Community Service Facts at a Glance
- U.Va. is the nation's #1 producer of Peace Corps volunteers among mid-sized universities; since 2000, more than 400 students have volunteered for service.
- Each week, more than 3,000 students take part in volunteer efforts through Madison House, a nonprofit center on Grounds that coordinates volunteers, develops leaders, builds community partnerships, and promotes lifelong volunteer service. Madison House organizes service programs to address the needs of the community as well as the educational and personal growth objectives of students.
- U.Va.'s Office of Public Service and Outreach sponsors more than 400 programs, serving more than 1 million people.
|
Why is community service so important?
Here, service is considered one of the hallmarks of the student experience—a rewarding, fun way of giving back to the community. Students who get involved in public service learn more about themselves by engaging with not only the youth and elders of the community but also people from other cultures, races, economic backgrounds, and with people with physical and mental challenges, too. Student volunteers always say that they benefit just as much, maybe even more, than the people or organizations that they help.
|
