Tuesday, August 24, 2004

MOUNT WACHUSETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD PARTNER TO BUILD YOUTH LEADERS

(FITCHBURG)--Mount Wachusett Community College and the North Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board (WIB) have received a Youth Council Initiative grant from the Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA).

The grant will fund creation of a junior youth council that will assess and respond to the needs of the community. These students will be responsible for developing, selecting, and funding grant applications from area youth groups for community service learning projects that address community needs. They will also be responsible for monitoring and evaluating those projects.

“We are proud to be partnering with WIB on this exciting project,” said Mount Wachusett Community College President Daniel M. Asquino. The college is now in the fourth year of its Decade of Civic Engagement initiative. One feature component of that initiative is the Citizenship Academy. The Academy provides free college credit to qualifying high school students. The students opt to take courses in political science, English, economics and sociology. All of the courses feature a public policy slant. “What we have learned from the Citizenship Academy experience is that if you engage youth in the democratic process, they are eager to have their voices heard. Our Citizenship Academy students interviewed state and federal lawmakers, mayors and school committee members about important issues of the day,” said Asquino.

The MSA is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as Massachusetts’ commission on community service. Their mission is to generate an ethic of service throughout the Commonwealth by creating and supporting diverse, high quality service and volunteer opportunities for all age groups, resulting in stronger communities and more active citizens.

The partnerships will target 20 students between the ages of 15-18 from Fitchburg and Leominster that participate in the Citizenship Academy at MWCC.

Youth council members will learn about non-profit agencies, community service and the proposal funding process through a series of trainings conducted by the Workforce Investment Board, under the leadership of Tim Sappington at WIB and current Youth Council members. The initiative will be coordinated by the department of College Access Programs at MWCC.

Lea Ann Erickson , Director of Community Relations
Phone: (978) 630-9322
Fax: (978) 630-956
Email: l_erickson@mwcc.mass.edu

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