This FAQ is divided into two sections: one regarding grant funding details (application deadline, eligible applicants, etc.) and another regarding social media generally. Before writing your proposal, please read the Students Beyond Boundaries RFP, the FAQ and the Application Instructions thoroughly, as these documents together constitute the final instructions for applying for a Students Beyond Boundaries grant. Please check this page before you submit your final application as new questions may be posted.

1. Students Beyond Boundaries Grant FAQ

1.1 How do I apply for a Students Beyond Boundaries grant?
Students can apply via the online application at StudentsBeyondBoundaries.org.

1.2 What are the original goals envisioned for this project?
To streamline processes, the secondary goals were removed from the RFP; however, the secondary goals are still important to the understanding of the overall impact desired from service-learning proposals funded through Students Beyond Boundaries.

Primary Goals
• 6,000 college students engage in academic and co-curricular service-learning using social media.
• Student leaders use online communication to reach and engage their peers and members of their communities with an interest in service.
• Students, community members, and faculty collaborate using digital and personal interactions to select service-learning projects and prioritize programs to be implemented.
• Participants utilize social media to reflect on and report outcomes of service-learning programs.

Secondary Goals
• Community residents will understand the role of social media in accomplishing their goals and understand the potential of social media to aid community service projects.
• Infuse interest in service into the academic and co-curricular student experience through social buy-in and a media-driven online communication process.
• Neighborhood building that leverages student energy and talent to build sustained community engagement using social media in local area.
• Expand knowledge of service-learning in institutions and communities by students, faculty and community members.

1.3 Who is an eligible applicant?
Recognized student organizations or faculty members teaching service-learning courses at Consortium member institutions are eligible to apply. At least one student must be designated as a project leader. The student submitting the proposal is required to work with his or her professor or faculty sponsor and institutional representative to the Consortium, who must evaluate and approve the application and electronically forward it to the Consortium office. (To be recognized as a Consortium member, the institution must have submitted a current Furco self-assessment and baseline data by October 1, 2008. Institutions that have received grants from the Consortium previously must be current on reports. For more information, see: MidwestConsortium.org).

1.4 What are all of the major grant-related deadlines?

Table 1: Students Beyond Boundaries Grant Cycle Timeline

1.5 Is this a separate institutional subgrant than the traditional Consortium subgrant?
The "Students Beyond Boundaries" project is not a separate institutional grant. Student-submitted project grants are forwarded through their institution to the Consoritum for consideration.

1.6 Who should the primary contact person be for the proposal from an institution?
Institutional service-learning coordinators will be the primary contact persons for all submitted proposals. The students submitting proposals through our online application are required to work with their representative to the Consortium who must approve the application and electronically forward it to the Consortium office.

1.7 How many proposals are allowed per institution?
There is no limit on the number of proposals that may be submitted by institutions. Proposals that do not meet our guidelines for funding, however, will not be considered.

1.8 What is the maximum award amount per proposal?
There is no cap on the amount that each institution can receive; however, the maximum award that can be funded by the Consortium is instead based on the number of student service-learners involved in projects submitted by member institutions.

A goal of this project is the engagement of 5 service-learning students per $200 requested. Rounds 2-5 of the Students Beyond Boundaries initiative will encourage multiple smaller, student-led grants that utilize existing technology and free or inexpensive social media tools. These parameters will help you formulate the project design and determine the amount you request. If the community need requires support beyond these limitations, additional sources of support should be developed, or the project should be redesigned.

Finally, keep in mind that at least a fifty percent funding match is required for all service-learning projects. For instance, a project requesting $400 must provide at least a $400 cash or in-kind match. For more information on the fiscal match requirement, see FAQ 1.13.

1.9 What are eligible expenses covered by the grant?

Allowable Expenses
All subgrant processes supported by the Consortium will follow CNCS/Learn and Serve guidelines and must meet award expectations noted above. Funding may be allocated for

• Student stipends in particular cases (call Consortium office for details)
• Conference fees (registration)
• Travel monies (for social media training, mentoring, workshop delivery, conferences, Consortium meetings and events)
• Electronic/computer equipment and accessories (see FAQ 1.10)
• Computer software
• Supplies
• Intergenerational dialogues
• Agency outreach
• Program evaluation

Non-fundable Expenses/Activities
CNCS funds may not be used to

• Provide for international travel.
• Provide religious instruction, conduct worship services, or engage in any form of proselytizing.
• Assist, promote, or deter union organizing.
• Finance any activity designed to influence the outcome of an election or influence a particular piece of legislation or participate in, or endorse events or activities which are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials.

