March 11th, 2011
BIRMINGHAM – The Alabama Poverty Project (APP) last week was named the Outstanding Community Partner for their contributions to service-learning during the 9th Annual Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Through Higher Education, which took place March 2-4, 2011, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Roanoke, VA.
“This award is given to an organization who demonstrates excellence in creating and sustaining opportunities for engaging college and university students in service-learning,” said Amanda Buberger, Awards Chair and Assistant Director of Campus-Community Partnerships at Tulane University.
APP supports strategic planning and implementation of service-learning programs with members of theirHigher Education Alliance to reduce poverty and increase educational attainment.
“Service-learning engages students in poverty elimination by giving them meaningful service experiences and first-hand knowledge of issues affecting their local communities. Service-learning collaborations with K-12 community partners are an important piece of increasing educational achievement and college access for all Alabamians,” said Kristina Scott, Executive Director of APP.
APP’s Higher Education Alliance includes 22 post-secondary institutions. Members convene annually at APP’s Lifetime of Learning Conference to present best practices on service-learning with students in Alabama’s 2-year and 4-year institutions. Recent topics included increasing student retention through service-learning, building learning communities around service and creating sustainable community partnerships.
“This award recognizes the amazing work our partners are doing across Alabama to engage students to get out into their local communities. Together we work to promote service learning and civic engagement to increase educational attainment and economic security for all Alabamians,” said Scott.
About the Alabama Poverty Project:
Alabama is the seventh poorest state in the nation, with 17.5 percent of households subsisting below the poverty line. The Alabama Poverty Project (APP) mobilizes Alabamians to eliminate poverty through strategic relationships with faith communities, higher education institutions and civic organizations.
About the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement:
The mission of the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education is to promote networking among practitioners, research, ethical practices, reciprocal campus-community partnerships, sustainable programs, and a culture of engagement and public awareness through service-learning and other forms of civic engagement.
Posted by Robyn Hyden