GRANTS FOSTER STUDENTS' COMMUNITY SERVICE, EVALUATE EFFECTS OF
SERVICE ON THEIR LIVES

	CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Dec. 16 -- Three grants recently
awarded to University of Virginia-affiliated programs support
studentsÕ community service and attempt to evaluate long-term
effects of such philanthropy.
	Madison House, which coordinates community service efforts
of U.Va. students, received a $21,000 grant to promote its model of
student-run programs nationally and a $1,500 grant for its
Alternative Spring Break program.  The University Internship Program
received a $146,992 grant to investigate how students' participation
in community service may have influenced their lives.
	The New York-based William H. Donnor Foundation gave Madison
House the first grant in recognition of its 25 years as a
student-run volunteer center.  The funds will be used to promote the
Madison House model of volunteerism nationally at conferences and to
develop and distribute guides on student volunteerism and the impact
it can have on a community.
	Although the student volunteer movement began on colleges in
the late 1960s and early 1970s, few campus-based volunteer centers
remain.  The grant recognizes Madison House's growth and expanded
service.  
	In the 1993-94 academic year, 3,040 U.Va. students
volunteered in 17 Madison House programs at 130 sites, contributing
more than 107,000 service hours to approximately 13,000 area
citizens.  When Madison House started, 150 students were involved in
four programs.
	"Madison House has survived and prospered because, unlike
many other organizations, it has integrated its programs with the
central mission and goals of the University," said executive
director Cindy Fredrick.  
	Another component of Madison House's success is the
motivation of U.Va. students.  Many campus-based volunteer centers
now offer students pay and/or academic credit for their efforts,
Fredrick said.  Through Madison House U.Va. students donate one to
five hours of service weekly.
	"Giving students pay or credit for volunteerism places the
emphasis on students' needs instead of the community's needs.  We
feel that having students donate their time preserves the altruistic
nature of volunteerism and helps retain community interest and
support in our programs," Frederick said.
	The second grant awarded Madison House will provide
scholarships to students who engage in community service projects
during Alternative Spring Break (ASB).  Students pay their own
expenses, including food, travel and housing when they participate
in ASB.  
	In March 120 students will travel to Belize and Mexico and
to 10 U.S. sites, including Appalachia, Native American
reservations, a coal-mining community in Pennsylvania and a
hurricane disaster area in Louisiana.  The two-year grant from
BreakAway, a national organization that encourages community service
projects during spring recess, will provide scholarships ranging
from $40 to $100 to ASB students traveling to U.S. sites, Fredrick
said.
	Now in its third year at U.Va., Alternative Spring Break has
attracted approximately 300 students. 
	The U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement
of Post Secondary Education grant to the University Internship
Program will allow researchers to determine the long-term effects of
student participation in Madison House programs as well as those who
participated in the University Internship Program (UIP), in which
students can gain experience and academic credit by working in a
variety of fields including community service. 
	The two-year grant will support a telephone survey of
Madison House and UIP alumni to determine their career paths and
extent of community involvement.  Researchers also hope to define
the motives and characteristics of those who chose community service
by analyzing alumni responses to questions about values, attitudes
and behaviors.
	The grant was awarded to the University Internship Program
in recognition of its strength and growth over 18 years, according
to UIP director Nancy J.H. Gansneder.  Approximately 3,000 students
have participated in UIP, jointly sponsored by the College of Arts
and Sciences and the Cooper Center for Public Service.  Gansneder
estimates that this yearÕs 300 interns will contribute 56,000 labor
hours.
	ÒWe hope to discover the impact community service programs
have on young adults at a critical time of their development,Ó said
Kate Wood, a graduate student who will be project coordinator.  She
will work with Gansneder and Fredrick on the project.
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December 15, 1994 
	For more information, contact Madison House at (804)
977-7051 or the University Internship Program at (804) 982-5552.
Kate Wood can be reached at (804) 971-4062.