Freshmen class projects earn state award for service learning
Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 3:59PM By Monika Kreber
The Council on Higher Education awarded Winthrop its Service Learning Award this year after all the ACAD 101 students worked together on projects to alleviate hunger. The freshman class raised $5,798.26 and 1,263 cans of food to combat hunger through participation in the CROP Walk. They also raised more than 11,000 cans of food for Second Harvest through the Canstruction Project. The students served 288 meals for needy children in addition to the 440 meals they served for senior citizens. Tim Daugherty, associate dean/professor of University College, said this year’s common book inspired the service theme.
“With great leadership from the Center for Career and Civic Engagement and the Peer Mentor Program, first-year students worked together to address hunger,” Daugherty said.
Frank Ardaiolo, vice president for Student Life, said he thought his ACAD students learned a lot about themselves by performing direct services to the needy. “I thought the program was perhaps the best we’ve done in over my 20 years at Winthrop,” he said. “Deeper learning occurred on many levels.”
Both Ardaiolo and Daugherty thought the freshman class left a “big” impact this year. “‘Serving the larger community’ is among our core commitments as a learning community,” Daugherty said.
Ardaiolo said the events for hunger awareness gave further expression to his welcome message in the student handbook, hoping students learn “habits of intellect, habits of heart and habits of appetite.”
“That will serve (students) well in their lifetimes,” he said.
