Saint Leo University Students Recognized Again for Dedication to Volunteer Work

March 02, 2010

Saint Leo University has again been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

In a new level of accomplishment, Saint Leo was named to the 2009 Honor Roll with Distinction, an even higher level of recognition. Saint Leo University is one of only four institutions in Florida recognized at this level. SLU has earned a spot on the Honor Roll since its inception in 2006.

“Congratulations to Saint Leo University and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the Honor Roll. “Our nation’s students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”

A college or university earns a place on the Honor Roll by demonstrating that its community service projects involve a significant number of students, meet real community needs, and produce tangible benefits. More than 600 institutions were honored this year by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Another 115 universities and colleges, including Saint Leo, merited placement on the Honor Roll with Distinction. This indicates institutions have set themselves apart in measures such as the percentage of students involved in community service, the scope of their activities, or other demonstrable evidence of a high level of commitment to service. Another six institutions were named Presidential Awardees, the very highest honor available.

“We at Saint Leo are very pleased to be included in the Honor Roll with Distinction, said University President Arthur F. Kirk, Jr. “Service learning is part of our commitment at this university. We believe it is an effective way for our students to grow into the principled leaders of tomorrow, and it certainly reflects and reinforces our core values of community and personal development.” Saint Leo University is guided by six core values: excellence, community, respect, personal development, responsible stewardship, and integrity.

Service projects are part of the culture of Saint Leo. At the main campus, students have the opportunity to participate in two community service events each year, on Veterans Day and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, when classes are cancelled.

Many also participate in alternative spring-break trips to communities within the United States or abroad where small teams can help with projects such as home-building or repairs, agricultural or environmental work, and aid to schools and churches. In a very recent example, one group of students took the concept of the alternative spring-break trips to a new level. Students enrolled in a special class to prepare for a service trip that took place after the conclusion of the fall semester. From December 12 to 22, 2009, the group took time to travel to a school in Ecuador, a location where SLU students and advisors visited during previous service trips. During the December visit, they helped middle school and high school students practice English-language and computer skills.

Other student organizations and athletic teams at Saint Leo also take on community projects of their own creation throughout the academic year.

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

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.