Letter from the President

Issue #6 - April 16, 2007 - Connections

"Michigan Volunteer Week "

This edition of Connections comes to you in the midst of Michigan Volunteer Week and celebrates the service of volunteers across the state. During this week, it is important to take time to reflect on the successes of our organizations that were made possible through the selfless support of Michigan volunteers.  

Recognition of those who have given of their time, talent and treasure is an important and necessary step in retaining and recruiting supporters of our organizations. In a time when the value of a volunteer hour is becoming increasingly important, I urge you make an effort to recognize those that give of themselves to support our organizations and their infrastructure.

In Service,

Kyle Caldwell
President and CEO
ConnectMichigan Alliance

Guest Column

Earth Day
By Sally T. Prouty, President and CEO, The Corps Network

On March 9, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt told the nation that, "I propose to create a Civilian Conservation Corps to be used in simple work… more important, however, than the material gains will be the moral and spiritual value of such work." By the time the CCC went out of business in l941, it had provided work and vocational training for 3.5 million unemployed single young men through conserving and developing the country's natural resources. The CCC’ers planted 2.5 billion trees, protected 40 million acres of farmland from erosion, drained 248,000 acres of swamp land, replanted almost a million acres of grazing land, built 125,000 miles of roads, and created 800 state parks and 52,000 acres of campgrounds.

The success of the CCC fixed in our minds the idea that the government would provide the opportunity for young people in need to do meaningful work to protect the earth and restore the environment.

Today, 23,000 young people in our nation’s 113 Service and Conservation Corps carry on the legacy of the CCC across America. Today’s Corps continue to plant trees, create trails and build campgrounds, protect parks and forests from wildfires, remove invasive species, restore streambeds, construct handicapped accessible recreational facilities, teach communities and school children about the environment and participate in a host of other projects. Last year, Corpsmembers mobilized more than 125,000 community volunteers who devoted 2.4 million hours to community projects.

Young people serving in Corps do critical work for the environment and provide important service to our country.  Corps are also a proven strategy for reconnecting disadvantaged young people to their communities and the larger society. They engage young people ages 16-25 in service, training and educational activities. In return Corpsmembers receive a modest stipend, education to improve basic competencies, skills training and supportive services. Most importantly, they learn to value their personal contribution and the importance of teamwork.  A random assignment evaluation conducted by Abt Associates showed significant employment and earnings gains for young people who join a Corps.  They are also significantly less likely to engage in a range of anti-social behaviors.

Earth Day should remind us that there are still millions of young Americans who will serve if there are opportunities to do so.  It is a good day to re-dedicate ourselves to environmental stewardship and to Roosevelt’s proposition that meaningful work offers our youth the opportunity to change their communities, their own lives and those of their families.

As President of The Corps Network, I am dedicated to achieving our goal of having a thriving Corps in every community that wants one; advocating for public-private partnerships, providing training and technical assistance, sharing best practices and promoting the highest-quality programs.

I invite you to visit our web site: www.corpsnetwork.org to learn more about us.  I know you’ll like what you see.  Then contact us so that we can work together to teach a new generation of young Americans the “moral and spiritual value of such work” just as FDR did almost 75 years ago.

Serve Michigan

Celebrating Michigan's Volunteer Champions
By Tiffany Aurora, Policy Associate, Michigan Nonprofit Association

Serve Michigan is hosting its second annual Celebrating Volunteerism event April 18 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the 4th Floor of the State Capitol Building in Lansing.

Attendance is free but RSVPs are required. Register Here.

Celebrating Volunteerism brings together volunteers from around the state to celebrate the impact of our efforts on the state’s communities. The hour-long celebration includes some remarkable volunteer stories, as well as the presentation of the Michigan Volunteer Champion Awards, awards that honor state elected officials for their dedication to volunteerism.

Winners of the 2007 Volunteer Champion Awards include:

Representative Brenda Clack (D-Flint) – Mentor Award for exemplary leadership in promoting and supporting mentoring by Michigan citizens

Senator Mark Jansen (R-Grand Rapids) – National Service Award for outstanding leadership and advocacy of national service in Michigan

Senator Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) – Generation Award for steadfast commitment to volunteers who seek to engage seniors in service to others

Mrs. Kathleen Straus (D-Detroit) – Service Educator Award for dedication to advancing service-learning throughout Michigan’s education community

Representative Steve Tobocman (D-Detroit) – Volunteer Spirit Award for outstanding leadership in advocacy of organizations that support volunteers in Michigan

Senator Gerald Van Woerkom (R-Norton Shores) – Servant Leadership Award for life-long dedication to citizen service and for outstanding leadership in advancing service, volunteerism and civic engagement in Michigan

Come join your fellow volunteers from around the state as we celebrate the impact of volunteerism on the State of Michigan!

