IN THIS ISSUE:

*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*Internships, Jobs, and Beyond...
*In the Spotlight: Chicago Studies Transfers Student Learning into Problem Solving













EVENTS
Bringing volunteerism back in vogue?
Thursday, April 30
7:00-8:00pm
Valois (1518 E. 53rd Street)
Is volunteerism important for civic engagement and why? What impact will Obama’s support for volunteerism have on society? Can volunteerism create substantial social change? Will Obama’s support of volunteering bring more people into public service? Join Café Society in its discussion on volunteerism’s role within society.

Islam and Sexuality Conference
Saturday, May 2
9:30pm-5:00pm
Eckhart Hall Lecture Room 133 (5734 S. University)
Sponsored by The Center for the Study of Race, Culture, and
Politics along with the Lesbian and Gay Studies Project of the Center for Gender Studies at the University of Chicago, and in collaboration with Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation, and Culture and Center for International Studies Norman Wait Harris Fund. Event is free and open to the public.

Hyde Park Jazz Society & 59th Street Jazz presents: Reginald Robinson
Saturday, May 2
7:00-9:00pm
International House (1414 East 59th Street)
Reginald Robinson, pianist/composer and educator of ragtime music and recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award, performs sponsored by Strive Tutoring. Tickets are $10 and $8 for UC Students w/ ID.

From the Ends of the Earth: Christianity in the 21st Century
Friday, May 1: 10am – 6pm
Saturday, May 2: 9am – 3pm
University of Chicago Divinity School (1025 E. 58th St.)
The 5th Annual Ministry Conference seeks to help deepen understanding among ministers, students and lay-persons as well as professional academics of certain realities and potential futures of being Christian around the world. The Conference is open to the public. To register, e-mail ministryconference@gmail.com. For questions or further information, you can also call 630-877-6322.

Hyde Park Neighborhood Club Handcrafts Sale
Sunday, May 3
11:00am-3:00pm
Hyde Park Neighborhood Club (5480 S. Kenwood Ave)
Spoil your mother with a beautiful piece of handcrafted art, and enjoy a wide variety of handcrafted works by local Chicago artists, including many from Artisans 21. 15% of proceeds benefit the Club. Refreshments will be served.

STRIVE Information Sessions
Wednesday, May 6
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Harper Memorial: Room 140
STRIVE is a unique intervention for teens with sickle cell disease. Undergraduate mentors provide one-to-one mentoring/peer support, disease management education and academic support to teens at-risk for poor academic achievement and social/behavioral problems due to frequent hospitalizations. Learn more about STRIVE and how to apply at this informational session.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Help raise community awareness on the issues of Sexual and Domestic Violence. Join the YWCA at their Francis Center (6600 S. Cottage Grove Ave.) in May and June for Informational Saturdays where the group will be walking through the community with program information. Interested volunteers should contact Elspeth at the UCSC at
emcgarvey@uchicago.edu.

Share your paper writing skills! A student from a City College is
looking for assistance with a persuasive final paper. She is willing
to meet you on campus. Anyone interested in helping should contact
Elspeth ASAP at emcgarvey@uchicago.edu.

Soundscapes/Devon: Collaborative Audiowalk in an Immigrant Neighborhood of Chicago

The University of Chicago and the Indo-American Center are facilitating a community-driven effort to create an artistic, educational, widely-disseminable portrait of Devon Avenue. This project may be of interest to students and teachers who want to explore firsthand how an organization that would like to serve a new community takes root in that community, as well those interested in music, sound art, or service-learning. Interested individuals may contact Currun Singh at 773-702-8635 or currun@uchicago.edu for more information or to find out how to get involved.

Screening and Workshops around Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath

This spring, the University of Chicago will host a two-day series of screenings and workshops around the newly-released film Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath, which explores hate and healing in America post-9/11. Screenings and Q&A will be held for middle and high school students and the public, with reflective discussions, interfaith dialogues, and oral history trainings to follow for those interested in communities across Chicago. If you would like to bring the film and a workshop to your community, school, classroom, etc., please let us know and we will do our best to make it happen. Interested individuals may contact Currun Singh at 773-702-8635 or currun@uchicago.edu for more information or to find out how to get involved.

The Broadway Youth Center Drop-In Program, seeks activists, artists, healers, thinkers, LGBT folks of color, organizers, adult allies, and mentors available for 1-2 shifts per week—which last from 12 noon-5 PM, Monday through Saturday. This summer opportunity will also include important training and support on issues related to harm reduction, anti-oppression values, boundaries, and the roles of a youth worker in our space. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Lara at larab@howardbrown.org or 773-299-7613.

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Reasoning Mind is a non-profit that is using the Internet to dramatically improve the math achievement of children from disadvantaged communities. Thousands of children have benefited from the curricula, which not only teach basic math knowledge, but also develop students’ critical thinking skills. By working as a Program Coordinator for Reasoning Mind, you can make a difference for thousands of elementary school children from disadvantaged communities. If you’re interested in learning more about Reasoning Mind, visit their website at www.reasoningmind.org or email sgaudino@gmail.com to arrange a meeting.


IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Chicago Studies Transfers Student Learning into Problem Solving
Mutisya Leonard, Staff Writer

Chicago has been a key city in the history of American politics, labor movements, civil rights, and most recently, the election of America's first African American President. Chicago has been dubbed too 'City of Broad Shoulders', and rightly: as the third most populous US city, attracting up to 45 million visitors annually; as a principal destination for commerce and manufacturing; as an architectural capital and a candidate city for the 2016 Olympics. In so many ways, the city dares to exceed its ‘Second City’ status.

Through appointed classes and co-curricular involvements, Chicago Studies, an initiative co-sponsored by the College and UCSC, seeks to highlight opportunities for students in the College to engage experientially and academically with the city of Chicago. The program encourages students to explore how knowledge and skills learned at the University can be applied, tested, and questioned in engaging the city of Chicago as a classroom and teacher.

Beyond Hyde Park is a city of 76 other neighborhoods, accessible largely by public transit. Yet for all its diversity, most city residents—and University students are no exception—only know a handful of communities: where they live, work, gather with friends and shop.

Although Chicago Studies is now an exciting and encouraging avenue to get students out of Hyde Park, students have long participated in community service and made meaningful connections between classwork and experiences of Chicago.

Frank Bechter’s Anthropology class this Quarter, Ethnographic Methods, examines an important aspect of ‘method’ in anthropology, and what is the ‘regimen’ of an ethnographer. Marshall Knudson, a third year in the college majoring in Anthropology, considers the class “a clearinghouse for tabling issues and forming viable research questions in the context of the city.”

“The class provides a support framework as we go into the city on field assignments and investigate first hand,” Knudson said. “It’s an opportunity to penetrate beyond headlines, to scrutinize understudied issues, to unsettle our received ideas about the city’s people and places.”

Students in the class are investigating everything from co-operative residential living, to multilingual newspapers, to afro-centric bookstores. “Surveying these issues,” Knudson continues, “helps us articulate genuine, substantiated opinions that provide key information in undergirding individual student scholarly and civic engagements and activism.”

Another student in the class, second year Sean McClellan, feels empowered that his class reading provides perspectives for his fieldwork on homelessness in Lakeview, and appreciates how his classwork enriches and informs his volunteer involvement with STRIVE, a youth intervention program of ProjectHEALTH, a national non-profit. STRIVE provides peer support to adolescents with sickle cell disease so they can manage their condition and realize their full potential. According to University Student and STRIVE Education Coordinator Sarah Micley, Sickle cell disease is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses affecting inner-city children, predominantly African-Americans.

“70,000 African-Americans have Sickle cell disease—about 1 in 500—and 3.5 million more are carriers,” Micley said. “Cook County’s Department of Health currently reports over 200,000 African-American children as enrolled in Chicago Public Schools, over 400 of whom suffer from Sickle cell disease, nearly 85% of them considered low-income.”

“It is well-documented that the social and economic challenges facing low-income youth and families both cause and perpetuate health disparities,” Micley said. “ A child from a low income family with Sickle cell disease, struggles with a ‘double jeopardy’: every challenge faced by at risk youth in general; social pressures, academic demands, drug and alcohol abuse amplified by their socioeconomic background, and then a second time by their disease.”

STRIVE volunteers find it exciting to be part of important service work that has real academic, economic and social merit.

In his own studies of Chicago, Carl Sandburg remarked: "Here is the difference between Dante, Milton, and me. They wrote about hell and never saw the place. I wrote about Chicago after looking the town over for years and years."


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: The Drive to Fight Hunger








EVENTS
Engaging Our Communities
Friday, April 24th
8:00am – 11:00am
School of Social Service Administration (969 East 60th Street)
You’re invited to join us for a presentation and conversation with Ann Marie Lipinski, Vice President for Civic Engagement, and Chicago community and University leaders on the University’s engagement efforts. RSVP at civic_engagement@uchicago.edu or 773.834.4122. Breakfast is provided.

Global Activism Expo 2009
Saturday, April 25
Noon – 6:00pm
Northeastern Illinois University (3600 W. Foster Avenue)
Hosted by Worldview’s Jerome McDonnell, Chicago Public Radio Presents…is thrilled to again present this remarkable celebration – complete with food, music and over 100 Chicago-area Global Activists, all featured guests of Worldview’s Global Activists series. Doors open at noon on Saturday and stay open until 6 pm; it’s FREE – so bring your classes, your children, your neighbors, your friends and family.

Dance Marathon in Technicolor
Saturday, April 25
2:00pm-2:00am
Ida Noyes (1212 E. 59th Street)
Come have fun and support the dancers who are raising money to benefit the Children's Place Association, the Midwest's first residential facility dedicated to the care of HIV/AIDS-affected children. For more information or if you still want to sign up (it's not too late!), visit http://dm.uchicago.edu.

