APPLICATION INFORMATION AND PROCEDURES FOR THE TWO-YEAR INVST COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

INVST COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM COMMITMENT TO MULTICULTURAL PLURALISM
We actively seek and support the participation of individuals and communities that reflect diversity of ability status, age, color, ethnicity, gender, gender variance, life experience, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and veteran status.

WHO MAY APPLY?  The INVST Community Leadership Program is open to CU undergrads from all majors and departments. You may be a freshman, sophomore, or junior when you apply, as long as you plan to be at CU-Boulder for two consecutive years. For those who plan to finish earning their undergraduate degree from CU before completing their commitment to the INVST Community Leadership Program, the courses listed below may be taken through Continuing Education. Download Application Here

HOW IS THE PROGRAM STRUCTURED?  We Over a period of two years, INVST Community Leadership Program students engage in course work, skills training, and community service. There are four theory-based courses, four skills-based courses, and numerous community building activities. The community service activities include two summer service learning experiences. During the first year, students participate in a community service internship, and during the second year, students design, implement and evaluate their own community-based project. In addition, students help to manage the INVST Community Leadership Program by serving on committees and participating in activities such as organizational fundraising and Directors’ Committee, which is equivalent to a non-profit’s Board of Directors. The following is an outline of the required components of our two-year program. Each student who is accepted must participate in all components. Please note that the design may change due to community feedback or budget restrictions.

Domestic Summer Service Learning Experience (mid-July to mid-August, 2008): One week of orientation and preparation; one week in the wilderness in Taos, New Mexico; one week learning and serving at a residential homeless shelter in Denver; two weeks living and working with a Native American community in Arizona; final reflection and completion.

Fall 2008:
INVS 3302 Facilitating Peaceful Community Change (theory) – 3 credits
INVS 3932 Community Leadership Internship (skills with community service) – 3 credits

Spring 2009:
Elective: Student Chooses a Course on Leadership/Social Justice/Environmental Sustainability (theory) – 3 credits
INVS 3932 Community Leadership Internship (skills with community service) – 3 credits

International Summer Service Learning Experience (mid-July to mid-August, 2009): One week of preparation; two weeks on the United States/Mexico border; two weeks in Cuernavaca, Mexico with the Center for Global Education; final reflection and completion.

Fall 2008:
Elective: Student Chooses a Course on Leadership/Social Justice/Environmental Sustainability (theory) – 3 credits
INVS 3932 Community Leadership in Action (skills with community service) – 3 credits

Spring 2009:
INVS 3402 Theory Capstone: Implementing Social Change (theory) – 3 credits
INVS 4932 Community Leadership In Action (skills with community service) – 3 credits

Successful participation in community service activities may earn students an Education Award from AmeriCorps in the amount of $2,000 and students who successfully complete the INVST Community Leadership Program in its entirety will be eligible for the Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership at CU-Boulder.

For more information, please see the following web sites:
CU Leadership Certificate
http://www.Colorado.EDU/chancellorslrap/lcintro.html

AmeriCorps
http://www.colorado.edu/servicelearning/Americorps/americorps%20members.html

WHAT TIME COMMITMENTS ARE REQUIRED?   We ask you to carefully consider the time commitment required for the INVST Community Leadership Program. Participants are required to do community service six hours per week and take a three-credit theory course and a three-credit skills course each semester. In addition, students in the INVST Community Leadership Program occasionally attend committee meetings and help with outreach, fundraising, curriculum design and staff hiring. If you are taking a heavy course load or you already engage in multiple extra-curricular activities, please be realistic about making a commitment to the INVST Community Leadership Program. The INVST staff (303-492-7719 and 303-492-8045) will be happy to discuss how your current activities might be incorporated with program requirements.

HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE ADMITTED? The program is designed as a community-based learning experience that gives students the opportunity to practice being effective in intentional communities. The INVST Community Leadership Program admits up to 16 students each year in order to foster a small, interactive environment. These students work with each other throughout the two-year experience, traveling together during the summers and taking theory and skills-based courses together.

