A student activism group recently received $10,000 in funding and launched into its first full academic year of serving the student body.

ActivUS, a group that promotes increased student civil engagement, received the money from the Government of the Student Body, which enabled it to hire a representative from the Student Empowerment Training Project for $9,000.

Abe Scarr, an SET Project director based out of Chicago, has visited with representatives from ActivUS and will continue to do so throughout the academic year. Scarr works with other student government organizations throughout the country.

According to its Web site, the SET Project’s purpose is to support student governments in their efforts to be stronger, more effective advocates for the student voice by providing training, resources and advice.

Mara Spooner, ActivUs president and senior in anthropology, said Scarr will be used as a resource to help students better organize and carry out activism initiatives. This includes activities such as the “Vote Local” campaign ActivUS has been pushing in order to get students more involved in the upcoming City Council and mayoral elections.

“He is very approachable,” Spooner said of Scarr. “He wants to get things done and he has a lot of experience.”

Luke Gran, junior in forestry and GSB senator, said he voted in favor of hiring the organizer because it would be more beneficial to students.

“What this organizer can do is organize better and help students become more successful with the little time they have,” he said.

Gran said the organizer would “fulfill the needs on campus,” providing training to student organizations and helping them become stronger.

He said the organizer could also go beyond just working within student organizations.

Henry Alliger, ActivUs member and senior in animal science, said the group learned of Scarr and the SET Project through the many contacts the members have in the activism spectrum, and found his skills to be a good fit.

“Abe has a background in a variety of ways a student government could go in advocacy projects,” Alliger said.

ActivUs is an organization three years in the making. Last year, the group was involved in the New Voters Project and a “Vote for Two” campaign, an initiative to get City Council terms reduced to two years instead of the current four-year terms.

Alliger said this will be the group’s first full academic year of service.

“We try to engage students in issues of importance and relevance as well as provide skills and resources,” Alliger said.

One advantage to having Scarr as a consultant is the local control ActivUs leaders can have over their group as opposed to being a member of a national group, which was looked into last year, Alliger said.

This fall, ActivUs has also been involved in a “Stop the Raid on Student Aid” initiative, an effort to stop the cuts on federal student financial aid.

Spooner said she is excited about the funding.

“It’s hard to try and get things done and secure funding at the same time,” Spooner said. “I am excited to get to work and I’m excited about the potential at this campus.”

Scarr was unavailable for comment.