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Office for Community Involvement
The MSU Office for Community Involvement (OCI) works to better connect campus resources to meet community needs. Each year thousands of MSU students provide one-time or on-going service to hundreds of Bozeman area non-profit, school and governmental organizations as volunteers, interns, or work-study staff. The Gallatin Valley plays host to over 400 not-for-profit organizations working to address human service, environmental, emergency service, justice and educational issues and challenges. As a land grant university Montana State University has, from inception, been committed to giving back to the people of Montana and one way in which this is done is through the services provided by our students to those in need.
A simple way to for students to get involved is through the "Into the Streets" community involvement fair held at the beginning of fall semester, when an array of community service organizations visit campus with opportunities for all interested students. From building houses or assisting in grade schools, to teaching swimming or building local trails, you have a full menu of options. There are part-day and full-day projects so you can savor the opportunity and still have time for school work and other extracurricular activities. There are ongoing opportunities to serve with these organizations as a volunteer, in an internship position, or as a paid work-study staff person as well.
During select weekends and spring breaks, the Office for Community Involvement sends students on our MSU BreaksAway trips. Student leaders plan and lead up to four community service immersion trips to regional venues outside Montana during spring break each academic year. Weekend BreaksAway trips are now being offered each semester to serve with Montana communities in need.
OCI manages the tutoring program MSU America Reads*America Counts. The mission of this program is to work with and support area children to achieve and succeed academically. MSU students are given the opportunity to work one-on-one with pre-k through 8th grade students struggling with literacy or math skill development. This program employs 35 to 45 work-study eligible students in tutoring work as paid employee and recruits another 30 or more volunteer tutors annually to meet the needs of approximately 10 area schools.
The OCI also provides AmeriCorps positions of all sorts to current MSU students as well as recent graduates. The MSU Campus Corps Stipend Program offers full-time students the chance to serve in an AmeriCorps position on a part-time basis while still attending school. These positions come with a monthly stipend and upon successful completion of the term, an education award. There are also an array of VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) positions available through the OCI where recent graduates can stay in the community for a year and serve a non-profit organization building infrastructure and creating sustainable programs. Finally, any MSU student or even 17 year old high school students can enroll in one of our Campus Corps Non-Stipend Service Scholarship positions. These positions are available to any student serving in our community as part of their discipline requirements, or as an extra curricular activity. Any student employed as a work-study staff member with an area non-profit may also enroll in one of these service scholarship positions and use the same hours served as a work-study toward the hours required for the service scholarship. All AmeriCorps members who successfully complete their term of service are eligible for an education award which must be used against qualified student loans, current or future tuition.
MSU Office for Community Involvement
330 Culbertson Hall
Phone: 406-994-6902
Fax: 406-994-6889
Email: community@montana.edu
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