LAKELAND (June 21, 2012) – For the fifth consecutive year, Florida Southern College has been named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its commitment to community service and service learning.

The College was one of just two colleges in Florida named to the Honor Roll with Distinction, alongside Florida Gulf Coast University, and one of just 110 colleges nationwide to receive that recognition for service that took place during the 2010-2011 academic year. It is the second consecutive year FSC has been named to the Honor Roll with Distinction.

The honor, announced by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

As part of its commitment to prepare students to make positive and significant contributions to the world, the College has integrated academic learning with community service. Through Student Awareness Generates Action, (SAGA), the innovative, cross-curricular program that promotes service learning, students gain exposure to social problems and actively participate with organizations in making substantial enhancements to the community.

In the 2010-2011 academic year, FSC students nearly doubled their total of 16,000 volunteer hours from the year before, reporting an astounding 31,845 hours. The same trend has continued in the 2011-2012 academic year.
“We are truly gratified by this honor, which recognizes the priority Florida Southern places on service learning. We believe that service to our community and our world is an essential part of our mission to prepare young men and women to become transformational leaders,” said FSC President Anne B. Kerr.

Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, the Honor Roll celebrates the volunteer spirit that exists within the higher education community.

“Through service, these institutions are creating the next generation of leaders by challenging students to tackle tough issues and create positive impacts in the community,” said Robert Velasco, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “We applaud the Honor Roll schools, their faculty and students for their commitment to make service a priority in and out of the classroom. Together, service and learning increase civic engagement while fostering social innovation among students, empowering them to solve challenges within their communities.”

More about the Corporation for National and Community Service…
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. To see the complete Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, visit the Corporation for National and Community Service.