From left, Tizgel Mark, program coordinator for the National Student Partnerships national office in Washington D.C., Whitney Duncan, CC'02, Gina Kline CC'02, Candice Ashton, CC'03, and Brian Krieterso-founder of NSP.

A handful of Columbia students who have established the Manhattan chapter of the student-run organization called National Student Partnerships (NSP), which seeks to find jobs for residents in low-income communities, have transformed their idealism into collective activism.

At an inaugural roundtable discussion in October, Columbia students representing NSP-Manhattan set out to bring about greater job opportunities for residents who have traditionally been overlooked. Among the participants were Morningside Heights service providers and businesses, including STRIVE Academy, Columbia Community Impact, the West End, Broadway Presbyterian Church, and Broadway Community Inc.

Gina Kline, CC'02, Candice Ashton, CC'03, and Whitney Duncan, CC'02--directors of NSP-Manhattan--moderated the discussion. They acknowledged that local organizations bring a breadth of experience and know-how to the table, which will serve NSP well in its work to build a referral network of community services that provide job training, education and other social services to members of the community.

"We want to eliminate barriers to employment for those who have been underserved in the community," said Kline. "By setting up effective lines of communication to local employers, social service agencies and our clients, we are building bridges in the community and empowering the residents to improve their quality of life."

NSP-Manhattan, launched in September 1999, is made up of about 20 Columbia students. Volunteers serve as local business and social outreach coordinators. The former contacts prospective employers, while the latter reaches out to social service agencies that offer assistance with child care, transportation or literacy training in helping those in low-income communities secure jobs.

When it comes to the philosophy of NSP and similar organizations, Jose Adorno, director of STRIVE Academy, put it best: "We are in this business to help people help themselves."

Providing residents with good jobs not only helps families and improves lives but also benefits employers who will gain employees eager and ready to work. Ultimately, the hope is to set off the domino effect of community revitalization.

NSP was founded in October 1998 by Yale students Brian Kreiter and Kirsten Lodal, spurred by the 1996 welfare reform act signed by President Bill Clinton. The act brought into common parlance "welfare to work," requiring that former welfare recipients find work within a five-year time limit. NSP was established to help alleviate the pressures of welfare reform and to help others in need find meaningful employment, through alliances with community groups.

There are currently 16 NSP offices affiliated with colleges nationwide, from Columbia and NYU to Northwestern and Stanford; 7 more offices are expected to open this year. The NSP national office is in Washington, D.C.

"As students, we can make an impact now while we are here," said Ashton. "And NSP harnesses our energy to do that. We'd like to see ourselves as the hub of employment opportunity where the spokes of community outreach connect."

Similar to another nationwide organization, Teach for America, founded by a Princeton student, NSP has tapped into a wellspring of student activism at the grassroots level, inspiring young people and communities to effect social change one person at a time.