Celebrating Volunteerism will take place this Wednesday, April 18, from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the State Capitol Building. Lunch will be provided at the conclusion of the program. Attendance is free but RSVPs are required. Register to attend on the Serve Michigan website.

Serve Michigan is the public policy program of the ConnectMichigan Alliance. Serve Michigan works in collaboration with the Michigan Nonprofit Association.

Michigan Campus Compact

Madonna University Hurricane Relief

This spring break, Madonna University students and community members packed up and headed for the coast, leaving behind their swimsuits and sandals to leave room for their hammers and nails.  During their break, this selfless group of 16 would volunteer in Pass Christian, Mississippi, 140 miles outside New Orleans, where the need remains desperate.

In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, countless homes near the coast still lie in desperate need of repair.  Michigan’s institutions of higher education recognize this need, and are using alternative spring break programs to aid in the recovery effort.  Madonna University is just one of many institutions participating this year.

“It was all of the above” responded Fonda Gnacke, a Michigan Campus Compact VISTA serving at Madonna, when asked about the break.  Exciting, depressing, frustrating and rewarding were all words used in describing her experience.  “The damage is unfathomable,” she said.  “A lot has been done, but many more still need our help.”

Madonna students worked hard to gut a home damaged by the storm, install a new roof and construct a new deck during their short time in Mississippi.  In addition to these physical contributions, they served as a source of hope that homes will eventually be completed, and lives reconstructed in these despondent areas.

The week tallied more than 640 hours of service from the Madonna community.  Kevin West, who instructs the sociology class that participated in this effort was happy with the results.  West has committed to bringing similar relief efforts to the Gulf area over the next 3 years.

During the alternative break, every student was given the chance to lead a reflection period after they concluded their workday.  This forum gave students the opportunity to discuss what they were feeling and created a tight bond within the group.  Upon their return, students have reflected positively on their experience, and many are preparing for future trips south.

“After all the devastation in the area, the people there continue to be kind and embracing,  finding comfort in their shared loss,” said Gnacke.  “Because they are so embracing, you feel like you want to do more.  Being immersed in their situation has humbled me immeasurably.  I will go back.”

Volunteer Centers of Michigan

Developing Volunteer Centers
By Molly Hilligoss, Program Specialist, ConnectMichigan Alliance

Representatives from the communities of Chippewa, Livingston, Tuscola, Lenawee and Marquette County convened on February 15-16 in Lansing with a common goal: to efficiently provide those in and around their community with volunteer opportunities.  These opportunities will come through the development of volunteer centers in those counties.  The Volunteer Centers of Michigan (VCM) hosted this convening, providing guidance and support through the two-day intensive Volunteer Center Start-Up Academy.

“The Volunteer Centers of Michigan strives to provide every individual in Michigan with the opportunity to become engaged in their community,” said Diana Algra, Executive Director of VCM.  “Through providing funding and resources like the Start-Up Academy, VCM is continually increasing the reach and coverage of Volunteer Centers throughout our state.”

Participants in the Volunteer Centers of Michigan Start-Up Academy had the opportunity to take part in several trainings to help guide the development of these local centers while keeping essential services in mind. Beth Ludlum from The Points of Light Foundation facilitated the academy, and participants were guided by Origins: A Process for New Volunteer Center Development. This guidebook is comprised of a series of workshops that include discussions on: creating a winning team, community need and asset assessment, collaboration and what a successful volunteer center looks like.

Robin Lynn Grinnell, Director of the Michigan Nonprofit Leadership Institute, presented a workshop on collaboration. Also presenting was Denise Hubbard, Executive Director of Volunteer Connections of Macomb County, who shared her expertise in the establishment of local partnerships to strengthen volunteer centers.  Through this interactive academy participants from all counties were able to share the plans, challenges and excitement that comes from beginning a new project in a community.

“Through the Start-Up Academy, I have gained access to the network, channels and resources essential to the development of a successful center,” said Sean Smith, the Volunteer Center Program Initiative Coordinator from the Human Development Commission/Thumb Volunteer Alliance.  “By participating in this open forum, I was able to discuss how our developing center might best serve our community.”

