For the fifth consecutive year in a row, Kean University has been named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service [CNCS]. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the Kean University community completed more than 33,800 hours of community service through various programs hosted by the center for leadership and service [CLS]. The tremendous contributions from Jumpstart, the Department of Athletics, Student Organization, Greek Life, and many other organizations and departments on-campus played a crucial role in this treasured recognition.. The 2013 New Jersey volunteer value per hour was $25.33 for a total estimated impact of more than $856,154.00.

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll was launched in 2006 and recognizes higher education institutions whose community service efforts achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. This is the highest federal recognition that colleges and universities can receive for community service, service-learning and civic engagement. “Every year since 2009, when the center for leadership and service was established by President Dawood Farahi, Kean University has been named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the U.S. Corporation for National and Community Service,” announced Scott Snowden, director of CLS.

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions in four categories: general community service, interfaith community service, economic opportunity and education. The CLS office was recognized under general community service and education. “One of the goals of the center is to help students utilize the skills they learn in the classroom and apply them to real-world situations while giving back to the community and understanding the impact they can have when they help others” said Snowden.

The General Community Service category recognizes institutions that have made a commitment to improving the quality of life of off-campus community residents and low-income individuals. “Through partnerships with Union County Parks, the City of Elizabeth and its public schools, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside, and many other government and non-profit agencies, we can provide our students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful service that has a direct impact on the surrounding community,” explained Snowden

Projects like September 11, Martin Luther King [MLK] national days of service, hunger and homelessness awareness week, national volunteer week, monthly blood drives, environmental cleanups, the hurricane Sandy relief project, and multiple charitable fundraising collection efforts, have helped make this award possible. “Our students volunteered more than 33,000 hours in the last academic year, half of which were in the community within five miles of the University,” acknowledged Snowden.

The Education category recognized institutions that have made a commitment to improving educational outcomes for children and youth in pre-kindergarten through undergraduate education. CLS received this award because of the Jumpstart program. “Kean produces more teachers than any other school in New Jersey and with programs like Jumpstart; we are able to give our education majors the opportunity to enter a real classroom in Elizabeth after extensive professional training,” explained Snowden.

In 2012, Kean University partnered with Jumpstart, an AmeriCorps program, to place 41 students in Elizabeth classrooms to support early education programs. Jumpstart delivers a research based program by training college students to serve preschool-age children in low income neighborhoods.

For the 2012-2013 academic year, there were a total of 42 corps members.  Jumpstart corps members aim to confirm over three hundred hours of service each semester, focusing primarily on in-classroom service.  “This training and experience enables them to empower the children in Elizabeth that they work with every day. In the United States 1 in 3 children enter kindergarten without the skills they need to succeed, and our Jumpstart Corps Members are working to change that,” explained Snowden.

For just the CLS, in the 2012-2013 academic year, there were about six federal work study partners, non-profit organizations and at least seven different organizations and agencies. The CLS prides themselves on their community service. They have received The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the fifth consecutive year in a row, and are looking forward to striving towards another consecutive year.

For more information about volunteering at Kean University, please visit the Center for Leadership and Service website at http://www.kean.edu/offices/cls.