Community-project proposals are being sought for '03 Smith Awards

The committee for the 2003 Robert S. Smith Award for community progress and innovation is calling for proposals from local community organizations and agencies.

Proposals are due by April 14, 2003.

An award or awards of up to $3,500 will be given to a sponsoring program using a Cornell student or students to help carry out a community development project.

The annual award, established at Cornell in 1994 through a $100,000 grant by the Tompkins Trust Co., is named for Robert S. Smith, former bank chairman and the W.I. Myers Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Finance at Cornell. It is intended to promote community-outreach efforts directed toward solutions of social and economic problems and to stimulate innovative and creative student projects that will generate program partnerships between community organizations and Cornell students.

Projects will be judged for their potential to stimulate tangible progress in areas such as health, nutrition, community housing, small business enterprise, youth development, arts, agriculture and the environment.

Sponsoring programs can be for- or not-for-profit community organizations, agencies or businesses in Tompkins County or a Cornell department, center, institute or unit.

Application forms are available from: Tompkins Trust Co., Robert S. Smith Award Committee, c/o Jody Beck, CaRDI, 43 Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853. For information, call Beck
at 254-4916.