From the Ends of the Earth: Christianity in the 21st Century
Friday, May 1: 10am – 6pm
Saturday, May 2: 9am – 3pm
University of Chicago Divinity School (1025 E. 58th St.)
The 5th Annual Ministry Conference seeks to help deepen understanding among ministers, students and lay-persons as well as professional academics of certain realities and potential futures of being Christian around the world. The Conference is open to the public. To register, e-mail ministryconference@gmail.com. For questions or further information, you can also call 630-877-6322.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
** This is a friendly reminder from Volunteer Referral that there are still great volunteer opportunities for you to get involved with! As the weather gets better keep in mind that there are a number of outdoor opportunities close by in Washington Park. Look out for spotlights on particularly great organizations and new ways to serve in the UCSC Newsletter. And even if you have come in already, feel free to stop by the UCSC to talk about possible volunteer opportunities. Contact Elspeth at emcgarvey@uchicago.edu to find a time to meet or with any questions you may have!

Soundscapes/Devon: Collaborative Audiowalk in an Immigrant Neighborhood of Chicago

The University of Chicago and the Indo-American Center are facilitating a community-driven effort to create an artistic, educational, widely-disseminable portrait of Devon Avenue. This project may be of interest to students and teachers who want to explore firsthand how an organization that would like to serve a new community takes root in that community, as well those interested in music, sound art, or service-learning. Interested individuals may contact Currun Singh at 773-702-8635 or currun@uchicago.edu for more information or to find out how to get involved.

Screening and Workshops around Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath

This spring, the University of Chicago will host a two-day series of screenings and workshops around the newly-released film Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath, which explores hate and healing in America post-9/11. Screenings and Q&A will be held for middle and high school students and the public, with reflective discussions, interfaith dialogues, and oral history trainings to follow for those interested in communities across Chicago. If you would like to bring the film and a workshop to your community, school, classroom, etc., please let us know and we will do our best to make it happen. Interested individuals may contact Currun Singh at 773-702-8635 or currun@uchicago.edu for more information or to find out how to get involved.

The Broadway Youth Center Drop-In Program, seeks activists, artists, healers, thinkers, LGBT folks of color, organizers, adult allies, and mentors available for 1-2 shifts per week—which last from 12 noon-5 PM, Monday through Saturday. This summer opportunity will also include important training and support on issues related to harm reduction, anti-oppression values, boundaries, and the roles of a youth worker in our space. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Lara at larab@howardbrown.org or 773-299-7613.

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Reasoning Mind is a non-profit that is using the Internet to dramatically improve the math achievement of children from disadvantaged communities. Thousands of children have benefitted from the curricula, which not only teach basic math knowledge, but also develop students’ critical thinking skills. By working as a Program Coordinator for Reasoning Mind, you can make a difference for thousands of elementary school children from disadvantaged communities. If you’re interested in learning more about Reasoning Mind, visit their website at www.reasoningmind.org or email sgaudino@gmail.com to arrange a meeting.


IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Drive to Fight Hunger
Rachel Cromidas, Staff Writer

Hunger and food insecurity is an under publicized, growing problem casting its shadow on the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 36.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households, including 12.4 million children (16.9% of all children) in 2007.

Third-year Fida Abuisneineh is among many who fight hunger through food-drives. Abuisneineh organized her first drive when she was president of her high school’s community service club, using a discarded red wagon in her campus’s student activities office as the collection bin. And since then, she has been looking to University of Chicago community members to support the anti-hunger cause year-round.

Abuisneineh found an ally in the University Community Service Center; she approached UCSC Director Wallace Goode Jr. last year to create a food drive that would collect donations all year, as opposed to drives centered on the holiday seasons, Goode paired her with student-staff member Race Wright, and they created FASS, UCSC’s pilot food-drive program.

FASS stands for “Faculty, Administrators, Students and Staff,” Wright, a College third-year, explained. “We try to emphasize that it is a collaboration between these four core constituents of the University.”

A different office on campus volunteers to host the FASS donation bins each week, Wright said, and each will rally their staff members to the cause.

For example, Wright said, “UCSC and [Neighborhood Schools Program] will host a food drive and all the staff members in those two offices donate food for that week. The next week it goes to the law school, and they host it for a week…then it goes to the Reg, and then the Bursars, etc.”

“People seem really into it,” Abuisneineh added. “The [Student Counseling and Resource Center] was one of our first sites, and one woman there was so excited about it she got her staff to put stuff out before I even came over with the bins. She was even telling us… we should collect more than just food.”

According to Wright, FASS initially aimed to collect eight to twelve “Treasure Island-sized” bags of food per office.

“In the first quarter I think across the board everybody met their goals. The Reg provided 30 bags of donations,” he said.

FASS donates all of the food it collects to local and community-based food depositories, Wright said. FASS’s three current partners are the Midwest Workers Association, First Presbyterian Church on 61st Street, and the Living Room Café.

Two student groups, the Muslim Students Association and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, have joined together to pick up and deliver the donations each week. This week, FASS is taking place at the University of Chicago Police Department.

According to Wright, the program is still looking for offices, organization, and campus buildings to host the food drive. Those interested in hosting the drive should contact FASS@uchicago.edu for more information.

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: Woodlawn Collaborative: Being a Good Neighbor







EVENTS
Finding Understanding and Support in a Challenging World
Thursday, April 16
4:00pm
OMSA (5710 S. Woodlawn Avenue)
Come to an open discussion for students who identify as having a disability! Let’s talk about the extra challenges we face here on campus and how we can improve awareness and support. RSVP and to request special accommodation(s) to Abby Ostrem at aostrem@uchicago.edu. Abby Ostrem is a Social Service Administration (SSA) graduate student who has personal experience as a student with a disability on campus.

