AppalCORPS Members to Begin Community Service
Editors: The swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the Athens County Courthouse at 12:15 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 31, should make for a good photo opportunity.
Contact: Judy Gregg, (740) 593-4175
ATHENS, Ohio (August 25, 2000) -- The latest group of AppalCORPS members will embark on nearly a year of community
service in southeast Ohio during a swearing-in ceremony at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, on the steps of
the Athens County Courthouse in downtown Athens. Edward S. Robe, probate and juvenile court judge for
Athens County, will conduct the ceremony.
AppalCORPS, which is part of the AmeriCORPS national service program, is coordinated by the Ohio
University Center for Community Service, part of the Division of Student Affairs.
The 36 individuals this year will spend 11 months working to improve educational opportunities for young
people in a 29-county region ranging from Columbiana County in the northeast to Clermont County on
the southwestern edge. They receive a stipend of $9,000 for living expenses and a $4,725 educational
award.
About half of the AppalCORPS members will serve as tutors to elementary school students, and the others
will work with guidance counselors to encourage middle school and high school students to attend college
and help prepare the students for the challenge. Tutors work with children who are reading below their
grade levels by providing individual and extra attention at the direction of teachers. Those working with the
older students provide counseling, conduct skill and career assessment, help students develop career paths
and provide information on college requirements, application procedures and financial aid.
"Most of our members feel it's a great way to give back to the community while, at the same time, receiving
a stipend to either pay off college debt or finance further education," said AppalCORPS Coordinator Judy
Gregg of the Center for Community Service at Ohio University.
Ohio University's Athens campus and four regional campuses are five of the 15 college and university
sites assisting the AppalCORPS program by providing financial and staff support. The program is in its
fourth year. Members must have a high school education to participate in AppalCORPS. For more
information, contact Gregg, (740) 593-4175.
