Newswise — University of North Carolina Wilmington is listed on the first-ever President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. UNCW was recognized for providing distinguished community service to Hurricane Katrina victims along the Gulf Coast.
Donna Chapa Crowe, Director of the UNCW Center for Leadership Education & Service, led a group of student volunteers to New Orleans from Dec. 26, 2005 through Jan. 1, 2006. They rebuilt and cleaned playgrounds and local parks that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Their trip was part of the "Bring New Orleans Back Tour," a relief effort sponsored by Hart 4 Humanity, a non-profit organization created by a California resident (photos from trip available upon request).
An additional 14 UNCW students, as well as students from the Baptist Student Union and Campus Crusade for Christ, traveled to New Orleans as an alternative spring break trip March 5-11, 2006.
The President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll was formed in response to President Bush's call to service by building on and supporting the civic engagement mission of the nation's colleges and universities. This recognition program is designed to increase public awareness of the contributions that college students are making within their local communities and across the country through volunteer service.
UNCW applauds the six colleges and universities received top recognition for extraordinary community service - three for aiding hurricane victims along the Gulf Coast and three for helping close neighbors. The President's Award for Hurricane Relief went to Jackson State University, Louisiana State University and Tulane University. Elon University of North Carolina; California State University, Monterey Bay; and Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis received the President's Award for outstanding community service.
"Higher education is a powerful engine of civic engagement and is central to achieving the President's vision of active citizens and connected communities," said Stephen Goldsmith, Chairman of the Corporation for National and Community Service, an independent federal agency tasked with fostering an ethic of volunteerism and service in America. "We applaud America's college students and the universities they attend for stepping up to help people in need."
UNCW students were among the 219,000 from across the nation who traveled to the Gulf to gut homes, clear debris, repair roofs and paint buildings during their winter and spring breaks.
The awards were presented at the Campus Compact 20th Anniversary in Chicago. The Campus Compact is a national coalition of nearly 1,000 college and university presidents, and supported by all the major national higher education associations. On UNCW's recognition Crowe says, "I would like to thank Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo as she continues to support our institutional efforts by maintaining our membership in Campus Compact."
The full President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is available at http://www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll.
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