Michigan Service Scholars AmeriCorps Program
Current MSS Openings at GVSU for the 2012/2013 Term:
GVSU has been awarded 27 Michigan Service Scholar spots for the 2012/2013 term! These postitions are split between six different offices and centers at GVSU to support college preparedness, access, and success initiatives for K-12 youth in West Michigan.
- Community Service Learning Center
- TRIO Educational Talent Search
- Continuing Education
- Office of Multicultural Affairs
- Women's Center
- College of Education - Center for Educational Partnerships
See below for descriptions of the MSS categories and specifics about the positions with each office/center.
What is the Michigan Service Scholars Program?
The Michigan Service Scholars Program [MSS] provides $400,000 annually in education awards state-wide to students attending Michigan Campus Compact [MiCC] member campuses through a grant from The Michigan Community Service Commission and The Corporation for National and Community Service. Students willing to complete 300 hours of community service during one calendar year will be awarded a $1,175 AmeriCorps education award, to be used for qualified educational purposes. Community service hours can be completed during the academic year and/or over class breaks. To complete 300 hours during a regular academic year, students would need to average 9.5-10 hours of community service per week.
The Michigan Service Scholars program at GVSU is sponsored through the Community Service Learning Center. Please contact Jeffrey Mutch (mutchje@gvsu.edu) with any questions about the MSS program at GVSU. You can also visit the Michigan Campus Compact - MSS website to learn more about the MSS program in general.
2012-2013 Term MSS Positions at GVSU:
This year GVSU applied for and was awarded a total of twenty-seven (27) MSS positions to be filled by current GVSU students. The positions for the 2012-2013 term fall under two MSS categories: Teacher Preparation and College Positive Volunteerism (CPV). Each position is designed to address issues related to education and college preparedness, access, and success in West Michigan, however the positions will be uniquely shaped to fit the existing programs, resources, and structures of the office or center that is hosting them.
The MSS designations, hosting office/center, number of MSS spots available, and specific descriptions are as follows:
Teacher Preparation (10 positions total):
College of Education - Center for Educational Partnerships (5 spots for Winter 2013 - and 5 spots for Fall 2013)
Update: As of 11/01/12 all Winter 2013 spots have been filled. Selections for Fall 2013 spots will be made in February 2013.
The GVSU College of Education and Center for Educational Partnerships have partnered with the CSLC to implement the Semester of Service Learning (SSL) program in conjunction with the continuing Michigan Service Scholars (MSS) program that was piloted last year. The SSL program is available to students entering their student teaching semester by application. Prospective candidates are reviewed and determined by a panel of College of Education faculty and staff. Acceptance into the SSL program offers students the opportunity to receive a high-quality service learning experience during the student teaching semester, in which the participant attends 1 service learning workshop before and 3 during the student teacher semester, and is placed with a teacher who is experienced in implementing high-quality service learning programs. Promising SSL participants are then nominated to become Michigan Service Scholars based on their application, references, and letter of intent.
Contact Information
Michael Posthumus, Assistant Director of the Center for Educational Partnerships in the GVSU College of Education
posthumi@gvsu.edu
616-331-6237
Center for Educational Partnerships
510 L V Eberhard Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-6240
Dept. Fax: 616-331-6422
College Positive Volunteerism (17 CPV positions total):
Community Service Learning Center (4 CPV positions)
Update: As of 11/01/12 all of the four (4) spots with the Community Service Learning Center have been filled.
Four GVSU students will be recruited to serve as College Positive Volunteers supporting the CSLC’s education-based service initiatives (e.g. College Positive Volunteer Trainings). In addition to their work with the CSLC, these MSS CPV students will also be required to volunteer with a specific youth-serving nonprofit directly. Existing relationships between GVSU and nonprofit organizations in the Greater Grand Rapids community will provide opportunities for the selected MSS members to fulfill their required service hours while also preparing them to engage their peers in volunteering with youth-serving and education-focused nonprofits and programs in the community. Bi-weekly individual and group meetings between the selected students and the Coordinator of the CSLC will ensure regular contact and communication as well as opportunities to assess both their satisfaction and progress with the MSS program and their service placements.
Contact Information
Jeffrey Mutch, Coordinator of the Community Service Learning Center
mutchje@gvsu.edu
616-331-2349
Community Service Learning Center (Office of Student Life)
1110 Kirkhof Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-2468
Dept. Fax: 616-331-2355
TRIO Educational Talent Search (4 CPV positions)
Update: As of 1/15/13 two (2) of the four (4) spots with the TRIO Educational Talent Search Office have been filled. The remaining two (2) spots will be held for the February 1, 2013 start date and applications will be accepted until both spots are filled.
Click here for more information about this position!
