Skidmore named to President's Community Service Honor Roll

Skidmore College has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year. The college is one of approximately 600 institutions nationally to receive the citation in the latest round.

The honor roll was established in 2006 to salute colleges and universities with exemplary, innovative, and effective community service programs. Skidmore's mentoring and education programs for at-risk youth were among the programs highlighted in this year's award.

As stated on the honor roll web site, "President Obama has pledged to make service a central cause of his administration and wishes to commemorate the significant role that higher institutions, their students, staff, and faculty play in helping to solve pressing social problems in the nation's communities."

Skidmore's community initiatives include programs aimed at increasing higher education access, achievement, and engagement for at-risk youth in four local schools. In partnership with Sponsor-a-Scholar, the college hosts students on campus for lectures and performances, study-skill sessions, presentations on admissions and financial aid, and meals - everything that gives them a taste of the culture of college. Skidmore student ambassadors mentor the visiting students, help them with the college search and application process, and accompany and support those attending overnight Camp Skidmore sessions in the summer. In addition, Skidmore athletes mentor and tutor students after school through the Saratoga High School chapter of Sponsor-a-Scholar. 

The college also partners with the Saratoga Mentoring Program and the Saratoga Springs City School District for Saturday Skidmore, a program that brings disadvantaged and at-risk children to campus for a meal and a variety of activities with their mentors, such as swimming, visits to the college's Tang Museum, attendance at a sports event, games, and holiday parties.

Skidmore's emphasis on civic engagement and public service dates from its founding and remains central to its mission of preparing students for lives of responsible citizenship. Faculty, students, and staff have a strong commitment to service-learning and volunteerism, and some 50 percent of students take part in community service activities each year?in everything from Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics to tutoring and mentoring at-risk young people in the local community. The entire campus community joins in efforts such as Skidmore Cares, which collects food, school supplies, and money to benefit local agencies.

The Corporation for National and Community Service oversees the Honor Roll program in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education.Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school's commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.