“This was the first year we had students from Prophetstown and Fulton, and we saw a 20 percent increase from those districts,” said Lori Cortez, dean of institutional advancement at SVCC. “The program for Prophetstown and Fulton is funded by a $1 million donation.”
The program now includes schools in the entire district. For a school the size of Dixon’s, the program needs $2 million in donations, according to Cortez. The size of the district determines the amount. Some donations come from organizations associated with a high school. The Amboy Education Foundation recently donated $100,000 to IMPACT, according to Cortez.
Depending on the number of volunteer hours a high school student puts in, IMPACT will cover tuition and fees for up to three years for eligible students. It will also pay for books for students who opt into the Sauk Ready Textbook Program.
“Students can start the program in their freshman year in high school and earn credits by volunteering through their senior year,” Cortez said. “We have 294 organizations that need volunteers involved in the program.”
For charities, such as Angel Treasures, a resale shop in Dixon, the teen volunteers have become an important part of the store’s program, according to Wendy Bauer, the store’s manager. The resale shop is part of Oregon-based Serenity Hospice Home’s fundraising efforts.
“I think it (IMPACT) is a great program,” said Bauer. “We get volunteer help, the kids get college tuition credits, and it encourages volunteering.”
Students who are enrolled in the program can log into a website to check a list of charities in need of volunteers. They do the volunteer work and record the time they put in.
“The students do whatever we ask,” Bauer said. “They might sort through donations, cut paper, or dust.”
Angel Treasures gets one or two students to sign up to work from 3 to 5 p.m. on Fridays. The store manager never knows who it will be until they show.
“What I’m interested in is seeing how many students who go to Sauk Valley Community College (through the program) earn a certificate or get a two-year associate’s degree or go on to a four-year school,” said Jason Austin, principal of Sterling High School (SHS).
Parents at students at SHS have shown a lot of interest in the program, according to Austin. The program has encouraged students and parents to start thinking about college as soon as the child is entering the freshman year.
“The school benefits because we have IMPACT volunteers who work our events,” Austin said.
Even if a student decides not to attend SVCC, going through the IMPACT program will still be a benefit for the student.
“Putting down that you have been a volunteer looks good on your college application,” said Austin, who has four children in college. “All colleges are expensive, so applying for scholarships makes sense.”
Another question about the program is whether it will attract students to SVCC who might have gone to other schools, according to Jared Shaner, principal for Dixon High School.
“I think it would be interesting to interview the students (who go through the IMPACT program) and see what they’ve done in a few years,” Shaner said.
The bottom line is that students need to apply for scholarships, according to Cortez.
“You can’t work a part-time job at minimum wage and be able to pay for college anymore,” Cortez said.
