and do something different; the reward was recognition of the diverse dedication to service. Emma Boast, winner of the Bernard O. Brown Service-Learning Award, embodies dedication to service.

As a part of her work with the Civic Knowledge Project last year, Boast took a course on Chicago’s urban ecology and infrastructure at Angelic Organic’s Learning Center in Woodlawn where she met Martha Boyd, AOLC’s Program Director. Through Boyd, Emma Boast met Rasha Abdulhadi who “suggested Boast apply for the Brown award and helped her draft a proposal that outlined strategy for building AOLC’s composting program.”

The award gave Boast “the opportunity to work from June to August at AOLC’s Urban Initiative,” where she helped manage the local composting program, learned the basics of maintaining an intensive organic garden, and researched green roof initiatives. “The Brown Award,” says Boast, “gave me the perfect opportunity to explore my interests in sustainable food production and urban planning and helped me deepen my understanding of Chicago’s local food movement.” Meeting other enthusiasts is a big plus along with “the day-to-day work in the garden and grounds, as I saw my physical labor pay off in the form of fresh, Chicago-grown produce.”

The University Community Service Center (UCSC) fosters the development of civic-minded students by providing substantive community service opportunities through community partnerships based on mutual trust and respect. If you have questions - how to get involved as a student or how to connect to students as a community organization - please contact us.

University Community Service Center
5525 S. Ellis Ave., Suite 160
Chicago IL, 60637
Tel: 773.753.4483
Fax: 773.834.1160
ucsc.uchicago.edu

IN THIS ISSUE:

*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*Internships, Jobs, and Beyond...
*In the Spotlight: Reverse Perspective on Community Service






SAVE THE DATE: 12th Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception
Monday, May 18th 2009
AVRR brings together community partners, students, faculty, staff, and administration to celebrate the hard-work, dedication and exemplary service in the community throughout this academic year. Nominations are now open for the following awards:
• President’s Volunteer Service Award
• Perry Herst Prize
• Faculty Service Award
• Staff Service Award
• CSRSO Award
• Turkington House Award
• Community Partner Award
Visit ucsc.uchicago.edu for award descriptions, eligibility and nomination forms.

EVENTS
UCSC Study Break
Thursday, March 12
8:30pm-10:00pm
Reynolds Club (McCormick Tribune Lounge)
Learn more about UCSC’s events and programs while eating free peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Also featuring live entertainment courtesy of Shower Songsters, Voices in Your Head, and Men in Drag!

Breaking the Silence: Torture Survivors Speak Out
Thursday, March 12
5:00pm-8:00pm
Thorne Auditorium (375 E. Chicago Avenue)
Northwestern University School of Law invites students to come watch the film, “Breaking the Silence”. The film interviews torture survivors from Africa, The Philippines, South America, The Middle East and the U.S. It also examines the political issues and current US legislation regarding the use of torture. Following the film, a panel discussion will be held to discuss torture and efforts to end it.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer in Africa is organization in Ghana which offers volunteer work and volunteer travel programs anytime year round to Ghana, Africa. Their program promotes sustainable development, international cooperation, friendship and understanding in Ghana. Volunteering includes opportunities in orphanages, schools, media/journalism, and HIV/AIDS. For more information: http://www.volunteeringinafrica.org/ghana.htm

Each One Teach One is a nonprofit organization that caters to under-performing and underserved students on the south side of Chicago. As a Coach Volunteer, you will work with targeted students for the entire semester; tutoring, teaching, and cultivating logical thinking and problem solving skills, so that they may begin to work through their math challenges with minimal assistance. It should be noted that all of our Coach Volunteers are adept in high school-level mathematics. For more information, contact Janisse Norman at Each1Teach1@UReach.Com or 877.274.1284.

March 14th, 2009
The Chicago Metro History Education Center invites you to make a difference in students’ lives by volunteering to judge at a History Fair event this spring. As a judge, you will evaluate exhibits, documentaries, performances, or research papers on topics in Chicago history produced by students in grades 6-8 or 9-12. For registration information contact Chicago Metro History Education office at 312-255-3661 or e-mail them at info@chicagohistoryfair.org

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Due: 03-12-2009
The Urban Institute Summer Academy for Public Policy Analysis and Research provides a unique and challenging learning experience for minority college students who are interested in careers in public policy research. Their eight-week summer program will give students between their junior and senior year of college the skills and exposure crucial to obtaining highly competitive entry positions in the field. To apply see http://www.urban.org/uisa/apply.cfm

Due: 03-15-2009
The University of Chicago Public Interest Program (UCPIP) is an alumni-driven University initiative providing opportunities for graduating College students to embark on careers that will have a positive impact on both specific communities and our larger society. Through one-year fellowships at partner organizations, young alumni of the University will bring their considerable skills, creativity and commitment to bear on substantive projects with direct relevance to crucial public interest and public service issues. For more information, email Max Brooks at mbrooks@uchicago.edu or visit http://chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/engage_UCPIP.html

Due: 03-15-2009
The Fellows Alliance is a year-long paid fellowship program committed to building religious pluralism and organizing interfaith activities on campus. IFYC provides mentorship, a network of peer colleagues, access to a national network of interfaith youth work organizers, internship and professional development opportunities. Contact Hafsa Kanjwal for more information at hafsa@ifyc.org or at 312-573-8926.

