Liz Hollander oversees Campus Compact, a national coalition of nearly 1,000 college and university presidents -- representing some 5 million students -- who support the expansion of opportunities for public and community service in higher education and the importance of integrating service into academic study.

"Being asked to pick just six campuses doing innovative civic engagement work is like being asked to name your favorite children," Liz says. "Each of the picks is an exemplar matched by many like them. There is no sector in higher education (public, private, two-year, four-year, minority-serving, faith-based, liberal arts, research, or technical colleges) that is not experimenting with ways to engage students in serving their communities and the democracy. From Hawaii and the U.S. territories to Puerto Rico and every state in between, campuses are seeking ways to be good citizens in their communities."

The Rev. Mark Farr, senior director for outreach at the Points of Light Foundation, is the founder and chairman of the Institute for Progressive Christianity, a growing Washington, D.C., think tank that provides ideas and a philosophical basis for those seeking elected office who want to include broad, moderate, mainstream faith-based ideas.

Mark says of his picks: "For long the poor child of civic society, we have all watched the faith sector experience sudden adolescence and an extraordinary growth into adulthood, and now nearly equal placement with other federal and charitable groups. Perhaps the key to so many of these 'ones to watch' is that they combine passion, great skills, and the ability to make personal connections."

Michelle Nunn, co-founder and CEO of Hands On Network, has helped the organization grow from a grassroots startup in 1989 to one of the nation's largest community-based volunteer organizations. Michelle also sits on the President's Council on Service and Civic Engagement.

About her picks, Michelle says, "Hands On Network has had the unique opportunity to work closely with many corporations that have developed best-in-class approaches to their employee volunteer programs. It is so energizing to see the great work and innovation that companies today are bringing to their community outreach efforts. The following companies have created new ways of thinking about employee volunteering, often aligning business expertise with volunteer programming. As a result, these companies are creating unprecedented change in local communities across the globe."

A relatively new university in the California state system, California State University - Monterey Bay was set up from the beginning to make community participation a core part of the learning experience. It serves a diverse student body with diverse opportunities for them to serve their communities at every stage of their college career.

Liz says:
"Monterey Bay is one of those new campuses where engagement has been bred in the bone from the very beginning. It is ably led by its award-winning faculty leader of service-learning, Dr. Seth Pollack, who instituted the first-ever minor in service-learning. The provost, Diana Cordero de Noriega, strongly supports the idea that civic learning is a core academic topic. With additional support from the community service-learning staff in the California State University chancellor's office and California Campus Compact, it is a leader among leaders in the California scene."

Colgate University is a four-year liberal arts college that is experimenting with practicing democracy in the everyday lives of students on their campus and in their living spaces as well as in their community engagement.

Liz says:
"Students at Colgate are challenged to 'live democracy,' not just in their civic engagement work in the community, but in their dorms, where they are charged with building a civil society that honors difference and works together. This is singular in a climate where many colleges compete to satisfy every need of students, who are viewed as 'customers.' Colgate has also worked to diminish the 'town-gown' chasm that characterizes many small college towns and the 'campus on the hill' by re-locating the college bookstore to the center of the village. Students come 'off the hill' to buy books and supplies, and townspeople now enjoy a first-rate, first-ever bookstore open to all."

Collin County Community College has a district-wide effort that has integrated service-learning into 34 disciplines and has linked service-learning to learning communities as well as individual courses. Honors include the National Bellwether Instructional Award for Service-Learning and Learning Communities programs, Campus Compact's National Collaboration Award for Service Learning, and the AAUW Progress in Equity Award for the NETWORKS program.

Liz says:
"Cary Israel, president, and Regina Hughes, the able director of the Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement, walk the walk in amazing ways across this huge and rapidly growing community college complex of campuses. It shows in their innovative weaving of service learning into more than 34 different disciplines and into learning communities. It also shows in their personal leadership in the Texas Campus Compact. As chair of the Texas Campus Compact, President Israel promoted regional presidential roundtables that brought together presidents and students to discuss civic engagement on their individual campuses. Recently, the college received an unrestricted $1 million gift from the estate of Royden Lebrecht, and the Collin board of trustees created the first endowed chair at the college -- the Lebrecht Endowed Chair for the Center for Scholarly and Civic Engagement. Additionally, the college continues in innovative practices as illustrated through a new Service-Learning through Philanthropy project."

DePaul University, the largest Roman Catholic university in the United States, focuses on serving first-generation college students. Its Steans Center for Community-based Service Learning provides a ladder of opportunities for social and civic engagement. Community engagement is embedded in the institution's curriculum, co-curricular service activities, student employment, and recruitment strategies.