1.10 What if we need technical or other tools and equipment (including cameras, video cameras, other recording devices) to implement our service-learning project?
Equipment is covered as an eligible expense. You must, however, describe the equipment that will be used and how. It must contribute to the goals of the grant and the service-learning activity.

In many cases, ownership of technical equipment should stay with the institution's service-learning department or a campus-wide media equipment lending library, with appropriate lending controls put in place. Priority for use during the project period will go to project participants. At the end of the project for which the equipment is purchased, priority for use will go to other grants that are part of the Students Beyond Boundaries program, and finally for service-learning projects in general. Ownership of some equipment, however, might more appropriately be retained by the participating Community Partner, especially if there are plans for an ongoing relationship. This development of physical resources can strengthen the community partner and in turn encourage stronger ongoing relationships between the campus and the community organization.

In the end, while final ownership of any tools or equipment purchased with grant funds might be suggested by the nature of the project and the roles of the project partners, it most certainly should be confirmed through mutual agreement of the partners. Final ownership of such tools or equipment must be described specifically in the budget narrative.

1.11 What reporting is necessary for this grant?
Student grantees of individual projects will be required to file individual progress and final reports through the Students Beyond Boundaries web site. Students’ interim reports and final reports are due no later than the date specified in FAQ 1.4. All reporting dates are determined by due dates of reports from the Consortium to CNCS.

Insitutional representatives must file a final report by the date specified in FAQ 1.4 and must include a narrative summary of the institutional activities. The final budget report with an explanation of how the grant funds were expended is due according to the date in FAQ 1.4. Student grantees will be required to submit progress reports to provide updates needed to allow the Consortium to make the required reports to the Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS). Progress reports should summarize accomplishments made toward planned outcomes. Institutions receiving grants are also required to submit an annual report, titled LASSIE, directly to CNCS via an electronic reporting system known as e-Grants. Funded institutions are required to have e-mail and Internet reporting capability.

1.12 Where do I find the LASSIE form? (Institutional reps ONLY)
Member representatives will receive an email from SDSU or the Consortium with a link and further instructions about filling out the LASSIE (completion of LASSIE is due according to the date in Table 1).

1.13 Is there a fiscal match requirement for this grant?
Applicants are required to contribute at least fifty percent (50%) of the total program cost (a dollar-for-dollar match). The applicant’s share may be provided through cash and/or in-kind contributions from public or private sources, including federal sources other than Corporation funds (provided that it’s allowable by the other federal agency). Indirect costs and federal work-study funds may be applied toward the match. The proposal should include an explanation of the source of matching funds and/or the provision of in-kind support equal to the amount of the grant. Because indirect costs have already been negotiated for South Dakota State University (the primary grantee), subgrantees cannot request additional indirect costs. However, indirect costs, as defined by the federally negotiated indirect cost rate for your institution, are allowable to count toward match. If you have questions about matching funds or indirect costs, please contact the financial officer at your institution, the Consortium representative at your institution, or the Director of the Consortium.

1.14 May a student worker be employed using grant funds in order to implement a social media project?
Student stipends can be utilized to pay for student assistants. Including a student assistant in a project would provide extra support to the faculty/staff member teaching the class or advising the student organization. The student assistant should be extremely knowledgeable about the use of social media. The student assistant would most likely be the individual involved in getting additional students engaged if it is not a class assignment that is mandatory for all students. The student assistant could also be the person to monitor reflection and feedback if the faculty member chooses the right assistant and prepares him or her for this task. Note that a specific project could have a student assistant as a line item in the proposal budget. There is no fiscal cap on the budgeted amount for a student assistant, but budgeted funds should be in line with the usual stipend paid to students at your institution. The student must be an undergraduate or graduate student at your institution, and the position may be no more than half-time.

1.15 Does Federal Work-Study qualify as institutional match?
If you have participants that receive stipends through Federal Work-Study or other institutional funds that compliment your service or service-learning program, you may include this as part of your match.

