Volunteers gear up for Tarleton’s annual Service Day, Round Up

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 8, 2019

STEPHENVILLE, Texas —Tarleton State University is gearing up for two full days of helping the community — Service Day on Thursday, March 21, and Round Up on Saturday, March 30.

Both are part of an annual week of activities supporting Tarleton’s core value of service.

On Service Day, Tarleton volunteers address community needs by turning classroom learning into service experiences that enhance academic skills.

“Service Day teaches our students multiple components of service,” said Dr. Denae Dorris, director of Tarleton’s Center for Transformative Learning. “First, we hope to engage students by connecting their professional disciplines to service to the larger community. We also want students to connect knowledge and skills learned in the classroom with meeting a community need.”

Faculty and staff partner with area non-profits, community organizations, neighborhood coalitions, school districts, municipal organizations, state governmental agencies and other groups for Service Day opportunities.

Last year’s projects ranged from preparing free tax returns for qualified individuals, to preserving and laying brick pavers at the Stephenville Historical House Museum and helping teachers at area schools with Special Olympics.

More than 3,600 students volunteered 12,000 hours in 2018.

“The impact on both students and our communities makes all of the hard work and planning more than worth it,” said Courtney Shetters Gann, a senior intern at the Center for Transformative Learning who is involved with Service Week planning. “My experience with Service Day has made my time at Tarleton worthwhile.”

The day culminates with Service Fest, a celebration of the university’s dedication to service. The event features music, games and food beginning at 5 p.m. at Heritage Park in Stephenville.

Students, faculty and staff roll up their sleeves Saturday, March 30, for Tarleton’s 21st annual Round Up, helping local residents with everything from cleaning windows to general lawn and garden work. A student-led, student-initiated project, Round Up enlists about 1,500 volunteers who help with more than 150 projects in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco and Midlothian.

For more information on Service Week activities, visit www.tarleton.edu/weekofservice.

Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 13,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.

Contact: Phil Riddle, News and Information Specialist
817-484-4415
[email protected]

 
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.
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Tags: Alumni, Community Events, Division of Student Engagement & Success