West Virginia University Center for Civic Engagement has received $60,000 to distribute to faculty members for service-learning projects through the WV Campus Compact 2012 Community LINK program.

Designed by WV Campus Compact as a service-learning grant that connects communities with higher educational resources, the 2012 LINK program awarded grants to 30 West Virginia community projects from a record 68 applications submitted by 23 different West Virginia communities.

With the increased interest came a variety of projects including new areas of focus, such as agriculture, arts and technology.

The number of faculty applications also rose this year to include 60 faculty applications from 12 West Virginia campuses involving freshman to graduate level students.

“This years LINK recipients are among the best service-learning faculty across the state and we are very proud of the courses they have designed,” said Dr. Kristi Wood-Turner, director of the Center for Civic Engagement. “We were able to provide grants to diverse disciplines and look forward to the outcomes of these projects.”

The projects and the faculty who administer these projects are as follows:

• Buy Local, Shop Shinnston—Rita Colistra
• Arthurdale Interpretive Path to Integrate Houses into Museum Tour—Peter Butler
• Fayette County 4H HIstory Project—Melissa Bingmann
• Unifying Moundsville, Unlocking Our Future—Margaret Stout
• Parkersburg Way-Finding Signage Program—Kathryn Wittner
• Sunnyside Up Learn Not To Burn Campaign—Sang Lee
• WV Small Ruminant Revitalization Project—Marlon Knights
• Wirt County Artisan Co-Op—Dylan Collins
• WVU Upward Bound Interactive Health Workshops—Gina Baugh
• Osage Visible Step Project—Eve Faulkes
• Kimball African American War Memorial—Joel Beeson
• Camp Wood Reuse Study—Ron Dulaney and Chris Haddox

The Campus-Community LINK Project is a statewide service learning initiative funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and coordinated in partnership with the West Virginia Community Development Hub.

Each course project receives $5,000 in funding to use for expenses directly related to the needs of the project (equipment, software, printing, training, travel, meals, etc.) and participating faculty receive a $1,000 stipend.

The Center for Civic Engagement, which serves as WVU’s community hub, works with faculty and departments across all disciplines to incorporate and develop meaningful service-learning courses. The full-time staff provide one-on-one support for each course and help match them with appropriate community agencies. The CCE has more than 125 official community partners and tracks over 50,000 hours of service each academic year.

For more information on the CCE or engagement activities on campus, please visit http://cce.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

08/03/12

CONTACT: Brett White, Center for Civic Engagement
304-293-8762, brett.white@mail.wvu.edu

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