Katya Zepeda, Crookston, Minn., was one of two college students recently selected to receive a $1,000 Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur (CASE) grant supporting innovative service-learning projects.  Zepeda, a first-year student at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, will use her CASE grant to raise funds for the Crookston food shelf by hosting an Empty Bowls Dinner.

Zepeda will partner with students from a local high school to plan and implement the project, while at the same time increasing students' exposure to the University of Minnesota and higher education.

Lisa Loegering, assistant director of service learning at the Crookston campus, guided Zepeda through the grant proposal process and will serve as her advisor for the project.  Zepeda, an organizational psychology major, also will work closely with her academic advisor, Alvin Killough, Ph.D., on developing parts of the project into an independent study within her academic program.

Throughout the project's development, community and campus partners will play an integral role in the planning and execution of the many aspects of Empty Bowls Dinner, which will be held in fall 2010.
Zepeda was among several students from Campus Compact institutions to propose inventive projects serving their communities. The other CASE grant recipient was Christin Tomy, a senior at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn. Tomy and Zepeda are the fifth and sixth students to receive CASE grants from Minnesota Campus Compact.

Minnesota Campus Compact is proud to support the work of students in their community. More information about Zepeda's project is available at www.emptybowls.net.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.