Concord University has been named to the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Concord is honored in the General Community Service category. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced the Honor Roll earlier this month.
According to CNCS, “the General Community Service category recognizes institutions that have made a commitment to improving the quality of life of off-campus community residents, particularly low-income individuals.” The CNCS says that service in this category includes activities addressing “education, health, economic opportunity, the environment, disaster preparedness or other human needs including support for veterans and military families.”
Concord highlighted the following three programs in the application for the award:
Houston Company Store Project. Through a WV Campus Compact LINK grant, Dr. Susan Williams, social sciences division chair, and her students were paired with the McDowell County Economic Development Authority to assist with developing a business plan for sustainability and a marketing plan for the Houston Company Store located in Kimball, W.Va. The Store holds historical significance for McDowell County and is an architectural example of West Virginia’s coal field heritage. The students spent time in the community and with the townspeople, inspiring the students to develop ideas for businesses and a museum that would be financially self-sufficient and restore the structure as the iconic center of the community. The project culminated with a final town meeting and a community picnic.
Beckley Women’s Resource Center Collaboration. Under the guidance of Ms. Lori Pace, Concord sociology instructor, CU’s Beckley students have created a long-term relationship of awareness and service with the Women’s Resource Center in Beckley, W.Va. Students participated in awareness events, such as hanging purple ribbons in the downtown area to promote Domestic Violence Awareness month, and various fundraising activities that benefited the center’s operations. Additionally, staff at the WRC have participated in classroom activities and become co-educators for the students, providing them with direct knowledge of the subject matter in real-world situations as seen through the work of the Women’s Resource Center.
Athens Elementary School Collaboration. There are two focus areas to this collaboration: the site-based school program, a component of CU’s Teacher Education program, and the Bonner Scholars community service program. The site-based school program allows for CU Education faculty to provide instruction to college students in elementary methods courses on-site at the Athens Elementary School. The teacher candidates participate in required classroom activities and then move directly to assigned classrooms where they practice strategies and methods with the support of the classroom teacher. The Bonner Scholars program provides the school with student volunteers who serve as classroom aides and one-on-one tutors. The scholars also help with special projects and events and provide support to teachers, the librarian and the administrative staff.
The following quote is taken from a press release from the CNCS. The press release is located at: http://www.nationalservice.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/four-colleges-and-universities-earn-presidential-honor-community
“Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, 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.
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.”
