Whitman dedication to service recognized with appointment to National Community Service Honor Roll

Whitman has been named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This is the sixth time Whitman has been named to the honor roll, which is compiled annually by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service and recognizes colleges and universities for “exemplary, innovative, and effective community service programs,” according to its website.

Kelsie Butts ’11, Whitman’s community service coordinator, said three programs in particular helped Whitman stand out: the Whitman Mentor Program, the college’s largest volunteer outreach effort, College Coaches, which pairs Whitman students with Walla Walla High School students, and this year’s pilot civil rights teaching initiative, Whitman Teaches the Movement. 

“Our students work hard to be actively engaged in the community and are always seeking ways to improve our outreach to the Walla Walla Valley,” Butts said. “It’s nice when they can be nationally recognized for the many ways they give back.”

Whitman has a strong track record when it comes to community service. According to Butts, 450 Whitman students engage in at least 20 hours of community service each semester, for an annual total of 18,000 hours.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees are selected based on a number of factors, including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation, incentives for service and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

For a full list of colleges that made the cut, visit the National Service website.

Contact:
Gillian Frew
Interim Media Relations Officer
(509) 527-4917
frewga@whitman.edu