News Release

BOISE STATE NEWS RELEASE / June 4, 2008

More than 1,000 Boise State Students Devoted Time this Spring to More than 100 Service-Learning, Community Projects

A record number of Boise State University students participated in the Service-Learning program during spring semester. The 1,029 students contributed 25,090 hours of service at local non-profits, while applying concepts from their courses.

Service-Learning makes community involvement an essential part of class coursework and is offered in everything from social work to chemistry classes, and in every college at Boise State. It is designed to foster active citizenship and enhance learning through academically based community service. Many of the students who participate stay on with their community agencies long after their courses end and develop career paths, job experience, and community contacts.

“This is the first time the Service-Learning program has surpassed 1,000 students in a single semester,” said program director Kara Brascia. “It has steadily grown and our students are making a real difference in the agencies with the clients they serve.”

Among this spring’s projects were an art class taught by Anika Smulovitz that created art pieces for Boise Urban Garden School (BUGS), a biomechanics class taught by Shawn Simonson whose students assisted physical and occupational therapists at Good Samaritan Society-Boise Village, and a psychology class taught by Robert Sisco whose students served at Whitney Elementary School’s Get Out And Learn after-school program.

Just 10 years old, Boise State’s Service-Learning program is the largest in the state and is being used as a model to establish and grow similar programs at other universities. Sixty Service-Learning classes from 43 faculty members were offered in spring 2008. Faculty and students were paired with 66 community partners on 101 distinct service projects.

Since fall 2000, more than 10,000 students have contributed more than 235,000 hours of service to the Treasure Valley through Boise State’s Service-Learning program.

Service-Learning is practiced at more than 1,000 universities and by more than 2 million college students nationwide. For more information, visit http://servicelearning.boisestate.edu or call (208) 426-1004.

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Media Contact: Sherry Squires, University Communications, (208) 426-1563, ssquires@boisestate.edu

The Boise State University admission deadline for the fall semester is June 30. Admission materials must be submitted if degree-seeking students plan to take more than seven credits or apply for federal financial aid. More information is available at http://admissions.boisestate.edu.
 

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Last reviewed on Thursday, June 05, 2008