Senior Sadie O’Connor has been using her federal work-study dollars to help people in the community since fall 2002, when she started working for Jumpstart, an organization that helps prepare area preschoolers to succeed in school.
O’Connor said she is glad to be able to work with people in the community while earning her allocated work-study dollars.
“I feel like this is a job where I get to help people (and) help families in the community,” she said.
Through Jumpstart, dozens of students like O’Connor are able to connect with the community outside the campus setting.
| “It coordinates well with my (public relations) major.” –Sadie O’ Connor Senior |
Because of the addition of Jumpstart last year, the university was able to increase the use of its work-study program in the community to about 23 percent during the 2002-03 school year. That figure was up from about 9 percent the year before, Student Employment Coordinator Dale Johnson said.
Students have filled work-study positions in the community for years because any university that receives federal work-study money must use at least 7 percent of its funding to support community service jobs, Johnson said.
Off-campus work-study placements benefit not only the community, but also the students who work the jobs. The variety of positions available add to students’ experience at the university, he said.
O’Connor agreed working with members in the community through her position as volunteer coordinator for Jumpstart will help her with her future career.
“It coordinates well with my (public relations) major. I think it will give me experience for my future,” she said. “Being able to help people right now provides a good base for my career.”
Johnson believes off-campus placements will continue to increase in popularity as a way for students to earn their federal work-study allocations.
Don Mowry, director of service learning, said work-study students who are employed in community service jobs are able to complete their service-learning requirement while earning money for themselves.
He said using more work-study dollars in the community may stretch the university a little thin. On the other hand, it allows Eau Claire to engage students civically and serve the community at the same time.
The increased use of work-study funding to place students in community service jobs is good for the university, Johnson said.
“It benefits the students, the university and the community,” Johnson said. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”
