Drexel University has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues ranging from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice. “Congratulations to Drexel and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Our nation’s students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”Through various programs at Drexel, more than 10,500 students in 2009 participated in community service. University 101 requires all freshmen to participate in a course-connected service projects designed to promote civic learning and social responsibility. Other Drexel programs available through Drexel’s Center for Civic Engagement include: the Drexel Community Scholars, where students are assigned to strategic partnerships within community non-profits and schools, and serve as liaisons between the assigned community and Drexel’s students, faculty and staff; the 11th Street Family Health Services through which students have the option of completing their clinical practice in public health at the nurse-operated clinic; and Guiding Youth to Careers, which matches high school students with University mentors to explore college opportunities and achievable career goals. The Honor Roll includes six colleges and universities recognized as Presidential Awardees, with an additional 115 named to the Distinction List and 621 schools named as Honor Roll members. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. The Corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov. Drexel’s Center for Civic Engagement promotes social responsibility and public service by facilitating community-based experiential learning for students, faculty, and staff. Through collaborations with the community, and in support of the University’s strategic plan, the CCE improves the public good on the local, national and global levels while enriching the scholarship and character of Drexel through enhanced education.News Media Contact: Niki Gianakaris, director, Drexel News Bureau 215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.edu