Dr. Angela Perez Miller Scholarship 2009
Due: 03-27-2009
Named after the late Dr. Angela Perez Miller, who dedicated her life to the rights of Latinos in education and health, the scholarships are offered to first-year college students who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the amounts of $1000. To receive the application or if you have any questions please contact Melissa Gonzalez: (773)542-7077, melissa@latinospro.org

DOROT Internship
As a DOROT intern you will be exposed to the complex issues of aging, and gain experience in all aspects of DOROT's operations. Among many activities you may: visit with seniors in their homes, escort seniors to cultural events, doctor appointments or shopping, tutor seniors in computer use, and assist professional staff in the DOROT office with the planning and execution of programs. To apply contact Shayna B. Finman, Coordinator of College Volunteers at sfinman@dorotusa.org or fill out the online application at www.dorotusa.org

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Reversed Perspective on Community Service
*This quarter we have examined community service from its gains on the community around us. As Winter quarter ends, we wanted to share two organizations that stand out in the minds of our writers.*

The Brown Elephant by Rachel Cromidas

The Brown Elephant is not your grandmother’s thrift store. Located in the heart of Boystown, the shop sells everything from flower-printed ottomans to picture-frames and leather jackets. Their best items walk a fine line between shabby and chic, and would be absolute gems to find in any consignment outpost. But the Brown Elephant is consigning with a conscience—its proceeds go directly to the Howard Brown Health Center, the Midwest’s largest healthcare provider dedicated to the LGBT community.

The promise of social-consciousness and cheap goods makes the Brown Elephant exactly the kind of place second-year Bradan Litzinger wants to shop. He visited the store last month with other members of the Community Service Leadership Training Corp. to volunteer. but he first visited the Brown Elephant in the Fall, looking for a Halloween costume. He was dressing as Jake Blues of the Blues Bros, and needed an inexpensive black tie and suit coat.

“It really wasn’t that difficult to find those clothes,” Bradan said, “but the Brown Elephant really has things that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. I got a Yoda poster that was framed; it was pretty awesome. I go there when I want something that’s a little bit unusual.”

Of course, Bradan said it didn’t hurt that the store was raising money for a great cause. The Howard Brown Health Center has been offering its services to Chicago’s Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender community since 1974. Now, they offer free, anonymous STD and HIV screenings, primary care services and substance abuse programs to more than 28,000 adults and youth each year.

Spending just a couple of dollars here can provide someone with a free flu shot or safe-sex kit. Maybe I don’t need a cookbook dedicated to pizza recipes (my dorm room kitchen just isn’t equipped), but I can’t think of many better reasons to spend a little extra when my budget is
tight.

Interfaith Youth Core by Mutisya Leonard

2008 recipient of the University of Chicago President’s Volunteer Service Award and A.B 2008 alum, Hannah McConnaughay, first went in to Interfaith Youth Core in the summer of 2007 as a Summer Links Intern. She returned upon graduation to a full-time responsibility and is today Program Associate for Outreach Education and Training. Interfaith Youth Core is a Chicago-based non-profit that promotes pluralism among youth of different religious traditions by empowering them to work together to serve others.

“Service work, if done right,” McConnaughay shared, “if done with humility, and an understanding that we are all at times in need of and recipients of public service, and with respectful consultation of the communities ‘served’, and with a thirst for listening to the stories of the people we encounter – will teach you more practically about the social world, what our political priorities should be, and how to meet logistical challenges. It informs too the abstract analytical work of the classroom, creating a conversation between the theory and practice of all aspects of life that makes you a better scholar, as well as an informed citizen.”

“Civic engagement is paying attention to what happens in places where people from different homes, cultures, and ideologies encounter one another, and responding to their interaction intentionally,” McConnaughay considers. “Thus defined, careers in business and journalism, may involve, if socially engaged, as much civic activity as politics and social service.”

“In my first year in Chicago,” McConnaughay recalls, “I was recruited to UCSC’s Community Service Leadership Training Corps, under Pamela Bozeman-Evans’ guardianship. At our first trip out, Pam brought us out to Belmont and Clark for ‘random acts of kindness’. We handed out coffee and donuts, and she educated us about the area, letting us know of the homelessness behind the affluence – that this place that some of us would return to, to go clubbing, had too a huge concentration of homeless youth. I return to that night all the time now that I live in Lakeview.”


