To: Ernie Almonte From: Kelsey Sherman Date: April 29, 2013 Subject: HopeCorps: Hope for Rhode

Island s !"t"re Executive Summary: #his memorand"m addresses an inno$ati$e %ay to &eep Rhode Island s 'olle(e and "ni$ersity st"dents in Rhode Island after (rad"ation, HopeCorps) #he memo is intended to inform yo" of the demo(raphi's in Rhode Island and a*o"t Rhode Island s st"dent pop"lation) It also hi(hli(hts the &ey details of the proposed initiati$e, HopeCorps, and emphasi+es %hy 'reatin( a p"*li' ser$i'e 'orps is the ri(ht step for Rhode Island s f"t"re) 1.Rhode Island The Facts In 2012, the pop"lation of Rhode Island %as appro,imately 1)0million) .f this pop"lation: 21/ is "nder the a(e of 10) 01)3/ has a hi(h s'hool diploma or hi(her) In 2011 the a$era(e per 'apita in'ome %as 229, 30- %hile the median ho"sehold in'ome %as a*o"t 2-3,000) 12)0/ of Rhode Islanders li$e *elo% the po$erty le$el)1 . !re Rhode Islanders "ovin#$ #a,es and ho"sin( play an important role in &eepin( Rhode Islanders and 'olle(e (rad"ates, ali&e in the state) In 2011: 23,000 people %ith a median in'ome of 211,314 mo$ed to Rhode Island) It is important to note that a lar(e n"m*er of these residents are 'olle(e freshman, a lo%5in'ome demo(raphi') 31,000 people mo$ed from Rhode Island to another state) #he median in'ome of this (ro"p %as 223,000) 2 Additionally, some people say that hi(h ta,es are for'in( people o"t of the state, *"t they are not) It is a't"ally the "nemployment rate and ho"sin( pri'es that 'a"se people to lea$e the state) A &ey st"dy 'ond"'ted *y a professor at the 6ni$ersity of 7assa'h"setts fo"nd that: All data came from the U.S. Census Bureau Survey for Rhode Island from 2011. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/44000.html 2 Numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau and reported by the Providence Journal on December 21, 2012. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/44000.html
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8hen the "nemployment rate in'reases *y 0)9 per'enta(e points, the pop"lation in'reases *y a*o"t 2,-00 people) 8hen the in'ome ta, rate on %a(es in'reases *y 2)3 per'enta(e points, 4-2 fe%er people lea$e and 1,110 fe%er people arri$e) #h"s there is a net effe't of 400 fe%er people in Rhode Island %hen in'ome ta, in'reases) 8hen the ho"sin( afforda*ility inde, in'reases *y -)2 per'enta(e points, 904 fe%er people lea$e and 1,222 more people arri$e)3 #h"s in'reasin( the pop"lation *y a*o"t 300 people)

Rent pri'es in Rhode Island are hi(h) In 2011, to rent an a$era(e5 pri'ed three5*edroom apartment in Rhode Island, a ho"sehold %o"ld need to earn nearly 233,0005a5year for the rent to *e 'onsidered afforda*le)4 #his is 24,000 per year hi(her than the median ho"sehold in'ome in the state) #h"s, ma&in( rentin( "nafforda*le for not only for those %ho are Rhode Island residents, *"t also for st"dents or re'ent (rad"ates %ho are hopin( to remain in Rhode Island after (rad"ation) %. &hat about Students$ #here are 12 'olle(es and "ni$ersities in Rhode Island) #his is a mi, of p"*li' and pri$ate, 25year and 15year instit"tions) It has *een reported that the st"dent pop"lation at these 'olle(es and "ni$ersities ran(es from three to fifteen tho"sand st"dents) #his means the st"dent pop"lation in Rhode Island is any%here *et%een 33,000 and 100,000 or *et%een 3 and 14 per'ent of the state s pop"lation on any (i$en day) Ei(hty per'ent of Rhode Island st"dents that attend pri$ate 'olle(es and "ni$ersities lea$e the state "pon (rad"ation) Ei(ht per'ent of st"dents that 'hoose to stay after attendin( a pri$ate instit"tion are ori(inally from o"t5of5state)5 As the topi' of this memo s"((ests, there needs to *e a feasi*le %ay to &eep st"dents in$ested in Rhode Island after (rad"ation) 4. ! Feasible &ay to 'ee( )eo(le in Rhode Island6 Thompson, Jeffery. The Impact of Taxes on Migration in New England. http://www.peri.umass.edu/ 4 http://www.golocalprov.com/business/rhode-island-rent-prices-likely-to-increase/ 5 These numbers came from a two-year survey conducted by Bridge and AICU Rhode Island. http://aicuri.org/
