Student Volunteers Honored at Service-Learning Awards

View additional event photos on the EFSC Flickr account.

Student volunteers who make community service an important part of their education were honored Tuesday at Eastern Florida State College.

The Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement presented the awards on the Melbourne Campus, recognizing more than 2,000 students who participated this academic year.

"The lessons learned through volunteerism are as important as any taught in the classroom, because the knowledge gained can become part of the DNA of your lives," said Dr. Linda Miedema, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs and Chief Learning Officer.

"The mission of our College is to serve our community, and there is no better example than students such as you who use community service to go beyond yourselves for a greater good."

The EFSC Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement has been championing student volunteerism for 31 years, compiling an impressive record.

During this academic year:

• Students provided more than 100,000 hours of community service.
• 34 students earned the prestigious designation of Citizen Scholar, volunteering more than 300 hours and maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• Over 218 courses were included in service-learning, thanks to 156 faculty members taking part.
• 350 community partners opened their doors to students, giving of their time and experience.

Since the Center’s inception in 1988, more than 90,000 students have recorded over 3 million hours of community service.

Students have built homes for the needy with Habitat for Humanity, supported troops overseas through Operation American Standing and worked alongside Junior Achievement to develop work-readiness skills and financial literacy in K-12 classrooms.

The recognition celebration also honored the dozens of EFSC faculty and more than 50 community partners who made the volunteer efforts possible during this academic year.

For more information, visit the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.