by Lynda Lopez, UCSC News & Public Affairs

According to a report released by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service, college student volunteering increased by 20 percent between 2002 and 2005, more than doubling the growth in the adult volunteering rate. It found that 3.3 million college students volunteered in 2005 - nearly 600,000 more students than three years ago -- building strong momentum toward a national goal of five million college student volunteers by the end of 2010.

Volunteering has become an innate part of many student lives. From tutoring children at a local elementary school to taking care of kids at a children's hospital, there are endless opportunities to volunteer. This year, ten students at the University of Chicago will be selected for the Students in Service (SIS) Program. The Students in Service Program is a part-time AmeriCorps program that encourages and supports college and university students to enroll as part-time AmeriCorps. The students selected will have to complete 300 hours of volunteering at a local organization and after completion of the program each student will be awarded a $1,132 grant to commemorate their efforts.

The University Community Service Center received a total of $11,320 for the Students in Service Program through the Illinois Campus Compact (ILCC). The ILCC is a coalition of colleges and universities that supports the civic engagement of students. Currently Illinois Campus Compact has 43 member campuses. Illinois members are part of national Campus Compact, a coalition of nearly 1,100 college and university presidents, representing some 6 million students. The ILCC was awarded 100 part-time AmeriCorps slots from Washington Campus Compact. The University of Chicago, along with 11 other institutions, will have students participate this year in the SIS program. Over 3,700 college students will participate nationally and they will contribute approximately 1.4 million hours of service to their local communities.

The University Community Center will be starting the process of selecting students for this prestigious program in the coming weeks. Two slots for the program have been taken by two students interning in Mayor Daley's office. If you are interested in learning more about the program, contact Julia Pei, the Strategic Initiatives Intern at UCSC at strategicinitiatives.ucsc@gmail.com.