1.16 What are the obligations of project partners during each project?
Faculty sponsor: willing to develop critical reflection questions for a student project leader’s service-learning project; also willing to provide general project oversight. Need to be willing to work with the student and service-learning coordinator to make sure that the service-learning project that's developed is meaningful and meets the community needs and the criteria of the RFP.

Community partner: willing to have their organization’s name recorded to promote this project publically for not-for-profit use; pledge to fill out the post-project community partner survey. Actively involved in planning the project and are committed to doing this through social media in as much as the project design requires.

Student project leaders: willing to fulfill all project obligations: plan the project, report on the website, submit a final multimedia presentation, reflect, gather or ensure reflection of service-learners, document, ensuring sure all project requirements are met. Keep a record of expenditures and submit receipts for reimbursement to your service-learning coordinator.

1.17 What information will I need to provide in the application when I apply?

• Project Description: Summarize what your service-learning project will accomplish and how you will reach those goals with your community partner and class or student organization. (Think of journalism's who, what, where, why and how: who is involved in the project, what will the project be, where you will do the service, why it is important (i.e. what is the need), and how will you do the project?)
• Service Goals: Your service goals must provide a measurable service to the community.
• Learning Goals: Describe what the college students (your class or student group) will learn. The students involved should plan to include some discussion of how well they met these learning goals in their post-service reflection. (These goals should be developed with your professor or faculty sponsor prior to filling out the application).
• Collaboration: Describe how you will work with other students, faculty, and community partners to continue to develop, plan, and implement your service-learning project. If you intend to use social media tools to aid your collaborative efforts, specify how and with which social media tools, e.g., Facebook, PBWiki, Twitter, etc.
• Training: What training is planned in order to prepare community members, faculty and/or students to 1) understand the purpose of service-learning (if necessary), and 2) use social media to engage in this project?
• Recruiting & Promotion: If your project involves recruiting additional participants, describe methods you will use to encourage your peers and members of your community to participate in or contribute to the service activity. In addition to your required project group in the Students Beyond Boundaries community, specify which social media tools (if any) will be used.
• Project Timeline: Describe the steps of your project and when you anticipate you will take them. If you have specific dates in mind, include them.
• Reflection and Documentation: How will you use social media and/or multimedia for reflection on and documenting your project? Describe specifically what media will be used to collect data and stories about the program as students are conducting the event and also as they reflect on their service afterward.
• Budget Narrative: Describe the use of requested funds in detail. Be sure to justify use of equipment and explain what will happen to it when the project is over.

Additionally, your project must meet these parameters:

• Each student organization or class must be partnered with at least one clearly-identified community partner, and must have one faculty sponsor at their institution designated to oversee the project and provide guidance for reflection.
• Your service-learning project should involve at least 5 service-learning students per $200 requested, not including match (or 12 service-learning students per every $500, 50 per every $2000, etc). Projects that do not meet this standard risk being only partially funded.
• Your project describes the use of the required project group in the Students Beyond Boundaries community.
• If electronic/computer equipment is to be purchased, a justification is made for including the equipment described, and it is clear what will happen to it at the end of the project. See FAQ 1.10 for more information.

1.18 What is the post-application process?
When a student submits a proposal on the Students Beyond Boundaries web site, it is automatically sent via e-mail to the service-learning office at the institution specified in that application.The service-learning coordinator then forwards the proposal and budgets for institutional approvals and then electronically to the Consortium.

Once institutions submit grants to the Consortium Office, outside review of grant proposals will begin after the application deadline has passed (see Table 1). Outside reviewers will grade institutional proposals and recommendations for funding will be based on the criteria identified in these guidelines. Applicants will be notified within 30 days of the application deadline whether their proposal was accepted for funding and the amount awarded. Applicants should check their email frequently in case reviewers need additional information.

If your application is selected for funding, you will receive an award packet in the mail outlining the next steps toward the successful realization of your service-learning project.

1.19 What is the role of the institutional member representative?
Each student proposal submitted through StudentsBeyondBoundaries.org is e-mailed to the service-learning office at the institution specified in that application. The service-learning coordinator at the institution will review and vet proposals and will determine and describe institutional match for each project. The coordinator will then group the proposals and individual project budgets as well as create a combined institutional budget and route the files through the institution's internal routing/approval process.

