BCC Earns Recognition from President's Community Service Honor Roll

April 5, 2012 - Brevard County, FL - Brevard Community College was recently admitted to the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its service-learning approach. The Honor Roll recognizes institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs and raises the visibility of best practices in campus-community partnerships.

Brevard Community College's Center for Service Learning is recognized and respected as one of the best service-learning programs in the nation. Its focus on making community service an integral part of BCC students' education is embedded in the very fabric of the College and spread throughout its curriculum. Since its inception in 1988, the Center has engaged 61,433 students in nearly 2.2 million hours of community service.

This past academic year alone, 142 faculty members utilized service learning in 135 courses and in 350 specific course selections. More than 5,000 students volunteered 200,000 community service hours. In addition, 23 students graduated this past fall with the prestigious Citizen Scholar distinction, giving back through gifts of 300 or more hours of personal time in service to the community.

Students at all four campuses, as well as faculty and staff, currently serve more than 300 community partner organizations, including: the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida, Brevard County Animal Services, Brevard County Parks and Recreation, Brevard County Sharing Centers, Brevard Public Schools, Brevard Zoo, Florida Native Plant Society, Habitat for Humanity, Harmony Farms, Health First, Keep Brevard Beautiful, Marine Resources Council, the Nature Conservatory, Salvation Army and Wuesthoff Health Systems.

"Community service is at the heart of who we are as a College," said, Dr. Jim Richey, BCC President. "This recognition of our service-learning approach is proof that what we are doing works, enriches the overall educational experience of our students and meets a need in our community. We're honored to have been selected this year."

The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Higher Education. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in curriculum, the school's commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.

 

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Brevard Community College is committed to engaging our diverse
population in quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities which
successfully meet individual and community needs.