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Our Mission:
 
Montana Campus Corps is anAmeriCorps program thatengages college students inmeeting communityidentified needs throughmeaningful service.
Inside this Issue:
AmeriCorps/Volunteer Week...2Seussville University….………..3Spring Summit…….……...…….4Donate Life Challenge…….…...4Funding/Loan Forgiveness……..5Farewell, Team Leaders…....….6
Campus Corps Connections
Volume 5, Issue 3 Summer 2009
A Montana Campus Compact publication
Participating Campuses:
•
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
•
MSU-Billings
•
MSU-Bozeman
•
MSU-Great Falls College of Tech
•
MSU-Northern
•
Montana Tech
•
Rocky Mountain College
•
Salish Kootenai College
•
UM-Helena College of Tech
•
UM-Missoula
•
UM-Western
•
University of Great Falls
Recovery Corps is a new Campus Corpsinitiative this year, made possible by thestimulus funds granted via The American Re-covery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.Though typically Campus Corps membersserve during the academic year, this new em-phasis on summer positions will address theconcern of many community agencies beingleft without the necessary human resourcesduring the summer months.Campus Corps Recovery members are serv-ing some of the most economically-troubledcounties in Montana, and the nation. Blaine, Glacier, Big Horn and Roosevelt counties areexperiencing poverty rates well over 20 percent, and this Recovery initiative will primarilytarget these high-needs areas of our state. Altogether, forty-eight Recovery Corps mem-bers will be placed in 2009 in these, and other high-needs communities throughout Montana.Members will recruit volunteers for and serve at local not-for-profit organizations dealingwith issues related to the current the economic crisis.The members kicked off their service at New Member Orientation in Billings on June 1-2,where the were taught the key elements of their service, set service goals, and served thecommunity of Billings from the Food Bank and Family Services.In line with the President Obama’s “United We Serve” initiative, members’ service will ad-dress problems caused by the economic downturn. The United We Serve campaign encour-ages greater civic participation from all Americans this summer. There are four key areas tothis campaign including “providing community renewal to the areas hardest hit by the eco-nomic crisis.” In a recent address, the President asked all citizens to make service a part of their daily lives this summer, and Campus Corps Recovery members are doing just that.
The President’s Summer of Service initiative officially begins June 22.To learn more, visithttp://serve.gov/  
A SUMMER OF SERVICE
Campus Corps is a proud member of the AmeriCorps family of National ServicePrograms in Montana.
Interested in spending a year of your life leading agroup of college student AmeriCorps members?We've got a position for you!
Each year, non-student leaders support the efforts of hundreds of Campus Corps membersthroughout Montana. Under the supervision of local campus-based program coordinators,leaders organize weekly team meetings with members, serve as campus-community liaisons,help coordinate service-learning activities, and offer assistance in developing and implement-ing service projects on national service days.Think you're up to the challenge? Go tohttp://my.americorps.govand apply today!
 
