Lifetime of Learning

Alabama Poverty Projects Higher Education Partnership 200809 Annual Report

Alabama Poverty Project Board of Directors

David Potts, PhD, Chair President, Judson College Mark Berte Grassroots Education Director, Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform Foundation Stephen F. Black Director, Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, The University of Alabama Robert Corley, PhD Director, Global and Community Leadership Honors Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham Elizabeth Dotts Associate, Public FA, Inc. Scott Douglas Executive Director, Greater Birmingham Ministries James Evans, DMin Pastor, First Baptist Church Auburn Sean Flynt Electronic News Editor, Samford University Wayne Flynt, PhD Professor Emeritus of History, Auburn University Kimble Forrister State Coordinator, Alabama Arise Leon Frazier, EdD Proprietor, Professional Support Systems Johnny Green, PhD Dean of Students, Auburn University Susan Pace Hamill Professor of Law, The University of Alabama School of Law Debra Thomas Jones Client Counselor, The Lovelady Center Humphrey Lee, EdD President, Northwest Shoals Community College Sue McInnish Executive Director, Alabama Civil Justice Foundation Carolyn McKinstry President, Sixteenth Street Foundation, Inc. Susan Yvette Price Vice Chancellor of Instructional & Student Affairs, Alabama Department of Post-Secondary Education Isabel Rubio Executive Director, Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama Nancy Francisco Stewart, PhD Assistant Professor of Social Work, Jacksonville State University Carlissa Strong Senior Financial Sales Consultant, BBVA Compass Linda Tilly Executive Director, VOICES for Alabamas Children Carol Ann Vaughn, PhD Assistant Professor of Core Curriculum, Samford University Carol Prejean Zippert, PhD Copublisher, Greene County Democrat Carole Zugazaga, PhD Assistant Professor of Social Work, Auburn University

Dear Friends: This has been an exciting year at the Alabama Poverty Project. I joined APP as its Executive Director last August, and one of the first things I set out to do was talk with our board members, stakeholders and supporters about their vision for the Alabama Poverty Project and our Higher Education Partnership. Those conversations had a common refrain : you are deeply committed to eradicating poverty in Alabama, and you see servicelearning and outreach as important tools to achieve that goal. Service-learning gives students an opportunity to examine how public policies and their own preconceptions impact those whose quality of life is diminished by poverty. You also made clear that students service-learning experiences should be the beginning, not the end, of their personal and intellectual development and engagement. Thats why our Higher Education Partnership is called A Lifetime of Learning. Our talks also inspired this first-ever Higher Education Partnership Annual Report, which highlights APPs milestones and showcases our partners accomplishments in service-learning during the 2008-09 academic year. There is a great deal of success to report, partially because APPs Higher Education Partnership has grown to 22 members, including eight members of the two-year college system. Your financial support has given APP a diverse, sustainable funding base upon which to build. Thank you. I also want to invite you to the Lifetime of Learning Conference on Friday, September 25, at Birmingham-Southern College. Some of the top innovators in the state will present their service-learning work, and we are bringing in three acclaimed national speakers: Dr. Peter Levine from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University, Dr. Patti Clayton from the Center for Service and Learning at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and Vincent Ilustre from the Center for Public Service at Tulane University. Many thanks to Birmingham-Southern College and Auburn University for sponsoring this event, and I hope we will see you there. Again, thank you for making this such a spectacular year at the Alabama Poverty Project. Your continued participation is critical to our success. Warm regards,

Kristina Scott Executive Director, Alabama Poverty Project

HIGHER EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP ANNUAL MEETING STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Nearly 80 faculty, staff, students and community partners attended Service-Learning and the Role of Community Partners as Co-Educators, the Alabama Poverty Projects Higher Education Partnership annual meeting, which was held at the APP office on June 10, 2009. APP Board Member Stephen Black, president of Impact Alabama and director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at The University of Alabama, led a panel discussion with Lisa George from the Birmingham Botanical Garden Horticultural Therapy Program; Shannon Horsley, volunteer manager at First Light Center for Homeless Women & Children; and Rev. Becky Wadley, children and youth program director at Urban Ministry. After the panel discussion, the participants had small group discussions to reflect on the challenges they encounter in their own service-learning experiences. Participants identified communication between higher education partners and community partners as one of the most important elements of a successful servicelearning relationship. They also emphasized the importance of establishing trust with community partners and showing respect for the community partners work.

