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Boston College has been named to the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes the University as a leader among institutions of higher education for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of service.
“Congratulations to Boston College and its students for their dedication to service and commitment to improving their local communities," said Patrick A. Corvington, chief executive officer of Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers the annual Honor Roll.
“We salute all the Honor Roll awardees for embracing their civic mission and providing opportunities for their students to tackle tough national challenges through service. As the class of 2011 crosses the stage to pick up their diplomas, more and more will be going into world with a commitment to public service and the knowledge that they can make a difference in their community and their own lives through service to others, thanks to the leadership of these institutions.”
Boston College is one of 641 colleges and universities named to the 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. There was a nine percent increase in the number of institutions vying for honor roll status in 2010.
"Anyone who works with our students on a regular basis knows the passion and determination that they bring to service," said Daniel Ponsetto, director of the Volunteer and Service Learning Center at Boston College. "In addition to the many programs the University sponsors to engage our students in serving others, new initiatives emerge each year, allowing more students to become involved as volunteers. This recognition by the Corporation for National and Community Service is a confirmation of our institutional commitment to fostering civic engagement among our students, and also confirms their dedication to participating in the social mission of our Jesuit, Catholic university."
Boston College’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships and bringing about measurable community outcomes is best exemplified in its Boston Connects (recently expanded and renamed City Connects) program, St. Columbkille Partnership School, and Boston College Neighborhood Center.
The Boston Connects program, directed by BC Kearns Professor of Education Mary Walsh and in place in 14 Boston Public Schools, combats in the effects of poverty and non-academic barriers to school success. Boston Connects schools have seen increased test scores and improved health habits among its students.
The BC Neighborhood Center, located in the Brighton neighborhood it serves, provides Boston residents and agencies with services such as tutoring, mentoring, goodwill visits to schools and hospitals, community clean-ups and English language instruction, among other initiatives.
At St. Columbkille Partnership School, a collaboration among BC, the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Columbkille Parish, 17 teachers have earned degrees from BC, tuition-free. The University also provides student-teachers, interns and tutors for the school, as well as curriculum development and information technology assistance.
CNCS oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education.