The participating counties recently received grant funds through the Michigan Community Service Commission and the Volunteer Investment Grant to explore the possibilities of establishing or reestablishing local volunteer centers in their communities. These counties will continue with their planning phase grants through August 2007. They will then be eligible for continued support as they work to strengthen their new volunteer centers.

Michigan's Promise

Award Winning Teacher Inspires Saginaw Peers

When Communities In Schools – The Answer to Saginaw County’s Promise heard that Erin Gruwell would visit their community, they knew they had to create an opportunity for their educators to hear her message.  Gruwell, who taught at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, used education to change the lives of 150 students who were lost in the education system there.  Her 150 students overcame adversity and broke down stereotypes, all graduating from high school and pursuing college careers.  She explains that this was accomplished through giving her students a voice, a voice that has been heard by millions in the pages of the published text, The Freedom Writers Diary – How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and The World Around Them.

Gruwell’s work recently inspired the movie Freedom Writers, and her ideas are being used in staff trainings and implemented into lesson plans across the nation.  Gruwell was booked to speak as part of the Horizons Town Talk series at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw, a program that brings five speakers per year to an audience of 1,100 season ticket holders.

At the request of Communities In Schools, Donn Cramton, Communication Director at Horizons and overseer of the Town Talk series, volunteered to host a dinner that would connect the faculty of the Saginaw school system with Gruwell the night before her scheduled speech.  As a result of this initial contact by Communities In Schools, school teachers and administrators would be given the opportunity to dine and speak informally with Gruwell about her experiences in their shared field.

Nearly 40 educators attended the event, all finding Gruwell inspirational.  Similarities could be seen between her students and those in Saginaw.  Sharing some of the same economic, motivational and engagement issues, teachers from the Saginaw community were provided with a fresh outlook on methods for addressing the situations their youth face. 

Stephanie Wirtz, Saginaw County’s Promise Coordinator, was thrilled that this connection could be made, and that teachers from Saginaw were given the opportunity to speak with Gruwell.

“I am hoping Erin Gruwell inspired those present to go out and make a difference to the kids that others may have forgotten,” she said.  “We are going to continue working with the school districts to hopefully bring Erin’s curriculum into the schools.”

All educators attending the event were given a personal invitation by Gruwell to attend her speech the following afternoon. Renee Johnston, President and CEO of the Saginaw Community Foundation, spoke about Gruwell’s influence.  “By bringing Erin to our community, the educators in our area can bring creativity to their jobs, and hopefully create some of the same opportunities for our children that Erin has for hers.”

For more information about the efforts of Communities In Schools – The Answer to Saginaw County’s Promise, visit http://www.cisnet.org/saginawcounty/.  Information about The Freedom Writers is available at http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org.

Mentor Michigan

Washtenaw Youth Mentoring Coalition
By Brandon Seng, Communications Manager, ConnectMichigan Alliance

For AmeriCorps member Anna Dusbiber, mentoring has always been a part of life.  According to Dusbiber, there is no better mentoring match than an adult who has walked in the shoes of the youth they mentor.  As a co-founder of the Youth Program at the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (AACIL), she works to provide unique mentoring opportunities to youth with disabilities.  The depth of her commitment to the field goes unmatched, because for Dusbiber, mentoring is an experience that has come full circle.

“I was a mentee at the AACIL before there was an official mentoring program,” said Dusbiber.  “My mentor inspired me to live independently and made a huge impact on my life.  I have since been providing real life advice and experience to others through mentoring.”

Anna is certified as a peer counselor through the AACIL, and previously served for two years mentoring first year students at Eastern Michigan University as an upperclass student, prior to her graduation.  She currently serves as a mentor through the AACIL Youth Mentoring Program, guiding 14-21 year olds in their transition toward independent living.

The AACIL Youth Mentoring Program matches youth with disabilities with mentors who share a similar or the same disability, and has shown great success.  With 16 youth currently matched, mentors have a deep understanding of the challenges their mentees face and are able to provide first hand experience to support them.

Inspired by the success of their youth program, the AACIL is now leading an effort to advance the mentoring movement and provide all the youth in Washtenaw County with access to a mentor.  Jen Chapin-Smith, Washtenaw’s Community Mentorship Coordinator, and Dusbiber have worked side by side to develop what is being called the Washtenaw Youth Mentoring Coalition. This coalition brings 24 youth serving organizations within Washtenaw County together to more effectively match youth in the area with mentors. 

