Cornell gets top federal community service recognition
The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Cornell to its President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, With Distinction, for the university's exemplary local, national and international community service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth.
The honor roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service learning and civic engagement.
Public service is one of five overarching goals in Cornell's strategic plan and accounted for expenditures in extension and public service of more than $100 million in fiscal year (FY) 2011. The university estimates more than 7,600 students engaged in community service during FY11, engaging in at least 400,000 community service hours.
The Cornell Public Service Center (PSC), celebrating its 20th year, is the university's largest demonstration of student engagement in communities. More than 20 PSC-sponsored student groups contributed more than 153,900 hours of community service in FY11. Through its Into the Streets program, PSC partners students with local social service agencies that need assistance with various projects. For example, PSC students have partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County and "Light Up Tompkins" to educate people of Tompkins County on energy efficiency and saving energy.
In addition, 700 Cornell Tradition students and Meinig scholars served 114,800 hours on campus and in the community; 10 Blumenthal interns worked with at-risk or disadvantaged youth, and the Cornell Prison Education Program engaged 80 undergraduates to serve as teaching assistants and 20-30 graduate and law students as course instructors at correctional facilities.
Other public engagement programs include the Einaudi Center for International Studies' Educational Resources for International Studies, in which undergraduates teach K-12 students about topics related to global issues, and Cornell faculty and staff members hold workshops for middle and high school teachers across New York state. The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research (BCTR) provides resources and workshops to reduce risk-taking and self-injurious behavior among adolescents and young adults. It also, through the ACT for Youth Center of Excellence, engaged formerly homeless youth to explore ways to improve services to them and expand their housing options. Through the BCTR, 15 undergraduates contributed 4,800 hours to program development and research in HIV risk reduction research and education projects.
To add capacity to undergraduate service-learning opportunities and upon the recommendation of faculty, a Center for Community Engaged Learning and Research was established last October. And Professor Rebecca Stoltzfus was named the provost's fellow for public engagement, earlier this year.
Launched in 2006, the honor roll recognizes more than 600 colleges and universities for "exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs."
The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.