In Search of Humanity: Blogs of an International Aid Worker
Thursday, April 16
12:00pm
Pick Hall, 1st Floor Lounge (5828 S. University Ave)
Presentation and discussion with the author, Obie C. Porteous (B.A. ’03). In Search of Humanity follows this journey through the biweekly postings on his private blog, which include surprising observations of the local context, illustrations of what works and what doesn't in the world of international aid, and personal anecdotes about life as an international aid worker in the remotest corners of the globe.

Spring Day of Service
Saturday, April 18th
8:30am-1:30pm
Join more than 100 students, staff, and faculty for a day of service with local environmental organizations - community gardens, local parks, neighborhood groups, and more. Presented as part of the University's Earth Week Celebration in partnership with the Sustainability Council. Please RSVP by email to Brooke Fallon at bfallon@uchicago.edu with Attn: Brooke in subject line. Your email should include: name, email address, and if you are registering as a group the members of the group.

Engaging Our Communities
Friday, April 24th
8:00am – 11:00am
School of Social Service Administration (969 East 60th Street)
You’re invited to join us for a presentation and conversation with Ann Marie Lipinski, Vice President for Civic Engagement, and Chicago community and University leaders on the University’s engagement efforts. RSVP at civic_engagement@uchicago.edu or 773.834.4122. Breakfast is provided.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
** This is a friendly reminder from Volunteer Referral that there are still great volunteer opportunities for you to get involved with! As the weather gets better keep in mind that there are a number of outdoor opportunities close by in Washington Park. Look out for spotlights on particularly great organizations and new ways to serve in the UCSC Newsletter. And even if you have come in already, feel free to stop by the UCSC to talk about possible volunteer opportunities. Contact Elspeth at emcgarvey@uchicago.edu to find a time to meet or with any questions you may have!

Mikva Challenge would like to invite you to serve as a judge at our annual Issues to Action Civics Fair. As a judge, you will interact with students and assess their projects in areas such as examining community, analyzing power, and taking action. The Civics Fair will be held on Saturday May 2nd, 2009 from 9 am-2:30 pm, at Walter Payton College Prep (1034 N Wells St.). RSVP with Jelani McEwen at 312-863-6343 or via e-mail at jelani@mikvachallenge.org. Please RSVP by April 17.

April 18th, 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 312-266-8223 or e-mail them at info@chicagohistoryfair.org

The Broadway Youth Center Drop-In Program, seeks activists, artists, healers, thinkers, LGBT folks of color, organizers, adult allies, and mentors available for 1-2 shifts per week—which last from 12 noon-5 PM, Monday through Saturday. This summer opportunity will also include important training and support on issues related to harm reduction, anti-oppression values, boundaries, and the roles of a youth worker in our space. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Lara at larab@howardbrown.org or 773-299-7613.

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Chicago Freedom School
Due: April 17, 2009
The Chicago Freedom School is seeking Instructors who will design and lead 14-hour courses for youth ages 14 - 16 enrolled in the 2009 Freedom Fellowship Summer Institute. Instructors will design creative and engaging courses that emphasize the real life experience of young people as well as their achievements, identity, and collective status in the world. To apply, visit www.chicagofreedomschool.org.

Recession Job Search Strategies: Where are the jobs?
Monday, April 20th
5:30pm-7:00pm
Ida Noyes Hall, East Lounge (1212 East 59th Street)
Come and speak with CAPS staff about finding jobs in this tough economy. Learn tips and tricks about where to look, networking, and have questions answered about job hunting in these tough times.

Public Allies: Ally Apprenticeship Program
The Ally Apprenticeship Program is a 10-month AmeriCorps focused on direct services in nonprofit organizations, participation in acclaimed leadership development curriculum, and creative service projects with fellow Allies and community members. In exchange, Allies earn $1,400-$1,800/month, earn an Education Award and have healthcare, and student loan deferment. An info session April 2 & 9 explains the opportunities and options of being an Ally. RSVP to macarthura@publicallies.org, or by visiting http://tiny.cc/8jlcX

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Woodlawn Collaborative: Being a Good Neighbor
Mutisya Leonard, Staff Writer

The identity of Barack Obama as community organizer has electrified conversations on political organizing. Hannah Birnbaum, third year Sociology major, and UCSC Program Coordinator for the Woodlawn Collaborative, notes that the modern University struggles to ensure that its institutional development activities, with respect to its community, are not identified as exclusionary or discriminatory. To Birnbaum, the unveiling of the Woodlawn Collaborative will be “a noticeable break from the University’s historical neighborhood relations.”

The Woodlawn Collaborative is a campus initiative that seeks to create a shared space for University students and South Side residents to work on cultural and pedagogical initiatives, in an underused part of the First Presbyterian Church on 6400 S. Kimbark Ave. Through surveying the intersection of art, service and education, the initiative would foster a sense of collaborative community that is both socially progressive and empowering.

The April 9th issue of Chicago Weekly coined the initiative as ‘the bridge’ that dared to push University students beyond ‘the buffer zones south of 61st street’. The space will be the first institutionalized collaborative setting for students and non-students.

