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NSIP 2005-2006 Mini-Grant: Minnesota

April 21, 2006

Grant Summary

Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota

Julia Socha, [email protected], 612-624-2008
Pam Stenhjem, [email protected], 612-625-3863

With 60,000 students, an extensive Disability Services office providing support to students, staff/faculty with a wide range of disabilities, as well as five coordinate campuses (Twin Cities, Duluth, Crookston, Morris, Rochester), the University of Minnesota is an excellent site to implement large scale recruitment and enrollment of individuals with disabilities into AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Senior Corps.

ICI-UMN, in collaboration with ServeMinnesota, DS, DS-ES, and the Senior Corps RSVP program will develop, market, and implement a comprehensive series of recruitment activities focused on substantially increasing the number of individuals with disabilities from the UMN applying for and being accepted into AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Senior Corps. Our primary audience includes current and prospective students with disabilities as well as staff/faculty with disabilities over the age of 55 on all five UMN coordinate campuses. The median age of faculty and staff at the University of Minnesota is increasing and as a result, the clientele of Disability Services is advancing in age as well. However, the number of activities focused on staff/faculty will be less than that for students due to a much lower number of staff/faculty over the age of 55 with disabilities as compared to the number of students with disabilities on campuses. Recruitment strategies will include a wide array of activities designed to inform and engage potential applicants to these three programs. Recruitment activities include:

  • Breeze Web cast presentations that are recorded and archived for real time access anywhere, anytime, by anyone; on-campus, in-person recruitment sessions for students, staff/faculty; class presentations for students graduating in the fields of Special Education, Education Work, Community, & Family Education, Social Work, etc.; provision of an open house during student orientation days; and presentations for staff/faulty on Senior Corps.
  • ICI-UMN will work with the Division of Rehabilitation Services, the Minnesota Department of Education, the PACER Center C-3 project, and Senior Corps RSVP to disseminate information state-wide about these initiatives. ICI-UMN will supplement technical assistance provided by ServeMinnesota to prospective and current students, staff/faculty as well as others across the state of Minnesota interested in applying for AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Senior Corps programs.
  • Information on ICI-UMNs Youthhood Website (http://www.youthhood.org) which includes extensive references to community service and service learning will also be shared, and ICI-UMN will update the Minnesota Service Inclusion Project (MSIP) Web site to reflect the current project to include updated information on AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Senior Corps.
  • Project staff will attend the National Service Inclusion Conferences in both 2005 and 2006 and at least one regional/statewide training.
  • Finally, in-kind contributions will be provided through time donated by collaborative partners during presentations, recruitment efforts, and through marketing distribution and referrals. DS and DS-ES will also provide accommodations as needed on an individualized basis for all participants as an in-kind contribution.