PNC Named to President’s Community Service Honor Roll

Purdue University North Central has for the fifth consecutive year been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service in recognition of its students and their "exemplary service efforts and service to America's communities."


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1401 S US 421
Westville, IN 46391
Phone: 219-785-5200

The Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to community service. Honorees were chosen based on a series of factors including 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.

The Honor Roll is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is presented during the annual conference of the American Council on Education.

The annual Honor Roll award recognizes more than 641 colleges and universities out of a field of 851 applicants for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. In 2009, 3.2 million students performed more than 307 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study.

In recent years, PNC has eagerly taken on a growing number of community service projects and faculty members have increasingly worked service learning into their classroom curricula.

"Service learning and community engagement have become a way of life at PNC," said PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin. "Our students are very visible community members and willingly reach out to take on volunteer projects. Their service not only benefits all members of the community, but the students gain an appreciation of giving that will promote a life-long commitment. PNC is honored to be part of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor."

Laura Weaver, Service Learning coordinator, PNC's Center for Service Learning & Leadership added, "Through service learning and community service projects, our students are taking on essential roles as community volunteers and becoming civic-minded citizens. At PNC we are committed to service learning and community engagement."

In the 2009-2010 academic year, 1,200 PNC students engaged in service learning and civic engagement activities - 26 percent of the student population. They donated more than 8,200 total hours of service through a combination of course embedded service learning, on-going co-curricular community service and volunteer activities. These projects included:

  • Students in Early Childhood Education partnering with the United Way Success By 6 - an initiative intended to help ensure the developmental needs of children under the age of six.
  • Early Childhood education students also helped build the Nancy Dworkin Born Learning Trail on the PNC campus.
  • Communication students worked with Mixed Up Mutts, the Lubeznik Center for the Arts, the American Red Cross, and Rebuilding Together Duneland, to raise funds, promote events and advance community support.
  • Computer & Information Technology students developed websites for local organizations.
  • Biology and Nursing students paired with health organizations to further the knowledge of medical ethics and its importance.
  • Students read to children at the LaPorte YMCA Child Care Center.
  • PNC Construction Club partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build homes in LaPorte County.
  • Students contributed to Rebuilding Together projects in Chesterton and Valparaiso.

"Congratulations to Purdue University North Central 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. "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."

Across Indiana, students donated 7,660,651 of hours of service, valued at more than $155 million.