“Our most important challenge hence,” Greg Gabrellas, fourth year Anthropology major, and long-time campus activist pointed out, “is to make good on our promise to stay as an independent, fully-functional student/community center.”

“The First Presbyterian Church is ideal for our project,” said Gabrellas. “The church has been a leading progressive community member. They ran a comprehensive Head Start program for about 40 years. We will be moving in to the former Head Start space. I hope we succeed Head Start well.”

The key players in the initiative are UCSC, the governing board of the First Presbyterian Church, and an ad hoc Woodlawn Collaborative Committee. Birnbaum and Divya Sundar, a second year History major, are Program Coordinators for the Collaborative at UCSC. They work with UCSC Director, Wallace Goode, in providing key support and resources to the Collaborative including securing funding and identifying community partners, and in resolving legal and insurance issues. The Collaborative on the other hand works with UCSC and the University to ensure that the planning of the project is transparent and that the project remains a grassroots endeavor.

“We hope to start programming over the next few weeks. We are now creating a preliminary schedule,” Gabrellas confirmed. “The Woodlawn Collaborative Committee is the principle authority and organizer for the project, overseeing allocations of space, and rights of users, and we hope to elect a formal Board at running.”

“Some students have expressed concern though that due to our dependence on the University, we may corrupt the integrity of a long time independent voice for Woodlawn,” said Gabrellas. “We’d like to assure students that the Collaborative Committee is committed to defending the independence of the Church, and of the Collaborative, so that our original vision and project goals are not compromised.”

In political organizing, Gabrellas observes that three types of progressive persons emerge: the intellectual, the activist, and the artist, with seldom overlaps among the three. “We want to see the Woodlawn Collaborative however as a nucleus for a new generation of social thinkers that actively think intellectually about social issues as they organize,” he added.

The Collaborative emerged out of Naked Theater, and EX-LAB, the ‘Experimental Culture Incubator’ – initiatives three years back that imagined new institutions promoting multidisciplinary work that too intersected culture and politics. By partnering with UCSC, the Collaborative has emphasized a dimension of community service. This partnership will work to preserve diversity, while providing support to deepen all programs on site.

Proposals to the Collaborative have come from dance and theater groups, tutoring programs, literacy groups and worker and tenant rights organizations. Birnbaum and Gabrellas highlighted examples of the diversity of proposals. Gigante Capoiera will offer dance instruction to neighborhood youth; Ali Feenstra, for Queers & Associates has proposed an on-going performance art workshop; and Travis, a local artist, is working to organize a weekly live arts venue for local musicians, poets and other performance artists. There has been too a request from students at the Hyde Park Career Academy to set up a community computer lab, complete with recycled PCs. The students will staff the lab, and run community classes.

To this day, the Collaborative has fund raised for $40,000. The Collaborative notes that its key strength has been an extremely intelligent and aggressive student body, many with extensive experience working on community service and political organizing projects.

Birnbaum notes that the Collaborative is not intended to be part of a ‘social safety net’ or an attempt at combating poverty in Woodlawn. “Rather,” she explains, ”the Collaborative is an attempt to bridge two communities, the University and Woodlawn, in mutually enriching ways.”

“And although this initiative is distinctly local,” Birnbaum is firm to declare, “if it succeeds, it may serve as a model for reconciling town and gown relationships in other places.”

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: An Opportunity You Cannot P.A.S.S.





EVENTS
A Conversations with Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Monday, April 13th
5:00-6:00pm (Doors open at 4:30pm)
Max Palvesky Cinema, Ida Noyes Hall
“This may be the biggest fight of our time.” “Students who have the grades and ability to do well in college are being sent home because they cannot afford to pay their tuition bill.” – Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., March 14, 2009

Statesman, civil rights activist, theologian and alumnus, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., ’67 returns to campus to discuss issues authoring the culture of our time in a discussion led by Ann Marie Lipinski, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and the university’s Vice President for Civic Engagement. In order to guarantee seating for this free event, please register at http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/jackson.html. This event is hosted by the University Community Service Center and sponsored by the Vice President for Campus Life & Dean of Students in the University.

RSO Open Meeting
Thursday, April 8th
5:30pm
McCormick Tribune Lounge
Please join Bill Michel, Assistant Vice President for Student Life,
Sharlene Holly, Director of ORCSA, and other colleagues at an Open
Meeting for RSO Leaders. Bill and Sharlene will share with you some
of the expected impacts that the economy and the University's budget
will have on RSOs for 2009-10.

Finding Understanding and Support in a Challenging World
Thursday, April 16
4:00pm
OMSA (5710 S. Woodlawn Avenue)
Come to an open discussion for students who identify as having a disability! Let’s talk about the extra challenges we face here on campus and how we can improve awareness and support. RSVP and to request special accommodation(s) to Abby Ostrem at aostrem@uchicago.edu. Abby Ostrem is a Social Service Administration (SSA) graduate student who has personal experience as a student with a disability on campus.

