A List
07/21/08

SLU Grad Returning To Campus As VISTA Volunteer

CANTON - St. Lawrence University Class of 2008 graduate Lucinda Hannington, of Island Pond, Vermont, will return to campus for the 2008-2009 academic year as a volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA.

AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years.

At St. Lawrence, Hannington will assist in the planning and implementation of two campus-community partnerships, one directed at establishing a multimedia literacy program and one directed at coordinating services for the hungry in the area.

The literacy project will involve public libraries and schools, as well as the staff of St. Lawrence's Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL). Work with organizations and agencies such as Meals on Wheels will be included in the project to address hunger.

The opportunity to host a VISTA volunteer on the St. Lawrence campus has been made possible by Associate Professor of Sociology Ronald Flores, director of the CCEL, who recognized participation in this federally funded program as a strategic opportunity for enhancing University-community partnerships as well as the potential for career development for the volunteer. Much of Flores' work at St. Lawrence and in the community is directly linked with the University's emphasis on providing opportunities for students to develop as citizens and for the campus to work with the community to make it a better place to live.

Hannington earned a bachelor's degree with honors in history, and was involved with several campus service organizations and activities. Her responsibilities on campus will include creating training programs; collaborating with faculty to integrate community programs into courses; writing grant applications and creating evaluation instruments for programs and volunteers.

For more information on the CCEL or the specific programs supported through the VISTA grant award, contact Flores at 315-229-5228.

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More: AmeriCorps Web site