The College of New Rochelle has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. For the second year in a row, CNR received this award.
“At The College of New Rochelle, our commitment to service is an integral part of our mission,” said President Stephen J. Sweeny. “Our entire College Community is very proud of the work our students accomplished under the guidance of Helen Wolf, Director of Campus Ministry.” 2,869 CNR students completed service in the 2009-2010 academic year, which comes to 183,751 hours of service.
The College of New Rochelle was recognized for three specific programs: Innovation in Early Childhood Education where the College partnered with a local elementary school in the Response to Intervention program (RTI); Wellness Coaches Program to train student leaders as peer educators; Summer Learning Project where the College partnered with The Ward School (K-6) of New Rochelle, NY.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.
“As members of the class of 2011 cross the stage to pick up their diplomas, more and more will be going into the world with a commitment to public service and the knowledge that they can make a difference in their communities and their own lives through service to others, thanks to the leadership of these institutions,” said Patrick A. Corvington, Chief Executive Officer of CNCS.
Each year CNR students participate in numerous service activities. Among them are Midnight Runs to New York City to help the homeless, serving meals at HOPE Soup Kitchen, working with Habitat for Humanity of Westchester, teaching ESL at the Adult Learning Center, volunteering with seniors in assisted living programs in New Rochelle and Mt. Vernon. In addition, CNR students take annual service trips on which they spend a week serving those in need. On this year’s trip students traveled to Ecuador to work with Rostro de Cristo, a Volunteer & Retreat Program of the Catholic church based in Duran, Ecuador, near Guayaquil.
CNCS oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including 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.
