The PACE Perspective: College Mini Fairs

PACE staff tabling at a College Mini Fair.

October 3, 2024 – The PACE team recently visited the thirteen northernmost schools in New Hampshire to participate in College Mini Fairs, an annual event series held in September organized by the New Hampshire College & University Council. With over ten colleges and universities in attendance, the PACE team helped guide students toward the colleges that aligned with their interests in post-secondary education. PACE focuses on the various pathways that would be suitable for a student’s career and educational goals. Both students and staff welcomed the support and perspectives that PACE provided at the Mini Fairs about exploring options for…

New Hampshire GEAR UP Alliance Expands Scope to Benefit 4,000 Students Across the State

GEAR UP New Hampshire Logo

Leveraging the success of the GEAR UP Manchester initiative, the New Hampshire GEAR UP Alliance is launching a new grant aimed at preparing and empowering more New Hampshire students to excel in high school and beyond. Under this latest grant, the New Hampshire GEAR UP Alliance will expand its services to approximately 4,000 students in fifteen middle schools across twelve districts statewide. The GEAR UP approach utilizes a cohort model that begins in middle school and continues through high school, guiding students as they navigate their post-secondary options and explore career aspirations. GEAR UP is a federal program funded through…

New Hampshire Rural Library eSummit

Join Us for the New Hampshire Rural Library eSummit Tuesday, September 24 | 12:00 – 5:30 PM (EST) Click Here to Register Agenda at a Glance The inaugural New Hampshire Rural Library eSummit, is a free, half-day virtual event supported by the New Hampshire College & University Council, the New Hampshire Statewide Family Engagement Center, and Partners for Rural Impact. The summit’s theme, Bridging the Gap with Children and Families, looks to bring together rural, school, public, and academic library practitioners, educators, and community members from across the state. The event focuses on improving educational outcomes by connecting families with…

PACE Career Exploration Day Connects Local Leaders to Student Learners

Students visiting a new building site with Adam Nyborg Independent Construction.

Thirty-four eighth grade students from Profile Middle School participated in an immersive career exploration event to learn more about potential career opportunities from ten local business leaders in Littleton and Franconia, NH. The pilot Career Exploration Day event was organized by members of PACE (Persistence and Continuing Education), a federally funded program through Campus Compact for New Hampshire that provides career and college readiness programming to middle and high school students in northern NH. PACE Coordinator, Jennifer Gilbert, organized the Career Exploration Day event to encourage students to envision possible future career paths through hands-on site visits with local businesses….

Reflecting on Rural Conversations: Nurturing Educational Equity in Northern New England

Martin Van Der Werf speaking at Rural Conversations.

Voices from across Northern New England and beyond converged, physically and virtually, at Rural Conversations, a hybrid event hosted in May 2024 by Campus Compact for New Hampshire to explore the current landscape of educational equity in rural areas. Participants from K-12 education, higher education, and community development sectors gathered in-person and online through a live stream from the Granite Edvance conference facility in Concord, NH, to hear from the event guest speakers and exchange ideas for expanding rural access. Under the theme of ‘Convening Northern New England Around Rural Access’, Stephanie Lesperance, the Chief Strategy Officer at Campus Compact…

Manchester West’s Career Day: Connecting Students with Real-World Possibilities

Ruff Life Pet Service dog at Career Day.

Manchester West High School offered students an opportunity to learn more about potential career paths at their 7th annual Career Day event in April. Drawing in a remarkable crowd of over 750 participating students, the day was a success with more than 100 industry professionals, representing over 60 diverse fields, ready to share their insights and expertise. Students had a wide variety of industries and professions to learn from, ranging from dog training entrepreneurship to financial advising, medical biofabrication, marketing, mortuary science, adventure photography, music production, and the intricate world of cybersecurity. Natalie Barney, the Access Coordinator for GEAR UP…

College and University Presidents Celebrated 20 Years of Honoring Leaders Who Improve New Hampshire Communities

