Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that we are in 2008 already! The fall was a busy time for us at Michigan Campus Compact with Service Leadership Camp, Constituent meetings, Listening Tour and the Fall Colloquium.

While all that was going on, the staff has been working hard to put together The Institute: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement for 2008. This year's Institute is generously hosted by Central Michigan University and will be held February 7-8th. The Institute will not only feature the challenging and great speakers you have come to expect, but also a first ever Solutions Summit. Hosted the day before the Institute, the Solutions Summit will focus on educators who care about the environment. We hope you will recruit the type of people that care about the environment, but perhaps have not yet engaged in community based learning to attend.

As you are gearing up for the second semester, please don’t forget to register for these two important events. You can find the registration and more information at: http://www.micampuscompact.org/institute.asp.

1. The Michigan Community Service Commission together with partners, the Volunteer Centers of Michigan, Michigan Campus Compact, the LEAGUE, and the Corporation for National and Community Service – Michigan are leading the effort to increase MLK Day participation. You can join an organized service project in your area or coordinate a project of your own. Register your project: my.mlkday.gov/public/CreateUserAccount.aspx, visit the MLK Day website www.mlkday.gov

2. New Times Demand New Scholarship II: Research Universities and Civic Engagement — Opportunities and Challenges; A growing network of leading research universities is working to advance campus-based civic and community engagement among a group of institutions that are often thought of as defining the "ivory tower." The network, which has doubled in size in the past year, has published a new report outlining four areas that are critical to the growth of engagement at research universities: community-engaged scholarship, research, educating students for civic engagement, and "institutionalizing" engagement, or embedding it within an institution's work at all levels. www.compact.org/news/press/release/753

3. In 2006 the Carnegie Foundation introduced the first "elective" classification of colleges and universities, focused on community engagement. Although they intend ultimately to bring the new classification onto the same update schedule as their other classifications, they will be repeating the community engagement classification process in 2008. The call for participation will be announced on the Foundation web site and will also be broadcast to subscribers to this list. Institutions currently included in the Community Engagement classification will retain their present classification. The 2008 process is to accommodate new participants. More information is available here: www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=1213&subkey=2215

4. Sam Singh, former President and CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association, has recently announced his plans for a 16 month world tour, an adventure in which he will visit over 25 countries on all seven continents, volunteering at nonprofits along his way. Sam has developed a website where he will blog about his cultural and service related experiences during his time abroad. Visit www.singharoundtheworld.com to read more about Sam's upcoming trip, and check back often for updates on his whereabouts.

5. Campus Compact’s 2008 Campus Vote Initiative - A new website to encourage students to take part in the upcoming elections. The site features voter registration and education resources, ways to connect service with civic engagement, strategies for encouraging democratic participation, and model campus programs. The site also offers hands-on tools and templates for students, faculty, and community service staff as well as information on other nonpartisan democracy initiatives. www.compact.org/vote?r=members

6. MCC again offers grants to students for service-learning projects, civic engagement, co-curricular programs and professional development through the Student Community Action Fund. Each member campus has $500 allocated in $100 and $200 grants to students. Visit www.micampuscompact.org/action.asp for more information.

7. MCC is excited to announce an updated version of the long-serving Venture Grant program. Faculty, staff and students can apply for funding for new or expanded projects centered on service-learning, civic engagement and community service. Visit www.micampuscompact.org/grants.asp for more information.

8. MCC AmeriCorps*VISTA RFP available in February 2008 - A host site is a location where a VISTA serves for their year of service. During their time at this institution, each VISTA helps to expand programs, create community partnerships and recruit volunteers. www.micampuscompact.org/vistahosts.asp

9. MCC Outstanding Student Service Awards - In order to recognize undergraduate and graduate students at MCC member institutions who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to community service and civic engagement throughout their educational career, all are invited to nominate students for MCC's Outstanding Student Service Awards. The MCC network has honored more than 700 students in the past eleven years. We are delighted to continue this annual tradition that commends students for devoting their time and talents to building stronger, safer and connected communities. www.micampuscompact.org/studentawards.asp

10. Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern invite you to nominate an outstanding volunteer or organization for the 2008 Governor's Service Awards. The Governor and First Gentleman will honor Michigan volunteers at a theatre-style gala in June 2008. The 2008 Nomination Form is now available at www.michigan.gov/mcsc. Nominations must be postmarked by Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

11. Ehrlich Award - In recognition of exemplary leadership in advancing the civic learning of students this award includes public scholarship, building campus commitment to service-learning and civic engagement, and fostering reciprocal community partnerships. Campus Compact recognizes and honors one faculty member each year for contributing to the integration of community or public service into the curriculum and for efforts to institutionalize service-learning. The award is named in honor of Thomas Ehrlich, former chair of the Campus Compact board of directors and president emeritus of Indiana University. One award of $2,000 will be granted to a faculty member from a Campus Compact member institution. Five finalists will also be selected and recognized. The award recipient will be notified in May 2008. www.compact.org/ehrlich

12. C. Peter Magrath Engagement/Kellogg Outreach Scholarship Awards - Established in 2006, the awards recognize the outreach and engagement partnerships of four-year public universities. The awards program seeks to identify colleges and universities that have redesigned their teaching, research, extension and service functions to become even more sympathetically and productively involved with their communities. The award is named for C. Peter Magrath, who served as president of NASULGC from 1992-2005. www.nasulgc.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=304&srcid=224.

