Local service fair launches a year of student service
Kim Chaudoin |
Service is a hallmark of the Lipscomb community. This year’s focus on service officially begins with the 10th annual Service Fair set for Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bennett Campus Center and Bison Square.
More than 40 local nonprofit organizations will visit campus to inform students about opportunities for them to give back to their community.
“The Local Service Fair provides students with the opportunity to learn more about how they can become engaged in the Nashville community and discover ways to invest their time and talents in causes they are passionate about,” said Cara Harris, coordinator of the event.
“This event serves not only to get students involved but makes them aware of the wide array of agencies serving our community. They often then become aware of ways to use their knowledge and skills in capacities they may not have considered otherwise. For instance, a math major can tutor women studying for the G.E.D. test through Christian Women's Job Corps.”
A variety of agencies will be on hand including the Nashville Food Project, Nashville Public Library, Room in the Inn, World Relief Nashville and Youth Life Learning Center among many others to educate students, faculty and staff about their mission and the service opportunities that are available.
“This is a great opportunity for representatives of these organizations to get in front of students and speak to them face-to-face about what they are trying to accomplish in the Nashville community,” said Harris. “It’s an excellent way to make connections that are more personal than merely signing up on a sign-up list for a service project.”
A networking breakfast will take place before the fair begins to give representatives from the organizations an opportunity to meet each other as well as faculty, staff and students.
Every student attending Lipscomb fulfills specific service-learning requirements through the Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program. Building on Lipscomb’s long tradition of community service, SALT has enhanced student volunteerism even more, resulting in Lipscomb’s selection in the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, recognizing colleges and universities nationwide “for exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.”
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected Lipscomb University as one of only 115 colleges and universities nationwide to receive its 2010 Community Engagement Classification. Lipscomb is one of 196 institutions identified in the 2006 and 2008 selection process.
In addition, Lipscomb was recently ranked at 65th nationwide among master’s universities in the 2011Washington Monthly College Guide, an annual ranking that recognizes universities’ efforts to give back to their communities and their nation. Lipscomb ranked higher in the master’s category than any other Tennessee university and was the only Nashville university listed among the top 100.
For more information about service programs at Lipscomb, click here.