The Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ has earned the top U.S. President\u2019s Volunteer Service Award for 2011-2012, the only university in the nation to receive the honor.<\/p>\n
The gold award is given to organizations that provide at least 15,000 volunteer hours a year to Junior Achievement projects. Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ volunteers more than doubled that mark by donating more than 35,000 service hours.<\/p>\n
The university joins 11 companies in receiving the award, including Walt Disney World, AT&T, General Electric and Bank of America.<\/p>\n
\u201cÂ鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ through its service-learning unit is the largest volunteer source of any JA in the world,\u201d said Craig Polejes, president of Junior Achievement of Central Florida.<\/p>\n
The award was created in 2003 by the President\u2019s Council on Service and Civic Participation for people who donate significant time to volunteering. In 2006, Junior Achievement became the certifying organization for the award.<\/p>\n
Through the Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ and JA service-learning partnership in 2011-12, there were 2,079 classes taught by Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ students at 160 Central Florida schools, reaching 37,676 children, Polejes said.<\/p>\n
Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ students teach children in schools about entrepreneurship, work readiness, how to become successful and to stay in school. In return, university students learn leadership, communication skills and critical thinking.<\/p>\n
Polejes said Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½\u2019s volunteers come from the College of Arts & Humanities, College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Health and Public Affairs, College of Medicine, \u00a0 Interdisciplinary Studies, Nicholson School of Communication, and the Burnett Honors College.<\/p>\n
For example, in the College of Business Administration JA is incorporated into the Cornerstone course curriculum. Students spend at least 25 hours teaching JA classes and completing projects at elementary and middle schools.<\/p>\n
Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ Provost and Executive Vice President Tony Waldrop and Fred Kittinger, associate vice president and director of state and local government affairs, also serve on the board of Junior Achievement of Central Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re extremely proud of this relationship,\u201d Polejes said. \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of work and effort from many over 20 years, and we don\u2019t take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ will officially be recognized at the President\u2019s Volunteer Service Award presentations in New York in March.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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