MESA, Arizona – Mesa Community College (MCC) has been named to the 2014 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, one of 766 higher education institutions nationwide, and one of only four in Arizona.
"We are proud to continue to receive this designation since its inception," said Shouan Pan, President, Mesa Community College. "MCC has a long-held tradition of promoting service-learning, civic engagement, and innovative teaching. We are committed to preparing students to be engaged and informed citizens through real life experiences.”
Service-learning is offered in every academic area at MCC and is a required component of programs such as Administration of Justice, Education and Social Work.
“Our students consistently provide thousands of hours of service annually, benefitting veterans, elementary and high school students, and others most in need in our community,” said Duane Oakes, Faculty Director, MCC Center for Community & Civic Engagement. “We're not only providing education, we're learning from one another along the way.”
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service, has administered the award since 2006 in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, and the Interfaith Youth Core.
“Service and higher education go hand in hand,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, in a news release. “These schools are inspiring young leaders to roll up their sleeves and work alongside community members to solve problems. By recognizing the institutions who are leading the way to achieve meaningful, measurable results for the communities they serve, we also highlight the vital role all colleges and universities play in addressing community challenges and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement.”
The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community challenges. As a result, more students are likely to pursue a lifelong path of civic engagement that achieves meaningful and measurable outcomes in their communities.
College students make a significant contribution to their communities through volunteering and service, according to the most recent Volunteering and Civic Life in America report. In 2012, 3.1 million college students dedicated more than 118 million hours of service across the country — a contribution valued at $2.5 billion.
More information on eligibility and the full list of Honor Roll awardees may be found at nationalservice.gov/HonorRoll.
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Contact
Dawn Zimmer, 480-461-7892, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu
About Mesa Community College
Mesa Community College provides outstanding transfer and career and technical programs, workforce development, and life-long learning opportunities to residents of the East Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona. MCC excels in teaching, learning and empowering its more than 40,000 students who attend annually to succeed in a local and global community. Mesa Community College is one of ten colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information please visit http://www.mesacc.edu.
About MCC Community & Civic Engagement
MCC’s Center for Community & Civic Engagement Department promotes excellence in teaching and learning through active service to prepare individuals to be social responsible and civically engaged. Students have contributed more than 1.6 million hours of service as part of their education at MCC. Agencies and organizations wishing to join the more than 300 active MCC service-learning partners may self nominate online at mesacc.edu/community-civic-engagement/service-sites.
About the Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs, and leads the President's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
The Maricopa County Community College District is an EEO/AA institution and an
equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.