In Search of Humanity: Blogs of an International Aid Worker
Thursday, April 16
12:00pm
Pick Hall, 1st Floor Lounge (5828 S. University Ave)
Presentation and discussion with the author, Obie C. Porteous (B.A. ’03). In Search of Humanity follows this journey through the biweekly postings on his private blog, which include surprising observations of the local context, illustrations of what works and what doesn't in the world of international aid, and personal anecdotes about life as an international aid worker in the remotest corners of the globe.

Spring Day of Service
Saturday, April 18th
8:30am-1:30pm
Join more than 100 students, staff, and faculty for a day of service with local environmental organizations - community gardens, local parks, neighborhood groups, and more. Presented as part of the University's Earth Week Celebration in partnership with the Sustainability Council. Please RSVP by email to Brooke Fallon at bfallon@uchicago.edu with Attn: Brooke in subject line. Your email should include: name, email address, and if you are registering as a group the members of the group.

Engaging Our Communities
Friday, April 24th
8:00am – 11:00am
School of Social Service Administration (969 East 60th Street)
You’re invited to join us for a presentation and conversation with Ann Marie Lipinski, Vice President for Civic Engagement, and Chicago community and University leaders on the University’s engagement efforts. RSVP at civic_engagement@uchicago.edu or 773.834.4122. Breakfast is provided.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
** This is a friendly reminder from Volunteer Referral that there are still great volunteer opportunities for you to get involved with! As the weather gets better keep in mind that there are a number of outdoor opportunities close by in Washington Park. Look out for spotlights on particularly great organizations and new ways to serve in the UCSC Newsletter. And even if you have come in already, feel free to stop by the UCSC to talk about possible volunteer opportunities. Contact Elspeth at emcgarvey@uchicago.edu to find a time to meet or with any questions you may have!

The Olympics Evaluation Committee is coming to Chicago and Chicago 2016 needs your help. Chicago 2016 is looking for sporting teams, clubs, organizations, classes, residence halls, etc. to put together a group to come out and help show your support for Chicago 2016. Anyone who is interested in bringing out a group of people can contact students@chicago2016.org to reserve a spot.

Camp City Year, a day camp that engages children in service learning, educational games and other fun activities, needs volunteers to lead groups of 3rd -5th graders during Chicago Public School’s Spring Break (April 6th-10th). Volunteers will be expected to lead activities, service projects, arts, and wholesome fun! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ellie McNeil at 312-532-1392 or via email: emcneil09@cityyear.org.

April 18th, 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 312-266-8223 or e-mail them at info@chicagohistoryfair.org

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
CAPS Stimulus Package: Job Searching in a Weak Economy
Thursday, April 9th
5:30-7:00pm
Ida Noyes Hall, Cloister Club
CAPS staff helps students with finding a job amid the struggling economy. Advise includes where to look, networking opportunities, and making the most out of the tough job market.

Chicago Freedom School
Due: April 17, 2009
The Chicago Freedom School is seeking Instructors who will design and lead 14-hour courses for youth ages 14 - 16 enrolled in the 2009 Freedom Fellowship Summer Institute. Instructors will design creative and engaging courses that emphasize the real life experience of young people as well as their achievements, identity, and collective status in the world. To apply, visit www.chicagofreedomschool.org.

Public Allies: Ally Apprenticeship Program
The Ally Apprenticeship Program is a 10-month AmeriCorps focused on direct services in nonprofit organizations, participation in acclaimed leadership development curriculum, and creative service projects with fellow Allies and community members. In exchange, Allies earn $1,400-$1,800/month, earn an Education Award and have healthcare, and student loan deferment. An info session April 2 & 9 explains the opportunities and options of being an Ally. RSVP to macarthura@publicallies.org, or by visiting http://tiny.cc/8jlcX

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
An Opportunity You Cannot P.A.S.S.
Rachel Cromidas, Staff Writer

Whether you’re a graduating fourth-year or a returning student seeking summer work, Max Brooks wants you to think outside the for-profit box in these tough economic times. That’s why Brooks, assistant director of the Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS) is directing University of Chicago students to the Public and Social Services Career Fair.

The University Community Service Center will be joining forces with CAPS to host the fair, which will emphasizes employment opportunities in the non-profit sector, from noon to 4 pm on April 17 in Ida Noyes Hall.

The career fair follows the Public Service Immersion Camp (PASS), a day-long immersion camp that brings community service-minded students into contact with alumni working in the public sector each year. PASS took place in Autumn of last year, but in the past has always occurred in conjunction with the spring career fair.

“This fair gives us the chance to bring to campus employers who might not be as good a fit as some of the other fairs that have a for-profit focus,” Brooks said. “We’re hoping to attract a student population that might not be inclined to show up to other [career] fairs.”

Brooks anticipates the fair will draw students who have spent their time in college volunteering, interning with non-profits and arts organizations.

“That said, it should also be a draw for students who maybe haven’t been as traditionally involved in volunteer work or non-profit internships and employment in the past,” he added. “One of the consequences of this particular economic situation is it forces people to think more broadly about their interests and what would be good matches for them. A silver lining for us at CAPS is that we are now able to talk to people about a wider variety of opportunities.”

Attendees should dress in business casual for the career fair, Brooks said. He also advises students new to career fairs to survey the fair’s twenty-plus employers and pick the ones who interest them the most before diving right in.

