Isenberg School's Todd Crosset Awarded Faculty Fellowship for Youth Grant

Tue., Jan 29, 2008
Associate Professor of Sport Management Todd Crosset has received a 2007-2009 Faculty Fellowship for Youth grant from the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Campus Compacts. The two-year $5,000 fellowship supports the growth of faculty engaged in community based learning particularly involving critical issues affecting youth development. The award will allow Crosset to leverage the work of his experiential learning class, Sport and Community Relations, in order to foster more ties between the University and the Springfield community.

Conceived by Crosset seven years ago, Key Players annually honors ten Springfield area men of color-the Key Player Ambassadors. Nominated by the young people whom they serve and chosen by previous ambassadors and representatives from community organizations, the ambassadors are chosen for their profound influence on the children themselves. Artists and athletes, educators and ministers, businesspeople and community organizers-the ambassadors come from different walks of life, but all deploy their individual skills to enrich the lives of Springfield's children and the community itself.

Collectively the Key Player Awardees represent a wealth of knowledge. By facilitating discussions between Key Player Ambassadors and UMass Amherst faculty, students and staff, Crosset hopes to match community projects and efforts with the appropriate resources on campus. "UMass Amherst has an opportunity to make a significant difference in Springfield, but it must follow the lead of those communities," emphasizes Crosset. To this end, the Key Players and other community leaders can provide the university with an informed compass for action."

The Faculty Fellowship program between the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Campus Compacts is part of a joint Learn and Serve America Higher Education grant. The program focuses on youth development and the opportunities for access to high quality K-12 education, comprehensive after-school activities, and the pathways to post secondary education. The fellows will be both formally and informally connected with 16 college campuses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts (i.e., the Learn and Serve America sub-grantees.)

The Massachusetts Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents committed to developing the civic skills of students, building partnerships with the community, and integrating civic engagement with teaching and research. Click here for more information.

The Rhode Island Campus Compact is a coalition of college and university presidents committed to teaching the values of public leadership. Rhode Island Campus Compact actively promotes public and community service as vital components of higher education. Click here for more information.