The following is a step-by-step tutorial of this procedure:

1. Combine SBB proposals for your institution into a single Word document (copy & paste)
2. Combine SBB proposal budgets:
   

   - Download the Sample Budget Form.
   - Copy individual proposal budget sheets as separate tabs in the new file. You can copy worksheets from one Excel book to another by right clicking on the appropriate worksheet tab at the bottom of the screen and selecting "Move or Copy." In the dialog box, select the new book you have created (the file must be open in order to select it) and click OK.
   - Create a final worksheet tab that displays the combined budget for these projects from your institution, showing match, etc.

3. Download the Institutional Cover Sheet and complete the form as a Word document.
4. Print all documents (proposals, budgets and cover sheets), sign the cover sheet, and route internally for handwritten signatures. Scan all documents into a single PDF and email your institution's grant request to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Note: if you are unable to scan the hand-signed documents, send them electronically without signatures and fax the signed pages to 402-472-8140. SIGNATURES MUST BE FAXED ON THE SAME DAY AS THE DOCUMENT IS SENT ELECTRONICALLY. PROPOSALS WITHOUT A SIGNED COVER SHEET WILL NOT BE FORWARDED FOR REVIEW.

1.20 What requirements does a member institution agree to by accepting Students Beyond Boundaries funding?
Project grants will be monitored by the Consortium member institutions at which the course is being taught or at which the lead student organization is registered. Member institutions will be held accountable for compliance with the grant requirements. Monies will be distributed to a recipient campus as a reimbursement to invoices submitted, provided project reports are current.

1.21 Where will updates regarding changes to this grant be posted?
Minor updates or adjustments will be posted to this FAQ. Substantive changes will be announced via e-mail to the member institutions of the Midwest Consortium, and updates will be made to StudentsBeyondBoundaries.org accordingly.

1.22 Whom should I contact for additional questions?
For questions not addressed in this FAQ, please contact Deborah Eisloeffel, the executive director of the Midwest Consortium.

2. Social Media FAQ

2.1 What are social media?
The Wikipedia definition is a good one to start with: "Social media are primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences."

For our purposes, social media will have two primary functions. First, they are the tools that will be used to recruit, communicate, collaborate and innovate with fellow volunteers. Secondly, social media with be the primary reporting mechanism for service-learning students and community partners to follow the progress of a project, report on its effects and results, and to reflect on their service and experience.

2.2 How are social media distinct from traditional media?
The primary difference between social media and traditional media is that, while traditional media (television, radio, print publications, etc.) are mediums of information distribution controlled by experienced professionals in a very small market, social media can be used by anyone of any age or experience to distribute information that's relevant to their own specific interests.

Social media also includes a myriad of tools that service-learning students will use to: recruit additional volunteers from their peers, brainstorm service needs and project ideas with community partners, collaborate with partners to coordinate service efforts, document progress and report results, and finally to reflect on the impact of the service-learning project generally.

2.3 May my institution use a private or a closed network (such as Blackboard or D2L)?
One of the main purposes of this grant is to operate service-learning projects in an open, transparent and participatory way - an intentional shift away from projects operated by small committee or by individuals and toward open-source, open-collaboration efforts which encourages greater participation and better results. Student leaders will be required to create a project group in the Students Beyond Boundaries community that is viewable to the public, and they will also be required to use this group site to collaborate with project participants; document the project implementation with narratives, photos, or video; and reflect on their experience. However, students will, in consultation with their professor or faculty sponsor on a case-by-case basis, have the option of restricting access to individual entries on their group site.

2.4 What security issues may arise from this project?
As with any project that's open and visible to the public, security and privacy issues may arise for participants in various service-learning projects. However, with virtually all social media tools available today, measures are already in place to mask the identities and locations of all parties involved, including the options to: mask e-mail addresses, post anonymously, blur identities/locations from photo or video content, post content under pseudonyms, and edit content which may raise a security or privacy issue.

2.5 What if community partners do not wish to have their service projects made public?
Service-learning students will be up-front with the community partner in communicating that social media tools will be used to initialize and record projects. If, however, a community partner still has reservations regarding social media use or service documentation, please contact a Consortium staff member and such matters will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Additionally, all participants and organizations involved in each service-learning project will sign waivers to indicate their willingness to be filmed, photographed or recorded for not-for-profit documentation.

