Some 591 new students – freshmen and transfer – at Bridgewater College will fan out into the Rockingham and Augusta County areas Oct. 21, to perform a day of service-learning for area non-profit and charitable agencies.
The “Into the Streets” program is part of the college’s service-learning requirement, and marks the sixth year that Bridgewater College has encouraged new students to perform community service-learning as part of their educational process. All students are required to perform 10 hours of service over the course of a year.
Bill Miracle, dean of students, said “Into the Streets” springs from Bridgewater’s institutional mission and focuses on making students aware that service to humanity is part of being a citizen. It is, he said, an important part of the educational process.
“There’s a difference between community service and service-learning,” said Miracle. “You can rake leaves and perform community service, but service-learning requires the kind of personal contribution that fosters reflection on what you’ve done, how it has changed you and what it means to the community.”
Agencies the Bridgewater College students will assist include local elementary schools, First Tee of Harrisonburg, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, Friendship Industries and many others.
This service project will help acquaint students with information about local service/nonprofit agencies, foster a spirit of togetherness and camaraderie among members of the freshman class, and illustrate the importance of service-learning at BC by engaging students in hands-on projects.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at [email protected].
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