Spring Break
University recognized for Service Learning
Janie Boschma
Issue date: 9/25/08 Section: News
Junior Greta Fenske is one of the rare students who completed her service-learning requirement as a freshman.
When she heard about Jumpstart, a literacy program that helps prepare preschoolers for kindergarten, Fenske said she was immediately interested.
"I got some information and I saw it would be working with kids and I could get my service learning," she said. "I joined on and this is my third year and I absolutely love it. It's great to see their progress by the end of the year."
Director of Service Learning Don Mowry said it's student involvement in programs like Jumpstart that has earned UW-Eau Claire a spot in the first edition of the annual Guide to Service-Learning Colleges and Universities. Student Horizons, based in Maryland, published the guide.
Student Horizons' public relations manager Kristen Schremp said Eau Claire was automatically selected for the guide because of its status as a 2006 and 2007 winner of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for General Community Service.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency, awards the title annually to just a few institutions nationwide. According to its Web site, the President's award is the highest honor an American institution can receive for commitment to volunteering.
Mowry said Eau Claire's full-page color profile in the guide "brings well-deserved recognition for all the wonderful work we're doing in the area of civic engagement."
After it's printed in three weeks, the guide will be distributed to high schools across the nation.
"Being involved in service learning and helping your community … is becoming a really important thing for a lot of students, to be able to feel like they're contributing," Schremp said. "It's a really important part of the academic process. We kind of wanted a guide to cater to that."
Since 1995, Eau Claire has required all students to complete 30 hours of community service before graduating, Mowry said. The program now connects Eau Claire students with 971 organizations worldwide, whether in the Chippewa Valley or integrated in a study abroad program.
When she heard about Jumpstart, a literacy program that helps prepare preschoolers for kindergarten, Fenske said she was immediately interested.
"I got some information and I saw it would be working with kids and I could get my service learning," she said. "I joined on and this is my third year and I absolutely love it. It's great to see their progress by the end of the year."
Director of Service Learning Don Mowry said it's student involvement in programs like Jumpstart that has earned UW-Eau Claire a spot in the first edition of the annual Guide to Service-Learning Colleges and Universities. Student Horizons, based in Maryland, published the guide.
Student Horizons' public relations manager Kristen Schremp said Eau Claire was automatically selected for the guide because of its status as a 2006 and 2007 winner of the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for General Community Service.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency, awards the title annually to just a few institutions nationwide. According to its Web site, the President's award is the highest honor an American institution can receive for commitment to volunteering.
Mowry said Eau Claire's full-page color profile in the guide "brings well-deserved recognition for all the wonderful work we're doing in the area of civic engagement."
After it's printed in three weeks, the guide will be distributed to high schools across the nation.
"Being involved in service learning and helping your community … is becoming a really important thing for a lot of students, to be able to feel like they're contributing," Schremp said. "It's a really important part of the academic process. We kind of wanted a guide to cater to that."
Since 1995, Eau Claire has required all students to complete 30 hours of community service before graduating, Mowry said. The program now connects Eau Claire students with 971 organizations worldwide, whether in the Chippewa Valley or integrated in a study abroad program.
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