FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2009
Contact: Kristin Esham, Sarah Howe
202-775-9111
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON RECEIVES CALL TO SERVE GRANT TO SPREAD WORD ON CAMPUS ABOUT FEDERAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES
WASHINGTON – The Partnership for Public Service today announced that the Evans School of Public Affairs will receive one of five Call to Serve grants to help launch the nation-wide Making the Difference campaign on the University of Washington campus.
The campaign carries an important message to students about government service: It’s not just making a living, it’s making the difference!
“Despite the grim job forecast, the federal government is hiring and there are jobs for every interest and skill, all over the world. Jobs where you can make a living and make a difference,” said Max Stier the Partnership’s President and CEO. “This Call to Serve grant will help educate University of Washington students on how and where to find these job opportunities.”
Four additional schools were named recipients of the $3,000 Call to Serve grants including Macalester College, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and University of Pennsylvania.
Making the Difference resources for University of Washington students include: a Web site – www.makingthedifference.org featuring the Red, White and Blue Library of guide books on topics ranging from student loan repayment to navigating the security clearance process and monthly “hot job” and “cool internship” listings. A range of campus activity options include access to the Annenberg Speakers Bureau that brings dynamic federal workers to talk directly with students on campuses about federal service careers, federal career fairs for students, Find and Apply workshops, and career services staff training on how to best promote federal job and networking opportunities for faculty and federal agency representatives.
Recent research shows that interest in public service is high among students, however just 13 percent are knowledgeable about federal opportunities. The Making the Difference campaign is bridging this gap – according to Partnership data, 83 percent of students reported that they are more likely to pursue a federal job or internship after hearing from an Annenberg Speakers Bureau representative.
Two University of Washington staff members from the Evans School were in Washington, D.C. on February 9th and 10th attending a Partnership for Public Service conference to learn first-hand from prior Call to Serve grant recipient universities and federal agency representatives about best practices for promoting federal service opportunities on campuses.
The Making the Difference campaign is the culmination of two years of research the Partnership gleaned during the Call to Serve Recruitment Initiative – a Congressionally-funded project with the Office of Personnel Management to identify cost-effective and sustainable ways to promote federal service on campuses. The Call to Serve network consists of nearly 650 colleges and universities, and 75 federal agencies.
The Partnership for Public Service works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org.
For more information on the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Affairs, visit http://evans.washington.edu .
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The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to revitalize our federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming the way government works.
