News & Events
In the News
News Archives
Past Press Releases
MTCC's 10th Anniversary Celebration
September 25, 2003
Billings, Montana
Robert Putnam was the keynote speaker at The Montana Campus Compact Tenth Anniversary Celebration on 25 September 2003, in Billings. He presented his work on social capital, from his recent books Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000), and Better Together: Restoring the American Community (2003). Putnam informed the audience that Montana ranks near the top on all fifteen indicators of social capital. He noted that the presence of MTCC is likely a key reason why Montana ranks so high in social capital among states. Or, at the very least, MTCC thrives as an organization because of Montana's quality social networks. Putnam praised MTCC's tremendous growth during the past ten years. He pointed to the Compact as one of the most important higher education organizations in the state.
National Campus Compact's Elizabeth Hollander joined Putnam as an invited guest at the celebration. Hollander noted the strength and potential of the national civic engagement movement. She reported the rapid national and international growth of the Compact, and the organization's ability to generate meaningful connections among higher education, government agencies, foundations, and K-12 education. Thomas Oates , president of Rocky Mountain College, reiterated the commitment of MTCC's Board of Directors for the future.
George Dennison , chairman of MTCC's Board of Directors provided a ten-year chronology and history of MTCC He spoke of the important relationships with the state and federal government that have ensured success for MTCC. Dennison paid tribute to the key individuals and agencies that supported and helped MTCC reach its goals over the past decade. He talked pointedly about MTCC's past struggles and accomplishments and urged everyone in attendance to continue the essential, often difficult, sometimes frustrating, usually demanding, and ultimately satisfying work of active and engaged citizens.
Declaration
"President's Declaration on the Civic Responsibility of Higher Education"
(November 2000)
http://www.compact.org/resources/plc-main.html
MTCC Articles
The Montana Campus Compact to Honor Student Athletes at annual Bobcat/Grizzly Game
"New scholarship rewards civic-minded students"
(March 2, 2001)
http://www.missoulian.com/archives/index.inn?loc=detail&doc=/2001/March/02-471-news16.txt
"Organization offers money dedicated to students"
(March 1, 2001)
http://www.kaimin.org/Mar2001/3-1-01/news6_3-1-01.html
"Donor gives money to cultivate PEAS program"
(February 9, 2001)
http://www.kaimin.org/Feb2001/2-9-01/news8_2-9-01.html
"Program helps kids learn how to love reading"
(February 9, 2001)
http://www.kaimin.org/Feb2001/2-9-01/news7_2-9"01.html
"Campus Leaders Parade Benefits of Community Service"
(November 18, 2000)
http://www.missoulian.com/archives/index.inn?loc=detail&doc=/2000/November/18-229-news07.txt
"Montana Campus Compact: Higher Ed Renews its Pledge to Community Service"
(May/June 1999)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/rview/599/compact.htm
"Lifelong Lessons: Professors Study the Impacts of Volunteerism"
(May/June 1999)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/rview/599/lessons.htm
"State Higher Education Leaders Meet to Sign Declaration"
(November 13, 2000)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/nf/111300/declar.htm
"Campuses Gain New Volunteer Program"
(April 2000)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/mainhall/400/program.htm
"Campus Compact: UM Program Jump-Starts YMCA Literacy Effort"
(November 1999)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/mainhall/1199/literacy.htm
"Montana Campus Compact Awards 2000-2001 Faculty Fellowships"
(October 2, 2000)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/releases/acfellow.htm
"Montana Professors Earn Community-Based Fellowships"
(July 13, 1998)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/releases/archives/facfello.htm
"Neitzel: UM is a Model of Civic Responsibility"
(October 17, 2000)
http://www.kaimin.org/Oct00/10-17-00/news7_10-17-00.html
"Neitzel to Attend Conference in Massachusetts"
(October 13, 2000)
http://www.kaimin.org/Oct00/10-13-00/news7_10-13-00.html
AmeriCorps Articles
"Grant Builds AmeriCorps"
(March 3, 2000)
http://www.kaimin.org/Mar00/3_31/_subhead7.html
"Top News: AmeriCorps Volunteers Making a Difference"
(October 22, 1999)
http://www.kaimin.org/oct99/10_22/corps.html
"Do-gooders Unite"
(January 1, 1998)
http://www.missoulanews.com/Archives/News.asp?no=101
Service-Learning Articles
"Students Dirty Hands in Service-Learning Project"
(June 1999)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/mainhall/699/service.htm
"Dennison Outlines Importance of Service Learning in Society"
(March 1999)
http://www.umt.edu/urelations/mainhall/399/dennison.htm
MTCC Newsletter
Newsletter Archives
October 2000 also available as pdf
December 2001 pdf
January 2002 pdf
MTCC Program Stats
**Montana Campus Corps
Campus Corps members engaged 2,085 volunteers in 18,493 hours of community service; 87 percent of volunteers believe that their service was necessary and helpful; and 83 percent of volunteers plan on serving again.
