Penn joins trend of community service

Federal government legislation, combined with student enthusiasm, has fueled the exponential growth in recent years of community service-oriented work study at the University. Most recently, Penn joined the 798 schools across the country participating in President Clinton's America Reads program -- an effort to mobilize 1 million volunteers to ensure literacy among American third graders. Toward this goal, Clinton and Congress appropriated an additional $600,000 in federal work study grants to any university willing to commit to the program. The Federal Work Study program allows college students to receive financial aid in exchange for part-time work at their colleges. Because University President Judith Rodin sits on the America Reads Steering Committee, Penn was one of the first institutions to join the program. The early start enabled a task force at the University to begin recruiting student participants for the program this fall. "[Rodin] was instrumental in bringing it here as well to all the other Ivy League institutions," said Micheline Murphy, a policy analyst for the University's Office of Federal Relations. The University has used half of the $600,000 it received from the government to support America Reads, and the rest will go toward new programs involving the School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Education. To date, approximately 40 University students have signed on as America Reads tutors through the University's work-study program, according to College junior Roshini Thayaparan, who coordinates America Reads at Penn. The tutors, working out of the Center for Community Partnership and the Program for Student-Community Involvement, spend seven to eight hours a week at local elementary schools and community centers helping children to read. Institutions involved include Powell Elementary at 36th Street and Powelton Avenue, Wilson Elementary at 46th Street and Woodland Avenue and the Parent Infant Center at 42nd and Spruce streets. "The job gives me a chance to get paid for a job where I get a lot of satisfaction," College freshman Andrew Harris said. "One of the kids I tutor was doing badly on spelling and after working with him for two days, he got an A on the exam." Office for Student Employment Manager John Rudolph praised the program for its ability to expose college students to community service. "The fact that they're paid is a motivation to get them involved," he said. "And hopefully after that they will take their experience with them and get involved later in life." There is uncertainty, however, about how long Congress will continue to appropriate the additional work-study funding. At Penn, a task force is making preparations for the possibility of eliminated funding, Murphy said.