Beginning this week, students can expect to see a slew of volunteer-themed license plates popping up around the West Virginia University campus. They arent part of a new transportation project but a WVU Center for Civic Engagement volunteerism campaign.
The license plates will be featured on signs and fliers along with the theme of the campaign,I Volnteer.The goal, Kimberly Colebank said, is to get young people excited about volunteerism.
Colebank heads the WVU Center for Civic Engagement, which promotes and coordinates service-learning and volunteer opportunities for students. She and her staff have been busy during the beginning of the semester, helping spread the word about the importance of community service and recruiting students who want to give their time and experience but may not know where to start.
Last Wednesday, we handed out free frozen treats in front of the Mountainlair,said Brett White, activities coordinator at the center.We enjoyed meeting with students and welcoming them to campus.
The staff will also be throwing its third annual open house from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, to correspond with Fall Family Weekend.
Other upcoming programs and events that the Center for Civic Engagement is involved in include the Mountaineers Recycle Program at home football games; Make a Difference Day; Random Acts of Kindness Week, in conjunction with the United Way; the Presidents Volunteer Service Award ceremony;Capitol Convergence,the West Virginia Student Service and Civic Engagement Conference; the annual Student Organization Forum at Blaney House; and Amizade international service-learning trips.
The center is also the new permanent home of the annual WVU United Way Campaign, which kicks off in September.
We have a jam-packed year planned,White said.We can only make our events successful with the help of volunteers, so we encourage you to visit our site and get involved.
For more information about the centers activities, including aCivically Speakingpodcast andGet Engagedblog, go to http://cce.wvu.edu/ .