2.6 What is the primary social media tool that will be utilized for each project?
Student leaders will be required to create a project group within the Students Beyond Boundaries Community at StudentsBeyondBoundaries.org. The SBB Community is a social network built within the Students Beyond Boundaries website that is easy to navigate and will serve as the central hub of all your project's service-learning activity. Student leaders of individual projects are responsible for creating a profile and project group within the SBB Community. The student leader will maintain this group, invite participants of their project to join the online community, join their project group, upload pictures and video, and participate in your forum. Each project group will be viewable to the public and allow for group collaboration, documentation and reflection.

Project groups within the Students Beyond Boundaries network allows for a open-ended group collaboration, connection to other social media sites, and centralizes documentation and communication in a single location. Unlike Facebook or MySpace, users do not need to be part of an existing network or pay to start a new one, but it contains the same basic features making it easy to utilize and maintain.

Project groups through the SBB Community also allow users to view his or her off-site social media through its framework, letting users tie Facebook, blogs, photo libraries, and even YouTube channels into their profiles and groups. Additionally, a user can tie in feeds from Twitter, relevant news outlets, and other social media sites to make their group and/or profile(s) an instant information source and allow membership to track issues that pertain to the subject.

2.7 How do I create my project group?
After a proposal has been awarded, student leaders will be asked to create a user profile in the SBB Community. Additionally, the student leaders will be asked to create a group within the SBB Community for their project. The name of their project group should be based on the title submitted by students in their application.

Student project leaders are responsible for ensuring:

• The Project Group remains visible to the public (though other settings may be tweaked to deal with privacy concerns), and as up-to-date as possible.
• Fellow project volunteers, community partners and anyone else assisting on the project will be invited to join the project group in order to participate in the online dialogue and/or coordinate service activities.

2.8 What other social media tools may be used for this project?
Beyond the required project group in the SBB Community, students will not be limited as to which specific social media tools may be used, as long as certain guidelines are followed. Students must use tools that easily integrate with the core social networking group site required by the initiative, and which will allow them to 1) recruit peers for service-learning projects, 2) collaborate with fellow volunteers and/or community partners, 3) reflect on their service and learning, and 4) document and report outcomes.

SIFE students will develop and offer training in the use of selected applications which show promise as suitable tools for this initiative. These may include sites such as Ning, Facebook, MySpace, PBWiki, Flickr, WordPress, Google Documents, YouTube, Twitter and NetVibes. If a grantee or project leader wishes to utilize a social media tool for which training is not provided, he or she will be required to train project partners on the tool's use.

To see a list of the social media tools that are freely available today, check out Go2Web20.net.

2.9 Considering the rapid pace at which new social media tools are adopted by the public, will there be flexibility for use of new tools in this project ("new" meaning those applications not yet broadly used by the public)?
Yes. As a general principle, we encourage the use of any tools (social media or otherwise) in innovative ways, but we will decide on a case-by-case basis if a new social media tool is compatible in meeting our needs. Please contact Consortium staff for specific questions.

2.10 What if we need technical assistance or training to learn to use social media tools?
The SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) partners will be developing modules to help train students and their community partners through an online interface. Students or student organizations for each project will, in turn, help train or provide technical assistance to their community partners. Efforts will be made to meet the assistance or training needs of service-learning students or organizations that receive funding for service-learning projects.

All requests for technical assistance or training can be directed to the Consortium.

2.11 Will this project's emphasis of social media allow for outreach to community partners that are currently not engaged online, to help them "bridge the digital divide"?

Yes, insofar as the outreach to such partners is defined as a need by the partner, and the project you develop with the partner fits within the parameters of this grant. Remember that the aim of this initiative is to encourage multiple smaller, student-led grants that use existing technology and free or inexpensive social media tools to enhance or expand service-learning by students. Funding preference will be given to proposals that engage at least 5 service-learning students per $200 requested. These parameters will help you formulate the project design and determine the amount you request. If the community need requires support beyond these parameters, additional sources of support should be developed or the project should be redesigned.

2.12 Is the actual emphasis of this project social media OR service-learning?
The emphasis, as always, is learning and reflection through community service. Social media is merely a tool for communication and collaboration, and the purpose of using it is to help expand exponentially the primary goals of the Consortium and the CNCS.