Michelle Obama Challenges George Washington to Serve
GW commits to 100,000 hours of community service. In return, First Lady will deliver commencement address.
First Lady Michelle Obama offered a significant challenge to The George Washington University: perform 100,000 hours of community service throughout the 2009-10 academic year. If GW students, faculty and staff meet the goal by this spring, the first lady promised to speak at the University’s Commencement on May 16, 2010. Mrs. Obama issued the challenge on Sept. 11 during the first National Day of Service and Remembrance, which is the culmination of President Barack Obama’s “United We Serve” summer service initiative. Student Association president Julie Bindelglass and GW senior Shakir Cannon-Moye participated in a Habitat for Humanity community service project with President and Mrs. Obama at the Deanwood Housing Project in Northeast Washington, DC as part of the day’s events.
“What’s taking place at The George Washington University is what United We Serve is all about,” Mrs. Obama says. “My challenge to the GW community is to make service a daily part of their lives.”
Mrs. Obama’s challenge coincided with GW’s first annual Freshman Day of Service. More than 1,500 GW freshmen participated in more than a dozen different community service projects throughout the Washington, D.C., area with a special emphasis on serving veterans and military families.
“Service is a core value of the George Washington community,” says GW President Steven Knapp. “I am 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.”
GW students are committed to public service and civic engagement. An estimated 50 percent of the freshman class volunteered in their communities before arriving at GW. The commitment to the community continues after matriculation, with more than 2,000 undergraduates contributing 60,000 hours of service in the District and around the country during the 2008-09 academic year. GW is also a top feeder school for Teach for America and was No. 1 in the country among medium-sized colleges and universities for Peace Corps volunteers in 2009.
Mrs. Obama learned about GW’s commitment to service in a letter that Bindelglass and Student Association Executive Vice President Jason Lifton wrote to the first lady in June. In the letter, Bindelglass and Lifton highlighted the University’s programs geared to encourage service, including the Yellow Ribbon Program and Freshman Day of Service.
“Mrs. Obama, on behalf of the students, faculty and staff of The George Washington University, I accept your challenge,” Bindelglass says. “The fact that our University sits in our nation’s capital at the nexus of power and public policy presents incredible opportunities for GW students to perform public service every day. Whether it’s interning on the Hill or performing community service in our local neighborhood, every GW student is a public servant of some kind, and that's something we are very proud of."
Service hours will be collected and tabulated monthly by GW’s Office of Community Service. Volunteerism, service-learning, federal work study service employment, AmeriCorps service and pro-bono service are examples of activities that will go toward meeting the goals of Mrs. Obama’s service challenge. Students interested in participating in community service projects should contact the Office of Community Service.
Related Links
Office of Community Service
VolunteerMatch
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