A Message from President Steven Knapp and Student Association President Julie Bindelglass
September 11, 2009
Throughout its history, public service has been one of the core values of The George Washington University. Last year alone, GW students logged more than 60,000 hours of service. Today, 1,400 students of the Class of 2013 participated in our first Freshman Day of Service, engaging in 12 projects in the District of Columbia and the wider Washington area.
We are pleased to announce that, in recognition of this strong GW tradition, First Lady Michelle Obama has challenged this University to complete 100,000 hours of public service during the current academic year. If we meet this goal, Mrs. Obama has graciously agreed to be our 2010 Commencement speaker.
We are confident that our students, faculty and staff will rise to meet the First Lady's inspiring challenge. Their passion for service reflects their dedication to making a difference in this world. We encourage all members of the GW community—students, faculty, and staff—to take part in this historic initiative.
Service hours will be collected and tabulated monthly by GW’s Office of Community Service. Volunteerism, service-learning, federal work study service employment and AmeriCorps service and pro-bono service are examples of activities that will go towards meeting the goals of Mrs. Obama’s service challenge. Students interested in participating in community service projects should contact the Office of Community Service at http://gwired.gwu.edu/ocs or call 202-994-5493.
We look forward to joining you in this year-long effort, and we thank you for everything you do to improve the lives of our neighbors and to make this a better world.
Steven Knapp
GW President
Julie Bindelglass
Student Association President
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