Governor Doyle today announced the winners of the 2006 Governor’s Service Awards. The Governor’s Service Awards are presented to programs and individuals that help solve serious social problems and meet their community’s needs. Award winners participate in organizations funded by the Corporation of National Community Service (CNCS) through AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and Learn and Serve America. The winners were recognized at a ceremony yesterday evening at the Madison Concourse Hotel.

The 2006 Governor’s Service Awards:

Marty Stein Friend of National Service Award

Park Taylor, a volunteer with Project Forward AmeriCorps, received the Marty Stein Friend of National Service Award, a Governor’s Service Award, for his support of this national service program. Park served for two years as an AmeriCorps member with Project Forward, a program of the Center for Community Outreach, Marshfield Clinic, and has continued this relationship as a volunteer by providing Hayward Public Schools 8th graders with programming in drug reduction and volunteering as an EMT at a free summer camp. AmeriCorps has served as his jump-start to a lifelong ethic of service.

Community Service Outstanding Impact Award

RSVP Project Based Mentoring Program, based out of the Portage County RSVP, received the Governor’s Service Award for the impact the unique program has had on both at-risk youth and older adult volunteers. The program utilizes RSVP volunteers to reach students at an alternative high school through non-traditional methods – by teaching them basic woodworking skills. The goal of this program is developing in the students an interest in learning. Eighteen volunteers work with the students 4 days per week; all the teaching is done by the volunteers as the program is not staffed by a school district shop teacher. As is often the case, bringing older volunteers and students together is a formula for success!

Youth Enrichment Services (YES) in Marinette, a part of the Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services and Lutheran Social Services, received the Governor’s Service Award for the impact the program has had providing preventative and crisis care to youth and families. This AmeriCorps program provides street outreach to youth, family mediation and referrals to other needed services, as well as community education on the needs and services available to youth and families in crisis. Service runs in the Romasko family at YES, as a grandmother, mother, father, son, daughter, and sister-in-law have all served with the agency as AmeriCorps members.

Exemplary Community Service Participant Award

John Smith, a volunteer with the RSVP of Brown County, received the Governor’s Service Award as an exemplary participant in a national service program. John has been a volunteer with RSVP since 1988 and during that time has participated in a wide range of volunteer activities, from serving as an advocate to individuals with disabilities to offering emotional support to heart patients and their families. He is a dependable and reliable volunteer, willing to help out wherever he is needed. John’s life is a great example of how service to his community in an unassuming manner makes an impact on all those he helps.

Cheng Lee, an AmeriCorps member with the AmeriCorps Team – Greater Wausau Area, received the Governor’s Service Award as an exemplary participant in a national service program. Cheng is a member of the Hmong refugee community and in his present AmeriCorps service is tutoring and mentoring recently arrived Hmong refugee middle school youth. He is very aware of the importance of being a positive role model for the “newcomers”, because of his own experiences as a Hmong person, his troubled past, and also because he has always had a strong desire to help others.

Service-Learning Award

Jim Lee, Director of Alternative and Vocational Education at CESA 12, received the Governor’s Service Award for the depth and breadth of his service in establishing service-learning programs in schools throughout CESA 12. Through the 7 projects that Jim funds and supports this year, 168 youth have been engaged in service-learning projects at their schools. Jim provides technical assistance to teachers in funding and implementing their projects, assists with developing local partnerships (17 partnerships have been established this year alone), and maintains a listserv to keep grant recipients connected throughout the year. Jim has been working with service-learning since the inception of the program in Wisconsin in the 1992-93 school year. He continually seeks ways to deepen teachers' practice and move districts toward institutionalization of the program.

Serve Wisconsin Disability Inclusion Award

The Governor’s Service Awards are sponsored by Serve Wisconsin, along with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the CNCS State Office. Serve Wisconsin is a 22-member citizen body appointed by the Governor responsible for overseeing AmeriCorps grants, which address unmet human, environmental, public safety, educational, and homeland security needs. For more information about Serve Wisconsin or funded AmeriCorps programs, visit www.servewisconsin.org.

The Corporation for National and Community Service provides opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through three programs: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service, and responsibility in America. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

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