Nearly 80 representatives from higher education institutions and community organizations identified communication between partners as one of the most important elements of a successful service-learning relationship.

TIME, TACT, TALENT & TRUST KEYS TO COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS

Research reveals that successful community-university partnerships are based on: Time Commit to spending time on the service-learning project. Ensure that partnership meetings are efficient and productive by encouraging individuals to be prepared. Tactful Communication Show respect for the community partners work through communication. Recognize that each partner will have different strengths and needs, and work toward achieving a common vision. Consult a community advisory group to help provide a third-party perspective. Develop methods of obtaining feedback from the community about their satisfaction with the service-learning project. Talent Give each individual's skills proper recognition and utilize them in a way that maximizes the benefit to the partnership. Affirm and praise the accomplishments and successes of the community partners both publicly and privately. Trust Develop a shared vision and mutual priorities to establish trust. Keep communication lines open. Share the leadership and decision-making power to ensure a collaborative effort. Adapted from Time, Tact, Talent, and Trust: Essential Ingredients of Effective AcademicCommunity Partnerships, Lisa Ann Plowfield, Erlinda C. Wheeler, and Jean E. Raymond. Nursing Education Perspectives, Vol. 26 No. 4, 2005; and Campus-Community Partnerships: The Terms of Engagement, Robert G. Bringle and Julie A. Hatcher. Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 58 No. 3, 2002.
images (from top): photos by Anne Condit

alabama poverty project

Community partners like Shannon Horsley and Becky Wadley are coeducators who facilitate onsite learning and reflection, resulting in an integrative teaching approach that provides a foundation for student learning.

A Conference on Service-Learning, Civic Responsibility & Higher Education Friday, September 25, 2009 Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL
Featuring Keynote Addresses by Patti Clayton, PhD Senior Scholar, Center for Service and Learning Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Vincent Ilustre Executive Director, Center for Public Service Tulane University Peter Levine, PhD Director, Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement Tufts University and Breakout Sessions Featuring Innovative Practices at APPs Higher Education Partners Sponsored by the Alabama Poverty Project, Auburn University and Birmingham-Southern College. CEUs available. Event registration and information online at lifetimeoflearning.eventbrite.com

Birmingham-Southern College hosted 25 rising high school seniors for their Student Leaders in Service program from June 14 to 19. Students learned about active citizenship, leadership, and service-learning through classroom activities, simulations, service projects and other activities.
images (from top): Lifetime of Learning logo by Ford & Karla Wiles; photos courtesy Birmingham-Southern College

DRAKE SUMMER STEM PROGRAM PREPARES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE
The Summer Bridge Program at J.F. Drake State Technical College, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), gives rising high school juniors and seniors an opportunity for enrichment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics as they prepare for college. Students participating in the four-week program were on campus for four hours a day. They took two classes per day from experienced high school and college-level instructors. The program had a record number of applicants this year, with over 300 students applying for approximately 80 spots. The increase in interest from students indicates the program is successful. Too many times, students just do not realize the importance that science and math play in such a variety of fields of study or in career choices, said John Reutter, principal for the NSF grant at Drake State. We are excited that students are making this recognition earlier in their high school studies versus getting to college and finding out they are not properly prepared. Participating students thought that the program provided them with a solid foundation for continuing their studies. The program created a good transition to college; it was a great program, said Chase Kerr, who would like to study mechanical engineering.

J.F. Drake State Technical Colleges Summer Bridge Program saw a record number of applicants this year, with over 300 students applying for approximately 80 spots.

UA FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN AUTISM AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS

In the fall of 2008, six students from The University of Alabama freshman learning community seminar class volunteered with Arts n Autism, a Tuscaloosa after-school and summer camp program that provides services to children ages three to 19 with autism. By working with Arts n Autism, the students integrated their classroom studies in Human Development and Psychology courses with hands-on, real-world experiences. Students participating in the program described an immediate connection that was made with the kids and expressed a desire to continue their volunteer service.

