Community service agencies can still register to participate in the free, three-hour fair, which begins at 11 a.m. in the A.K. Hinds University Center Grandroom.

The community partners that will have displays at the fair provide services in such areas as children and youth, elder care, anti-violence, recreation, food and hunger, animal care, disability, environmental concerns, local government, housing and legal issues.

Community partners scheduled to attend include Cashiers-Highlands Humane Society, Cherokee Tribal Child Care, Community Health Link, Girl Scouts – WNC Pisgah Council, Haywood-Jackson Volunteer Center, Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Jackson County Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Jackson County 4-H, Kids in Action, Special Olympics North Carolina, March of Dimes, Meridian Behavioral Health Services, Region A Partnership for Children and Youth Empowered Solutions.

At WCU, service learning is defined as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates community service with academic instruction and structured reflection in such a way that students gain further understanding of course content, meet genuine community needs, develop career-related skills and become responsible citizens.”

Twenty-one percent of first-year students and 24 percent of seniors participated in a service-learning activity as part of a course last year. Approximately 100 organizations are currently on the list of service-learning partners.

For more information or to participate in the fair, contact Melanie Clark, assistant director of service learning, at (828) 227-7184 or mrclark@email.wcu.edu.

Maintained by the Office of Public Relations
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008