More from AmeriCorps

THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Jan. 30 — In his State of the Union address Jan. 29, President Bush proposed to expand by 50% the number of participants in AmeriCorps, which provides funds for college in exchange for a year of community service. He also called for upgrading the training of teachers.

The president proposed recruiting 200,000 new volunteers to work “to rebuild our communities.” Some of those new volunteers would come from the AmeriCorps national-service program, Bush said. Although he was not more specific in his address, the president wants AmeriCorps to provide 25,000 of the 200,000 new volunteers, Leslie Lenkowsky, chief executive officer of the Corporation for National Service, the federal agency that oversees Ameri-Corps, said in an interview after Bush's speech.

Home Schoolers on Campus

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Jan. 23 — The Pennsylvania Legislature is considering a law that would require public schools to let home schoolers participate in sports and other extracurricular activities. Fourteen states already have such laws, according to the Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association.

About 6% of the nation's 850,000 home-schooled children participate in extracurricular activities, said the wire-service report.

Ground Zero's Church

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Jan. 23 — New York City Technical College Professor Tim Maldonado has asked his architecture students to design a church to replace the 82-year-old St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox church that was destroyed during the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in New York.

“Rebuilding the church represents a victory over the attackers,” said William Perez, a student. “This church is a symbol. It will become a landmark.”

GI Bill For Kids?

THE PLAIN DEALER, Jan. 24 — Virtually all Cleveland children who have received taxpayer-supported vouchers this school year use them to pay tuition at religious schools, according to a study cited by the Cleveland daily.

Voucher opponents claim the statistic is important because the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Cleveland program in 2000, ruling that it seems to promote religion. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in an appeal later this month.

Catholic Buddies

THE CATHOLIC EXPLORER, Jan. 24 — The newspaper of the Diocese of Joliet, Neb., featured a group of students at Catholic-run Lewis University who are taking part in Best Buddies International, an organization that pairs college students in friendships with those who are mentally retarded.

“The purpose is to help with integration into the community,” said Jennifer Fadal of Best Buddies. “Our goal is to eventually have these friendships occur naturally.”

Georgetown Pro-lifers

THE HOYA, Jan. 25 — Preceding Washington's annual March for Life, several Georgetown University student organizations sponsored the third annual Cardinal John O'Connor Conference Jan. 21, reports the Jesuit university's undergraduate newspaper. The pro-life conference drew students from other universities, and included talks by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and president of the National Right to Life Committee, Wanda Franz.

Lisa Credo, a freshman from St. Mary's College, said she hoped to send a message to policymakers on Capitol Hill: “The only way to change what's wrong with the government is to show support for this issue.”