Pacific Union College has been named to the annual President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This is the second year the Corporation for National and Community Service has recognized the college’s commitment to helping improve local communities through service-learning and community service.
Started in 2006, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is managed by the Corporation for National & Community Service and given in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core. The awards highlight the impact colleges and universities can have within their local community and student involvement in civic engagement. The President’s Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions in four categories, and PUC placed in the general category.
“Service-learning is one of the high-impact practices that help our students engage in meaningful, active learning; it has the added bonus of both helping our community members and encouraging our graduates to live lives of useful service,” said Nancy Lecourt, vice president for academic administration and academic dean.
In 2015, approximately 522 PUC students participated in service-learning and community service activities, including mentoring students at the Boys and Girls Club of St. Helena and Calistoga; working to preserve rare plants through courses such as Ecology and Flowering Plants; participating in the UpValley Family Center’s VITA program to provide free tax-assistance to the local community; and helping to feed and spend time with the homeless in nearby Clearlake every Saturday. These projects accumulated an impressive total of over 21,300 hours, with an impact value of $573,000. Internships, field experiences, clinicals, student teaching hours, and both short- and long-term mission trips also contributed to the total.
“PUC has a long history of community service and mission, especially within the last few years. We’ve put additional resources and energy into creating more service and service-learning opportunities for students, both locally and globally. It’s great to see our campus be recognized nationally for the work our students and faculty are doing. We’re grateful to our wonderful community partners for their mentorship of our students and their willingness to include us in addressing community needs,” said Alisa Jacobo, who served as the college’s service-learning coordinator last year.
For more information, and a full list of Honor Roll awardees, visit the Corporation for National & Community Service website.