Democracy 2.0 Entrepreneur Grant Summit, July 18-21, 2008

Mobilize.org is proud to announce the application launch for its Democracy 2.0 Entrepreneur Grant Summit, Money in Politics, to be held July 18-21, 2008, in Denver, Colorado. In partnership with The Sunlight Foundation and Common Cause, Mobilize.org is seeking innovative projects focused towards clean election practices at the local, state, and national level. Participation is free thanks to the great support from our funders and partner organizations.

Mobilize.org is focusing efforts on empowering members of the Millennial Generation to develop innovative clean elections practices, emphasizing the creation of public finance reforms at the local and state level. These types of reforms are intended to give voters more control over the government by making politicians accountable to voters rather than wealthy campaign contributors. Our Money in Politics Grant Summit presents members of the Millennial Generation with the opportunity to identify a need for clean elections practices, and through the use of interactive key pad voting technology and peer to peer dialogue, develop an idea or solution that would address that need, and present a proposal for funding at the summit in Denver in July 2008.

Our grant summit winners will each receive a grant, between $3,000 and $5,000 and more importantly, will receive the support of Mobilize.org and our extensive partner network to champion their proposal and create systemic and long lasting change in the way elections are run.

Money In Politics is an issue that has universal relevance. Almost wherever we look, we can see public policy that affects ordinary and disadvantaged people the most being sidelined by elite groups, including special interests and the wealthiest individuals. The Democracy 2.0 Entrepreneur Grant Summits are centered on the idea that all individuals can make a difference and that for real lasting change we need everyone to be part of and create the solution. Every issue is affected by this inequality of power through money in politics. We hope that our Democracy 2.0 Issue Brief “Money in Politics” at http://www.mobilize.org/catalogFiles/12DCfil46.pdf will help Millennials understand how this issue is part of the solution to every issue they care about.

Please also review the attached Grant Summit Rules and Application form (deadline is June 15^th).

You'll find all relevant information related to the Summit at: http://www.mobilize.org/index.php?tray=content&cid=11DC92&tid=11DCtop8.

If you are interested in applying, or have any questions, please email Summit@mobilize.org or call 202.736.5703.

New Bill Would Provide Grad Student Scholarships for Service

By Alyssa Rosenberg

Lawmakers introduced a bill on Thursday to create a scholarship program for graduate students in fields related to mission-critical operations, offering them help with tuition and living expenses in exchange for three to five years of government service.

"What we're dealing with is a crisis of capacity -- the government's capacity to continue providing the services that Americans depend upon," said Rep. David Price, D-N.C., who co-chairs the Congressional Service Caucus, and introduced the legislation along with Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn. "In the face of a dwindling professional workforce, we must act now to recruit the scientists, engineers and other high-level experts who make our government work."

The Roosevelt Scholars Act would provide eligible graduate students up to $60,000 for as many as five years of graduate study. The students would be required to complete at least one federal internship and to act as ambassadors for federal service on their campuses by serving as information resources for interested students and career programs.

Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, said he thought the bill integrated many of the elements necessary both to promote public service and make it accessible to promising college graduates. The Partnership proposed a graduate student scholarship program in July 2007, and provided Price and Shays with research assistance and suggestions while writing the legislation.

"Here the effort is to create a brand that will rival the Rhodes and Marshall and other scholarships that are out there," said Stier, comparing the program, if enacted, to the Reserve Officers Training Corps. "It leverages the talent so they are helpful before they complete their degrees."

Shays said he couldn't "think of a better investment the federal government could make than in training and invigorating its future leaders."

In addition to assisting students, the bill would allow agencies to make noncompetitive two-year appointments of Roosevelt Scholars who complete their academic programs, and to convert them to career positions if they are successful in their initial appointments.

Stier said awarding the scholarships could help agencies plan their hiring strategies several years in advance.

"It kind of helps government think more strategically about where those talent needs are going to be," he said.