Four GVSU students will be recruited to serve as College Positive Volunteers supporting the TRIO Talent Search program at GVSU. Trained CPV students will be meeting with their assigned Advisor to develop work plans and goals in their assigned target schools working with the TRIO 6th through 12th grade student. They may also work on materials and resources for the TRIO students such as scholarship guides, booklets, publications, newsletters, permission forms, phone calls to parents, and other details in the office pertaining to student services, as well as assist in recruitment efforts. The TRIO Talent Search Director will assist in selecting, training and supervising of the CPV students, who will also be placed with one of the four College Prep Advisors in the program who will designate specific tasks and activities.
Contact Information
Sarah Keranen-Lopez, Director of TRIO Talent Search Program
keranesa@gvsu.edu
616-331-7112
TRIO Educational Talent Search
104D L V Eberhard Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-7110
Dept. Fax: 616-331-7115
Continuing Education (2 CPV positions)
Update: As of 1/15/13 oneMSS spots with the Continuing Education office are still open and will be held for a February 1, 2013 start date.
Two GVSU students will be recruited to serve as College Positive Volunteers working with the department of Continuing Education and the CSLC to support GVSU and Local College Access Network (LCAN) initiatives and to help recruit and engage additional GVSU students, faculty and staff to assist with these efforts. Continuing Education has extensive experience and connections in the community working directly with LCANs and college access initiatives in West Michigan. CPV students would participate in liaison activities and outreach, conduct CPV trainings in the Holland/Zeeland community, as well as assist with various programming for youth in the communities served by the GVSU Meijer Campus in Holland and other regional locations. Recruited students will report directly to the Director of Educational Outreach for their service placements, with additional support for general CPV program responsibilities from the Coordinator of the CSLC.
Contact Information
Melissa Peraino, Director of Educational Outreach, Continuing Education
perainom@gvsu.edu
616-331-7180
Continuing Education
229C Richard M DeVos Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-7180
Dept. Fax: 616-331-7355
Office of Multicultural Affairs (2 positions)
Update: As of 11/20/12 both spots working with the Office of Multicultural Affairs on the Michigan GEAR UP initiative have been filled.
Two GVSU students will be recruited to serve as College Positive Volunteers with the Michigan Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (MI GEAR UP) program at GVSU which is coordinated and run by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Students will be engaged in a statewide sustained collaborative effort that provides early intervention services and a scholarship component to Michigan’s low-income, underrepresented students and parents. The CPV students selected for these positions will be interacting with middle school students in various capacities and will demonstrate leadership skills and model positive behavior in addition to helping students in the cohort to explore educational opportunities and prepare for successful achievement of their own postsecondary education. The Associate Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs currently oversees GVSU’s GEAR UP Program and will be responsible for recruitment, selection, supervision and retention of the two CPV students who will serve using the College Positive Volunteer model as a guide.
Contact Information
Bobby Springer, Associate Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs
springeb@gvsu.edu
616-331-2177
Multicultural Affairs
1240 Kirkhof Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-2177
Dept. Fax: 616-331-3195
Women's Center (5 positions)
Update: As of 11/01/12 all of the five (5) CPV spots through the GVSU Women's Center have been filled.
The GVSU Women’s Center will recruit five GVSU students to serve as College Positive Volunteers who will participate in academic and co-curricular service learning opportunities with youth-serving nonprofit agencies in the community. The Women’s Center has over ten years of experience partnering with nonprofits in the community that serve women and girls to provide internship and service learning opportunities for GVSU students while also helping to address and meet real community-identified needs. Additionally, students will participate in College Positive Volunteer programs and have access to CPV-related updates and resources provided by the Community Service Learning Center. Based on the award-winning internship model used in the Women’s Community Collaborative, students will be supported throughout their year of service via on-going communication with Women’s Center staff members and attendance at regular seminars focused on feminist leadership principles, skill development, and reflection.
Contact Information
Jo Ann Wassenaar, Associate Director of the Women’s Center
wassenaj@gvsu.edu
616-331-2748
Women's Center
1201 Kirkhof Center
Dept. Phone: 616-331-2748
Dept. Fax: 616-331-2965
2011-2012 Term MSS Positions at GVSU:
This year GVSU was awarded a total of ten (10) MSS member positions to offer to students in the following categories:
(6) Teacher Preparation - Student teachers who will implement servicelearning through preservice teacher training in K-12 classrooms.
(All Teacher Preparation MSS spots at GVSU have been filled for the 2011-2012 MSS term. Please check back for updates regarding MSS openings for the 2012-2013 term!)
(4) College Positive Volunteer - Students who will volunteer in youthserving nonprofits, exposing youth to higher education through College Positive Volunteerism techniques.
(All Community / Faith-based Service MSS spots at GVSU have been filled for the 2011-2012 term. Please check back for updates regarding MSS openings for the 2012-2013 term!)
(4) Community / Faith-based Service - Students who will serve in community/faith-based nonprofits with a focus on addressing local community needs through direct service and volunteer recruitment.
(All Community / Faith-based Service MSS spots at GVSU have been filled for the 2011-2012 term. Please check back for updates regarding MSS openings for the 2012-2013 term!)
Page last modified January 15, 2013