spotlight on our partners

FAULKNER UNIVERSITY QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN PUTS UNPRECEDENTED FOCUS ON SERVICE

As a Christian university, Faulkner Universitys vision is the pursuit of academic excellence with a sense of responsibility to use ones gifts for the service of others and the benefit of society. This holistic vision of spiritual and intellectual growth was reaffirmed by Faulkners adoption of their Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). The QEP outlines the goals of Faulkners new Institutional Conceptual Framework (ICF) under the program name I Can Soar. The ICF outlines three broad learning outcomes: Intellect, Character, and Service. An unprecedented emphasis is placed on service, which symbolizes the actions of contemporary Christians flowing from Intellect and Character. Faulkner students are currently involved in several ministries including Adullam House, Montgomery Inner-City Ministries, Agape, Family Promise, 100X Missions, Save-a-Life, and Woman-to-Woman.
images (from top): photos courtesy J.F. Drake State Technical College and The University of Alabama

By working with Arts n Autism, students at The University of Alabama had the opportunity to integrate their classroom studies in Human Development and Psychology with hands-on, real-world experiences.

(Sustainable resources), like getting Chick-fil-A to provide meals for a cancer support group meeting, means that the group gets the input it needs to keep going.
Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewart, Jacksonville State University

JSU, CANCER SOCIETY PARTNERSHIP ADDRESSES CANCER PATIENTS NEEDS WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES
For most American families, services such as laundry, childcare, and the availability of transportation are a given. But for the 66 Alabamians diagnosed with cancer each day, these necessities can become inaccessibleeven as the need for them grows. At Jacksonville State University, Dr. Nancy Francisco Stewarts Human Behavior and Social Environment II students developed community resources to address these needs and collected materials to ease cancer patients burdens. The class is part of JSUs Baccalaureate Social Work program, which emphasizes student work with local agencies. The American Cancer Society sent their research and development agent to ask us for help developing community resources, said Stewart. They came to us and said, This is what we need. The students started by asking cancer patients a simple question: What would have helped you? The patients answers varied widely, and often surprised the students the patients needed everything from translation for non-English speakers to pet sitting. What is needed most, however, are sustainable community resources that continue to physically and emotionally provide for patients after the class ends, said Stewart. When a student can identify both a community need and the means to meet it continuously, a sustainable resource is developed.

alabama poverty project

The classes service-learning work was presented at the College of Liberal Studies Research Symposium, the AL/MS Social Work Education Conference, and the Association of Social Work Baccalaureate Program Directors' Annual Meeting in Phoenix. The American Cancer Society also recognized their work with a Best Practices Award for developing more new resources for cancer patients than any ACS Division in six states.

CARNEGIE FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES APP PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION

Two of the Alabama Poverty Projects Higher Education Partners, Judson College and The University of Alabama, received the 2008 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. "Service-learning helps bring Judson students and the people of Perry County together," said Judson senior Kari Reeves. "It allowed me to have face-to-face contact with many of Marion's families which would not have happened otherwise." These institutions were among the 119 higher education institutions to receive the elective classification based on their participation and partnerships with their local, regional, state, national and global communities.

UA STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE EMPHASIZE OUTREACH, SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

These JSU students were among those who unlocked the strengths of their communities and developed new local resources for area residents in partnership with the American Cancer Society.
The University of Alabama Students in Free Enterprise (UA-SIFE) chapter conducted many outreach activities during the 2008-09 academic year, including organizing food and clothing drives, teaching a Boy Scout Entrepreneurship Merit Badge class and doing financial literacy presentations. UA-SIFE was also named the 2009 Regional Champion at the SIFE USA Regional Competition in Atlanta. SIFE is a worldwide organization of college students engaged in creating a more sustainable world by promoting the power of business.
images (from top): photo by Anne Condit; photo courtesy Jacksonville State University

