For the second year in a row Millsaps College has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in recognition of the College’s effort to educate the complete individual.
“Millsaps students recognize that there is more to life than just concentrating on themselves. They are interested in serving others and the College encourages this by linking classes to needs in the community to foster growth through service,” said Millsaps College President Frances Lucas.
Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.
During the past year, Millsaps classes ranging from operations management to piano to Spanish have incorporated service-learning to provide valuable experiences for students and assistance to community organizations.
“The aim of service-learning is to get students thinking beyond the textbook to consider—and experience firsthand—how course concepts play out in everyday life,” said Stacy DeZutter, assistant professor of education.
A Field Research in Reading education class taught by Connie Schimmel, associate professor of education, recently realized the measurable impact of service-learning. During the class, eight Millsaps students tutored 36 at-risk fifth graders from two inner-city schools in an individualized reading program. The result was an averaged 3.6 grade level improvement in reading comprehension with 29 of the 36 children successfully completing the school year.
“We want students to come away from service-learning classes understanding that the things they learn at Millsaps are not just valuable in a college classroom but in many aspects of life,” DeZutter said. “I also hope the experience will spark a life-long interest in volunteerism and in using one’s knowledge to serve others.”
Millsaps College has several teams and initiatives that focus on creating volunteer opportunities for students in the community. The student-led Campus Ministry Team coordinates community service opportunities with local agencies and organizes yearly service trips for Hurricane Relief and to the Mississippi Delta.
The Faith & Work Initiative coordinates service-learning activities between academic classes and K-12 education as well as the North Midtown neighborhood just west of the College. Millsaps’ 1 Campus, 1 Community program channels the College’s diverse community service efforts in two strategic directions: K-12 public education and the North Midtown area.
The College also has ongoing partnerships with local organizations including Operation Shoestring, the Bethlehem Center and Stewpot; Gleaners, a feeding organization; Grace House, a home for people with AIDS; and Good Samaritan, a social service agency that addresses many needs.
