Many of Russell s fellow WCTC students are doing their own part to give back to the community. They perform service work from helping the homeless to feeding the poor. But while they do this voluntarily, there is also an increasing push from college administrators to make the work mandatory. Service work helps students learn how to interact with each other better as well as with those they might otherwise never meet. It also fosters team building and gives students a self-esteem boost they might not get from their studies or profession alone, education officials say.
Businesses say they can teach technique.
They want people who have people skills. WCTC has woven critical life skills throughout its curriculum, including those of social responsibility and effective citizenship. Marlena Mackie, WCTC dean of general education, said the school hopes the skills will help students to become stronger citizens in the local, and global, community. This will also help them to adjust to the new work force. This helps to build the whole student.