College Named to National Service Honor Roll
The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Alma
College to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor
Roll With Distinction for exemplary service efforts and service to
disadvantaged youth.
“Alma College is delighted to be honored with this prestigious
designation,” said Anne Ritz, the College’s service-learning
coordinator. “Alma students truly serve generously through academic
service learning, co-curricular volunteerism and community engagement.
“From participating in alternative break service trips, to serving at
the local Community Cafe, to mentoring in area schools through the
Mentor PLUS program, to partnering with the Pine River Superfund Site
Citizen Task Force, Alma students are engaged as community partners
through meaningful service with the intent of promoting commitment to
the civic community,” she said.
Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest
federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to
service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were
chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and
innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation
in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which
the school offers academic service-learning courses.
“College students like those at Alma College are tackling the toughest
problems in America, demonstrating their compassion, commitment and
creativity in by serving as mentors, tutors, health workers and even
engineers,” said David Eisner, chief executive officer for the
Corporation for National and Community Service. “They represent a
renewed spirit of civic engagement fostered by outstanding leadership
on caring campuses.”
The Honor Roll is jointly sponsored by the Corporation, through its
Learn and Serve America program, and the Department of Education, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
In congratulating the winners, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret
Spellings said, “Americans rely on our higher education system to
prepare students for citizenship and the workforce. We look to
institutions like these to provide leadership in partnering with local
schools to shape the civic, democratic and economic future of our
country.”
Overall, the Community Service Honor Roll awarded six schools with
Presidential Awards. In addition, four schools were recognized as
Special Achievement Award winners, 127 as Honor Roll With Distinction
members and 391 schools as Honor Roll members. In total, 528 schools
were recognized.
Posted: Thu, February 14th, 2008 at 1:31PM
