Professional Development Fund
The Maine Commission for Community Service supports professional development of managers of volunteers and service-learning practitioners (teachers and community youth workers) by awarding funds to cost-share their relevant activities.
Examples of supported activities are online courses, educational conferences, seminars, workshops, or preparation for professional certifications when they relate to the Competencies for Managers of Volunteers or help meet the Service-learning Standards for Quality Practice.
2012 Application Deadlines and Decisions
Professional Development Fund applications may be submitted at any time. Below is the schedule for reviewing requests for professional development activities that begin after Jan 1, 2012 and end prior to Dec 31, 2012.
- Applications received by January 31, 2012, notification of funds status by February 21, 2012.
- Applications received by April 30, 2012, notification of funds status by May 22, 2012.
Priority audiences for support
Priority is given to Maine
- educators or youth professionals seeking to be competent in service-learning;
- staff of service and volunteer programs funded or supported by the Corporation for National and Community including AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps*VISTA Site Supervisors, and host site/station staff who directly supervise RSVP, FGP or SCP participants/members; and
- managers of volunteers in working in counties not covered by volunteer centers
(Aroostook, Hancock, Kennebec, Oxford, Piscataquis, Somerset, and Waldo)
Eligibility
Note: Funds awarded may not be used to provide the recipient with a stipend, living allowance, or reimburse an employer for salary.
To be eligible for consideration, an individual must:
- be employed by a Maine school or organization (public or private nonprofit or Maine affiliate of a national charity) that engages in service-learning or engages citizens as volunteers in service that addresses educational, human service, public safety, environmental, or disaster-related needs in Maine communities. Individuals who serve in a pro bono capacity with a volunteer program and whose responsibilities are equivalent to those of an employee (e.g., training, supervision, assessment of volunteers performing service) also may apply.
- have at least six months of volunteer management or service-learning implementation experience.
- have a supervisor-approved professional development plan that identifies specific skills, knowledge, or abilities related to service-learning or volunteer management that require formal training or education.
- demonstrate in the application that the professional development activity proposed is more appropriate than standard Commission training or technical assistance activities.
- commit to paying at least 25% of the activity expense (registration fee, tuition, study materials).
- propose to complete the professional development activity within nine months, if awarded support.
- outline a plan for sharing information and learning with the wider volunteer or service-learningcommunity. Examples of venues are the VolunteerMaine.org blog, conference workshops, orVolunteerMaine.org webinars series.
Application Guidelines and Instructions
- Use this LINK to download the application and submission instructions
Staff Contact for the Fund
Pam Zeutenhorst, Program Officer
Volunteer Sector Initiatives
pam.zeutenhorst@maine.gov
207.624.7660
The Maine Commission for Community Service is the state government partner of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Volunteer Generation programs.
The Commission builds capacity and sustainability in Maine's volunteer and service communities by funding programs, developing managers of volunteers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of sector issues, and promoting service as a strategy to solve local problems.