During National Volunteer Week the MSU-Bozeman team attended three different AfterSchool Programs. They worked with over 80elementary students on an Earth Day project.Each student painted their individual pot, andthen planted a sunflower seed with pottingsoil, and watered it for the first time.The biggest challenge, but also the biggest suc-cess was making sure the students involved inthe activity were engaged in making their pro- ject unique. Since the project was completed,the MSU Campus Corps members have re-ceived huge thank you banners from the stu-dents and have been asked to come back andserve again next year. The presence of theMSU-Bozeman team during National Volun-teer Week really meant a lot to them andthere was a definite impact made on the stu-dents.Missoula AmeriCorps members conductedrecruitment on the University of Montana’scampus during AmeriCorps Week, explainingAmeriCorps and all of the outlets for servingin and around Missoula to those passing by.Many students were delighted to have the op-portunity to hear first-hand service stories.Representatives from Campus Corps, Conser-vation Corps, Montana Making $ense, and allthree VISTA projects in the state were pre-sent at the table each day, each with a differ-ent perspective of the meaning of NationalService. At the end of the week, over 100 cur-rent AmeriCorps members and alumni gath-ered for food, music and fun at GreenoughPark for a barbeque and pot luck. Participantsrepresented an array of AmeriCorps StatePrograms: Campus Corps, Montana Making$ense, Literacy Support Corps, and MontanaConservation Corps; National AmeriCorpsprograms were represented by: AmeriCorpsVISTA and Senior Corps.AmeriCorps Week at FVCC consisted of aweeklong information table and video station inour Main Foyer. The Campus Corps Teammanned the table and offered refreshments tothe students during the week, which was alsofinals week on our campus. We handed out lotsof goodies and applications to interested peo-ple. We also created a sign up list of interestedfolks. We put up signs all over campus as wellas crafted table tents for the cafeteria. Weposted brief position descriptions and did ourbest to convey the benefits of joining the pro-gram!
MSU-BozemanUM-Missoula
A WEEK IN THE LIFE:
FVCC
Page 2 Campus Corps Connections, Volume 5, Issue 3
National Volunteer Week and AmeriCorps Week in Montana
 
Seussville University was a great success this yearthanks to the group effort of Campus Corps membersat Flathead Valley Community College and many won-derful students and staff members who volunteeredtheir talents and time to plan, set up, and entertainduring the event. This year’s celebration, in the spiritof Dr. Seuss, promoted literacy, math, music, and artskills to over 250 third-grade students from aroundFlathead Valley.To kick the event off, each school bus that arrivedfilled with excited students was greeted by the smilingfaces, waving hands, and cheers of enthusiastic volun-teers. It was an enriching experience for everyonewho attended. Students participated in activities thatencouraged group participation, creativity, and bodymovement— Children and adults alike had the oppor-tunity to let go of their everyday routines, loosen upand have as much fun as possible.Some of the volunteers dressed as their favorite char-acters from Dr. Seuss books. They helped guide theelementary school children through different learningstations filled with fun activities. The stations includedreading, mathematics, music, and art.In the reading area, children listened to, and were en-couraged to participate in the reading of an originalrendition of a Dr. Seuss book. In the math area, chil-dren worked with tangrams to create different shapessuch as boats, foxes, and rabbits. In the art area, chil-dren decorated clay pots and planted pine trees inthem before taking them home. In the music area,theatre members entertained the children with singing,dance, and sign language. The highlight of the day waswhen the theatre group put on a special play. FVCC’stheatre members presented a short play about theStar-bellied Sneetches.The play was an excellent lesson in the importance of recognizing and accepting our differences, and doingaway with the ideals of discrimination, prejudice, andsuperiority.A clear message was presented during the play,
“. . .until neither the Plain-bellied nor the Star-bellied Sneetchesknew whether this one was that one or that one was thisone or which one was what one . . . or what one was who,” 
so, both the audience and the Sneetches learned fromthis experience that everyone is capable of gettingalong and becoming friends.To close the celebration, FVCC’s very own Cat-in-the-Hat, with the help of the Grinch, presented awards tochildren who entered an art and poetry contest. Eachwinner was announced and then invited on stage sothe Cat-in-the-Hat could give them their special prizes.The Cat-in-the-Hat encouraged the audience to ap-plaud each winner’s hard work and accomplishment.At one point, the Cat-in-the-Hat explained to the au-dience that the Grinch was really misunderstood andnot such a bad guy. The audience responded with around of applause for the Grinch.Every student and teacher present also received anHonorary Degree from Seussville University. Studentsalso received a special treat as the Cat-in-the-Hatsigned autographs as they were leaving for the day.
We tip our hats off to every volunteer who helped make this year one of the most, if not the most successful Seussville University in FVCC’s history!
 
WELCOME
 
TO
 
SUESSVILLE
 
UNIVERSITY
!
Third-graders explore their creative side, learn about music, art and math
By Tracy Lost-Bear, FVCC Campus Corps member
Page 3 Campus Corps Connections, Volume 5, Issue 3
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