Starting in April, Grossmont College is launching its first Grossmont Gives Back: Month of Service, a campuswide event in which students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in a series of volunteer projects on and off campus.
Starting in April, Grossmont College is launching its first Grossmont Gives Back: Month of Service, a campuswide event in which students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in a series of volunteer projects on and off campus.
Grossmont Gives Back is a joint effort by the Grossmont College Community Service Learning program and Student Affairs to encourage everyone to get involved in the campus and community and to be exposed to new learning opportunities. It is an expansion of the Day of Service that both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have sponsored for the past five years, primarily for student leaders.
“April is National Volunteer Month,” said English instructor Cathy Miller, co-coordinator of the Community Service Learning program. “In discussing this with Sara Glasgow (Grossmont College Student Activities Director), we saw this as a great opportunity to deepen our commitment to student success by getting the entire campus community involved. Several faculty across disciplines are fostering civic engagement in their classrooms by integrating these events into their course curriculum and encouraging student participation.”
The service projects are:
April 15, 8:30 a.m.-noon — Campus Beautification Project: Learn about Grossmont College’s commitment to sustainability and participate in a cleanup of bioswales, one of the college’s newest green elements. These bioswales on the east side of the campus are landscape elements designed to filter silt and pollution from runoff water. Meet at 8:30 a.m. in the Health & Sciences Complex second floor lobby, Building 34, for a light breakfast and a brief overview of the college’s sustainability plans, then head out for the cleanup. (Participants should wear sunscreen, a hat, and durable clothing suitable for the outdoors and high temperatures. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are recommended. This project is open to the public.)
Friday, April 22, 1-4 p.m. – Earth Day Community Mural Volunteer Project: In partnership with the city of Santee, volunteers will help create a scenic mural under the Magnolia Street underpass at the Walker Preserve Trail on the north side of the San Diego River. An art instructor will be on hand, so don’t worry if you’ve never been involved in a public arts project. The city will furnish painting supplies. (Participants should wear old clothing suitable for painting. For comfort, bring sunscreen, water, a hat, closed-toe shoes, and a chair. A light snack and water will be provided, but you may want to bring your own lunch. Meet at the trail entrance at 9500 Magnolia Avenue between Braverman Drive and Chubb Lane.)
Friday, April 29, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. or 4-7 p.m. – Serving San Diego’s Hungry: Join students and faculty at Father Joe’s Village, also known as St. Vincent de Paul, 3350 E. Street in downtown San Diego, and help serve lunch or dinner to San Diego’s homeless. (Volunteer spaces are limited so this opportunity is only open to Grossmont students and select faculty.)
Visit the community service websitewww.grossmont.edu/campus-life/csl/ to access liability release forms. For more information, contact Cathy Miller at (619) 644-7865 or Sara Glasgow at (619) 644-7159.
