IN THIS ISSUE:
*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*In the Spotlight:UCPIP: Alumni Support College Graduates
EVENTS
New Politics of Race and Science
Thursday, May 21
4:00pm – 5:30pm
Adler Institute on Social Exclusion (65 E. Wacker Place, Room 1705)
Dorothy Roberts is Kirkland Ellis Professor, Northwestern Law School, and Professor, Department of African-American Studies and Sociology, and Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, at Northwestern University. This presentation focuses on the uses of race as a category in science, law, and social policy. It demonstrates how different political approaches to racial equality influence scientific debates on medicine, biotechnology, and bioethics.
4th Annual Art in Action Festival
Saturday, May 23rd
11:00am – 6:00pm
First Presbyterian Church (6400 S Kimbark Ave.)
Art in Action is a day-long festival organized by a diverse group of artists, activists, and students from the South Side. This day long event includes music, barbeque, collaborative art projects, a poetry slam, and much more.
Annual University Memorial Ceremony
Tuesday, May 26th
5:00pm
Rockefeller memorial Chapel
During this ceremony, we remember those from the University community who have died during the academic year, and we also invite graduating students to name those whom they have lost over the course of their studies — family members and friends who cannot be there to express pride and joy, and whose absence is keenly felt. For more information, contact Elizabeth Davenport at ejld@uchicago.edu
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.
The 16th Annual Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon is Saturday, June 13. In just one day, 8,000 volunteers will come together to help 30,000 Chicago students succeed by transforming schools into vibrant places to learn and grow. Volunteers will paint beautiful murals, brighten classrooms and hallways, create line games on playgrounds, beautify school grounds with landscaping and organize libraries. To learn more or register today, visit www.chicagocares.org or call 312 780-0800 for more information.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
UCPIP: Alumni Support College Graduates
Mutisya Leonard, Staff Writer
According to University of Chicago alumnus, and Vice President of the Alumni Board of Governors, Tom Berg, A.B ’72, the University of Chicago Public Interest Program (UCPIP) is a key initiative in the University’s long tradition of civic engagement with Chicago –a tradition that goes back more than 100 years with Jane Addams, and with the creation of SSA. “The talents and energy of UChicago graduates are the best things the University can share with the city,” he said. Berg is also Alumni Director of UCPIP.
UCPIP is a competitive alumni-driven University initiative placing College graduates in paid, year-long non-profit opportunities in Chicago. The program runs as an innovative collaboration between Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS), the University Community Service Center (UCSC), and the Alumni Association.
David Hays, Assistant Director at UCSC says, “It’s a true partnership. Alumni identify Fellowship sites, and they provide mentorship and training crucial in transitioning from the unique education at UChicago. CAPS offers the structural support students need in navigating the application and interviews, and in developing professional relationships with host organizations. UCSC contributes to strategic planning, defining of program directions, visions and timelines, facilitates outreach to community partners that would potentially host Fellows, and connects with students actively engaged in service-work that may find reward and challenge in applying to UCPIP.”
College graduates bring their skills, creativity and commitment to bear on projects with direct relevance to crucial public interest issues while mastering the tools needed to work locally on significant social issues. Graduates receive an annual stipend of at least $27,000 plus benefits from the site they match with, and are partnered with a supervisor at the site. Additionally, during the course of the year, Fellows receive professional development training –in the form of weekly seminars with peer Fellows in the program— and formal mentorship opportunities with established alumni in public interest work.
The supplementary development training is aimed at promoting awareness on public interest issues and best practices in non-profit work, connecting the host sites’ work to the University, and expanding the pool of public interest resources. Berg retired from a for-profit career a year ago and enjoys working with UCPIP because it “uses the skills learned in corporate life –strategy, management and marketing skills, metrics and entrepreneurial skills– in the exciting public interest setting.”
“It's a way to give back where you can see the impact, and have a lot of fun interacting with Fellows and learning about public interest work in Chicago,” Berg concludes.
“Students applying to UCPIP are coming from different places,” notes Berg, “some are trying out non-profit work, and assessing its fit. Some are looking for an entry to a life-long career in public interest. Others want to contribute before starting graduate school or another career.”
“A fellow worked at Greater Southwest Development Corp and was introduced to a trade school -Austin Polytechnic School- during the weekly Fellow seminars and brought those ideas back to his site. A current fellow writes and edits a neighborhood newspaper pretty much by herself in North Lawndale. Other fellows work in education settings and have good success with underserved students,” Berg continued, “They are a diversely engaged lot, involved in dynamic work!”
“Host organizations see the value of UCPIP but the current economy has hurt us,” Berg notes. “Still UCPIP has become creative in meeting the challenge. In recruiting sites, we highlight UCPIP as an exciting opportunity to hire intelligent, resourceful and enthusiastic UChicago graduates that bring fresh ideas to work at a reasonable cost. Other organizations want to create or deepen relationships with the University and we show them how UCPIP is a good starting point in linking to professional and institutional support. In a small immigration organization in Little Village, for instance, we settled a deal where alumni offered voluntary advice and support to help them with strategy, metrics and marketing while they took up a Fellow to, among other things, implement the ideas.”
UCPIP seeks to build long-term partnerships with public interest organizations. Some organizations do decide to hire Fellows as regular full-time employees beyond the Fellowship year.
Maxwell Brooks, Assistant Director for Undergraduate Preparation at CAPS manages the fellowship program. He may be reached by e-mail: mbrooks@uchicago.edu.
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