UA UNIVERSITY FELLOWS CREATE SUSTAINABLE CHANGE WITH BLACK BELT EXPERIENCE

In 2008, The University of Alabama launched the Black Belt Experience, a service-learning class which engages students in the Honors College's University Fellows program by asking them to use their strengths to create projects impacting Black Belt communities. Over the course of the 2008-09 academic year, 24 students designed group projects with the input and assistance of community leaders, and then spent three intensive weeks in Marion implementing their projects and working alongside local residents. The student-produced projects included a Fly-In and Family Festival that brought approximately 50 pilots to Marions Vaiden Field and showcased improvements to the airport. Another project focused on increasing area tourism by developing short multimedia clips of ghost stories in historic Black Belt homes. In addition, students led several workshops for the community, including a dance workshop, a financial literacy workshop and a wellness workshop. Students also helped repair and refurbish homes in collaboration with Sowing Seeds of Hope. For Wellon Bridgers, University Fellows coordinator and Honor College teacher, Marion was an area that just made sense for the service-learning projects. There is something incredibly rich, moving and invaluable about rural Alabama, said Bridgers. She believes that students are best used and the community is best served when students are working with their own gifts and talents. Service-learning helps bridge the gap between students education and their professional development, while at the same time creating a sustainable change with the ultimate goal of eradicating systemic poverty in the Souths poorest communities.

There is something incredibly rich, moving and invaluable about rural Alabama. Its an area of such need, and such richness, right in our own backyard.
Wellon Bridgers, The University of Alabama

JUDSON POVERTY AND INEQUALITY CLASS PARTICIPATES IN LOCAL AND GLOBAL PROJECTS
Judson Colleges Office of Faith-Based Service and Learning provides students with opportunities to become engaged with Perry County community-based organizations through service-learning projects and academic curriculum. Director of Faith-Based Service and Learning Susan Jones teaches a Poverty and Inequality class, which explores the causes and interactions between poverty and inequality while evaluating the facts and social policies surrounding these issues. For the service portion of the class, students participated in both local and global projects. Locally, they worked with Mountain Brook Baptist Church members for the churchs annual Family Fun Day at the Perry County Court House Square. Globally, they assembled birthing kits that contained supplies for 100 deliveries and sent them to a midwives cooperative in rural Haiti. Students said that participating in Judsons Faith-Based Service and Learning programs gave them new insight. Service-learning projects have helped me realize how important it is to be involved in the community that surrounds me, said Christina Lee, a second-year student. Ive had an opportunity to learn how to effectively help other people. I have enjoyed the way service-learning brings different groups of people together, said Cat Popp, a second-year student. I have come to learn that while there is so much diversity, we all have basic human needs that need to be fulfilled.
images (from top): photos courtesy The University of Alabama and Judson College

spotlight on our partners

Service-learning brings different groups of people together. I have come to learn that while there is so much diversity, we all have basic human needs that need to be fulfilled.
Cat Popp, Judson College

Citizens need to be able to look at the government and hold it accountable. Democratic engagement helps citizens to be more critical of their government.
David Lindsay, SaveFirst

SAVEFIRST STUDENTS ADVOCATE FOR LEGISLATION

Many low-income families in Alabama rely on commercial tax preparation services, which charge approximately $250 for a simple return. These commercial tax preparers routinely convince families to take out Refund Anticipation Loans, which have annual interest rates of up to 800 percent. In addition, many low-income taxpayers are not familiar with their eligibility for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a refundable tax credit of up to $4,824 for low- to moderate-income individuals and families. According to Impact Alabama President Stephen Black, the EITC can lift families above the poverty line by covering expenses and encouraging them to continue working. SaveFirst, a program of the student-service initiative Impact Alabama, trains college, graduate, and law students in tax preparation. Students then provide free tax preparation and financial literacy coaching to low-income families in an effort to prevent predatory tax preparation and lending practices. Impact Alabama student volunteers documented predatory tax preparation practices by conducting a statewide undercover operation. Volunteers found that 11 of 13 returns prepared were fraudulent, with the preparers incorrectly showing self-employment and interest income. All of the returns contained errors. They also found that the commercial tax preparers did not inform the taxpayers about free electronic filing, which results in an IRS refund in about a week.

alabama poverty project

As a result of the investigation, SaveFirst volunteers wrote the Alabama Taxpayer Protection & Assistance Act to protect low-income families from predatory practices and loans by requiring all commercial tax preparers in Alabama to pass a minimum proficiency exam, obtain a license and fulfill continuing education requirements. Kendra Key, Alex Flachsbart, and David Lindsay were among The University of Alabama students who advocated for the passage of the bill in the Alabama legislature. Flachsbart and Lindsay researched similar bills in three other states for guidance, and Key educated other students about the legislation. The students talked to editorial boards of newspapers and media outlets across the state to inform them about the bill and ask for their support. With the help of lobbyist Johnny Crawford, the students also spoke directly to state legislators. The three students traveled to Montgomery to hear the bill debated on the Senate and House floors. While there, they encountered opposition from hired lobbyists representing small tax preparers across the state. The Alabama Taxpayer Protection & Assistance Act passed the Senate 25-0, but nevertheless died in the House. In spite of the opposition and challenges to the bill, Flachsbart said that instead of being pessimistic about the problems they encountered, he is more optimistic about the legislative process because he has seen what can be accomplished. Flachsbart said, the experience shows how far willpower and persuasive power can go. All three students stressed the importance of becoming democratically engaged citizens in order to create change. Citizens need to look at the government and hold it accountable. Democratic engagement helps citizens to be more critical of their government, said Lindsay.

