Pay It Forward: Cincinnati s Communities to Benefit from Three-Year Grant Awarded to UC

A University of Cincinnati initiative to apply classroom study toward the benefit of the community is anticipated to be awarded up to $60,000 over the next three years, with participating local nonprofit agencies receiving the majority of that funding as directed by the UC students. That’s as they become part of UC’s “Pay It Forward” service-learning program for student philanthropy.

The $20,000 in first-year funding was awarded to UC’s Center for Community Engagement for a proposal to support four new service-learning courses to make local service agencies an active partner in UC student learning. The funding comes via an Ohio Campus Compact “Pay It Forward: Strengthening Communities through Student-Led Philanthropy” grant.

Kathy Dick, director of UC’s Center for Community Engagement, says UC received the highest amount possible, $20,000 in the first round of funding, to support the four new courses. The award pays $500 toward the development of the course and then $4,500 to pay forward to the participating agencies involved in each course. Three of the courses will get underway during winter quarter and the fourth will begin in spring quarter. A total of 12 new service-learning courses at UC are anticipated to be created as a result of the three-year grant.

“The grant will provide UC with the opportunity to implement the program and adopt it as part of the permanent fabric of our institution, benefitting students and community partners alike for many years to come,” says Dick, who adds that as many as 100 UC students will be an active part of the awarded program.

UC’s service learning courses blend reflective educational experiences with service activities that foster a deeper understanding of course content and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility. As part of each course awarded through Pay It Forward, students are required to provide at least 15 hours of service with a community agency.  Here are descriptions of the four courses that will get underway during winter and spring quarter. Students in each course contribute $4,500 from the grant to their participating service agencies.

Introduction to Intercultural Communication – The course gets underway during winter quarter and will be taught by MJ Woeste, a field service associate professor in the Communication Department in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). Students will explore cultural differences in communication practices among cultures, focusing on local populations that are living in poverty or are identified as marginalized communities. Students will work with local agencies that assist male and female populations struggling with homelessness and addiction. The students will decide where to apply the grant money awarded to the participating programs.

Diversity and Health – The course gets underway during winter quarter and will be taught by Farrah Jacquez, an assistant professor in the Psychology Department of A&S. Students will explore individual and social factors that contribute to health issues and will work to reduce disparities involving gender, race, disability or social status as they explore health interventions. Part of this effort will involve interviewing children at the Cincinnati Public Schools’ Academy of Multilingual Immersion Studies (AMIS), which serves children whose native languages are French and Spanish. The school also serves a large African-American student population. The UC students will base their decisions awarding the $4,500 in funding on efforts that will best benefit the health of the AMIS students.

Initiative on Poverty, Justice and Health – This is an elective for UC medical students. The experience, directed by Joseph Kiesler, MD, assistant professor of family and community medicine for the UC College of Medicine, is designed to develop the knowledge and skills needed to improve the health and the healthcare of the poor both here at home and abroad. First- and second-year UC medical students will participate in the Pay it Forward Program in the winter and spring quarters. Students will focus their efforts on four distinct groups: the homeless, the Latino population, pediatrics and women’s health. As they work in partnership with the nonprofit institutions that serve those groups, the students will gain a better understanding of the scope of nonprofits and the populations that they serve.

Writing, Philanthropy and Student Engagement – The sophomore-level service-learning English course at Clermont College will get underway in spring quarter and will be taught by Barbara Wallace, director of UC Clermont’s College Success Program, who also leads the college’s service learning initiative. Students will research key issues affecting at-risk youth as well as the service of nonprofits to this population. The direct service learning aspect of the program will include tutoring, mentoring and assisting the youth with their school work and other activities at three local Boys & Girls Club locations. The UC students will also study philanthropy issues as they build on their writing and research skills, as well as on their skills in critical thinking and civic engagement.

UC’s Center for Community Engagement is dedicated to connecting the University of Cincinnati and the community through service. UC’s Office for Community-Engaged Learning supports students, faculty and community partners to ensure that the service- learning experience at UC is a benefit to all involved.

The Ohio Campus Compact, Kentucky Campus Compact and Michigan Campus Compact have announced that the Pay It Forward Grant Program will create approximately 54 service-learning courses at higher education institutions across the three states, matching approximately 1,000 students with 135 nonprofit agencies each year. The program will result in a total of 15,000 student service hours per year.

Funding for the Pay It Forward Program is made possible through the Corporation for National and Community Service (Learn and Serve America Higher Education). The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. The corporation is the nation’s largest grant funder supporting service and volunteering. Through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, the corporation provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their country and their community while addressing critical community needs. Learn and Serve America provides support to schools, higher education institutions and community-based organizations that engage students, teachers and others in service learning.