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Grant helps students learn about federal jobs

Feb. 15, 2008

KALAMAZOO--The Partnership for Public Service announced in January that Western Michigan University will receive one of five Call to Serve grants to help launch a nationwide public education campaign on campus.

The campaign, called Making the Difference, will carry an important message to WMU students about government service: It's not just making a living, it's making the difference!

Four additional schools were named recipients of the $3,000 Call to Serve grants. They are Brown University; California State University, Sacramento; the University at Albany; and Washington University in St. Louis.

The Call to Serve network consists of more than 600 schools and 74 federal agencies. The Making the Difference campaign culminates 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 federal government provides a variety of benefits to new employees.

Forgiving student loans after 10 years of service

Offering recruitment bonuses, retention incentives, relocation incentives and graduate school scholarships

Repaying student loans up to $10,000 per year for a total of $60,000 in exchange for at least three years of service

Providing jobs around the world, with about 86 percent located outside of Washington, D.C., and more than 50,000 located abroad

Providing jobs representing nearly every interest and skill level, with more than 2,000 separate job categories at 15 cabinet-level agencies and 20 large and 80 small agencies

In conjunction with the Making the Difference campaign, WMU students will have access a www.makingthedifference.org Web site that features an interactive internship directory; 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.

In addition, the University will be able to select from several options when deciding what activities to sponsor on campus. Among the options available are federal career fairs for students, Find and Apply workshops, career services staff training on how to best promote federal job opportunities, and networking opportunities for faculty and federal agency representatives.

WMU also will have access to the Annenberg Speakers Bureau that brings young federal workers in to talk directly with students about federal-service careers.

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. For more information, contact the partnership's Kristin Esham at kesham@ourpublicservice.org or (202) 775-9111.

Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu

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