Second Annual “ULS Serves” Service-Learning Conference This Monday – Announcing $550,000 in Funding Available

Second Annual “ULS Serves” Service-Learning Conference This Monday – Announcing $550,000 in Funding Available – Aug 9, 2007

BATON ROUGE, La. – Approximately 100 faculty, staff, administrators and student leaders from across the state will converge in Baton Rouge on Monday, August 13 for the second annual “ULS Serves” Service-Learning Conference. The conference is designed to spark service-learning ideas and connect participants to $550,000 in grant funding for hurricane recovery and disaster preparedness programs.

“Civic responsibility is a critical component in the education of our students,” said University of Louisiana System President Sally Clausen. “Service-learning is the active use of valuable classroom experience to improve our communities, our state, and our world with faculty leading the way. It is a win for everyone.”

The conference is a result of the University of Louisiana System’s three-year $1.2 million grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Learn and Serve America division to implement service-learning at its eight universities.

Last year ULS awarded 31 sub-grants totaling over $644,000. While some of these programs are ongoing, so far they have yielded 3,058 college participants, 261 faculty and staff participants, 122 youth volunteers, 95 community partners, and over 14,000 volunteer hours.

A request for proposals to fund up to $550,000 for new service-learning programs will be released at Monday’s conference.

WHAT: “ULS Serves” Service-Learning Conference
WHEN: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday, August 13
WHERE: Claiborne Building, 1201 N. Third Street, Baton Rouge

Nationally acclaimed service-learning practitioner Marybeth Lima will deliver a morning address about her work to create “dream playgrounds” in high poverty areas. Lima recently received the 2007 Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service-Learning, a highly competitive national award bestowed by Campus Compact. The conference will also feature presentations by Stuart Stewart and David Deggs with Louisiana Campus Compact, as well as Jan Shoemaker of LSU’s Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership.

Jeff Hebert, Director of Community Planning for the Louisiana Recovery Authority, will speak at 11:30 a.m. about resources available to those interested in creating programs for hurricane recovery and disaster preparedness.

More information about the “ULS Serves” grant, the request for proposals, and this year’s conference agenda can be found on the University of Louisiana System’s website at www.ulsystem.net.

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For More Information Contact:
Jackie Tisdell
225-342-6950
jtisdell@uls.state.la.us