Announcing: The Federal Service Student Ambassadors

Great news! We have an exciting new opportunity for students interested in federal service—and we need your help getting the word out.

The program:

The Federal Service Student Ambassadors program is designed to increase interest in federal service on campuses via a corps of passionate student advocates who will actively promote public service following their completion of a federal internship.

Who is eligible?

Any student interning with a federal agency in Washington, DC this summer (2008) who will be returning to their campus for the 2008-2009 school year is eligible to apply.

Bonus for students:

This is a paid, year-long position, with a stipend of $2,200 and an added $300 stipend for expenses and materials.

Bonus for you:

If a student from your school is selected, we will train the student to do campus outreach promoting federal service. The student will be expected to work with their Career Services office or other similar office to help with events, build federal agency relationships and generally coordinate efforts.

What we need from you:

Spread the word! We’re currently recruiting our inaugural class of Ambassadors, and we need your help reaching out to students that will be serving as federal agency interns this summer. Please post this announcement and send out information to your student, faculty, staff and administrator contacts across all disciplines.

Click here to find a sample email to send out to students. Feel free to use this or create your own language. Students can download applications here or at http://www.makingthedifference.org/index.shtml

For more information, please contact:
Caroline Pettit at ambassadors@ourpublicservice.org or 202-775-6956.

MPA-MPP You Tube Public Policy Challenge

As all MPA & MPP students are aware, this presidential election is proving to be historic. Whoever wins will need to listen to others for advice and suggestions. You can contribute your voice by creating a video as part of the ‘MPA-MPP You Tube Public Policy Challenge’.

Your school is a member of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Therefore you’re eligible to participate and win. (click below for details) You have 90 seconds to offer your solution on video. Your approach should be non-partisan. You should use evidence and analysis to bolster the persuasive power of your policy proposal. The overarching idea is for you showcase your MPA/MPP skills and knowledge in your video entry.

Last year’s videos were viewed over 20,000 times. Below you can see the top 3 winning videos and the MPA MPP channel on You Tube. If you are already on You Tube you can subscribe to the MPA MPP channel here: (http://www.youtube.com/user/MPAMPP) and see several new videos with distinguished and recent MPA/MPP alums) If you’re not yet on You Tube, its easy to join and free. www.youtube.com/signup.

With Public Service in Mind,

Scott Talan, MPA
Director Marketing

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

http://www.naspaa.org/youtubechallenge

2008 NASPAA Annual Conference - Call for Panel/Paper Submissions

October 16 – 18, 2008, Francis Marion Hotel, Charleston, SC


NASPAA Meets the Future
Ellen Schall, Chair of the Conference Program, has sent out the Call for Panels/Papers for the 2008 NASPAA Annual Conference being held in Charleston, SC, October 16-18. The deadline for submission is April 11.

Our theme for this conference is "NASPAA Meets the Future", and there are three tracks that are the focus of this conference.

• Topical - What are schools or programs doing related to certain issue areas?
• Curricular - What are schools and programs doing in terms o reaching new audiences, using new pedagogies or instructional modalities, and teaching across sectoral boundaries?
• Structural - What challenges or opportunities face particular types of institutions, (e.g., public or small programs, joint programs, or comprehensive schools)? In what ways do changes in the higher education "marketplace" require new development, fundraising, and recruiting strategies?

To submit a panel/paper proposal, email: wagner.officeofthedean@nyu.edu with a copy to NASPAA at jlewis@naspaa.org. Be sure to include “NASPAA 2008 Conference Submission” in the title of the email.

For more details, please go to: http://www.naspaa.org/principals/conference/conference.asp.

Join us for the first Ohio Women in Government Career Panel!

