Some 2,000 Ohio State University students, faculty and staff will spend their morning serving others in Columbus and Illinois as they join the nation in making a difference on Oct. 24. Students will participate in trash cleanup and site revitalization, and volunteer at various community organizations such as shelters for people with HIV, the homeless, families, and battered women and children. Ohio State s increasing focus on community service will have lasting effects in Columbus and other communities, and it is an important component of the educational experience. Several hundred more students, faculty and staff also will volunteer in Columbus to clean litter and trash in the area east of High Street in the ninth High on Pride University District Clean-up. Greg Lestini, a student participant of Ohio State s Make a Difference Project, said participating in a community service project such as Make a Difference has a positive impact on student life both socially and academically.
Nothing can complement an academic experience better than exposing students to community service.
Students can take that experience and put it to use in their careers after graduation, Lestini said. It helps to give them a more rounded college experience. Those who want to be a part of the national Make a Difference Day effort at Ohio State can participate in the High on Pride project. The cleanup was initiated in 1994 as part of the university s ongoing effort to improve the quality of life in the areas surrounding the Columbus campus. This fall, High on Pride has been designated as one of the official Make a Difference project sites.