Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University has once again been honored by the Corporation for National and Community Service with a place on the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America's communities. Indiana State was first recognized for its efforts in 2006 and was one of 19 Indiana schools who made the list.

"Indiana State is pleased to be recognized again for its commitment to community service," said Daniel J. Bradley, president of Indiana State. "However, the real reward comes in the form of the experiences our students receive and the impact they have on those they assist. As part of our strategic plan, our goal is to ensure that all Indiana State students participate in a significant community service activity prior to graduation."

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.

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 innovation 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.

Indiana State students have many opportunities for service, including the annual Fall Donaghy Day, participating in Alternative Spring Break and becoming a member of the AmeriCorps Sycamore Service Corps.

Donaghy Day gives freshmen and new students the opportunity to learn more about Terre Haute while performing community service for 30 non-profit organizations.

Twenty-seven students and six advisors traveled to Kansas City, Memphis and Maryville, Tenn. to perform more than 2,000 hours of service in conjunction with Alternative Spring Break. Students helped unique audiences at each location - children living in poverty, families in crisis and seniors and the people of Cherokee Nation.

Sycamore Service Corps members organized a football camp for children at the 14th and Chestnut Community Center, recruited volunteers to build a pole barn for Happiness Bag, organized an event for adolescent girls at Ryves Youth Center, served as substance abuse instructors through CHANCES for Indiana Youth, organized a fitness and music program for adults with developmental disabilities at Spectrum Industries and assisted with a teen court program.

According to ISU's Center for Community Engagement, from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010, more than 5,700 Indiana State students were engaged in community service programs and activities, contributing more than 352,000 hours.

"Our students, staff and faculty members are committed to the community," said Nancy Rogers, associate vice president for Community Engagement and Experiential Learning "While applying what they have learned in the classroom, our students improve the quality of life in the Wabash Valley and beyond. The service enhances their learning experience - from learning new skills, learning to work with diverse groups of people, problem solving to seeing other ways to apply their degree, " Rogers said.

A total of 851 institutions applied for the 2010 Honor Roll, a nine percent increase over last year, a sign of the growing interest by colleges and universities in highlighting their efforts to engage students in making a difference in the community.

On campuses across the country, millions of college students are engaged in innovative projects to meet local needs, often using the skills learned in classrooms. In 2009, 3.2 million college students dedicated more than 307 million hours of service to communities across the country, service valued at more than $6.4 billion.

The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education.

Contact: Nancy Rogers, Center for Community Engagement, 812-237-2334 or nancy.rogers@indstate.edu
 
Writer: Paula Meyer, ISU Communications and Marketing, 812-237-3783 or paula.meyer@indstate.edu