About Us
Campus Compact is a coalition of nearly 1,200 college and university presidents and chancellors - representing some 6 million students - who are committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact is a leader in building civic engagement into campus and academic life. Through the Wisconsin Campus Compact state office and the national network, member institutions receive the training, resources, and advocacy they need to build strong surrounding communities and teach students the skills and values of democracy.
Wisconsin Campus Compact's membership includes public, Private, two-and four-year institutions across the spectrum of higher education. These institutions put into practice the ideal of civic engagement by sharing knowledge and resources with their communities, creating economic development initiatives, and supporting service and service-learning efforts in key areas such as literacy, health care, hunger, homelessness, the environment, and senior services.
Mission Statement
WiCC's mission is to strengthen civic engagement and service-learning partnerships between Wisconsin's postsecondary institutions and the communities they serve.
All member presidents and chancellors contribute to the management and direction of the Wisconsin Campus Compact by serving as its governing body and encouraging it to achieve its goals by:
A. Providing leadership throughout the state and nation to reinvigorate the civic leadership and community engagement of higher education in ways that connect colleges and universities with the communities and constituencies they serve.
B. Promoting citizenship education by expanding higher education's role in educating students not only for careers and jobs but also for their roles as active, engaged, community members.
C. Assisting faculty and staff who seek to integrate public and community engagement into their teaching and research.
Vision Statement
Wisconsin Campus Compact envisions a state where:
Concepts such as service, volunteerism, and activism are united with educational goals to develop university graduates who are prepared not only for a career but also for a life as informed and involved citizens at both the local and global levels.
Partnerships for civic engagement are formed by educational institutions from pre-school through college to strengthen children, families, campuses, and communities.
Our Work
Campus Compact's work encompasses a broad range of activities designed to increase the effectiveness
of those working to make higher education institutions vital agents of civic renewal:
• Training for faculty, staff, students, administrators, and community partners
• Research on effective programs and practices
• Resources, including print and online books, periodicals, models, and tools
• Leadership development for presidents, students, and others
• Capacity building through VISTAs, infrastructure support, and resources
• Advocacy and policy work on issues relating to higher education at the state and national levels
• Grants, funding, and awards for engaged work
• Partnerships with academic, community, business, and government leaders
• Campus consultation to meet specific needs
Our Programs
AmeriCorps* VISTA
The Wisconsin Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA Community-Based-Learning Project is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service andallows 35 AmeriCorps*VISTA members to serve as community-based-learning coordinators throughout Wisconsin. The project goal is to increase the capacity of local community organizations to provide services that will assist members of low-income groups to escape from poverty.
The project is broadly focused at the state level to address the AmeriCorps* VISTA priority areas of:
• Strengthening America's children and families
• Ex-offender reentry
• Older Americans in poverty
Midwest Campus Compact Citizen-Scholar (M3C) Fellowship Program
An AmeriCorps National Education Award Program, the Midwest Campus Compact Citizen-Scholar (M3C) Fellows Program is a ten-state initiative led by the Wisconsin Campus Compact that is dedicated to integrating education with civic engagement among campuses across the Midwest.
The M3C Fellows Program is an AmeriCorps Education Award Program. Students who are involved in this program receive an education award to use toward tuition, loan payments, etc. in return for community service. The program targets low-income and first generation college students and strives to develop a peer network and provide support that enables these students to serve as agents of civic engagement to respond effectively to local community issues. Further, it seeks to foster a deep appreciation and understanding of democratic values and citizenship among participants, and nurture the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that lead to a lifelong commitment to active community and civic engagement.
Some of our current students are working on projects such as tutoring elementary, middle school and high school students in reading, mathematics and a variety of other subjects; doing Habitat for Humanity Builds across the Midwest; assisting with a multitude of programs at Boys and Girls clubs; being mentors as well as Big Brothers/Big Sisters; working at Humane Societies to find animals’ homes; and donating their time and in some cases expertise to hospitals and healthcare centers.
Southeastern Wisconsin Service-Learning Consortium
Supported by a state Learn and Serve America Block grant, the Southeastern Wisconsin Service-Learning Consortium (SEWSLC) is a group of PK-16 educators committed to the use of service-learning as an engaging teaching and learning method. SEWSLC promotes the use of service-learning by serving as a clearinghouse for service-learning resources, by providing professional development and networking opportunities for its members, and by supporting partnerships between community and educational institutions.