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#here is an e'onomi'ally and politi'ally feasi*le %ay to help re'ent (rad"ates *e'ome in$ested in Rhode Island and stay in the state after (rad"ation) I en$ision 'reation of a lo'al ser$i'e 'orps, HopeCorps) #he mission of HopeCorps %o"ld *e similar to that of 7assa'h"setts s $ersion of the same model) #he mission of HopeCorps is to en(a(e mem*ers of the Rhode Island 'omm"nity in dire't ser$i'e in order to *etter the state one 'omm"nity at a time) #he HopeCorps $ision %o"ld *e to pro$ide opport"nities for s&ill *"ildin( and leadership de$elopment) #he initiati$e %o"ld also %or& to en'o"ra(e and enhan'e lifelon( 'i$i' mindedness and in$estment in p"*li' ser$i'e and Rhode Island) *. +o(e,or(s The Details HopeCorps mem*ers %o"ld pro$ide dire't ser$i'e to the states non5 profit or(ani+ations and (o$ernmental entities) #hey %o"ld *"ild 'apa'ity, re'r"it and or(ani+e additional $ol"nteers, and %or& to%ards s"staina*le 'han(e) HopeCorps %o"ld *e tar(eted to%ard re'ent 'olle(e (rad"ates *"t %o"ld also aim to in$ol$e other a(e (ro"ps and RI s military $eterans) #he Corps %o"ld *e 'omprised of Rhode Island s *est and *ri(htest) Corps mem*ers %o"ld ser$e at Rhode Island s non5profit or(ani+ations, (o$ernmental departments, 'olle(es and "ni$ersities) #hey %o"ld help *"ild 'apa'ity and e,pand pro(rams tar(eted at ser$in( the 'omm"nity and impro$in( Rhode Island one indi$id"al at a time) #his pro(ram %o"ld promote ser$i'e as a strate(y for meetin( 'omm"nity needs) #his initiati$e %o"ld also pro$ide its mem*ers %ith opport"nities for s&ill *"ildin(, leadership de$elopment and en'o"ra(es lifelon( 'i$i' $o'ation) An appli'ation and inter$ie% pro'ess %o"ld *e re9"ired in order to sele't mem*ers) #he 'orps %o"ld *e 'apped at 100 to 1-0 people, ea'h year dependin( on f"ndin( 'apa'ity and or(ani+ation needs) Corps mem*ers %o"ld ser$e f"ll time, 10 ho"rs a %ee&) #hey %o"ld 'ommit to a one5year term of ser$i'e) Corps mem*ers %o"ld re'ei$e a li$in( stipend of 21-,000 per year pl"s health'are and 'hild 'are *enefits for their ser$i'e) #hey %o"ld also re'ei$e a 2-,000 ed"'ation
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http://www.mass-service.org/service_volunteerism/our_programs/commonwealth_corps

a%ard at the end of their term of ser$i'e) #his ed"'ation a%ard 'o"ld *e "sed to%ard '"rrent st"dent loans or to%ard p"rs"in( f"rther ed"'ation) #he 'orps %o"ld only *e the se'ond of its type in the nation) 7assa'h"setts is the only other state %ith an internally f"nded ser$i'e 'orps 'ommitted to impro$in( its state) It %o"ld *e f"nded thro"(h a p"*li' pri$ate partnerships "sin( minimal amo"nt of f"nds from the state) #he ma:ority of f"ndin( for this p"*li'5pri$ate partnership %o"ld 'ome from the Rhode Island !o"ndation the 6nited 8ay of Rhode Island, and ma:or 'ompanies li&e Has*ro, C;S, <"n&in <on"ts, and Rhode Island s 'olle(e and "ni$ersities) Ea'h of these 'ompanies are 'i$i'ally minded, ma&in( them ideal 'andidates for f"ndin() #hey %o"ld *e moti$ated to f"nd the HopeCorps pro(ram *e'a"se they are in$ested in seein( Rhode Island Impro$e) #he 'ompanies %o"ld "ltimately *enefit from the initiati$e *e'a"se of the e,panded, more di$erse and more %ell59"alified %or& for'e in the state) #he state 'o"ld also 'onsider pro$idin( minimal ta, e,emptions to 'ompanies %ho donate to the initiati$e) =astly, partnerships %ith 'olle(es and "ni$ersities need to *e hi(hli(hted) Colle(e and "ni$ersities %o"ld *e one of the *est re'r"itment assets HopeCorps %o"ld ha$e) >y nat"re, these sta&eholders %o"ld ha$e a $ested interest