CWU Civic Engagement Center Is A Place For Everyone

February 11, 2004

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Students participating in programs sponsored by the Central Washington University Civic Engagement Center are finding that academics and community participation go hand-in-hand.

The center offers participants opportunities to develop as students and citizens through a variety of programs providing thousands of hours of service to surrounding communities. Students have the option to assist in short- and long-term volunteer projects and capstone projects.

Short-term activities provide involvement in civic affairs and the social life of the community. Such programs include after-school homework and morning reading programs with local children, delivering meals to seniors, helping with holiday craft extravaganzas, serving as facilitators in local museums, and working as classroom aids at local schools.

Long-term programs develop service opportunities for students that enhance their major area of study. Service learning activities provide service experience in addition to educational credit.

Both short- and long-term projects apply academic study with service experience.

Capstone programs encourage students to create, develop and implement their own individual projects, showcasing their expertise.

The center's goal is to help students develop in a dynamic and mutually-beneficial setting. Coordinator BreAnna Kramer, a senior business administration major from Fairbanks, Alaska, is learning that when you give, you also receive.

"It's a great way to do more than just go to school," Kramer said. "I enjoy helping people find something they are really excited about. It's more than a job. I am developing skills to manage and to motivate people."

Julie Pendergast, a junior elementary education major from Port Orchard, has been participating in the center's Student Educators Providing Service (ST.E.P.S.) program, which allows her to take her education directly into a teaching and learning environment.

"I love to volunteer," Pendergast said. "It is so much better being in the environment. Teaching in class helps you to know what you want to do. It's a lot of fun and I get to give something back. The most important thing I have learned is not to be selfish, but to be selfless."

Additional information about the CWU Civic Engagement Center is available at: http://slvcenter.cwu.edu.