Search this site:
   Go

Massachusetts Campus Compact and CIRCLE
In 2008, MACC partnered with the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), Tufts University, and UMass Boston to build an online database that college students throughout the Boston region will use to pool information, deliberate, and organize their service and activism. The three year pilot initiative is one of just six projects chosen for funding by a Learn and Serve America social networking grant.

The overall goal of the initiative is to increase civic participation in the greater Boston region using online social networking. The project includes software, soon to be a Facebook plug-in, that can be used in courses, by student groups or by practitioners, to analyze relationships and search for projects. Participating students in the greater Boston area would be asked to enter information about their institutions and community partners and about local issues into the YouthMap database. YouthMap software would help them analyze community issues in many aspects, including local assets and challenges. As the project proceeds, YouthMap should graphically depict a network that becomes more robust and more focused on economic recovery and unemployment than it was at the outset. Students can review their progress using the map and bring the results into deliberations with community partners. MACC will then apply the knowledge gained from this pilot to all subgrantees to broaden on-line technology to enhance campus projects.

MACC plans to share strategies learned from this pilot through workshops, conference presentations, and Webinars. We are also helping our campus partners explore the links between service, service-learning, and the Internet.

Resources
MACC has compiled a range of resources to help student groups, staff, and professors incorporate Internet applications to further their service goals:

Service 2.0 Resource Wiki A comprehensive place to see examples of and share ideas about using Web 2.0 to drive civic engagement. If you don't know what some Internet terms mean, check out their "plain english" videos.

Using Social Media/Web 2.0 to Highlight Your Program Learn and Serve America's National Clearinghouse offers comprehensive suggestions on how to document your work and spread your messages using social media tools.

Keep Up to Date Using Social Media/Web 2.0 Tools A list of some common "web 2.0" terms, technologies, and what they mean.

Learn and Serve America's National Service-Learning Clearinghouse on MySpace Keep up with NSLC's announcements and library updates on MySpace.

Pew Internet and American Life Project A research center that reports on the impact of the Internet on all facets of American life. Their reports are a great source for statistics and research data.

YPulse This company focuses on media and internet marketing to youth for businesses and advertising agencies, but their website offers many lessons that campus and non-profit administrators can learn from. Their articles and daily newsletters offer insight young peoples' trends, issues, behavior, and responsiveness when it comes to their Internet use.

Blogs
Digital Tennessee Project The Digital Tennessee Project supports digital equity through technology access and digital literacy, fluency and mastery in education through service learning, engagement in public service and community development in the state of Tennessee and beyond.

Mediated Cultures Professor Michael Wesch from Kansas State University has been nationally recognized for his research on new media's effect on society. He also fully incorporates new media into the courses he teaches.