In 2009, SaveFirst volunteers served 2,600 families and helped them claim $4.7 million in refunds and save $670,000 in fees.

Key added that the UA students she talked to were excited about the legislation but did not know what to do. After this experience, she is better equipped to help other students affect systemic change. SaveFirst plans to re-introduce the bill in 2010.
images: photos courtesy The University of Alabama and Impact Alabama

AUBURN EMPHASIZES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, SERVICE-LEARNING IN NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

During the 2008-09 academic year, Auburn University made significant commitments to student engagement with the inclusion of service-learning as a key objective in the institutions new strategic plan, which will institutionalize service-learning and student engagement across campus. The University Outreach office launched a new website, www.auburnserves.com, during the spring semester. The site provides faculty, students and community partners with networking resources. Auburn recruited approximately 40 community partners in East Alabama. In addition, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System will begin offering student service projects through its county offices. The community partners and Alabama Cooperative Extension System will offer students a comprehensive network of more than 100 service outlets across the state. Nearly 100 service-oriented courses and internships are currently available through the undergraduate program. In the fall semester, a series of faculty and course development programs will be launched to encourage expansion of service-learning throughout the curriculum. Additional academic efforts on campus support the advancement of student engagement. The universitys Learning Communities initiative incorporates service components in its activities, and the College of Liberal Arts Summer Civic Engagement Academy assists participating faculty in integrating service-learning into their curriculum. Auburn also joined Campus Compact and was appointed to the executive board of the Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning.

Service-learning is a key objective in Auburns new strategic plan, which will institutionalize service-learning and student engagement across campus.

NW SHOALS PHI THETA KAPPA CHAPTER DEVELOPS PARADOX OF AFFLUENCE HONORS SYMPOSIUM
Members of the Alpha Zeta Iota chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society, the official honor society of Northwest Shoals Community College at Phil Campbell, spent the 2008-09 academic year studying The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges and Consequences as their honors study topic. As a result of what they learned, students developed a project to share their knowledge and inspire others to take action. Phi Theta Kappa members developed the Honors in Action Leadership Symposium after many discussions about economic justice and the paradox of affluence that exists in Alabama. They sought to overcome these barriers by showing leadership through civic engagement. Over 300 high school and college students attended the symposium, which took place on the Phil Campbell campus in early September. Alabama Poverty Project Executive Director Kristina Scott spoke to the students about the systemic causes of poverty and how they are rooted in Alabama history. She also emphasized the relationship between educational attainment and income, and she discussed how pollution and its environmental impacts disproportionately affect poor neighborhoods. Two NWSCC faculty members also spoke. An economics professor explained how natural disasters affect those who live in underserved communities and how those events relate to climate change. Finally, a chemistry professor talked about alternative fuels and showed off his car, which runs on recycled vegetable oil. As a result of the conference, the attendees indicated an understanding of the issues surrounding poverty and a willingness to take action. Phi Theta Kappa members are planning additional service projects to address poverty in the Shoals region.
images (from top): photos courtesy Auburn University and Northwest Shoals Community College

spotlight on our partners

Phi Theta Kappa members at Northwest Shoals Community College participated in a variety of service activities, including helping clean up Highway 43.