“I’d recommend starting with an employer that isn’t really at the top of their list—that will give [students] the opportunity to improve and get their routines down before going on to the employers they are most interested in.”

Fourth-year Caroline Ouwerkerk and program coordinator for the Community Service Leadership Training Corps (CSLTC) can also attest to the value of interacting with people in the non-profit workforce. She attended PASS two years ago and was impressed to learn about the breadth of opportunities available in the public sector—information she gladly shares with the first- and second-year student she mentors through CSLTC.

“Seeing people who are doing so many different things with their careers is always refreshing—it makes you feel that there might be life after university in terms of doing public service,” she said.


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: Investment in Diversity



NOTE: AVRR Award nominations close this Sunday, April 5th at 11:59 pm. The following awards are still open for 2009 Nominations:

Edward Turkington House Service Award (http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/house_award.html)
CSRSO Award (http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/csrso_award.html)
Community Partner Award (http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/community_partner.html)
Faculty Service Award (http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/faculty_service.html)
Staff Service Award (http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/staff_service.html)

EVENTS
NO Games Rally
Thursday, April 2nd
5:00pm
Federal Plaza
Mayor Daley and the University of Chicago are behind the bid. A coalition of community groups including low-income tenants' associations from Woodlawn and Kenwood are against it. Student groups will be departing from the Reynolds Club at 4pm and 4.30pm to stand in solidarity with our neighbors. For information, email mhopwood@uchicago.edu

2009 Creative Chicago Expo
Saturday, April 4th
10:00am-4:00pm
Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St)
Chicago’s 6th annual gathering of resources, services, and expertise specifically for people in the arts. Over 120 vendors/services, 21 workshops, and panel discussions on individuals, arts organizations, and smart art businesses. Admission is free.

Little Village Youth Forum
Saturday, April 4th
10:00am-4:00pm
2345 S. Christiana
Little Village organized a Youth Forum called “Building Community, Fighting Violence.” Workshops include Chicago Gang History, Search of Identity, Know Your Rights, Counter-Insurgence, and Community Policing. The event is free with lunch provided, and open to everyone.

Information & Discussion Session with Southsiders Organizing for Unity & Liberation (SOUL)
Sunday, April 5th
12:30pm
Augustana Lutheran Church (5500 S. Woodlawn)
SOUL is an association of south side churches and community organizations committed to training and developing leaders to work for social justice. Come learn more about SOUL's history, philosophy of community organizing and social activism. Topics include: Olympics, gold line, HIV/AIDS education, and anti-violence programs.

Morality to Change the World: With or Without God(s)?
Tuesday, April 7th
7:00pm
Columbia College Chicago (623 S. Wabash)
An exchange of ideas about God and the role of religion in contemporary life. The event hosts Stephen Asma, a Buddhist, Bob Bossie, a priest, and Sunsara Taylor, a Communist. For more information, call 312-369-7295.

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.

A Conversations with Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
Monday, April 13th
5:00-6:00pm (Doors open at 4:30pm)
Max Palvesky Cinema, Ida Noyes Hall
“This may be the biggest fight of our time.” “Students who have the grades and ability to do well in college are being sent home because they cannot afford to pay their tuition bill.” – Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., March 14, 2009

Statesman, civil rights activist, theologian and alumnus, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., ’67 returns to campus to discuss issues authoring the culture of our time in a discussion led by Ann Marie Lipinski, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and the university’s Vice President for Civic Engagement. In order to guarantee seating for this free event, please register at http://ucsc.uchicago.edu/pages/jackson.html. This event is hosted by the University Community Service Center and sponsored by the Vice President for Campus Life & Dean of Students in the University.

Spring Day of Service
Saturday, April 18th
8:30am-1:30pm
Join more than 100 students, staff, and faculty for a day of service with local environmental organizations - community gardens, local parks, neighborhood groups, and more. Presented as part of the University's Earth Week Celebration in partnership with the Sustainability Council. Please RSVP by email to Brooke Fallon at bfallon@uchicago.edu with Attn: Brooke in subject line. Your email should include: name, email address, and if you are registering as a group the members of the group.


VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The Children’s Place Association, dedicated to improving the present and securing the future for families and children affected by HIV/AIDS here in Chicago, needs volunteers for The Children’s Place Association Benefit Gala for April 3rd and/or April 4th. To help out, contact Ann Simonson at asimonson@childrensplace.org or via phone: 773-826-1230 X234.

The Olympics Evaluation Committee is coming to Chicago and Chicago 2016 needs your help. Chicago 2016 is looking for sporting teams, clubs, organizations, classes, residence halls, etc. to put together a group to come out and help show your support for Chicago 2016. Anyone who is interested in bringing out a group of people can contact students@chicago2016.org to reserve a spot.

Camp City Year, a day camp that engages children in service learning, educational games and other fun activities, needs volunteers to lead groups of 3rd -5th graders during Chicago Public School’s Spring Break (April 6th-10th). Volunteers will be expected to lead activities, service projects, arts, and wholesome fun! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ellie McNeil at 312-532-1392 or via email: emcneil09@cityyear.org.