Presidents Award Winners

Campus Compact for New Hampshire’s 20th Annual Presidents’ Awards Recognized Students, Faculty, and Community Partners for Outstanding Public Service. Campus Compact for New Hampshire proudly celebrated the remarkable achievements of individuals and organizations dedicated to community betterment at the 20th annual Presidents’ Awards ceremony on April 9th at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. The event highlighted two decades of honoring outstanding students, faculty members, and community partners who exemplified an unwavering commitment to driving positive change across New Hampshire’s colleges. The Presidents’ Awards ceremony is sponsored by Campus Compact for New Hampshire (CCNH), a statewide consortium of college and…

Rural Conversations

Click the button below to join the Rural Conversations livestream from your smartphone, computer, or tablet! Rural Conversations: Convening Northern New England Around Rural Access May 22, 2024, 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM (EST) Or you can join the event with Zoom’s Phone one-tap feature by clicking either number below. Phone one-tap: US: +13092053325,,88149619564# or: +13126266799,,88149619564# Please join us for Rural Conversations: Convening Northern New England Around Rural Access on May 22nd! We are excited to offer a hybrid experience and hope you can join the event. There is no cost to attendees! This convening will bring together both k12 and higher…

Instant Admissions Event Opens Doors for GEAR UP NH Students

Prospective college students continually note that the waiting period between applying to a school and receiving an admission decision is one of the more stressful parts of the college experience. Recognizing this, Campus Compact for New Hampshire launched Instant Admissions, events that happen twice a year designed to streamline the application process and foster college readiness among its students. The latest Instant Admissions event, held in mid-February at Lisbon Regional High School, brought together juniors and seniors from four high schools across the state, all of whom are actively engaged in a college access program facilitated by Campus Compact for…

Recap: Civic Learning for an Engaged Democracy Forum 2

Computer screen showing the words Civic Learning for an Engaged Democracy

Earlier this month, Campus Compact was proud to host the CLDE Coalition’s second Planning and Action Forum for Educators and Policy Leaders, Bridging the Divides, Including All College Students: Diversity, Equity, and High Impact Civic Learning Pathways. Over the course of two days, attendees heard from coalition leaders, policy experts, and higher education professionals who shared thoughts and ideas for how to institutionalize civic learning practices at higher education institutions and build a shared framework for civic learning. Forum sessions were recorded and are now viewable on the Campus Compact YouTube channel. Check them out here!

AmeriCorps Members Take Part in MLK National Day of Service

On January 16, 2023, AmeriCorps members across the nation participated in the MLK National Day of Service to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Our cohort of 29 members serving with Campus Compact’s VISTA Program participated in service projects to give back to their communities.  Campus Compact AmeriCorps members volunteered with a variety of organizations throughout the United States. They served at organizations such as the Library of Congress, House of Hope, Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Letters Against Isolation, Marymount University, and Manchester Community College. Read more about AmeriCorps and MLK National Day of Service here!

CCNH’s Stephanie Lesperance Named a National Campus Compact Fellow

Stephanie Lesperance, Campus Compact for New Hampshire’s Chief Strategy Officer, has been named a national Campus Compact fellow for 2022–2023. As the Rural Engagement Network Fellow, Lesperance will work to build a robust agenda of programming and resources specifically for our rural-serving institutions. The inaugural 2022-2023 cohort of Campus Compact Fellows is composed of experienced practitioners and field leaders from across the country. These leaders will advance Campus Compact’s work in key areas: community colleges, national service, faculty development, dialogue and deliberation, student-led engagement, rural-serving institutions, anti-racist community engagement, and strategic visioning. Each fellowship is individually structured and designed around…

Expanding Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement

Campus Compact and the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University have announced a new partnership to expand the reach of the Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement and support its associated Working Group. This academic year, the entities will co-facilitate and support the Working Group, a collaborative effort undertaken by 88 institutions and organizations across the U.S. and abroad to implement, analyze, use, and refine the Pathways framework and survey. Beginning in the 2023–2024 academic year, Campus Compact will assume fiscal and programmatic management and work in partnership with Working Group members to identify rotating leadership co-chairs. Furthermore,…

