A new semester begins, and with it, opportunities to collaborate with the Thayne Center for Service & Learning.
The Thayne Center created #SLCCServes in 2017 as an event to kick off their civic action plan, which began with a goal to increase civic engagement at Salt Lake Community College.
During her first year as a coordinator for the Thayne Center, Ja’Shonae Cooks began by first planning smaller days of service in order to increase community engagement. Now, just over the last year, the Thayne Center has completed four service projects.
“I love the opportunity to learn about all the community partners, it’s truly the best part of my job to be able to engage with the community in such a way,” says Cooks.
Cooks not only coordinates the days of service, she also loves to go out and engage with everyone who comes out to volunteer.
The Thayne Center is the bridge between campus and community. New volunteers can expect to increase their knowledge about local resources around the valley, while also getting to know people’s individual stories.
#SLCCServes projects can span all over the valley.
In July, #SLCCServes participants volunteered with the American Red Cross through assisting with their home safety campaign. During the event, volunteers installed fire alarms into homes in order to give people a better chance at surviving an unexpected fire.
In August, participants helped renew and restore bicycles at the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. Volunteers spent time repairing bikes and assisting in miscellaneous cleaning around the shop.
“I usually worked in my office, but this was my first time actually going out and doing service with the Thayne Center,” says Cassi Hoffmeister, who oversees the service-learning and study abroad programs in the Engaged Learning Office. “I had no problem fitting in, even though this was an entirely new experience for me.”
The Thayne Center’s Days of Service events frequently fall on Fridays during the school semester. The annual day of service event in October is broken up into both a morning and afternoon session.
In the upcoming school year, the center plans to do one smaller day of service per month leading up to the annual #SLCCServes Day of Service event on Oct. 4.
To enroll in a day of service event, you will choose a community to partner with during an all-day event. Lunch is also provided for their volunteers in October during the annual event.
In addition to meeting so many amazing people, this event is a great way to earn any service hours needed for a class. Students who are enrolled in designated service-learning courses across campus are encouraged to earn their service-learning hours through the Thayne Center.
The next #SLCCServes day of service will be Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. The event will focus on volunteering for INN Between!, an organization that provides services to those in hospice and the homeless. During the event, volunteers will be organizing the pantry, sorting donations, and cleaning up the area outside.
Visit the #SLCCServes page for event and registration information.
