PNC Named to President’s Community Service Honor Roll

Purdue University North Central has for the sixth consecutive year been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service in recognition of its students and their commitment to bettering their communities through community service and service learning.

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.

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 meeting of the American Council on Education.

The annual Honor Roll award recognizes 642 colleges and universities. Campuses named to this year's Honor Roll reported that nearly one million of their students engaged in service learning and more than 1.6 million participated in other forms of community service, serving a total of more than 105 million hours. 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.

"It is a tremendous accomplishment for PNC to be part of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll again this year," said PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin. "Service learning and community engagement have become a way of life at PNC. Our students are visible community members who seek out and take on volunteer projects. Their service benefits all members of the community and helps them gain an appreciation of giving that will promote a life-long commitment to volunteerism and community service."

Laura Weaver, coordinator of the PNC Center for Service Learning & Leadership added, "PNC is a leader in providing opportunities for our students to engage in academic service learning and community service through partnerships with numerous organizations throughout Northwest Indiana. These partnerships allow students to take on essential roles to address the needs of our communities while becoming civic-minded citizens."

In the 2010-2011 academic year, 1,800 PNC students engaged in service learning and civic engagement activities - 34 percent of the student population. They donated more than 17,800 total hours of service through a combination of course embedded service learning, on-going co-curricular community service and volunteer activities These projects included:

Participating in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Breakfast held on the PNC campus. Following the breakfast, PNC students and faculty lead educational activities focusing on the life and teachings of Dr. King for pre-school and elementary school children at the Michigan City Public Library. PNC and community volunteers completed service projects at area not-for-profit agencies.

Tax and accounting students offered free assistance to individuals with low to moderate incomes, those with disabilities and the elderly in preparing federal and state income tax returns.

Registered nurses who are students in the PNC Nursing Bachelor's degree program presented a free health fair, "SAFETY: Self Awareness for Every Teen, YES!!!," for the students of Michigan City Marquette High School, providing information on health topics important to teens.

Business and Leadership Department students, in conjunction with the PNC Center for Economic Development and Research, provided services to local community organizations. One class partnered with the City of Bridgman, Michigan's Economic Growth Alliance to address the strategic marketing needs of the community-based economic development program. Another class partnered with the Town of Beverly Shores to develop human resource materials and provide training to the town's employees and board members.

PNC is a strategic partner with the Northwest Indiana United Way's regional "Success by 6" initiative. PNC provided training and support to local childcare providers and to children and families through its Early Childhood Summer Institute, the Early Childhood Workshop Series and the 5th Annual Early Learning Conference.

Early Childhood education students were instrumental in the creation of the Nancy Dworkin Born Learning Trail - the first Born Learning Trail on a university campus in Indiana. It presents an opportunity for PNC students to undertake projects with area schools, create learning activities and opportunities for activities and lessons.

Communication students worked with area not-for-profit agencies to advance community support.

Purdue Learning About Young Children in Education (PLAYCE) student club projects included KinderCones to provide school supplies for local kindergartners; Bradley House and Head Start Book Drive to collect books for local agencies; Porter County Holiday Party for children and families of two federally funded childcare centers; Carmelite House Supply Drive to collect health care supplies for a local treatment and group home.

PNC Construction Club and campus volunteers partnered with Habitat for Humanity and local Rebuilding Together projects.