Eighty-seven student mentors and volunteers will receive as much $2,000 for their work in the community

Miami, FL – More than 80 Miami Dade College (MDC) students who work as mentors and volunteers for a variety of charitable causes will receive academic scholarships as a result of an $111,970 federal grant from the Florida Campus Compact (FL/CC) AmeriCorps Program. The federal grant was recently awarded to MDC for the sole purpose of providing scholarships and stipends to students who engage in at least 300 hours of community service. The award to MDC will be split into two programs: the FL/CC AmeriCorps Program and the Students in Service AmeriCorps Program. The student scholarships will be awarded based on the level of service, number of hours served, and the award amount.

The FL/CC AmeriCorps Program, which will be awarded to 62 MDC students, is designed for college students who serve as mentors to at-risk youth with the goal of helping their mentees gain the skills and knowledge needed for college access and success. Additionally, two out of the 62 students will be selected for leadership positions and will earn a $2,675 scholarship, a $5,200 stipend, and must commit to a minimum of 900 service hours. The remaining 60 students will receive a $1,132 scholarship when they complete their community service hours.

Twenty-five MDC students will be selected for the FL/CC Students in Service AmeriCorps Program, which supports a broader range of service opportunities beyond mentoring. The students may choose to serve in areas such as environmental protection, human services, public safety, counseling, nursing/EMT, education and more. These students will also receive a $1,132 scholarship for a minimum of 300 community service hours. 

“We are very grateful to Florida Campus Compact and the AmeriCorps program because this initiative will allow 87 of MDC’s most civic-minded students to gain leadership skills, serve the community, and earn much needed college scholarships,” said Josh Young, director of MDC’s nationally acclaimed Center for Community Involvement and the lead administrator of the program.

The 87 students are currently being recruited to fill these positions and must complete their service hours by the fall of 2011. Students interested in applying for either FL/CC AmeriCorps Program must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and able to provide sufficient documentation; at least 17 years of age with no record of felony; enrolled at MDC; have a valid e-mail address; and must attend a pre-service orientation conducted at one of MDC’s eight campuses.

For more information or to apply for about the Florida Campus Compact AmeriCorps Program, contact Josh Young at 305-237-7477 or [email protected].