UNCW was recognized on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its civic engagement and community service.

Awarded by the government’s Corporation for National and Community Service, 635 schools were recognized nationally on the Honor Roll.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service Web site, “The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs.”

“Community service is one of the most powerful forms of ‘experiential education,'” said Justin Atkinson, the AmeriCorps*VISTA. “Experiential education is a learning environment that encourages students to be engaged and active in whatever they are studying. Volunteerism allows students to make a positive impact on the local community, while teaching them important lessons on poverty, social justice and activism from the people experiencing these issues and those working to solve them.”

According to the press release, in the 2007-2008 academic year UNCW students recorded more than 55,850 hours of community service and service learning, making an economic impact of $1,089,500.

“I think for many of us, it is very easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget that there are others much less fortunate than us that could use some help,” junior Melissa Salvatore said. “I believe community service is important because regardless of the task or type of service you choose, you’re able to give back to those in need and improve the community as a whole. In turn, by helping one another, we are also finding out more about ourselves and improving the quality of our lives.”

Salvatore is a service fellow for the Center for Leadership Education and Service and is co-president of UNCW’s Amnesty International chapter. In 2008, she received the N.C. Campus Compact Community Impact Student Award.

“One of my greatest accomplishments at UNCW is helping to create an annual human rights awareness week sponsored by Amnesty International,” Salvatore said. “We bring speakers and movies to UNCW to introduce pressing human rights issues that are happening around the world.”

“Another great accomplishment was during last year’s UNCW Goes Global when I helped Amnesty and STAND bring two Darfur refugees to campus to tell their stories,” Salvatore said.

“Community service events often relate to a student’s field of study and/or career,” Atkinson said. “For example, many UNCW students who want to teach will tutor at an after-school program. UNCW students have a chance to work in a challenging classroom environment, while helping at-risk children. In this way both parties get a valuable experience. The Center for Leadership Education and Service runs volunteer programs in a wide variety of fields, from health care to the environment.”

“Community service is definitely an option [to gain experience and enhance resumes] but even better would be career specific volunteer work with an organization, either profit or non-profit,” said Karen Thompson, the UNCW internship coordinator and associate director of Career Services.

“Most of our students volunteer because they want to serve,” Atkinson said. “The resume building and possible job experience are residual effects. However, considering the job market, I would say that service is becoming more important to employers, especially in fields where competition is high and there is little distinction between extremely qualified applicants. Graduate schools are also placing a greater value on service, especially in medicine.”

Salvatore said, “My advice to students would be to get involved in some kind of community service or leadership opportunity that goes along with your major. By making the connection between what you’re doing in class and the ways it fits into the community, college can become more of a well-rounded experience.”