Landis Community Outreach Center Offers Numerous Service Opportunities

Students who want to become involved in the community but don’t know where to start are invited to explore numerous service opportunities offered through the Landis Community Outreach Center.

Opportunities sponsored by the Landis Center vary from one-day service activities to those requiring regular commitments. Although Landis Center staff provide direction, most activities are organized and led by students.

“Here at the Landis Center, we strive to cultivate personal, civic, and intellectual growth for students through meaningful and effective service experiences,” says Amber Zuber, assistant director of the Landis Center. “The co-curricular service-learning programs introduce students to the process of identifying community needs and building upon existing assets. Students begin to understand the value and importance of reciprocity through service, and the ways in which we can use our daily life decisions to make choices that have positive impacts on our community, both local and global.”

Students interested in learning more about the Landis Center can get first-hand experience at a one-time service event, such as Lafapalooza which will take place April 13-14, or they can make an appointment with Zuber or a student coordinator to get more specific information. The Landis Center is located at 120 Farinon College Center; for more information, call x5553 or email outreach@lafayette.edu.

Current Landis Center opportunities:

One-Time Events:

• Lafapalooza 2007: Lafayette’s first national weekend of service will take place April 13-14. Volunteer registration forms will be available in Farinon Center and Marquis Hall the week of March 26.

• Dress Upon A Star: Lafayette’s Pan-Hellenic Council is organizing a dress drive to benefit Easton teens. Teens from Easton will “shop” for a dress and accessories for prom or graduation. Gently used formal wear, shoes, and jewelry will be accepted through April 12. To arrange pick-up or drop-off of donations, emailSara Walter ’09 (Kempton, Pa.).

• 5-K Walk for ProJeCt of Easton: ProJeCt of Easton, Inc., a local organization providing literacy and emergency services to thousands of local residents each year, is looking for teams to participate in a 5-K (3.1 miles) walk on June 16. Participants must collect sponsorship dollars on behalf of their company or team. The group that raises the most money is the winning team. All proceeds go directly to ProJeCt.

Call (610) 253-0309 to register a team and assign a team leader to attend a short meeting 7:30-9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14 at ProJeCt’s Fowler Literacy Center, 200 Ferry Street. The meeting will provide more details and leaders will receive a team packet, which will include sponsor forms. Team leaders who cannot attend should call (610) 258-4361 so a packet can be mailed to them.

• Special Olympics: DeSales University in Allentown is hosting the Special Olympics March 31. Volunteers are needed for 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. shifts and will meet at William Allen High School. For more information, contact Jaime Gerhart, director of social outreach at DeSales, at (610) 282-1100, x1889 or email.

Ongoing Service Opportunities:

• Easton Area High School: There is a need for college students to tutor students at Easton Area High School. All majors are encouraged to volunteer, but there is a special need for those with strengths in basic math, algebra III through calculus, French, Spanish, accounting, Latin, chemistry, earth and space science, and basic study skills. The majority of tutoring will take place during the student’s free period during the school day. For more information, emailEd Yao ’08 (Bronx, N.Y.).

• The Mentoring Club: The Mentoring Club is a tutoring and mentoring program hosted by the Shawnee Success Academy 2:30-4:30 p.m. every Wednesday. Volunteers provide academic assistance during homework sessions to students in seventh and eighth grades and often evolve as mentors. Volunteers who are patient, willing to be a friend, and feel comfortable in one-on-one interactions generally thrive in this program. For more information, emailSarah Kolb ’07 (Berkeley Heights, N.J.).

• NORWESCAP F.A.C.E.S. Family Resource Center: A volunteer intern is needed for the family and children early education services agency in Philipsburg to help with secretarial work and other projects. This organization offers a range of services for families, such as child care and education for parents. Help is needed during the work week from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., based on the volunteer’s schedule. Hours are flexible. For more information, emailSara Windish ’08 (Wayne, N.J.).

• Easton Area Neighborhood Center: Writers are needed to help create a business plan for the non-profit organization that offers care and support to low income families and individuals. Volunteers must be available a few hours over the next three weeks to offer analysis and research assistance related to the agency’s target market. Time commitment and hours will be determined by the volunteer(s). For more information, email Windish.

Careers and Internships:

• Summer Internship Stipends available through Career Services: Due to the generosity of Lafayette alumni, a number of stipends are available to support students in their summer internships (certain restrictions may apply). Interested students must complete an application and essay by April 6. An interview is required of finalists, and a committee will select the recipients. Application forms are available at Career Services, 201 Hogg Hall. Although an internship does not need to be secured at the time of application, applicants should include descriptions of all internships under consideration with the application. Stipends will be awarded upon formal verification that an internship has been secured.

• Camp Quality for Children with Cancer: Summer counselors are needed for the annual overnight summer camp for children with cancer. This is a one-week volunteer position lasting from June 23-28 in Blairstown, N.J. Free chartered bus transportation is provided for campers and counselors to and from Freehold, N.J. Each participant, ages 5-16, is paired with an adult counselor 18 or older. The counselor spends the entire week with his or her camper acting as a friend, cheerleader, and mentor even beyond camp. All volunteers must attend a training session May 12.

Camp Quality New Jersey is a non-profit organization that provides a free week-long camping experience and support program for children with cancer. Camp Quality is carefully planned to provide a wide range of enjoyable activities that appeal to children of all ages. Camp counselors offer friendship and love to a boy or girl through fun activities.

For more information, visit Camp Quality’s web site, or contact Frank Dalotto, director of Camp Quality New Jersey, at (732) 780-1409 or email.

• Ford Foundation Summer Institute on Replenishing Democracy: This year’s institute will be held June 9-23 at Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. Only 25 students with demonstrated interests in social activism and leadership skills will be invited to participate. Preference will be given to students between their junior and senior years. The institute will be free of charge for the selected participants, who will be provided with the necessary course materials and reimbursed for their travel expenses to Amherst.

The program encourages connections between academic institutions and grassroots activism by bringing together distinguished scholars and activists with undergraduates to rigorously study the theory and practices of democratic engagement. Student leaders will learn about the complexities of political action and gain practical knowledge about grassroots organizing.

For more information about the program and online application materials, visit the web site, or contact Dee Brace, academic department coordinator for philosophy at Amherst, at (413) 542-5805 or email.

• Starfinder Foundation: This Philadelphia-based youth development organization is seeking a youth development coordinator. Its mission is to create inspirational learning environments where children and youth are encouraged, through soccer, to develop strong moral character, strive for academic excellence, and live with a positive attitude regardless of their socio-economic status.

  The youth development coordinator will report to the director of programs and be involved in determining the vision and setting the standard for all programs serving youth ages 12-22. This person will be responsible for all aspects of the development, promotion, implementation, and evaluation of Starfinder’s youth leadership programs, including summer camps, mentoring programs, certification courses, job and college readiness training, and volunteer/service learning programs.

  Other essential skills include networking, program planning, budget preparation, supervision, program evaluation, volunteer recruitment, and coaching.

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in education, sports management, and/or coaching and strong experience in soccer. Ideally, this person will have five years experience in the field of youth development and/or education, and five years experience in youth soccer. Background clearances are required. Salary range is in the mid-30s.

Applicants should send a cover letter, resume, and at least three job references to employment@starfinderfoundation.org.