13. National Learn and Serve Awards - Each year, Learn and Serve America pays tribute to our outstanding programs, leaders and participants with the annual Spirit of Service Awards. In addition to honoring the best Learn and Serve student, educator, and program, we will also honor our best private sector partners with a corporate award. www.cns.gov/about/spiritofservice/index.asp

1. Executive Director sought for Peace and Justice Studies Association - The Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) is seeking an experienced administrator and progressive leader for a part-time position of Executive Director. PJSA is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation dedicated to bringing together academics, K-12 teachers and grassroots activists to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for peace-building, social justice, and social change. www.peacejusticestudies.org/ed.php.

2.  Project Manager Sought For The Harlem Community & Academic Partnership / Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies - The Harlem Community & Academic Partnership (HCAP)/Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies (CUES) has an opening for a motivated self-starter with a background and strong interest in community health and public health research and experience managing and creating websites. This person will work as part of a larger team on managing efforts of the HCAP, and approximately 50% of time will be spent managing the Harlem Resource Guide (HRG) website. This position will report to HCAP including its Chair and Principal Investigator. www.nyam.org/about/job3007.shtml

3. Assistant Director of Service Learning at Suffolk University, Boston, MA - The Assistant Director of Service-Learning is an integral member of the Office of Student Activities and Service-Learning with primary responsibilities for assisting the design, implementation and assessment of a comprehensive community service program and developing service-learning initiatives. The Assistant Director coordinates service-learning capacity building activities within the S.O.U.L.S. Community Service and Service-Learning Center, such as strengthening community partner relationships, oversee service-learning teaching assistant program, and provide faculty consultations on service learning. www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175286492

4.  Director, Lowell Bennion Community Service Center - The Lowell Bennion Community Service Center at the University of Utah facilitates students, faculty, alumni and staff involvement in service to the communities in which they live. Programs and activities include student-led community service programs, extensive service-learning courses, faculty-led Community-based Research, leadership training, and opportunities for staff and faculty as well as students to become involved with the greater community through action, change and learning. www.hr.utah.edu/career

1. Michigan Campus Compact and the Michigan Community Service Commission are hosting the 12th Annual Institute: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement at Central Michigan University on February 7 and 8, 2008. Registration is now open! www.micampuscompact.org/institute.asp

2. Michigan Campus Compact and the Michigan Community Service Commission are hosting the first Solutions Summit at Central Michigan University surrounding educating environmental stewards. Join a panel of environmental experts from around the state to discuss how to engage young people through education to care about and take action with the current changes in the environment. Registration is now open! Reduced rate for registrants to the 12th Annual Institute (above). February 6, 2008. www.micampuscompact.org/solutions.asp

3. 2008 DC Conference on Service and Leadership Call for Presenters. May 14-16, 2008, This year’s conference is based on three programmatic themes: Leadership, Collaboration, and Sustainability. These themes represent the continuum of growth that leads to healthy and strong communities. These themes will be woven throughout the conference in workshops, plenary speakers, events and materials. Speakers should be prepared to submit workshop proposals that fit into at least one of these three themes. To obtain an application, email Natasha at natasha.ballentine@dc.gov. Applications are due on Monday, February 11, 2008.

4. National Initiative Seeks to Build Cadre of Community-Engaged Faculty - Faculty are Key Ingredient to Sustained Community Engagement of Colleges and Universities. Community-engaged learning and research are gaining recognition and legitimacy in higher education. The critical issue facing colleges and universities today is how do we institutionalize and sustain them as core values and practices? Having a cadre of faculty with the commitment and competencies to link their scholarship with communities is central to answering this question. www.depts.washington.edu/ccph/faculty-engaged.html

5. The Semester of Service is a new, public-private strategy to help young people find their voice, take action, and have impact on the most critical problems facing the world. In January 2008, Youth Service America and the Corporation for National and Community Service are encouraging students, ages 5-25, to develop a 14 week service-learning project that launches on the Martin Luther King Day of Service (January 21, 2008) and culminates on the weekend of Global Youth Service Day (April 25-27, 2008). To learn more, visit www.ysa.org/semester

6.The Community College National Center for Community Engagement (CCNCCE) invites you to submit a proposal to present at its 17th national annual conference, Recipes for Student Retention through Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, to be held on May 21-23, 2008. The deadline for submitting proposals is February 4th, 2008. http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/other/engagement/2008Conf/CallForProposals.jsp