Beyond the Classroom Community Engaged Learning

12,548 Number of student registrations

in beyond the classroom learning experiences

Days of Service

The Spartan Days of Service had to undergo alterations in both Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. In lieu of sending students to community partner sites as in previous years, the Days of Service moved to virtual volunteer opportunities. Service projects included recording readings of books for elementary school children, designing marketing materials for nonprofits, and creating educational materials about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Thank you to our partners for both Fall 2020 and Spring 2021!

  • Building Childcare and Family Initiatives
  • Ever After Opportunities
  • Everett High School
  • Gardner International Magnet School
  • Pattengill Biotechnical Middle School
  • Reo Elementary School


 

Fall 2020 participants

175

Total Hours

1,950

Financial equivalent

$55,653 The Current Estimated National Value of Each Volunteer Hour is $28.54
 

Spring 2020 participants

215

Total Hours

1,075

Financial equivalent

$30,681 The Current Estimated National Value of Each Volunteer Hour is $28.54
 

Virtual Summer of Service

When COVID-19 disrupted in-person volunteering placements for students back in March 2020, the Center for Community Engaged Learning worked quickly to develop and promote virtual service experiences that all students would have the opportunity to engage in.

Images of students serving their communities, and writing thank you notes

In order to promote community service and connect students isolated from campus and each other, AmeriCorps VISTA member Sophie Morin developed the Virtual Summer of Service (VSoS) Challenge. The VSoS Challenge was an eight-week long program designed for students to get involved in a variety of service projects. Each week, projects were posted on the CCEL website and Instagram page to encourage students to do something beneficial for their communities at home, while remaining part of the MSU community virtually. Projects ranged from thanking essential workers to engaging in sustainable practices to advocating for issues that resonate with students. Each student had the opportunity to complete and reflect on up to 20 different service projects.

More than 160 students participated in the VSoS Challenge, completing well over 1,000 different service projects. The success of the program inspired CCEL to once again host a VSoS challenge in Summer 2021.

 

Spartan Volunteer Service Award (with UOE Awards)

In a virtual awards ceremony on January 22, 2021, CCEL honored 82 students with the Spartan Volunteer Service Award. Each student had completed 100 hours or more of community service during the 2019-2020 academic year. The award is cosponsored by the Office of the President, and MSU President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., spoke at the event.

“Spartans have long understood how community engagement demonstrates not all wisdom comes forth from classrooms or even Zoom meetings,” President Stanley said. “My office is proud to help sponsor these awards to recognize the benefits of community engagement, whether we're talking about community service, advocacy, or political involvement.”

The third-annual ceremony was the first to be held fully online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Volunteering is a direct way of giving; serving our communities can and will continue despite all the hardships and challenges that the pandemic has caused because we're all kind, determined and resilient Spartans,” student speaker Erika Shiino said at the event.

The top six students with the most volunteer hours were also honored at the University Outreach and Engagement Awards Ceremony on February 24. The following students were acknowledged for completing over 350 hours of service each: Mary Farmer, Anusha Mamidipaka, Christa Schafer, Erika Shiino, Leigh Anne Tiffany, and Michelle Zorine.