The Impact of Our Work
Recently 81% of Wisconsin Campus Compact's 32 member campuses responded to our annual survey. According to survey results an average of 26 faculty members per campus offered an average of 30 service-learning courses that mobilized an average of 1,748 students per campus who each served an average of 3.16 hours per week - a total of 5,588,212 service hours for the year valued at $115,186,297 (based on Independent Sector's 2008 value of volunteer time of $20.25 per hour).
Student service projects have addressed a wide variety of issues including: access and success in higher education, agriculture/nutrition, animal welfare, civil rights/human rights, conflict resolution, crime/criminal justice, disability issues, disaster preparedness, economic development, environment/sustainability issues, global citizenship, health care, HIV/AIDS, housing/homelessness, hunger, immigrant/migrant worker rights, international issues, K-12 education, legal aid, mental health, mentoring, multiculturalism/diversity, parenting, poverty, public arts/theater, reading/writing, senior/elder services, sexual assault, substance abuse, tax form preparation, technology, transportation, tutoring, voting, and women's issues.
From 2006 through 2009, Wisconsin Campus Compact's M3C AmeriCorps Education Award Program provided $204,000 in education awards to 204 students at 17 college/university campuses throughout Wisconsin. Some of our current students are working on projects such as tutoring elementary, middle school and high school students in reading, mathematics and a variety of other subjects; doing Habitat for Humanity Builds across the Midwest; assisting with a multitude of programs at Boys and Girls clubs; being mentors as well as Big Brothers/Big Sisters; working at Humane Societies to find animals' homes; and donating their time and in some cases expertise to hospitals and healthcare centers.
During the first 5 years of Wisconsin Campus Compact's AmeriCorps*VISTA Community Based Learning Project our VISTA members worked with college faculty and students to generate more than 53,000 student and community volunteers who provided over 582,000 hours of service. VISTA members also raised over $3.15 million in cash and more than $770,000 in in-kind contributions.
AmeriCorps*VISTA members have assisted faculty and students throughout the state on a wide variety of projects, such as:
HOPES Center - The VISTA has been involved in establishing the HOPES Center. The center opened in fall 2008 and provides mental health services for low-income and under insured individuals, the focus is not only on tradition mental health counseling, holistic approaches are also integrated. The center provides a small number of employment opportunities for those in transition. Currently an ex- offender and an individual who has struggled with severe mental illness are employed through the HOPES Center Fair Trade Store and coffee shop.
Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic - Since summer 2009 a VISTA has been placed at Waukesha County Technical College to engage more dental assistant students at a free dental clinic for low-income youth. For low-income families in Waukesha, limited access to affordable dental treatment has resulted in significant dental decay in children and adults. In April 2008, a baseline assessment of 228 third grade children from nine Waukesha Public Schools revealed high levels of unmet oral health needs, poor oral health status, and frequent difficulties in accessing dental care. In the short few months the VISTA has been there she has been able to better organize the placement of the dental assistant students, as well as create an agreement with a local daycare center to provide free transportation to the clinic for the clients. Coming months will hopefully show an increase in the number of youth provided with free cleanings.
After School Science Clubs - The VISTA working with the UW Madison Center for Biology Education has helped develop the infrastructure for over 35 after-school science clubs. The science clubs work closely with existing after-school programs to develop curriculum that provides low-income youth access to science in a fun setting. With the inquiry-based, hands-on approach the Science Clubs offer, kids who may not have had an opportunity to enjoy science in a classroom setting now have the space to explore and discover science in a new way. Children also have the opportunity to interact with a role model who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about science.
Campus Kitchens - The VISTAs at UW-Eau Claire have played an invaluable role of starting up a Campus Kitchen at the campus. The Campus Kitchen addresses local poverty issues by recovering leftover food from the campus dining halls, farms, and the food pantry and using the food to make and deliver meals to individuals who are food insecure. The project will expand this year to also include more empowerment based programs, such as nutrition classes and gardening workshops. On a monthly basis over 400 meals are served in the community. In the coming spring, through working with community agencies and members, a community garden will be started and a portion of the food grown will be given to the Campus Kitchen to provide fresh, nutritional food.