Otterbein College

Westerville, Ohio

Otterbein College’s commitment to student service runs across the institution. Almost 70 percent of the total student body of this small private college engaged in community service activities in 2006-2007, with just over 50 percent giving at least 20 hours to efforts that served youth from disadvantaged circumstances. Otterbein’s Genoa Creative Alliance program, a poet-in-residence collaboration with a middle school, used Otterbein students to teach literacy skills to the younger students. Incorporating poetry and theater strategies, Otterbein students were able to significantly increase the writing skills of more than 400 students. In addition, the middle school saw a significant increase in the number of students passing the Ohio Proficiency test.

In another project, Otterbein used AmeriCorps Education Award Program students to coordinate a gardening program that matched college students with youth housed at a transitional residence. Surveys of Otterbein students involved in the program indicated an increased sense of civic responsibility, a commitment to future volunteering, and a heightened awareness of how to apply their academic learning to real-life situations. In Otterbein’s CardinalCorps Service project, Federal Work-Study and community service students serve as site supervisors in local schools and non-profits. The Corps members recruited more than 350 fellow students to volunteer at sites on a weekly basis, resulting in more than 7,000 hours of service.