The University Community Service Center (UCSC) fosters the development of civic-minded students by providing substantive community service opportunities through community partnerships based on mutual trust and respect. If you have questions - how to get involved as a student or how to connect to students as a community organization - please contact us.

University Community Service Center
5525 S. Ellis Ave., Suite 160
Chicago IL, 60637
Tel: 773.753.4483
Fax: 773.834.1160
ucsc.uchicago.edu

IN THIS ISSUE:

*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*Internships, Jobs, and Beyond...
*In the Spotlight: Student Activists’ Conference: A Conversation with Bill Ayers





SAVE THE DATE: 12th Annual Volunteer Recognition Reception
Monday, May 18th 2009
Nominations are now open for the following awards:
• President’s Volunteer Service Award
• Perry Herst Prize
• Faculty Service Award
• Staff Service Award
• CSRSO Award
• Turkington House Award
• Community Partner Award
Visit ucsc.uchicago.edu for award descriptions, eligibility and nomination forms.

EVENTS
Blaming the Survivor: It's bigger than Chris and Rihanna
Thursday, March 5
7:00pm-8:00pm
Valois - 1518 E. 53rd Street
Café Society hosts a talk around domestic violence, its ramifications on society, and preventive measures inspired by the domestic dispute between artists Rihanna and Chris Brown. Café Society is designed to foster a more robust civil society, more cohesive and interactive communities, greater media literacy, and a more informed and engaged citizenry through weekly coffee shop conversations about contemporary social issues.

“A Powerful Noise” Movie Screening
Thursday, March 5
6:30pm
AMC River East 21: 322 E. Illinois Street
CARE will present A POWERFUL NOISE Live in 450 movie theatres nationwide. The event comes in partnership with ONE and the UN Commission on the Status of Women. After the film, a town hall discussion will be simulcast in each theatre, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Tickets are approximately $15 – more than 30% of ticket sales will go to support CARE's work to fight global poverty.

Volunteer Meeting for 14th Annual Walk for Peace and Celebration
Saturday, March 7
10:00am-12:00pm
3401 West Armitage
ALLIANCE OF LOCAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (ALSO) in partnership with LA CAPILLA DEL BARRIO host a volunteer meeting for the 14th Annual Walk for Peace and Celebration. Learn about the event and festivities after the walk in May. For more information contact Maggie Pagan at (773) 235-5705.

Asian American Sexualities Conference
Saturday, March 7
8:30am-5:00pm
Social Sciences Rm 122 – 1126 E. 59th Street
The Lesbian and Gay Studies Project of the Center for Gender Studies, The Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture, and Amerasia Journal host a series of presentations and speakers focuses on social, legal, and practical challenges associated with sexual individuality. Keynotes include Amy Sueyoshi and David Eng. Note: Registration begins at 8:30am.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer in Africa is organization in Ghana which offers volunteer work and volunteer travel programs anytime year round to Ghana, Africa. Their program promotes sustainable development, international cooperation, friendship and understanding in Ghana. Volunteering includes opportunities in orphanages, schools, media/journalism, and HIV/AIDS. For more information: http://www.volunteeringinafrica.org/ghana.htm

Each One Teach One is a nonprofit organization that caters to under-performing and underserved students on the south side of Chicago. As a Coach Volunteer, you will work with targeted students for the entire semester; tutoring, teaching, and cultivating logical thinking and problem solving skills, so that they may begin to work through their math challenges with minimal assistance. It should be noted that all of our Coach Volunteers are adept in high school-level mathematics. For more information, contact Janisse Norman at Each1Teach1@UReach.Com or 877.274.1284.

March 14th, 2009
The Chicago Metro History Education Center invites you to make a difference in students’ lives by volunteering to judge at a History Fair event this spring. As a judge, you will evaluate exhibits, documentaries, performances, or research papers on topics in Chicago history produced by students in grades 6-8 or 9-12. For registration information contact Trudi at trudi@uchicago.edu

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Due: 03-09-2009
The Dr. Aizik Wolf Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship in Human Rights will fund one year of work, after graduation, at a non-governmental organization, government agency, or international body dedicated to human rights. The award consists of a $24,000 stipend for 12 months of full-time work, with some additional support for travel and/or relocation expenses. For more information on the application, contact Trudi Langendorf at Trudi@uchicago.edu

Due: 03-12-2009
The Urban Institute Summer Academy for Public Policy Analysis and Research provides a unique and challenging learning experience for minority college students who are interested in careers in public policy research. Their eight-week summer program will give students between their junior and senior year of college the skills and exposure crucial to obtaining highly competitive entry positions in the field. To apply see http://www.urban.org/uisa/apply.cfm

Due: 03-15-2009
The Fellows Alliance is a year-long paid fellowship program committed to building religious pluralism and organizing interfaith activities on campus. IFYC provides mentorship, a network of peer colleagues, access to a national network of interfaith youth work organizers, internship and professional development opportunities. Contact Hafsa Kanjwal for more information at hafsa@ifyc.org or at 312-573-8926.

