<esident’s Higher Education and Community Service Honor Roll was released this January and included some of the foremost names in higher education in the United States including Duke, Emory and Michigan State. It is easily one of the highest federal recognitions that a college can receive for their dedication to volunteer work, service learning and civic engagement. The award was created in 2006 and there has not been a year since that Carleton has not been on it.
You may never have been to the ACT Center. Or you may come by every day to sit on the couch and drink tea. You may also qualify interacting in the community as eating at Hogan Bros. Or you may go to the Food Shelf every week to organize shipments of nonperishables. It doesn’t matter where you fit on the continuum of service, Carleton as an institution is dedicated to the Northfield community in many—now recognized—ways that influence students more than you probably realize.
What are some of the factors that really make us a cut above the rest?
• The scope, innovativeness and level of effectiveness of service projects
• The sheer number of students engaged in community service
• The number of students engaged in community service for more than 20 hours per term
• Number of students that have taken an academic civic engagement course
• The extent to which the institution supports academic civic engagement
• The amount of support given to the Federal Work study community service program
• The fact that issues in service are in the college’s mission statement
• The number of support staff for Community Service and Academic Civic Engagement
• Ratio of alumni who are current AmeriCorps members
• Ratio of alumni who are current Peace Corps members
It doesn’t take an award to show that Carleton students are engaged though. Daily life in the ACT Office is an indication that students are connecting to the community in many different ways. Most of the hubbub right now is about a yearly event that is taking place next week that brings community members to campus to speak about important issues in our community: Who Is Northfield? Next Tuesday five different community leaders will be on our campus to talk about issues in health from all perspectives—social, economic, and physical. Lunch will be provided but only you can bring the impetus for social change.
