UMKC recognized for leadership in service learning and community outreach for sixth consecutive year
Reflective of its longstanding commitment to service learning and community outreach, the University of Missouri-Kansas City has been named to The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for 2012. This marks the sixth consecutive year that UMKC has been named to the Honor Roll and the third time the university has received the designation “With Distinction.”
The distinction is awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service and is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.
UMKC’s community service has historic roots: founded in 1933 by civic leaders, the university was created to be a community resource. Today, UMKC faculty, staff and students engage in hundreds of examples of service activities campus-wide and throughout the community. UMKC has created a variety of committees, advisory bodies and task forces, partnered with community organizations and institutions, and formalized agreements to enhance the university’s capacity to reach the community and share resources.
UMKC’s commitment to service includes a service-learning management system and service-learning courses. Serve2Learn, a web-based project management system that supports service learning, allows community organizations to communicate opportunities for service. Academic programs like the UMKC Urban Studies program integrate service learning into the curriculum by requiring majors to complete internships with community and nonprofit organizations. The UMKC Office of Student Involvement provides opportunities for students to contribute to the community while building their academic and civic skills and encouraging service learning.
Among the programs and community service initiatives cited in UMKC’s 2012 Presidential Honor Roll recognition are:
- UMKC Child and Family Services Clinic
- School of Law Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic and the Tax Clinic
- Conservatory Community Music and Dance Academy: Musical Bridges
- College of Arts and Sciences AUP+D Kansas City Missouri School District Repurposing Project
About the Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service 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.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City
The University of Missouri-Kansas City, one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.