“By connecting all of the mentoring and youth serving organizations in Washtenaw County, we have developed one go-to place for those interested in finding or becoming a mentor,” said Jen Chapin-Smith.  “We hope to soon grant every youth in Washtenaw, Livingston and Monroe Counties access to a mentor.”

This coalition can be considered the hub of mentoring for Washtenaw County.  With a membership that together serves the whole community, the coalition is ensuring that all of Washtenaw’s youth are given an equal voice.

“We are lucky there is a countywide coalition to support mentoring,” said Dusbiber.  “I would like to see other CIL’s in the state duplicate this effort, because it has been so successful.”

The Ann Arbor CIL is the fourth oldest CIL in the world.  With more than 30 years of service, it is part of the early Disability Rights Movement that continues to campaign for full equality and inclusion for people with disabilities.  To learn more about the AACIL visit http://www.aacil.org.  For more on the Washtenaw Youth Mentoring Coalition, and to become a mentor yourself, visit http://www.washtenawmentoring.org/.

The LEAGUE

Bringing Service Into the Classroom, The LEAGUE Challenges Michigan's Educators
By Kari Pardoe, Director of the Michigan LEAGUE

In August of 2006, the school year began a little differently for 42 schools in the State of Michigan.  These schools had committed to joining The LEAGUE, a national program that challenges teachers and students to connect with their community through service.  The LEAGUE Curriculum by Learning to Give seeks to help all children understand and change their world through service-learning.*   LEAGUE schools empower students to engage in a series of service-learning events in the community to address local issues and learn important skills and knowledge tied to Michigan’s curriculum standards. 

The LEAGUE provides service-learning related teaching resources through Learning to Give, with all materials aligned to MEAP test criterion.  “Educators are given the opportunity to incorporate the concepts of giving, serving, and the community into their lessons, while teaching rigorous material in math, science and English,” stated Russ Mawby, Chairman Emeritus, W.K. Kellogg Foundation.  With recognition via The LEAGUE website, local newspapers, and national media, LEAGUE students and schools can celebrate and be recognized for their impact on local community issues. 

Throughout the year, over 18,000 students participating in The LEAGUE leveraged more than $267,000 in volunteer time and cash contributions to be donated to Michigan nonprofits through four service events, all addressing needs the students see in their communities. 

To round out the remaining school year, schools will be participating in two additional service events, Earth Day on April 21st and a Penny Drive the week of May 7th.  Earth Day encourages environmental stewardship through awareness, problem identification, problem solving, team building and leadership by partnering with local organizations to carry out community projects.  The Penny Drive is a competition within each participating school which will raise funds for a nonprofit organization that the students choose, in order to address a need that they have identified. 

With thanks to dedicated faculty, these sponsored service-learning events, and the unique Learning To Give curriculum, The LEAGUE has taken off in Michigan.  Service-learning is being implemented into the classroom in increasingly creative ways, proving that learning takes place as much in the community as it does behind a desk.

To find out more about The LEAGUE, how a school can join, or what an organization can do to partner, please contact Kari Pardoe at (313) 309-1668 or at kpardoe@connectmichiganalliance.org  

*Service-Learning is a teaching and learning approach that connects meaningful service to the community with academic learning, helping youth to gain a deeper understanding of what they are learning, to acquire new knowledge and to engage them in civic activity.  For more information on Service-Learning go to http://www.michigan.gov/mcsc/0,1607,7-137-6116_8148---,00.html

Editor's Note: It is a pleasure to announce that Kyle Caldwell, President and CEO of the ConnectMichigan Alliance, has been selected to receive the Lansing Community College Distinguished Alumni Award. To view a press release on this achievement, click here.

Editor:
Brandon Seng, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Contributors:
Fonda Gnacke, Madonna University
Kari Pardoe, Michigan LEAGUE
Kris Kurzawa, University of Michigan
Kyle Caldwell, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Martin Mitchell, Starr Commonwealth
Molly Hilligoss, ConnectMichigan Alliance
Sally T. Prouty, The Corps Network
Tiffany Aurora, Michigan Nonprofit Association

What do you think of our e-newsletter? Send us your feedback and let us know what is important to you at cma@connectmichiganalliance.org.