Liz says:
"DePaul's diverse student body is one reason that it is known as Chicago's university. DePaul weaves community engagement into the fabric of the institution -- from its undergraduate curriculum to the way it is expanding the definition of scholarship by encouraging action research, to the way its buildings provide space for government offices, public libraries, and the archives of community organizations. Long-term, sustainable community partnerships are at the heart of its service-learning center. DePaul's president, Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, has demonstrated his leadership by using an Illinois Campus Compact McCormick Presidential Fellowship to begin a regional conversation about faith and civic engagement that will inform a national dialogue on this crucial topic, and civic engagement that will inform a national dialogue on this face of civic responsibility."

An HBCU school (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), North Carolina Central University places a major emphasis on educating students to serve their community, state, and nation. This includes a 120-hour service requirement, a Service-Learning Ambassadors program, and innovative uses of technology to support the service-learning program, as well as providing computer training to the local neighborhood through a Saturday Academy.

Liz says:
"'Give back' is a value deeply embedded in this college, as in many others. But how do you get this across to 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students? One way is the innovative use of technology on the campus and in the community to keep campus and community connected, to keep everyone up to date on activities and to increase the technology skills of both students and community members. Eagle Village is the name for this campus and its surrounding community. At NCCU, under the able leadership of President Jim Ammons, it takes a village to raise a college student."

The recently endowed Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University reaches across the university to engage students in curricular and co-curricular community engagement, faculty in community-based research and teaching, and alumni in community engagement. Community partnership work is supported by full-time community liaisons.

Liz says:
"The story of the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service is the story of two dedicated residents, John DiBiaggio, who conceived the idea of an institution-wide 'college,' and Larry Bacow, the current president, who shares the vision for a research university that claims its role in educating its students to be responsible citizens. Pierre and Pam Omidyar of eBay fame were two graduates who 'caught the vision' with early funding, and now Jonathan Tisch has given the largest endowment to such a venture that I know. Among many powerful aspects of this college is a conscious effort to measure the citizenship skills students have when they enter Tufts and when they leave."

A family-based Volunteer Center started in Selma, Alabama, CHASM (Caring Helping Aiding Supporting and Mentoring) serves its community by providing training, volunteer matching, and service opportunities for community members. CHASM also provides after-school and summer programs, as well as healthy marriage and family mediation programs. Under the leadership of its founder and executive director, the Rev. Carl V. Rawls, CHASM sent supplies, volunteers, and hope to the town of MacLean, Mississippi, which had been affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Mark says:
"Rev. Rawls is a tireless worker for the cause of CHASM and for the faith and service work he so obviously loves. If ever there was an example of how the power of one big personality makes a difference not only in the lives of individuals, but in the organizations themselves, Rev. Rawls and CHASM is it. This faith-based community nonprofit is a shining example to us of what a good mission combined with great leadership can achieve. And through all of it, the humility of Rev. Rawls and his supportive and engaged family shine through."

The online community CrossLeft is a strategy clearinghouse and central hub for grassroots activism among progressive Christians. It brings in news from other progressive Christian sites, and all of their efforts are geared toward coordinating action, educating the country, and providing a strategy for long-term change. "If you want to reach young people today, you have to do it through the keyboard and the screen, and I just saw a wonderful opportunity and brought it to life," says Kety Esquivel, CrossLeft founder.

Mark says:
"Though for Christians, the faith remains the same, every generation brings new ways of breathing new life into it. Kety Esquivel is the icon of her generation's energetic approach. Her faith is as much at home online as it is in church and her Latina Catholic background, and where she has founded one of the leading faith sites, CrossLeft, which seeks to give a home to progressive Christians and to mobilize their voice."

Dedicated to promoting cooperation among all faiths in the spirit of outreach and compassion, Interfaith Works partners with a wide range of faith communities and service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, interfaith groups such as United Religions Initiative, foundations, and other nonprofits to do hands-on service and social action projects. Interfaith Works commissioned the 9/11 Unity Walk, which in its inaugural year of 2005 gathered 1,500 people in the nation's capital to walk together in remembrance of September 11. Participants stopped at various houses of worship along the way to pray, reflect, and learn about other faiths. Interfaith Works has also partnered with the Points of Light Foundation in renewal and recovery work in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast.

Mark says:
"Perhaps the most prized asset to be able to make a difference in the vital interfaith environment is an ability to genuinely connect with those from faiths not our own. For this you need both a depth of grammar of the particular faith and an ability to really meet someone and sublimate your own personal agenda for that of the other person. Erik Schwarz, the director of Interfaith Works, is gifted with those skills more than anyone else I know, and it has enabled him to begin a great thing with Interfaith Works. Right now, IW only holds a small place on the national horizon. But watch for it to grow, because of the incredible need our nation has for this kind of connection. We must reach out to our Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim neighbors, and a thousand others. Erik is leading this charge."

