JRCPF Programs

The purpose of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation is to recognize excellence in academic-service learning. The programs of the Foundation recognize and provide financial support to outstanding examples of campus-community collaboration and innovative ideas to serve the community. Programs are designed and are supported by the Foundation, but are administered by local hosts.

Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur (CASE) Grant

The Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur grants (CASE) are offered in the US, UK and India in a competition among students whose project proposals represent the most innovative and promising ways to serve the community. The student winners in the United States receive $1,000 (amount is adjusted to accommodate the local environment of a country) to implement their proposal, and a certificate of merit bearing the signatures of President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter. Their project is published online at the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation website (www.jrcpf.org) as well as at servicebook.org, an Internet community for academic service learning sponsored by JRCPF. CASE grants provide prestigious recognition for students, faculty and their community partners for academic service.

  • The proposals judged to be the best is awarded a grant for the purposes of the proposed activity to the student through his/her institution.
  • All students whose proposals meet the criteria are presented with certificates from JRCPF.
  • Student's project summary reports are published on: jrcpf.org and servicebook.org

Online application for the grant is available at servicebook.org Winners are chosen by a local selection panel including individuals knowledgeable about academic service learning, including faculty members and others and/or by JRCPF selection panel where it may apply.

Criteria:

The student's proposal must meet the following general criteria:

  1. Impact of their proposal in the community
  2. The proposal must show a partnership between the student/department/academic institution and the community partner. Working "with" the community as an equal partner.
  3. There must be connection between what the students are learning in class and what is being applied.

More specifically, the CASE criteria include the following:

Impact:

  • Impact on the community through increased economic opportunity, improved social or civic networks, more responsive public systems, etc.
  • Documentation of measurable outcomes.
  • The promise of sustainability for the proposed idea after the grant funding is exhausted.

Partnership:

  • Identification of the community partner's strengths and efforts to build upon and enhance these strengths.
  • Collaborative and data-informed planning and decision making between the student and the community partner with regard to the project.
  • Efforts to enlist other collaborators like businesses, civic organizations, government agencies, faith-based institutions, etc.

Academic Service Learning:

  • Integration of the project with a student's coursework, practicum, thesis, dissertation, etc.
  • An optimal blend of learning, research and service for the applicant.

Student's project report should include the following elements:

  • A general report on the activities undertaken by the project
  • An assessment of the degree to which specific project aims were accomplished
  • An assessment of the degree to which general program criteria were met
  • An explanation of what the student learned about being and academic service entrepreneur
  • Recommendations for further development of the specific proposed idea in the future
  • Recommendations for enhanced collaboration between the community partner and the affiliated institution of the student in the future
  • An accounting for project funds

Requirement for CASE

In order to apply for CASE there are certain requirements for students and the faculty or the institution that agrees to be a CASE host.

Student Requirements:

Applicants for this award must be a full-time student; must propose an innovative academic service learning project; must recruit a community organization as partner and must have a faculty member agree to oversee the project. Winners agree to keep a running account of project activities and write a project summary report at the conclusion of the project. In addition to the narrative in the project summary report, the student may create a documentary of the project via video, PowerPoint, briefing to other students and for publication.

Requirements for a University/College to be a CASE host:

  1. Agree to become a host (agreement signed by host with JRCPF)
  2. Publicize the grant availability to the students
  3. Direct interested students to apply on line at ServiceBook.org
  4. Recruit a panel of judges to choose the winning proposal
  5. Orchestrate the evaluation and selection process
  6. Announce the winning proposal and advise those not selected
  7. Monitor project as the student and community carry out the project
  8. Request the student to submit a final report along with a short video.
  9. Hosts will not be required to track or report on the use of funds

The CASE application process can be seen by registering at servicebook.org

For more information about CASE and JRCPF please visit the following sites:

Examples for CASE recipients and video of CASE program winner, can be seen at servicebook.org