SPRING LUNCHEON

When: Thursday April 3, 2008 from noon – 1:00 pm
Where: Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery (77 S. High St.)
Cost: $10 for members*; $15 for non-members
RSVP: Nancy Reger – (614) 233-4154 or nreger@morpc.org

On April 3, we are thrilled that three distinguished members of OWIG will be sharing stories and information with us about their career paths, juggling family life and work, and answering your questions. Our panelists will be:

Dawn Tyler Lee - Assistant Vice President for Government Relations at The Ohio State University
Dawn Tyler Lee works closely with local elected and appointed officials, community leaders and nonprofit organizations to facilitate community and university partnerships. Previous employment experiences include working as the Board Liaison for the Columbus Board of Education, a Legislative Aide to Columbus City Council Member Charleta Tavares and Housing Policy Director for the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. Dawn is a past recipient of the Business First 40 Under 40 Award and is also a graduate of the African-American Leadership Academy and United Way Project Diversity Leadership Program. Dawn’s service to her community includes serving on the boards of the Buckeye Ranch, Incorporated (secretary); Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA); and the Columbus Metropolitan Club. She served as past Board President of New Directions Career Center and a former trustee of Columbus Housing Partnership.

Kara Allison - Government and Community Relations Practice Leader at Hull & Associates, Inc.
Kara Allison leads Hull & Associates, Inc.’s Government and Community Relations Practice where she specializes in state and federal environmental policy and legislative issues, media strategy, and crisis communications. Kara has more than 12 years experience in public and media relations. She is an Associate in the firm, an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and a registered lobbyist in Ohio and Indiana. Kara is a former media relations coordinator for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. She is the author of several environmental articles and papers, has presented at local and national environmental and public relations conferences, and serves on a variety of professional boards and committees on behalf of Hull. Among other accomplishments, Kara received the 2001 George B. Garrett Professionalism Award, Ohio EPA’s highest award for professional excellence.

Hollie Hinton – Director, Governor’s Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach
Hollie R. Hinton, an Ohio native raised in Chillicothe, was named the first director of Governor Ted Strickland’s Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach, which promotes public policy that advances the status of women and girls in the areas of economic development, health, education and personal safety. Her professional background includes managing public affairs in reproductive health, event coordinating and political fundraising at local, state and national levels. Her personal background provides her a unique perspective on underserved populations, having been raised in a care home for disabled veterans that her mother owned and operated, and volunteering and studying overseas.

*If you are not a member you can join OWIG, for $45 ($25 student/young professional). Our members are women working in and around all levels of government, including elected officials, lobbyists, agency support staff, etc., who benefit personally and professionally from networking with and having access to those who interpret, influence and carry out public policy. Checks for membership and/or the luncheon can be made payable to OWIG and sent to:

1601 W. Fifth Avenue, Suite 200
Columbus, Ohio 43212

2008 Samuel DuBois Cook Summer Academy Seeks Staff

The Ohio State University Office of Minority Affairs Young Scholars Program seeks mature, goal oriented, and self motivated individuals to staff its 2008 Samuel DuBois Cook Summer Academy July 6 – August 2 on The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus. The aim of the academy is to prepare Young Scholars Program participants for the college transition.

Scheduled interviews will be held Wednesday and Thursday, April 23-24. Applicants will be contacted about exact times and locations for interviews as they vary by position. To be considered for employment, applicants must submit resumes with their applications.

Full position descriptions and applications are available at the Young Scholars Program website: http://oma.osu.edu/ysp/main.html. Available positions include: Scholar Mentor, Resident Advisor, Program Evaluator, Lead Office Assistant, Office Assistant, Public Relations Assistant, Transportation Lead, Transportation Assistant, Writing Instructor, Calculus Instructor, Advanced Algebra Instructor, Physics Instructor, Chemistry Instructor, Psychology Instructor, Data Analysis Instructor, OSU Survey Instructor, and Career Exploration Instructor.

Paper applications are also available at the Frank Hale Black Cultural Center. ALL applications—online and paper—are due by April 11. Paper applications may be submitted to the Young Scholars Program office at 025 Mount Hall, 1050 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210.