in re'r"itment and ha$e the po%er to en'o"ra(e their st"dents and al"mni to ser$e) In addition to their assistan'e %ith re'r"itment efforts, Rhode Island s hi(her ed"'ation 'omm"nity 'o"ld also offer f"rther f"ndin( assistan'e ?past or f"t"re@ for st"dents %ho participate in the program. -. &hy )ublic Service Is the !ns.er Resear'h s"((ests that parti'ipation in dire't ser$i'e 'orps is asso'iated %ith in'reased $ol"nteerin(, 'i$i' and politi'al en(a(ement, and interest in a 'areer in (o$ernment or nonprofit ser$i'e) #hese resear'h res"lts hold 'onsidera*le promise for p"*li' ser$i'e in the ne,t 10 years) #he resear'h also states that 'reatin( dire't ser$i'e pro(rams are instr"mental in addressin( important 'hallen(es li&e the role of $ol"nteerin( in addressin( pressin( so'ial iss"es, rea'hin( disad$anta(ed pop"lations, and infl"en'in( p"*li' poli'y)7 In addition to this, there are se$eral reasons as to %hy p"*li' Nesbit, R., & Brudney, J. L. (2010). At your service? volunteering and national service in 2020. Public Administration Review, 70, S107-S113. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/853424236?accountid=9758
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ser$i'e is the *est option for Rhode Island) If started, HopeCorps %o"ld: 1) Create Jobs in Rhode Island A #here is a la'& of :o*s s"ita*le for re'ent 'olle(e (rad"ates) HopeCorps %o"ld pro$ide a''essi*le opport"nities at the state s (o$ernment and non5profit offi'es %ith the potential for f"ll5time employment at the end of their term of ser$i'e) 2)Creates an Invested Society A If parti'ipants are %or&in( to *etter Rhode Island thro"(h dire't ser$i'e to o"r state s (o$ernment and 'omm"nity or(ani+ations, they %ill *e'ome more in$ested in the state s f"t"re) #his in$estment and responsi*ility to the state %ill o''"r thro"(h net%or&in( and mo*ili+ation on the (ro"nd) 3) Work and Leadership Experience 5 7em*ers are pro$ided %ith $al"a*le %or& and leadership e,perien'e) HopeCorps mem*ers %o"ld *enefit from (ainin( e,perien'e they may not *e a*le to (ain else%here) #hro"(h their daily %or& they %o"ld *e a*le to see %hat %or&in( in the (o$ernment or nonprofit settin( %o"ld loo& li&e) 1) Vocational Training - #ho"(h the pro(ram may not o$ertly seem li&e a $o'ational trainin( pro(ram, it %ill pro$ide $o'ational s&ills to mem*ers of o"r state) #hey are also pro$ided %ith leadership e,perien'e (ained thro"(h trainin(s and intera'tions %hile %or&in( %ith 'omm"nity mem*ers) -) Increased ccess to !!ordable "o#sing A As mentioned in Se'tion 2, afforda*le rental ho"sin( is a pro*lem in Rhode Island %hi'h e,a'er*ates the sit"ation that re'ent (rad"ates are in) #he li$in( stipends pro$ided to HopeCorps mem*ers %o"ld help ease the stress of the finan'ial *"rden of s"ita*le ho"sin() 3) St#dent Loan Repay$ent ssistance A #he ed"'ation a%ard asso'iated %ith the 'ompletion of a HopeCorps term of ser$i'e %ill en'o"ra(e parti'ipation in the pro(ram) It %ill help relie$e the stress of st"dent loan de*t re'ent (rad"ates are fa'in() It 'o"ld also in'enti$i+e those %ho %o"ld li&e to p"rs"e f"rther s'hoolin( to do so) 4) %#rther invest$ent in p#blic service A As mentioned a*o$e, those %ho parti'ipate in a year of ser$i'e are more li&ely to *e interested in a 'areer in p"*li' ser$i'e) #his 'o"ld in'l"de

%or&in( on the state, lo'al, or federal le$el, in a non5profit or or(ani+in( (rassroots efforts) /.,onclusion Colle(e and "ni$ersity st"dents are an important demo(raphi' in Rhode Island) Ho%e$er, Rhode Island does not ha$e eno"(h s"ita*le :o*s or rental ho"sin( pri'es to &eep re'ent (rad"ates in Rhode Island) #he 'reation of an internally f"nded, p"*li'5pri$ate partnership, HopeCorps %o"ld 'reate systemi', s"staina*le 'han(e in the state) #he Corps %o"ld 'reate :o*s, %hile in'reasin( in$estment in the state, *oth in the present and the f"t"re)