CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Stonehill will recognize its community partners for their work in engaging and educating the College's students through service-learning as well as community service. The event, Celebration of Service, is scheduled for Thursday, May 1 at Alumni Auditorium.

"It is essential that we publicly thank our community partners for their time and dedication to enriching the lives of Stonehill students through various service opportunities," says Nuala Boyle, director of the office of Community Service & Volunteerism. "Our community partners have supported the College's mission to educate not only the minds, but also the hearts of our students."

Among the many community service organizations partnering with Stonehill are the Children’s Museum of Easton, the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton, My Brother’s Keeper, the Joseph F. Plouffe Elementary School (K-6) in Brockton, and South Shore Habitat for Humanity.

The College's community and service-learning programs provide students with a range of service options through local community outreach. Integrated into the academic experience, Stonehill’s service-learning enhances the educational experience of our students.

Service-learning “is like a four-legged stool, with benefits for students, community partners, faculty, and the institution” states Dean of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies Joseph Favazza. Almost 50% of the academic departments offer courses that incorporate service-learning into their curriculum.

One example of service-learning is the course “Photography/Multimedia Outreach: Mentoring Through Art,” Through this course, Stonehill students serve as mentors, collaborating with their mentees, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade high-risk children, through photography and visual arts.

The partnership helps children overcome their negative environmental influences by providing them with positive role models. A collaboration involving Stonehill, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, the Brockton Police Department, the program has been in existence since 1998. More than 200 children have been mentored by 215 Stonehill students.

Besides serving in the community as an extension of their classroom experience, Stonehill students also participate in service through the College’s Into the Streets program, Athletic teams, Residence Life Special Interest Housing, community service work study positions through the Student Financial Services Office, and various clubs and organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Circle K. 

Students, both through service-learning and community service initiatives, performed more than 50,000 hours of service last year alone.

04/22/08