Iowa State University
College of Human Sciences
 

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ISU students set to rally Thursday evening, volunteer on Friday

September 9, 2009

ISU students set to rally Thursday evening, volunteer on Friday

Students in learning communities will help out as part of United Way 'Day of Caring'

AMES, Iowa  – Hundreds of students in Iowa State University College of Human Sciences learning communities plan to volunteer on Friday, Sept. 11, as part of the United Way “Day of Caring.”
 
So far, 237 first-year students have registered to help – making them the largest group in the county set to volunteer on Friday, according to Lynn Scarlet, marketing director for United Way of Story County.

Organizers say that the service-learning project helps new students get to know each other – and also helps them feel invested in the campus and the Ames community.

“When I move to a new place, the first thing I do is clean and organize the cupboards. Once I’ve done that, the place begins feeling like it’s mine,” said Hina Patel, a program coordinator in teacher education who is helping to coordinate the volunteer work.
Likewise, sprucing up the campus will help new students take ownership, Patel said.
 
Helping students feel connected when they first arrive on campus is important for retention, said Corly Brooke, associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Human Sciences.

“Learning communities are all about student retention and this is just one of many ways we help students feel like they belong here.  It’s important for them to get the impact really early in their college careers so it will have long-lasting effects,” Brooke said.

Dayle Nickerson, learning communities coordinator in the College of Human Sciences, agrees.

“We need to provide more opportunities for our students to do service learning – to make them more aware of their surroundings. This work builds a stronger desire to be involved. We’re building good citizens,” Nickerson said.

The students will gather for a rally on Thursday evening from 6:30-7:15 in LeBaron Auditorium. On Friday, throughout the day they will check in (and out) at a table that will be set up outside the Parks Library, and help ISU groundskeepers complete campus beautification projects, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

A web page at www.hs.iastate.edu/dayofcaring/ provides more details and links to the names of students who have registered to participate.

Contacts:

Dayle Nickerson, learning communities coordinator, College of Human Sciences, 515 294-8238.

Hina Patel, program coordinator, teacher education, Iowa State University, 515 294-7886.

Corly Brooke, associate dean for undergraduate education, College of Human Sciences, 515 294-4719.

Lynn Scarlet, United Way of Story County, 515 268-5145.

Les Lawson, manager, Facilities Maintenance, 515 290-4006.

First-year students in College of Human Sciences programs will build community and show they care by helping with campus beautification projects, on Friday.

"This work builds a stronger desire to be involved. We’re building good citizens,” said Dayle Nickerson, learning communities coordinator in the College of Human Sciences.