The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll has recognized Linfield College for leadership in civic engagement and service-learning. This is the sixth consecutive year Linfield has been recognized by the national organization, which highlights the role colleges play in addressing local and global issues.
Last year, nearly 900 students volunteered almost 50,000 hours of service. The primary areas of focus included conservation and environmental sustainability, literacy and mentorship of disadvantaged youth, and outreach to those who are impoverished, homeless or hungry.
Students collaborate with the McMinnville School District and others to provide tutoring and after-school programming for children and teens. They serve at soup kitchens and in local shelters, and assist with Yamhill County’s 10-Year Ending Homelessness Plan. Many spend their spring break building homes with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering with youth or focusing on environmental conservation.
“Our hope is to empower students to become active citizens and life-long learners by providing experiential service-learning opportunities,” says Alexis Powell, program coordinator for the Community Engagement and Service Office at Linfield.
“We want to see students connect what they are learning in the classroom to the local and global community,” Powell said. “That way, they’ll be able to address pressing community needs, gain a better understanding of social issues facing their community, and put their own educational and service experiences in context.”
Linfield students not only volunteer locally, but they participate in humanitarian projects across the globe. Linfield is ranked 25th in the nation for participation in study abroad programs, and sponsors service-learning projects that include health care, outreach to children and housing.