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Hollins has a long-standing commitment to community service. Many of our
students come to college with experience in service work and an interest
in linking with the local community during their years at Hollins. There
are a variety of opportunities to get involved. Student volunteers may choose
to live on campus in the Sandusky Service House. This community-service
house is a "home with service as its foundation." Students who
live here are required to perform at least five hours of volunteer work
per month and promote service activities on campus and in the community.
Hollins offers a variety of academic courses that
incorporate an element of service. Some courses allow students to choose
the service option over another project, while others require community
service projects.
On Saturday, March 31, Hollins joined with Virginia Tech to bring The Big Event, Tech’s largest community service project, to the Roanoke Valley. Hollins students performed a variety of jobs, free of charge, in Roanoke County neighborhoods near the university, including painting fences, washing windows, general cleaning, yard work, and minor construction. In addition, members of the campus community helped the City of Roanoke that same day with its 125th anniversary celebration.
Service-Learning Programs integrate
traditional course work with community service, assisting students in
learning academic concepts and the value of civic involvement. At Hollins,
we have service-learning opportunities at the local and international
levels.
Hollins offers a variety of academic courses that incorporate an element of service within the curriculum which takes the students into the Roanoke Valley. Some courses allow the students to choose the service option over another project while others require community service. "View Roanoke Through Service Learning," a service-learning course during January Short Term, taught by Jeri Suarez, associate dean for cultural and community engagement, and Lori Joseph, associate professor of communication studies, provides students with an in-depth view of the cultural aspects of the Roanoke Valley and serves as a platform for service projects. Guest lectures by Hollins faculty and staff, as well as members of the local community, reinforce the theories of service learning and build a historic, economic, and cultural context. Each student in the class designs her own service projects with local agencies and is required to perform 50 hours of community service.
Internationally, Hollins organizes a mini peace corps
project to an impoverished community in Jamaica.
The service project takes place in Lucea in Hanover Parish on the Northwest
Coast of Jamaica. The program has been in existence since 1988.
Students work on a variety of community-based projects
ranging from teaching in the school system to working with the local infirmary
to refurbishing community buildings. All of the projects are designed
to encourage better understanding of another culture. This objective is
enhanced through the experience of living with local families and sharing
their lives and walking to the various projects within the community.
Qualified students have an opportunity to apply for
the Jamaica Service Project as
an alternative spring break.
060707
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Habitat
for Humanity
SHARE
Jamaica Service Project
. . . . . . . . . . .
CONTACT
Jeri Suarez
Associate Dean for Cultural and Community Engagement
jsuarez@hollins.edu
(540) 362-6382
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What students say
about community service:
"Being a SHARE volunteer has not only taught me values, responsibility,
and dedication, but it has given me so many rewards such as knowledge,
friendships, and unforgettable memories."
"The last two weeks have been so important to me. I gained knowledge
and appreciation for Roanoke and stepped outside my personal bubble
to do something worthwhile. I think it's important for students to volunteer
and help others. You can gain knowledge you can't gain anywhere else."
"I was doing something selfless and helping others, something that has always been important to me."
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