Syracuse University Honors Program

 

 

 

The Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service is the perfect place to start. Located in the Schine Student Center, the staff at the Shaw Center will listen to who you are and help you find the placement that is best for you.

And now even better, the Shaw Center has received a grant to support 25 part-time AmeriCorps community service positions. The grant from New York Campus Compact, the New Yorkers Volunteers, and the Corporation for National and Community Service will be used to support the recruitment of college students to volunteer in their communities—helping to increase the capacity of local nonprofit organizations and schools, and meeting critical community-defined needs.

The AmeriCorps Education Award Program currently operates on 15 campuses across the state. Overall, 350 college students will participate in the program this year, and will contribute approximately 105,000 hours of service to their local communities. Through the Education Award Program, college student volunteers in New York will be eligible to earn $1,175 upon successful completion of 300 hours of service. Collectively, students across the state will receive more than $400,000 in education awards. This year’s program will focus on education and economic development, aiming to increase mentoring of disadvantaged youth and create more jobs across the state. In addition, members will also engage in activities from flood relief efforts to health and wellness education.

The Shaw Center was selected as one of four locations to pilot the program in 2010.  During that pilot, 9 undergraduate students completed 2700 hours of service at Syracuse schools and community agencies.  Syracuse University students earned over $10,000 in AmeriCorps education awards, which could be immediately applied toward their student expenses.  This year, Shaw Center hopes to recruit 25 students for the program.

“The Education Award Program brings valuable resources to currently enrolled students who are committed to serving their communities,” said Laurie Worrall, Executive Director of New York Campus Compact. “At a time when financial resources are tight, this program rewards both students and their institutions for continuing their commitments to serve their communities.”

For more information on the Education Award Program at Syracuse University, contact Program Manager Colleen McAllister at literacy@syr.edu.  The first information and orientation session will be held on Friday February 1^st at 2:00pm.

Vincent House serves a population of low-income families on the West Side of Syracuse. Through Vincent House, students are provided many educational and social activities that will enhance development in both areas.

 Kelsey Cappetta, the Volunteer Coordinator at Vincent House writes, “Our after-school program is for children ages 5 to12. The program runs Monday through Friday from 2:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Although there is a particular emphasis placed on homework and study during Wednesday’s sessions, we would love to have tutors available to help the children any day of the week with our recreational activities. 

 “We here at Vincent House will do our best to accommodate your varying schedules and time commitments, as we know college students are very busy during the academic year.” This is just one of many places to become involved. Find the right one for you in 2013!

 

 

Ivan Bakin, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Honors Program, volunteered at the Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery located in Elbridge, NY. Only twenty minutes off campus, the Hatchery has been operating since 1938 when it was created by the joint efforts of Onondaga County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Carpenter’s Brook is one of four county run hatcheries in New York and boasts over 100 miles of streams and 10,000 acres of impoundments. On their website, it is noted that this hatchery is one of the state’s most prosperous and utilized sources for fish license sales.

 
During his time at Carpenter’s Brook, Ivan assisted in the maintenance and upkeep of the facility, such as cleaning out empty pools and transporting different fish from pond to pond. He states that this volunteer work was both “engaging in a truly physical way” and also “helped me to understand the management and stewardship of natural resources.” His time there was beneficial to both the hatchery and the surrounding community; the fish need to be taken care of constantly so that they repopulate the streams for fishing, recreation, and environmental stability. Overall, Ivan states that his work with Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery was a highly rewarding experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written By Samantha DeTore ’15