ACE program seeks funds

Since its inception in 2000, the Advocates for Community Engagement (ACE) program at IU has become a replicable model for service-learning programs as far away as Ireland and Central Asia and as close as Indiana's Butler University. However, the end of a four-year grant from the Lumina Foundation at the close of this school year has sent the program searching for additional funding.\nThe ACE program employs undergraduates to work as liaisons between non-profit organizations within the community and the students and faculty involved in service-learning. It helps facilitate service projects in a wide range of departments, from biology to business, through which students can receive class credit. More than 40 courses offer a service-learning component.\n"The program is a hybrid of academic and student affairs," said Claire King, director of the Community Outreach and Partnerships in Service-Learning program. "It bridges that divide while reaching out to the community." \nThe program started with just two ACE employees in 2000, but receiving the Lumina Foundation Fund allowed the department to greatly expand the program, King said. There are 23 undergraduates employed to work as ACE representatives. The grant covers about half of those costs. \n"Without the grant, we would still be at about eight to 10 ACEs," King said. "Many of our ACEs say that they would do it for free, but most of them could not afford it." \nKing said ACE employees are paid for 10 hours of work per week, but they actually work closer to 15 hours.\nAn ACE representative's responsibilities include taking charge of orientation for volunteers, helping facilitate communication on service-learning group projects and talking to faculty about adding service-learning programs, said Colleen O'Rourke, a second-year ACE employee. The program looks for employees that are independent, resourceful and passionate about service.\nStudents tend to monopolize hourly-wage jobs and reduce the feasibility of owning a home in college towns for year-round residents, O'Rourke said. \n"Service-learning can help try and cover those negative footsteps," she said. \nCurrently, ACE program is searching for University funding to replace the expiring grant, King said.\n"We are seeking for the University to recognize ACE's contribution to the civic engagement priority on campus," King said. \nW. Raymond Smith, the associate vice chancellor of academic affairs and student retention, said people generally consider the program important enough to want to fund it through the University. The ACE program directors are working to replace the Lumina grant funds through funding from various offices, including the Dean of Students office, the President's office, the IU Foundation and the IU Real Estate program, Smith said. \n"Nobody was caught by surprise by the end of this grant," Smith said. "We have known it was coming, and there are a lot of bright, well-intentioned people out there working to put together the resources to fund the program"