New Equity & Inclusion Credential

Earn Campus Compact’s Equity & Inclusion Credential Campus Compact’s new Equity & Inclusion Credential encourages and supports practitioners as they reflect on, articulate, and analyze their individual commitments and actions––as well as those of their institution––to advance diversity, equity, anti-racism, and inclusion. Our new preparation guidebook will help you imagine and design ways to work with colleagues to identify and analyze your commitments, practices, and future learning trajectories. Submission will open in September 2022. The Equity & Inclusion credential is the latest offering from Campus Compact’s Community Engagement Professional Credentialing Program. The program provides digital certifications that recognize an individual’s…

Celebrating Public Service on Campus

Campus Compact is excited to launch a new partnership with the National Museum and Center for Service (NMCFS) to create a vibrant, interactive museum of service in Washington, DC. The museum will recognize service in all forms and inspire people to serve their communities, the nation, and the world. Through this partnership, our coalition has an exciting opportunity to pilot campus-based exhibitions that recognize service in all its forms on campuses and in communities. To kick off this exciting initiative, we will be hosting visioning sessions. These will be open to those who would like to pilot a Campus Museum…

Earn National Recognition for Your Work

Campus Compact is seeking applications and nominations for our next Impact Award recipients! The Campus Compact Impact Awards are awarded each year to outstanding faculty, community engagement professionals, and campuses that have demonstrated transformational leadership in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education. Individuals may nominate others for the awards or submit applications on their own behalf. Learn more about application requirements for each award by visiting compact.org/impact-awards. Application deadline: September 30, 2022 Applications are open for the following awards: Nadinne Cruz Community Engagement Professional Award Celebrating the ethical leadership and advocacy demonstrated by higher education community engagement professionals. Thomas…

Join a Fall Community of Practice

Communities of Practice provide a unique opportunity for community engagement practitioners to join peers across the country to dig deeper into specific areas of engagement practice. Through discussions, joint activities, resource sharing, and relationship building, participants develop a repertoire of resources, skills, and knowledge to use in their practice. Above all, the Communities of Practice provide a great space to communicate and share strategies with like-minded individuals from all across the country! Applications are due September 22, 2022. APPLY NOW What to Expect All Communities of Practice take place over Zoom. They are scheduled between late September and early December…

Co-facilitate a Fall Community of Practice

Campus Compact’s Communities of Practice provide a unique opportunity to join community engagement practitioners across the country to dig deeper into specific areas of engagement practice. We are currently seeking experienced community engagement professionals to lead discussions, joint activities, and relationship building for a range of communities. Communities of Practice will be convened between mid-September and early December 2022 (based on co-facilitators’ schedules) and will typically consist of six 90-minute virtual sessions. Campus Compact seeks facilitators for communities in the following areas: Fall 2022 special topics in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE): Tenure & Promotion Community Colleges…

2022 CCNH Presidents’ Award Recipients Announced

Campus Compact for New Hampshire has announced the 2022 CCNH Presidents’ Award recipients. These outstanding students, faculty, staff, administrators, and representatives of local K-12 schools and nonprofits were selected by member presidents and chancellors for their leadership and vital work in their communities. CCNH recently recognized award recipients at a virtual celebration that brought together campus and community leaders to recognize and celebrate their contributions. Attendees also heard from keynote speaker Alyssa Griffin, a student leader and Newman Civic Fellow at Plymouth State University, and Campus Compact’s new national President Bobbi Laur. This year’s award recipients worked to strengthen communities…

CCNH and Lincoln Financial Foundation Partner 
to Lift Low-Income Students  

Lincoln Financial Foundation’s continued support for CCNH’s AmeriCorps VISTA program helps students succeed in school, college, and careers The Lincoln Financial Foundation and Campus Compact for New Hampshire (CCNH) will continue their longstanding partnership to help students in New Hampshire reach their full potential. For the ninth consecutive year, the Lincoln Financial Foundation will provide essential grant funding for CCNH’s school-based AmeriCorps VISTA program. The program places volunteers in communities throughout New Hampshire to help low-income students succeed in school and beyond. “Education is one of the cornerstones of our work to build strong, vital communities,” notes Nancy Rogers, President…