Annual Awards presented in April 2004:
*Award of Exceptional Leadership Thais Boise, The University of Montana
*Outstanding Service Project Jerica-Lee Bell, Miles Community College
*Campus Corps Award of Excellence Jason Jimmerson, Montana State University
**MTCC VISTA Project
In 2003-2004 MTCC VISTAs have recruited of 1,624 volunteers who provided 9,581 hours of community service and procured $164,798 of in-kind donations and $224,387 in cash and grants .
A Good Return on Investment!
MTCC VISTA host sites contributed approximately 17 percent of the total MTCC VISTA program budget, which includes living allowance, health care, training, education awards, administration, travel, recruiting, and supplies. In turn, MTCC VISTAs helped build capacity at their host sites and in their communities. This year, the host sites' financial investments alone have more than doubled and the accumulated social capital Montana has been tremendous.
**Community Partners 2003-2004
MTCC recruited 10 new community partners this year, which brought the total to 22 community partners in 7 communities across the state, in its 3rd year of Community Partner programming. 34 Community Partners AmeriCorps members will complete approximately 15,000 hours of volunteer service to meet critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. The Montana Campus Compact will facilitate the distribution of approximately $42,000 in Education Award vouchers.
**Raise Your Voice
*Two Montana Students were selected to attend the "Lessons Learned" conference in Chicago, and Chief Dull Knife College Student Leader, Regina White Dirt delivered the keynote speech at the conference.
*UM-Missoula named Student Leader Jacole Douglas "Outstanding Student Volunteer."
*Student Leader Frank Kipp had his RYV project featured in an article in the Golden Triangle News .
*MT Students were awarded 1st and 2nd place and Honorable Mention at the regional "Faces of Civic Engagement" Photography Contest .
*RYV awarded four $300 subgrants to support Month of Action activities on Montana campuses.
RYV Stats:
¨ 13 universities and colleges involved
¨ 37 community events
¨ 17 RYV projects completed
¨ 38 organizations collaborated in RYV events
¨ 326 students participated in RYV events
¨ 773 community members participated in RYV events
¨ 207 faculty/staff/administrators participated in RYV events
back to topQuotes about MTCC
What People Are Saying About MTCC:
- Programs such as those of The Montana Campus Compact are "the glue that holds a society together. They bring to higher education the commitment to community service and the assurance that curriculum is developed which will give students the opportunity to be engaged with their community - so that students may develop crucial habits and take them with them when they leave college."
- Marc Racicot, Governor of Montana, 1993-2001
- "I know of no other educational organization that has a track record like Campus Compact's over the past twenty years. It is a phenomenal success; not just in terms of growth in numbers, but in terms of the impact it's had on communities, the impact it's had on campuses, and the impact it's had on individual lives."
- Frank Rhodes, Former President of Cornell University
- "In Crow Country, the average home has 1.8 books, hardly an environment where Crow children have access to reading materials. AmeriCorps Volunteers in Crow Country have had a remarkable impact on our children, for their time and efforts in reading and math literacy have strengthened these critical talents in our children - in our very future."
- Janine Pease-Pretty on Top, President, Little Big Horn College
- Montana Reads representatives "worked out great! I am very pleased with the ability of the tutors to adapt to their site. I found the tutors to be very flexible and dependable. I also appreciate the tutors' capabilities to figure out the skills needed to assist the children in the areas where they needed help."
- Deb Yerkes, Principal, Lincoln Elementary School, Great Falls
- "Through my work with AmeriCorps, I have learned so much about what really is important in my world today, the importance of responsible citizenship and the need to take action to make a change. I have been carrying out work that both is meaningful and challenging while fueling my personal passions for my community and the young people living here."
- Amy Esp, winner of the MTCC Outstanding Service Project of the Year Award, 2000
- "Educating the Upward Bound students on searching the Internet was a high point this month. It was specifically exciting when all the students found at least one scholarship on-line that was applicable to them."
- RuthAnne Shope, Campus Corps Member, Montana Tech
- "The AmeriCorps motto is 'Getting things done,' but more importantly it's the lives we touch in that process that really counts!"
- Shelly Clark, Campus Corps Team Leader, University of Great Falls
