The Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning hosted a fair Jan. 9, where organizations such as the Food Bank of the Rockies and Americorps NCCC recruited students.
The center aims to promote academic development of students through community-based experiential learning and to assist students in developing a conscious link between curriculum and community engagement according to their mission statement.
Americorps representative Heather Dirk said service learning is an important part of education.
“Participating in service learning and service work is a critical component of anyone’s education,” Dirk said. “This fair provides a great opportunity for students to get in touch with organizations doing great work in our local community and around the world.”
Dirks organization, Americorps NCCC, asks young people to take 10 months to help in communities across the United States in teams with other people.
This helps to pay college or graduate school expenses.
It is also a good first step for anyone planning to join the Peacecorps, Dirk said.
Students who are not able to give a 10 month commitment were introduced to organizations such as the Bridge Project.
The Bridge Project provides educational opportunities for children living in Denver’s public housing neighborhoods so that when they graduate from high school they can go on to attend college or learn a trade.
Students looking to become teachers after graduation may be interested in learning about Teach for America.
Teach for America places volunteers in urban and rural schools across the country, including Denver, and tries to ensure that students in the lowest income communities in the United States reach their potential.
Teach for America volunteers are given the same benefits of most starting teachers as well as over $4,000 in educational awards for each year of service.
Currently the University of Denver offers twice the national average in service learning classes.
Approximately 1,000 DU students enrolled in service-learning classes and completed more than 12,000 hours of service related to their coursework.
DU also has more than 60 faculty members who incorporate service learning into their curriculum.
