The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has announced that Washington University in St. Louis has been named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
The designation honors the nation’s leading higher education institutions and their students, faculty and staff for their commitment to bettering communities through service. Chosen institutions reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.
Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, CNCS has administered the award since 2006.
“Communities are strengthened when we all come together, and we are encouraged that these institutions and their students have made service a priority,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Civic engagement should be a key component of every student’s education experience. Through reaching out to meet the needs of their neighbors, these students are deepening their impact, strengthening our democracy and ultimately preparing themselves to be successful citizens.”
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.