Betsy Manning / Temple University

Temple students worked to beautify parts of the city during the annual FreshServe day of service. Held just before school opens each August, it is a day that brings Temple volunteers into Philadelphia neighborhoods to clean, paint and plant alongside neighbors and community leaders.

Once again, Temple University has been honored as a leader in higher education community service by being named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest national recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to service.

This is the third year Temple has received this distinction from The Corporation for National and Community Service, which has administered the honor roll since 2006. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll raises the visibility of best practices in campus-community partnerships by recognizing institutions of higher education that support exemplary community service programs.

“Service has always been a fundamental part of Temple’s mission and core,” said Temple President Ann Weaver Hart. “Our faculty, staff and students volunteer countless hours in our neighborhoods and around the world to help others. On all of their behalf, I am honored that Temple was once again recognized by the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.”

In recent years, Temple has expanded its historic dedication to the community in a number of ways. Large-scale events such as Freshserve and the Martin Luther King Day of Service kick off each semester, bringing groups of students, faculty and staff into the community before classes begin. These large events are supplemented throughout the year with daily activities, such as serving food in local church soup kitchens and tutoring students after school in community centers and non-profit organizations. Additionally, the university has incorporated the Philadelphia Experience into academic and course planning, ensuring that students get off campus and into the community.

According to Temple’s Office of Community Relations, which tracks and supports volunteerism across the university, each year more than 12,000 members of the Temple community volunteer for a wide variety of community organizations. In total, Temple volunteers contribute more than 65,000 hours of service annually. The office is constantly seeking new ways to connect students to the community and members of the community to the university.

“We’re very excited to be recognized again for our efforts to be a good neighbor and a center for service in the region,” said Kenneth Lawrence Jr., senior vice president for government, community and public affairs. “We’ll continue to build on this year’s momentum in the coming years, ensuring that more members of the Temple community engage in meaningful service to our neighbors.”