Making An IMPACT: Niagara University Transforms Its Approach To Service Learning
Niagara University – the only Western New York college or university that has been named to the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service every year since 2006 – is strategically transforming its approach to service learning and student engagement in the community.
The Catholic and Vincentian university’s flagship service program, Learn and Serve Niagara, was established in 1994 through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service. Its success prompted Niagara University to make the program a permanent fixture. Data illustrates that NU students currently perform 1,000 hours of service to the community every week through Learn and Serve Niagara.
Moving forward, Niagara University’s service learning program will be known as IMPACT, a rebrand that reflects its measured approach to instilling a model of collective impact that creates systemic change through project-based experiential learning. The transformation of Learn and Serve allows for a more comprehensive and individualized service program, which places more emphasis on professional and personal growth versus a model that highlights hours of service.