a few facts about poverty in alabama

Nearly one in five Alabamians - and one in four of our children - live below the federal poverty line, which is $21,203 in household earnings for a family of four. US Census Bureau; VOICES for Alabama's Children Poverty disproportionately impacts African Americans. However, the number of whites and African Americans living below the poverty line in Alabama is nearly equal. US Census Bureau The gap between Alabamas richest and poorest families is the second largest in the nation. Our richest families income increased 43.7 percent from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, while middle-class families income only went up 25.3 percent, and the poorest families did not see a significant increase at all. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Alabama is the third most obese state in the country and has the fourth highest rate of diabetes among adults. Both conditions are closely associated with poverty. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Kaiser Family Foundation Alabama ranks 42nd in the nation in per capita income. Nearly 60 percent of the states income gap with the nation can be attributed to our high school drop out rate, which was 41.4 percent in 2007. Southern Education Foundation The net college cost tuition, room and board, minus financial aid for the 40 percent of Alabama families with the lowest incomes is about 36 percent of annual income for a community college and 39 percent for a public four-year college or university. National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education The average monthly food stamp allotment is $96 per person - or just $3.20 a day. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Half of all bankruptcy filings are caused in part by health care costs. Health Affairs Journal
images (clockwise from left): Alabama Poverty Map data from the US Census Bureau; photo courtesy Hector Landaeta, stockxchng.com.

alabama poverty project

Inform and inspire the civic and moral responsibility of Alabamians to create a state in which no individuals quality of life is diminished by poverty. To provide leadership in poverty education that results in the elimination of poverty.

vision

mission

higher education partnership

cornerstone members
Alabama State University Auburn University Auburn University at Montgomery Birmingham-Southern College Calhoun State Community College Northwest Shoals Community College Samford University The University of Alabama University of Montevallo University of West Alabama

Thomas E. Corts
The Alabama Poverty Project and Alabamas higher education community lost a dear friend this year when Samford University President Emeritus Thomas E. Corts passed away. Corts was a faithful and dedicated APP board member for many years. He gave APP a home on the Samford campus, helped hire its first executive director and helped create its Higher Education Partnership, which today is the major source of APPs funding. Corts personally went on many of the early site visits to college presidents offices, and the respect that his peers had for him was instrumental in building support for APP. His contributions to the organization didnt stop there, though. As a dedicated evangelical Christian who cared deeply about issues of social justice, Corts gave a face to our other dimension of support, the state's churches and faith communities. Corts served as Samford's president from 1983 to 2006, and presided over one of the brightest periods in the schools history. After retiring in 2006, he served briefly as interim chancellor of Alabamas two-year college system. Corts had recently returned to Birmingham from Washington, DC, after completing a term of service at the U.S. State Department. Born in Terre Haute, Ind., Corts grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio. He graduated from Georgetown (Ky.) College and held masters and doctoral degrees from Indiana University. Corts was named president of Wingate College in North Carolina in 1974, serving until his election as Samford president nine years later. Corts is survived by his wife of 44 years, Marla, three children and six grandchildren.

in memoriam

members
Alabama State Department of Post-Secondary Education Athens State University Faulkner University Gadsden State Community College Huntingdon College Jacksonville State University J.F. Drake State Technical College Judson College Northeast Alabama Community College Snead State Community College Spring Hill College Wallace State Community College-Hanceville
The Alabama Poverty Project works with higher education institutions and the community of faith to educate Alabamians about the nature of poverty and the systemic changes needed to eliminate it. Our Higher Education Partnership brings together administrators, faculty and students from 22 colleges and universities around the state. Our members are committed to educating college students to become active citizens through classroom teaching, service-learning and civic engagement. Together, we leverage the collective assets of our higher education institutions in partnerships with our communities to develop creative solutions to eradicate poverty. Members of our Higher Education Partnership have the opportunity to present at APP conferences. Our other services include professional development opportunities, on-site presentations and information services in response to requests from member campuses and their community partners.
Many thanks to Jake Appelbaum, Stephen Black, Nicole Bohannon, Wellon Bridgers, Anne Condit, Sara Doughton, Marty Dubey, Alex Flachsbart, Jilleyn Foley, David M. Ford, Ralph Foster, Lauren Goodson, Lenora Hansen, Kristin Harper, Susan Jones, Kendra Key, Nora Lee, David Lindsay, Vicki Peeples, David Potts, Alicia Scott, Sarah Louise Smith, Nesha Spencer, Nancy Francisco Stewart, Tommie Syx, Rachel Trapp, Ford Wiles, Karla Wiles and Jason Yarbrough for their contributions and support.

19412009

alabama poverty project

po box 55058, birmingham, al 35255

205.939.1408 www.alabamapoverty.org