For the second consecutive year, ACC has been awarded a grant that provides tuition funds for students who volunteer in local public schools.

The Texas Campus Compact Students in Service Award promotes access to higher education by placing student volunteers in schools where they teach, mentor, and help prepare students for college. ACC is one of nine Texas colleges and universities chosen to receive the award.

Students selected to participate in the program are required to complete 300 hours of service over the course of a year, with 80 percent of their time spent working directly in the schools and the remainder spent on professional development. Students gain teaching experience in small-group settings, perform outreach activities, and attend training seminars. Upon completing the hours, students receive a $1,175 tuition voucher.

“This program not only gives our students real-world experience, but also the satisfaction that they are directly and positively impacting the lives of younger students,” says Dr. Giao Phan, chair of ACC’s Education Instruction Department. The program is scheduled to launch at the end of the fall semester or in January.

More than 70 private and public higher education institutions statewide are members of Texas Campus Compact, a non-profit organization that promotes service learning. Service learning programs have become increasingly popular on campuses nationwide as a way for students to earn credit or stipends in exchange for volunteering in their community.

The other schools chosen for the grant are: the Houston Community College System, Huston-Tillotson University, Lone Star College-Kingwood, Stephen F. Austin State University, St. Mary’s University, Texas State University-San Marcos, University of North Texas-Dallas, and the University of Texas at Austin.

“These nine schools bring amazing energy and committed students to address the needs of communities across the state, and we’re looking forward to everything that we’ll be able to accomplish together,” says Patricia Potyka, executive director of Texas Campus Compact.

Students can learn more about the Texas Campus Compact Students in Service program by attending one of three information sessions scheduled for Thursday, September 29 (Round Rock Campus),  Monday, October 3 (Eastview Campus), or Saturday, October 8 (South Austin Campus). For more information about the grant, contact Tennille Harris at 223-9228. To learn more about service learning at ACC, visit the Service Learning website.