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The Western Illinois University Peace Corps Fellows Program in Community Development has been awarded a $142,506 grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) for the program's AmeriCorps service component.
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WIU Peace Corps Fellows Program Awarded AmeriCorps Grant

July 13, 2018

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MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Peace Corps Fellows Program in Community Development has been awarded a $142,506 grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) for the program's AmeriCorps service component.

According to WIU Peace Corps Fellows (PCF) Program Manager Karen Mauldin-Curtis, each Fellow who goes through the program as a student also serves an AmeriCorps member during his/her internship.

"We're pleased to have this opportunity to continue to serve rural communities in Illinois through ongoing support from Serve Illinois with AmeriCorps State funding," said Mauldin-Curtis. "This partnership allows our Peace Corps Fellows to engage in meaningful national service, while applying their unique skills and academic preparation to communities across the state."

The grants were announced July 10 by the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois). A total of $20 million was awarded to place AmeriCorps members from 46 programs in positions of service to Illinois communities.

"During their community-based service assignments, our AmeriCorps members implement community action plans, build local capacity through outreach and technical assistance, mobilize resources, recruit local volunteers and deliver measurable results," said Mauldin-Curtis. "Their service enables community members to work together to meet local needs.

The cohort from the WIU program will serve:

• Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine's Office of Population Science and Policy in Springfield, IL

• Pike County Economic Development Corporation in Pittsfield, IL

• The city of Mattoon, IL

• The village of Assumption, IL

• SIU School of Medicine's Office of Regional Programs in Canton, IL

• Wesley Village, Macomb, IL

• W.D. Boyce Council/ Boy Scouts of America, Bloomington, IL

• Hope Meadows, Rantoul, IL

• ISU Stevenson Center, Normal, IL

• Illinois State University's Center for Community Engagement, Normal, IL

The Peace Corps Fellows Program at Western, established in 1994, is a unit of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs. The office is committed to preparing the next generation of community development professionals while assisting rural communities with local development initiatives.

During the 2018-19 academic year, the Peace Corps Fellows Program will mark its 16th year as an AmeriCorps State Program, under the Serve Illinois Commission and its 24th year as a Peace Corps Fellows Program on campus.

For more information about WIU's Peace Corps Fellows Program, contact Mauldin-Curtis at (309) 298-2706 or at K-Mauldin-Curtis@wiu.edu. Learn more about the program at wiu.edu/pcf. For more information about the IIRA, visit wiu.edu/iira and for more information about Serve Illinois, visit bit.ly/2NQ5CLl.



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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