The KIDS HOPE USA model was designed to teach churches how to give hope to at-risk public elementary school children through a relationship with a caring church member. Described as the "KIDS HOPE USA Way," this sustainable model has four distinctive features: one child, one hour of one-on-one time every week, one church to provide mentors and prayer support, and one school that will welcome this intervention to help at-risk children.

Mark says:
"Mentoring at-risk children is one of the best things someone can do: It is also one of the most demanding. Quite simply, KIDS HOPE USA is the best faith-based mentoring program in the country, and founder and executive director Virg Gulker both created it and lives its dream."

Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD) serves as a bridge between the Asian-American community and the community at large in connecting and creating private and public collaborations. KCCD's mission is to maximize the capacity of Asian-American faith-based organizations and other community nonprofits to remove cultural, language, and economic barriers by increasing their access to resources and funds in order to assist low-income individuals and revitalize neighborhoods.

Mark says:
"Hyepin Im is on a mission to raise the profile of Asian-American faith. Her bio discloses her passion and abilities, which perhaps more than anyone I know cross boundaries between faith, federal agencies, venture capital, and international relations. But it is her warm spirit that shines out when you meet her -- the person she really wanted to speak at her event is you."

In Cisco Systems' Leadership Fellows Program, employees are deployed on strategic long-term volunteer projects to be immersed in a particular issue. As an example, approximately 10 Fellows worked on the Cisco 21S initiative to bring technology to schools in Mississippi impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Michelle says:
"Cisco Systems Inc. has developed a revolutionary Fellows program, in which employee volunteers serve long term and focus on issues in depth. We're inspired by the Fellows' work in Mississippi to help rebuild the educational infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and to introduce advanced technology into school systems."

Following the devastation of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the United States, and the earthquake in Pakistan, more than 2,000 Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians signed up to volunteer. Kaiser has also developed a program to facilitate rapid deployment of medical and other staff (including doctors, nurses, mental health experts, etc.) to support communities after other disasters.

Michelle says:
"Employees at Kaiser Permanente clearly have demonstrated their commitment to the mission of supporting health across the globe. Following the 2004 tsunami in Asia, Kaiser received hundreds of calls from employees with a desire to help, and a team of volunteer physicians immediately traveled to the region. They provided trauma/acute care to tsunami victims and their families and also worked closely with community-based groups to develop an infrastructure to support immediate and ongoing local needs."

SAP America is focused on education and has developed an expansive partnership with Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) schools. The company supported the Hands On Network through the launch of a Tech Service Day program at Hands On school sites, where volunteers provided training, installed networking equipment, and offered other support. SAP has developed a custom tracking tool to measure impact and has experienced explosive growth in its volunteer program.

Michelle says:
"Education reform is a critical issue across our country, and SAP has stepped up to make a real impact in this arena. In addition to providing access to technology in local schools, SAP is partnering closely with KIPP schools to provide mentoring and capacity building. The company also supports high-technology learning with its University Alliance (UA) Program. The UA Program mixes conceptual and hands-on learning to help students develop the teamwork and critical-thinking skill sets needed in today's global economy. In fall 2006, SAP brought Hands On Tech Service Day to four city schools across the country, enabling employee volunteers to utilize their special skills and provide a variety of technical services."

Sprint Nextel's Boost Mobile has combined with RockCorps to encourage volunteerism in young people. Started in 2002, this innovative program provides free concert tickets to youth volunteers, who each give four hours of service. The goal is to effect social change and act as a bridge between communities in need and the young people who want to make them better. Boost Mobile RockCorps introduces youth to service opportunities in their own neighborhood -- starting them on a lifelong commitment to civic engagement and service.

Michelle says:
"Sprint Nextel, through its subsidiary Boost Mobile, is combining the power of music, community, and volunteerism innovatively to create change. Through the Boost Mobile RockCorps program, youth volunteers receive tickets to popular music partners and are exposed to simple ways they can proactively contribute to their community through volunteerism and have fun while doing it."

Turner Broadcasting effectively engages hundreds of volunteer leaders in the orchestration and implementation of the company-wide Turner Volunteer Day, organized in a pyramid-type approach, empowering employee volunteers to take leadership in project selection and issue education.

Michelle says:
"At Hands On Network, we believe that volunteer leadership is a cornerstone for effective volunteer action. Turner Broadcasting System Inc. has brought this vision to scale and provided resources to support its success. During the annual Turner Volunteer Day, hundreds of volunteer leaders are tasked with orchestrating and implementing a company-wide day of service, selecting projects, diving deeper into underlying issues, and ensuring that thousands of volunteers have a great experience."