WHAT IS THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?   All applicants must submit an application form along with a personal statement, a copy of your current financial aid application (FAFSA), a copy of any transcripts of college-level work from institutions other than CU (if applicable), and two letters of recommendation to the INVST Community Leadership Program by Monday, March 17, 2008. An interview will be granted to all applicants who meet the minimum criteria. You will be notified of your interview time by the end of March. Interviews will be conducted by a team of one INVST Community Leadership Program student and one staff member. Applicants will receive admissions notification in April. The first meeting for the INVST CLP class of 2008-2010 will be on Friday, April 25, 2008, beginning at 3:00 p.m. (All applicants should set this afternoon aside.)

WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL COMMITMENT IS REQUIRED? INVST Community Leadership Program students have three financial obligations to the program. The Summer Program Activity Fee is paid by each individual: up to $1,000 per person is due on July 1, 2008 to cover the costs of the month-long Domestic Summer Service Learning Experience, and up to $1,000 per person is due on July 1, 2009 to cover the costs of the month-long International Summer Service Learning Experience. (Please note that the fee schedule is currently being considered. These fees are subject to change and may be LOWER than indicated here.) Another financial commitment that students make is a Class Fee, which is the equivalent of $375 per person, but this amount is raised collectively, after the cohort has studied and practiced grassroots fundraising. For example, if there were 16 students in your cohort, you would be responsible for raising $6,000 as a group. No one will be turned away from the INVST Community Leadership Program for lack of funds. Financial aid is available for all students who demonstrate need!

CAN I EXPECT ANY FINANCIAL AID? Absolutely. We endeavor to provide financial assistance to students who qualify, in order to ensure inclusive and diverse involvement across socio-economic lines. Please contact the Program Director or the Administrative Assistant for more information about the following financial aid options:

Scholarships for Colorado Residents and First-Generation College Students:
We have a limited number of scholarships to offer to CU students (either entering or continuing) hailing from the state of Colorado whose parents have never been to college. The Jim Downton Scholarship will be awarded to at least one student in the first year and one student in the second year of our CLP. Please speak with the Program Director if you believe you are eligible to receive this award.

AmeriCorps Education Award:
Students admitted to the INVST CLP can choose each year to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award in the amount of $1,000 for their participation. The scholarship is distributed after the completion of 300 community service hours each year.

Academic Year Need-Based Work Study:
Students who qualify for need-based work-study assistance can earn up to $2,500 during the academic year in federal or state work study for the community service they do in association with their skills classes. Students must apply for work study awards through the Office of Financial Aid and then through the INVST CLP. The work study classification is Student Assistant II, paid at the base level.

Summer Stipend:
Students who qualify for need-based work study can receive a lost-wages stipend of up to $1,000 during the months of the Summer Service Learning Experiences. Students must apply for summer work-study awards through the Office of Financial Aid and then with the INVST CLP. The Summer Stipend was established by INVST CLP alumni.

Summer Program Activity Fee Scholarship:
Scholarships range from partial to full coverage of Summer Program Activity Fees, based on funding availability and a sliding scale for eligibility. Students must apply through the INVST CLP. Summer Program Activity Fee Work Exchange: Some students may work off portions of the Summer Program Activity Fee by assisting in the administrative office at an exchange rate that equates each hour of work to $8.44 discounted off the fee. The amount a student is eligible to work is based on the sliding scale. A contract must be completed for work exchange through the INVST CLP.

Summer Program Activity Fee Interest-Free Payment Plans:
Some students may delay payment of the Summer Program Activity Fees. Repayment amounts and eligibility are decided on a case-by-case basis. A contract with the INVST CLP must be completed for a short-term option, to be repaid by December 31, or a long-term option, to be repaid by April 30. Any student who does not fulfill their obligation will not be eligible to participate in the next summer service-learning experience or in “re-INVST” benefits after graduation. Monthly and quarterly payments are options for re-payment.

Students are encouraged to speak with the Program Director or Administrative Assistant as soon as they know that they will not be able to meet the financial requirements, so that there is plenty of time to consider all options. No one will be turned away from the INVST Community Leadership Program for lack of funds. Financial aid is available for all students who demonstrate need!

WHEN AND WHERE SHOULD THE APPLICATION BE RETURNED? Students who qualify You may hand-deliver the application to the INVST Community Studies office in IBS #5, Suite 11 (next to the Armory on University Avenue, across the street from the back of Macky Auditorium). You may also mail it to INVST Community Studies, 471 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0471.

For more information, contact Sabrina Sideris at 303-492-8045 or sabrinasideris@gmail.com, or visit www.colorado.edu/communitystudies. Download Application Here