Leadership School's Students and Faculty Seeking Community Service Project
February 8, 2002
Students at the University of Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond are seeking a large-scale service project in the metro Richmond area to mark the school's 10th anniversary next year.
Up to 100 students, faculty and staff will work seven months starting next autumn on a project to be selected from proposals submitted by leaders of local non-profit groups.
Deadline for proposals is March 8 for projects that can be completed between Sept. 1 and March 31 and do not involve fundraising. Guidelines are available on the Internet at www.richmond.edu/academics/leadership/project.html. Printed copies can be requested by fax (287-6081) or e-mail (ssain@richmond.edu). The students will announce the selected organization in April.
The Jepson School Student Government Association will recruit and lead a team to work side by side on the project, which will be selected for making a significant contribution to the community and best using leadership studies students.
"The scope of the project will be defined by the proposals," said Sue Robinson Sain, who directs community programs for the Jepson School. "I imagine we'll see community-building ideas that involve complex planning and consulting work as well as more traditional adopt-a-school or adopt-a-neighborhood projects. The nonprofit community is very creative when it comes to putting energetic volunteers to work."
"Community service is the foundation of the Jepson educational experience," said Trevor MacDougall, student spokesman. "While the project will allow us to give our time and energy to the metro community, we would also expect to learn a lot from this experience as well."
Jepson School students study principles and theories of leadership, and the project "will be a way to put theory into practice and work side by side with community partners," said Teresa Williams, associate dean.
Founded in 1992, the Jepson School is the nation's first and only undergraduate school of its kind. It will launch a master's program in 2003 and celebrate its 10th anniversary during the 2002-03 academic year.