21
September
2008
|
18:00 PM
America/New_York

Ohio State students begin year with community service day

Some 1,500 new and returning Ohio State University students will be fanning out to dozens of sites across Columbus tomorrow (9/23) to perform community service projects as part of the university's Community Commitment event. It is one of the largest single-day community service projects on a college campus in the nation.

This year, students are being tapped to be "access ambassadors" as they carry out their service projects. They will be ready to talk to younger students they encounter at their service sites about what it's like to go to college. Clad in t-shirts that say "KnowHow2Go? Find out what it takes to go to college," students will be working at two Columbus City Schools and several other locations where they can interact with young people. The focus of Community Commitment this year is child advocacy issues such as equal access to education and creating suitable learning and living environments.

Students register at 8:30 a.m. at the French Field House, arrive at the sites by 10:30 a.m., and return to campus at 1 p.m. Before they leave campus, they will learn how to offer access messages when they are in the community and working with young people.

Media are invited to three service sites:

WHERE: Leawood Elementary School (Part of Ohio State's Blueprint: College partnership), 1677 S. Hamilton Rd.
WHO: 20-25 students volunteering
WHAT:Painting the fence around the school and general clean-up.

WHERE: Indianola Math, Science and Technology Middle School, 420 E. 19th Ave.
WHO:15 students volunteering
WHAT: Painting and assisting with other school clean up projects

WHERE:Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus, 1500 E. 17th Ave.
WHO:15 students volunteering
WHAT:Assisting staff in preparing club for new school year: cleaning, organizing, painting