3/27/12 – Riverdale, NY – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the U.S. Department of Education recently honored the nation’s leading colleges and universities, students and faculty members and staff for their commitment to bettering their communities through community service and service learning.
Manhattan College was admitted to the 2012 Honor Roll for its ongoing dedication to serving others locally in New York City and globally. The College also focuses on integrating service learning in the classroom and promoting community engagement.
“Through service, these institutions are creating the next generation of leaders by challenging students to tackle tough issues and create positive impacts in the community,” said Robert Velasco, acting CEO of CNCS.
“Preparing students to participate in our democracy and providing them with opportunities to take on local and global issues in their course work are as central to the mission of education as boosting college completion and closing the achievement gap,” said Eduardo Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education.
The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, the initiative celebrates the transformative power and volunteer spirit that exists within the higher education community.
As part of Manhattan College’s Lasallian Catholic heritage and mission to advocate for those suffering from injustices, the College strives to instill a commitment of service throughout the campus community. The College offers a variety of volunteer opportunities, such as the Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.), which allows students to volunteer around the world, build community and experience cultural immersion. In addition, the Methodist Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation (Riverdale, N.Y.) awarded the College the good neighbor award in October 2011 for enriching the lives of its residents through developing various programs in conjunction with academic courses. The Arches, learning and living program this year, also promotes service learning in the classroom from working with community organizers on housing issues to working at a homeless shelter in the South Bronx. Students regularly visit the elderly in nursing homes, feed the hungry at local soup kitchens, tutor underprivileged children, provide free income tax assistance programs, organize blood and toy drives, and build houses with Habitat for Humanity too.
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 2010, 3.1 million college students dedicated more than 312 million hours of service to communities across the country, service valued at more than $6.6 billion.
CNCS is a strong partner with the nation’s colleges and universities in supporting community service and service-learning. Last year, it provided more than $200 million in support to institutions of higher education, including grants to operate service programs and the Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for college tuition and student loan repayment.
CNCS 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. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.