News

Contact: Dean McGovern

Executive Director

mcgovern@mtcompact.org

406.243.5177, x4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Page 1

31 May 2011

Montana Campus Compact awarded funding for Campus Corps Program

Next academic year, hundreds of college students across the state will address community needs, build capacity for

nonprofit agencies, and receive education awards to help them access a postsecondary education.

The Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) www.mtcompact.org , a statewide higher education consortium of 19

colleges and universities, has been awarded $639,583 grant to support its popular, statewide Campus Corps

program.

“Montana citizens and especially its college students rank highly in civic engagement,” said Eric Cardella, program

manager at Montana Campus Compact, “this funding is a vote of confidence in the students across our state.”

For sixteen years, MTCC’s Campus Corps program has integrated community service into the lives and curricula of

students at Montana’s public, private, two-year, four-year, tribal, and community colleges. The program provides

professional development training, citizenship skill-building, and hands-on, real-world experience that enhances

education and fosters civic engagement in future graduates. MTCC supports the program with unique array of

funding from campus-community partnerships, local nonprofits, federal and state sources, and the Montana

Commission on Community Service. A large portion of this support comes from the Corporation for National and

Community Service through its AmeriCorps initiative.

Once students enroll as MTCC Campus Corps members they serve on community projects in the neediest areas of

the state. Next year, the Corps will address shortages in teaching and healthcare professions, mobilize fellow

student and community volunteers and most importantly build capacity so nonprofit organizations to meet their

humanitarian goals.

This new grant will allow MTCC to enroll, train, and engage more than 800 college students. This money will help

MTCC provide training, support, living allowances, and education awards for students who chose to complete a set

number of service hours addressing community needs and getting things done for Montana.

The Montana Campus Compact is Montana’s largest higher education network composed of 19 colleges and

universities. MTCC is committed to renewing the public purposes of higher education through community service,

service-learning, and civic engagement activities. College students from the following institutions will participate in

Campus Corps: Blackfeet Community College, Carroll College, Dawson Community College, Flathead Valley

Community College, Fort Belknap College, Fort Peck Community College, Little Big Horn College, Miles

Community College, Montana State University-Billings, Montana State University-Bozeman, Montana State

University-Northern, Montana State University-Great Falls, Montana Tech of UM, Rocky Mountain College, Salish

Kootenai College, The University of Montana-Missoula, The University of Montana-Western, The University of

Montana-Helena , University of Great Falls

####