JMU service programs flourish
By Kaleigh Maher, contributing writer
Posted on October 23, 2006

Volunteering isn’t just for Tennessee anymore.

According to a report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service, today’s college students are volunteering in greater numbers than a few years ago.

The research found that 30 percent of all American college students ages 16 to 24 volunteered their time in 2005, a 2 percent increase from the 2.7 million students in 2002. Rich Harris, director of Community Service-Learning, said that while CSL cannot track all students who volunteer, it has noticed an increase at JMU.

“I think JMU is really identified as having a service ethic,” Harris said.

And so do others. JMU has received several awards, including being selected as a College with a Conscience by Princeton Review in 2005, and being ranked 24th nationally for Service-Learning Programs by U.S. News and World Reports in 2002.

Alternative Spring Break trips have grown significantly at JMU. The program began in 1992, and for the first several years there were only one or two trips a year. During 1997, CSL expanded the program by training students to lead trips instead of the professional staff.

By 2001 there were 25 trips with 259 participants. Last year there were 34 trips with 498 participants.

Senior Becca Bourne has been involved in ASB since she was a freshman and has worked with CSL for nearly a year.

“Service is a great opportunity to open your eyes to things you probably haven’t seen in just day-to-day living,” Bourne said.

JMU students are not only dedicating their time at JMU, but are continuing with involvement in Peace Corps, Americorps, Teach for America and other organizations after graduation.

“Service is part of the JMU culture now,” Harris said. “For a lot of students who are heavily involved in service, it’s a natural continuation for what they’re doing at JMU.”

Kenneth Forrest, regional recruiter for the Peace Corps, believes alternative spring break programs and the Community Service-Learning department are part of the reason JMU students are interested in volunteering after graduation.

“[JMU] is my best school in terms of interest,” Forrest said. “A lot of people are interested and a lot know about it [Peace Corps] and have heard about it before. We recruit there because we get really high quality students and students who are really motivated; they want to make a difference for others.”

During the first 36 years of the Peace Corps, 100 JMU students joined. Over just the next six years, 1999-’05, 188 JMU students joined the Peace Corps. In 2006, JMU ranked second nationally for mid-size universities and 138th for all time Peace Corps volunteers. Currently, there are 65 JMU alumni active in the Peace Corps.

Leah Goodman, a recent JMU graduate, is going into the Peace Corps in February. She will spend 27 months in Latin America teaching special education. Goodman considered the Peace Corps near the end of her senior year, but opted to get her Master’s instead. As a grad student, Goodman worked behind the scenes with ASB and participated in the Hurricane Katrina trip in November 2005.

“The trip was an incredible experience that words will never be able to describe,” said Goodman. “It was just a feeling, I knew something had changed.”

From there, Goodman said the decision to apply for the Peace Corps was an easy one.

“I think that at times people are scared to step out side and try something new,” Goodman said. “I would encourage everyone to just take that step and see where it leads.”

Harris said that CSL does not try to lay claim to being the only service provider on campus, there are lots of organizations and individuals on campus who are involved in service.

“I think that service is the best way we can live out our mission statement, preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens, who will lead productive and meaningful lives,” Harris said.