Volunteers are needed Wednesday, April 7th for unloading food for the Hyde Park Food Pantry (Hyde Park Union Church, 5600 S. Woodlawn Ave). Please contact Jay Mulberry (jaymulberry@gmail.com) for instructions. The Pantry distributes emergency supplies and groceries to residents living between 39th and 60th, Cottage to the lake.

April 18th, 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 312-266-8223 or e-mail them at info@chicagohistoryfair.org

INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
“Finding Summer Opportunities”
Thursday, April 2nd
6:00-7:30pm
Ida Noyes Hall, East Lounge
CAPS staff offers the tips and tricks for those struggling to find the right summer job/internship.

CAPS Stimulus Package: Job Searching in a Weak Economy
Thursday, April 9th
5:30-7:00pm
Ida Noyes Hall, Cloister Club
CAPS staff helps students with finding a job amid the struggling economy. Advise includes where to look, networking opportunities, and making the most out of the tough job market.

Chicago Freedom School
Due: April 17, 2009
The Chicago Freedom School is seeking Instructors who will design and lead 14-hour courses for youth ages 14 - 16 enrolled in the 2009 Freedom Fellowship Summer Institute. Instructors will design creative and engaging courses that emphasize the real life experience of young people as well as their achievements, identity, and collective status in the world. To apply, visit www.chicagofreedomschool.org.

Public Allies: Ally Apprenticeship Program
The Ally Apprenticeship Program is a 10-month AmeriCorps focused on direct services in nonprofit organizations, participation in acclaimed leadership development curriculum, and creative service projects with fellow Allies and community members. In exchange, Allies earn $1,400-$1,800/month, earn an Education Award and have healthcare, and student loan deferment. An info session April 2 & 9 explains the opportunities and options of being an Ally. RSVP to macarthura@publicallies.org, or by visiting http://tiny.cc/8jlcX

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A Good Investment in Tough Times
Mutisya Leonard, Staff Writer

As the opportunity for college is a real life asset, Elizabeth Chao, a third year Economics and Political Science double major, considers it crucial to make college accessible.

Race Wright, a third year Anthropology and Fundamentals double major, sees diversity recruitment attempts in colleges as local, incremental steps towards "breaking the cycles of poverty and systemic racism."

High school students, primarily from Chicago's inner-city, and groups of historically under-represented, and first generation minorities from around the country are hosted for free campus tours through the Investment in Diversity program, a partnership with the University Community Service Center and the Office of College Admissions.

Investment in Diversity focuses on the recruitment of, support for, and retention of students of color. For some participants, the tour may well be their first look at a college campus. Lauryn Nwankpa, a fourth year Human Development major, and program coordinator for Investment in Diversity finds it exciting to be among first contacts in the shaping of students' thoughts about college.

"A good number of students arriving to tours may be anxious about college admissions," Nwankpa says, "but we want to make them comfortable, so they feel welcome, valued, wanted. Because of socio-economic disadvantages, and racial segregation historically prevalent in the demographic, a good number of the teenagers that visit are justifiably afraid of college, of [the] University of Chicago. But we want them to embrace our architecture, our diligent academic habits, the core, the housing system. We push them to imagine how they fit in, how they'd thrive. We want minority populations to seriously consider University of Chicago as a competitive option for college."

"From Chicago alone, we get a wide range of teenagers - students in surburbia, African Americans from the South Side, Hispanics from the West and South-West sides of the city, and even some refugee populations from North Side communities," Nwankpa said. "We want to open up the university to these populations, sharing with them what options they can find at Chicago in financing their education, in student activities, in housing, in dining."

"As I walked through University of Chicago, I could picture myself there," said Tanya Huynh, a freshman at Kipp Academy in Houston, TX, following a 2008 tour. "Thank you for letting me create wonderful memories... for taking out your time."

"The walk was cold and relentless; the wind clawed at our skin," said Huynh's classmate, Cristian Bastamante. "But through the cold you informed us of history, architecture, people, and I enjoyed getting to know University of Chicago in a new way."

Hannah Wagner Jacoby, a fourth year Political Science major considers that we are all, as students, better off if we are in diverse setting and forced into conversations that may make us uncomfortable: "it's eye opening, and valuable."

"It's one thing to celebrate a black president," Jacoby continues, "but it's another altogether to be confronted with racial differences that force us to analyze assumptions we've picked up growing up. Students of color color conversations in the classroom."

Andy Tully, a second year Biology major, and Mark Redmond, a second year Political Science major echo Jacoby's reflections.

"This is a college in Chicago," says Tully, "and it should, to a decent degree, be rooted in Chicago. Having Chicago natives that know the place of the University in the City provides our academic experience an authentic local presence. And I come from Florida, so this is meaningful to me."

Redmond adds, "diverse perspectives, diverse peoples are invaluable in a college because they keep us conscious in classroom conversations. They make us more careful when we hypothesize cultural situations in, say, Social Sciences, and Civilization Studies. And that's good education. Also local students help us place Hyde Park in Chicago - living on the same floor as a student from Kenwood or Little Village gives you a rich context to appreciating a city as vast as Chicago."

"And all this is really part of a greater national push for diversity in education, in business and even in elected representatives," Redmond concludes, "there is much value today given to the diversity of experiences."


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