COMMUNITY SERVICE AS A WAY OF LIFE
By focusing on the needs of others, students gain a sense of compassion and social awareness that develops when people help each other. A national survey conducted by Allan Luks revealed that people who do regular volunteer work report that good feelings keep them generally healthier and happier In his book, The Healing Power of Doing Good, he suggests that working through an organization makes volunteers more likely to continue regular volunteer activities. By providing college students with an organized means to experience service learning, colleges can foster a lifelong commitment to altruism.
There are those who see the world’s ills as insurmountable and make no effort to address them. There are others who believe that each of us can make a difference through individual acts of civic responsibility. Toward that end, every community college in the nation should provide its students with a variety of volunteer, community service, public service and service learning experiences to prepare them for a role of active citizenship and participation in improving the quality of life in their communities. Think what a legacy we could leave our children and their children if we could imbue each of the nearly 9 million students that annually pass through our doors each year with such a notion. The ripple effect would certainly go a long way toward making our world a better place.
WHERE TO FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Campus Compact: The Project for Public and Community Service, Brown University, 25 George Street Providence, RI, 02912;Tel: 401-863-1119. A coalition of college and university presidents. Member services: technical assistance, internships, awards,resource materials, and legislative advocacy
Campus Compact Center for Community Colleges (CCCCC), Mesa Community College, 1833 West Southern Avenue, Mesa,AZ 85202; Tel: 602-461-7392. Provides information and technical assistance regarding the development of public service and service learning initiatives at community colleges throughout the nation.
COOL: Campus Outreach Opportunity League, 386 McNeal Hall, St. Paul, MN, 55108-1011; Tel: 612- 624-3018. A student organization to support and promote student involvement in community service. Member services: site visits, training workshops,conferences and resource materials.
Corporation for National and Community Service, 1100 Vermont Ave NW, Suite 8100, Washington, DC 20525; Tel:202-606-5108. Supports innovative service programs in higher education, Serve America, the Civilian Community Corps and programs previously funded by ACTION, including VISTA and the National Senior Volunteer Corps by providing help for volunteer activities and community projects through grants and technical assistance.
. National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE), 3509 Haworth Drive, Suite 207, Raleigh, NC 27609- 7229; Tel:919-787-3263. An association of individuals, institutions and organizations that promote the effective use of experience as an integral part of education. Member services: newsletters, publications, conferences, information clearinghouse.
Partnership for Service Learning, 815 Second Avenue, Suite 315, New York, NY 10017-4594; Tel: 212- 986-0989. A consortium of colleges, universities, service agencies, religious organizations committed to developing service learning in American higher education. Member services: technical assistance, international conference, international programs.