Posted - March 26, 2012

Eureka College Receives National Recognition for Community Service

College Among Four in Illinois on President’s Honor Roll with Distinction

For the second consecutive year, Eureka College has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary community service. This year, Eureka College moved up in the rankings and is among only 110 schools nationwide and four in Illinois to be recognized on the Honor Roll with Distinction.

The Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education gives the recognition to institutions of higher education for their support of volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

"I am thrilled that Eureka College is being recognized for a second year for the efforts of our students and other college community members who are committed to making service an essential component of the college learning experience,” said Shari Rich, director of applied learning.  “Even more exciting this year is being included as an Honor Roll with Distinction recipient.”

Three Eureka College service projects that were highlighted in the college’s application for the honor roll were the Bearded Men Knitting Hats fundraising and gender-awareness project that raised more than $1,300 for Heart House homeless shelter;  the Up 'til Dawn project that has raised more than $100,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital over the last four years; and the annual alternative spring break trip coordinated by Chaplain Bruce Fowlkes, which included an emphasis on civic reflection as part of the trip.

A total of 642 colleges and universities are included on the honor roll for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 513 were named to the honor roll, 110 received the recognition of honor roll with distinction, 14 were identified as finalists, and five received the Presidential Award, which is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to community service.

Criteria for inclusion on the honor roll include the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.                                                                                                                                       

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Barack Obama’s national call-to-service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, go to NationalService.gov.

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Contact:

Michele Lehman

Media Relations Coordinator

mlehman@eureka.edu

(309) 467-6318