McKendree Is On President's Higher Ed Community Service Honor Roll

Recognized for volunteerism and service learning

(LEBANON, Ill., December 10, 2014) - McKendree University has earned a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the seventh time since 2006. It is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

McKendree was recognized for exemplary achievement in the general community service category by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which made the announcement on Dec. 8. The CNCS and the U.S. Department of Education admitted 770 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth.

CNCS, the federal agency for volunteering and service, oversees the initiative in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core.

Last year 20,550 service hours were given by 2,172 McKendree students. Over 887 students were enrolled in service-learning courses. More than 25 courses link service to academics, and scholarships are available to high school students who have demonstrated significant volunteerism.

Through the Lyn Huxford Center for Community Service at McKendree, students participate in weekly service programs at youth centers, nursing homes, animal shelters and other locations. Student outreach benefits dozens of local agencies and activities including food banks, the Special Olympics and the Family Living Center. The center is named for the retired sociology professor named who founded the Center for Public Service on campus in 1994.

Two groups of students and faculty members are preparing for an “alternative spring break” in Jamaica and a mission project in East St. Louis in 2015. They will spend their break helping to build and repair homes and schools, preparing gardens, and reading to children.

College students make a significant contribution to their communities through volunteering and service, according to the most recent Volunteering and Civic Life in America report. “Service and higher education go hand in hand,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the CNCS. “These schools are inspiring young leaders to roll up their sleeves and work alongside community members to solve problems. By recognizing the institutions who are leading the way to achieve meaningful, measurable results for the communities they serve, we also highlight the vital role all colleges and universities play in addressing community challenges and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement.”

 

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