UNC’s School of Government and Appalachian State University in Boone have created the N.C. Local Government Service Corps, a three-year initiative to assist economically distressed communities in the state.
The pilot phase of the corps will deploy four graduates of the master of public administration program at both universities into the service of up to 12 N.C. rural communities through full-time positions shared by two or three communities.
Funding and support for the corps will be provided by the Golden LEAF Foundation, the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center and the N.C. League of Municipalities. Will Lambe, associate director of the Community and Economic Development Program at UNC’s School of Government, will serve as interim director for the Service Corps initiative.
Corps members will provide hands-on economic development and organizational assistance. They will be selected from the current class of second-year MPA students at both universities and will begin two-year service terms in July.
Both corps members and the communities will be supported by UNC and ASU before and during the terms of service. Corps members will receive advanced training in economic development, local government management, proposal writing and grant administration. Public officials in the host communities will receive scholarships to attend workshops offered by the UNC School of Government in partnership with ASU and other universities.