Dr. Angela Perez Miller Scholarship 2009
Due: 03-27-2009
Named after the late Dr. Angela Perez Miller, who dedicated her life to the rights of Latinos in education and health, the scholarships are offered to first-year college students who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the amounts of $1000. To receive the application or if you have any questions please contact Melissa Gonzalez: (773)542-7077, melissa@latinospro.org

DOROT Internship
As a DOROT intern you will be exposed to the complex issues of aging, and gain experience in all aspects of DOROT's operations. Among many activities you may: visit with seniors in their homes, escort seniors to cultural events, doctor appointments or shopping, tutor seniors in computer use, and assist professional staff in the DOROT office with the planning and execution of programs. To apply contact Shayna B. Finman, Coordinator of College Volunteers at sfinman@dorotusa.org or fill out the online application at www.dorotusa.org

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Student Activists’ Conference: A Conversation with Bill Ayers
Klara Scharnagl, Staff Writer

Last Saturday, students and community members alike made the morning journey to Ida Noyes Hall for the annual Student Activist Conference run by the Social Justice program. The morning began with a conversation with Bill Ayers, lifelong activist, and professor at UIC. Hannah Jacoby, fourth year in the college who coordinates the Social Justice program, moderated.

Ayers first became an activist in college, at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. There, he was part of Students for a Democratic Society, a group trying to get the professors to go on strike protesting the Vietnam War. “We thought of ourselves as organizers,” Ayers said. But, the professors would not go on strike. This alleged ‘downfall’ in their plans actually led to the formation of the very first Teach-In where all professors, in their respective subject areas, taught their classes about Vietnam, Cambodia, or the American military. Ayers explained there is “always an idea that we can get better.” There is no end to falling down, he said; the only difference is that we get back up again.

When asked how and when his desire to become a teacher came about, Ayers laughed and explained it was about the same time he became an activist. Ayers was arrested at a protest and met a man in jail whose wife ran a small Freedom School called “Children’s Community.” Ayers volunteered there for three months before he was asked to become the director. From then on he has been involved in teaching. “But,” Ayers emphasized as he looked out at the forty-odd students and community members seated before him, “whatever else you do, teaching is part of what you should be doing. [After all], if you’re going to be an organizer, you’re going to be a teacher.” Ayers asked who in the audience were going to become teachers. A few people raised their hands.

What suggestions, Jacoby asked, did Ayers have for the aspiring student activists in the audience? Ayers had two main ideas, each with three points:

The first, he tied to teaching. “Focus,” he said, “on doing and making, rather than receiving and memorizing. Second, learn from, rather than about; essentially, experiential learning. Third, focus on a curriculum of questioning.” For Ayers, “the hidden curriculum is that we have minds of our own.”

His second idea focused more on being an activist, or as he puts it, an ‘active citizen.’ “Number one,” Ayers said, “open your eyes – you have to see the world. Number two, act in the world. Number three, rethink or doubt that your action is all that good.” In order to ensure that our actions are not trapped in our own dogmas, Ayers suggests asking oneself: “Did I teach somebody?” and “What did I learn?”

When the conversation opened up to the audience for questions, Ayers was asked what seemed to be on all of our minds: how does one choose how to devote one’s energies, when there is so much going on in the world? The crux of every young idealist or activist is great passion; giving so much away that their own life is spent, or becoming so overwhelmed as to do nothing at all. As just one person, we all ask, what difference could I possibly make? Ayers laughed, saying his students are always chastising him, saying he wants them to do everything. Ayer replies, “do one thing beyond what you are doing now. Then take the next step.” Bill Ayers has this to say: “Love your own life enough to cherish it. But love the world enough to put your shoulder on history’s wheel, when history requires it.”

When, at the end of the conversation Ayers asked the audience again who were going to become teachers, everybody raised their hands.


The University Community Service Center (UCSC) fosters the development of civic-minded students by providing substantive community service opportunities through community partnerships based on mutual trust and respect. If you have questions - how to get involved as a student or how to connect to students as a community organization - please contact us.

University Community Service Center
5525 S. Ellis Ave., Suite 160
Chicago IL, 60637
Tel: 773.753.4483
Fax: 773.834.1160
ucsc.uchicago.edu