In partnership with the MSU Alumni Office, CCEL hosts Spartan Days of Service throughout the year as one-day opportunities to volunteer alongside community partners. The 2024-2025 academic year kicked off with the Fall Spartan Day of Service on October 5 in collaboration with 12 host sites—10 in Greater Lansing and two in Detroit. CCEL placed 325 student volunteers who worked a total of 1,950 hours for a $61,600 financial impact in the community. 

“It’s really nice to have the help to get projects done that we just don’t have time for,” says Lena Edson, program manager at the Equine Center for Learning. Student volunteers painted the outdoor riding arena and spread mulch on a new sensory trail. “The sensory trail is something that the whole organization has wanted for a really long time,” Edson says. 

The Spring Spartan Day of Service sprang into action on April 12, 2025, when 255 student volunteers connected with community partners at 10 sites in the Greater Lansing area and one site in Detroit. Collectively, they contributed 1,530 hours on a variety of projects with an estimated financial impact of $48,322.

“We are so thankful for the assistance of our volunteers today,” said Paden Clevenger, volunteer and projects manager at Haven House, an East Lansing nonprofit that serves families facing homelessness. MSU student volunteers helped with sorting donations and groundskeeping. “Haven House depends on volunteers to get projects like these completed,” Clevenger says. “Their hard work organizing donations will make our operations run more smoothly and will make grabbing items for clients and for shelter use easier for staff. Thanks to the volunteers, our front garden beds are also tidy and ready for spring!”

Overall, the 2024-2025 Spartan Days of Service were a huge success!