LAKELAND, Fla. (Feb. 26, 2008) — Florida Southern College was named by the Corporation for National and Community Service to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth. The award recognizes the college’s leadership in helping to build a culture of service and civic engagement on campus.

“This recognition acknowledges the college’s ardent commitment to community service and preparing students to make a positive, consequential impact on society by being active citizens in their communities,” said Dr. Anne B. Kerr, FSC president.

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 for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

Achievements by FSC students included a “Day of Service Project” that gave participants first-hand experience of some of the needs in the Polk community. Students volunteered in a variety of duties at the Achievement Academy, VISTE, Explorations V Children’s Museum, Parker Street Ministries, Polk County Board of Commissioners, Polk County Department of Parks and Recreation, Sandpiper Homes, and Presbyterian Homes. Students also participated in class projects to work on the college’s Frank Lloyd Wright archives. For two semesters, freshman honors students catalogued and digitized original Frank Lloyd Wright materials and collaborated with FSC graphic design students to create a website that will make those materials available to researchers and the public.

In addition, FSC held its Annual Volunteer Fair in which local agencies were invited to bring “help projects” to campus for students to work on. Agencies included Lakeland Regional Medical Center and The American Cancer Society.

The Honor Roll is jointly sponsored by the corporation, through its Learn and Serve America program, and the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.