UMBC continues to gain national recognition for its commitment to and innovation in engaging students in community service, internships, co-ops, research and service-learning. For the second year in a row, the University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. Eighty-three institutions received this designation and UMBC was the only Maryland institution in this category.
Additionally, UMBC’s effective Internship, Co-op, and Research Programs through The Shriver Center received the 2009 Best Practice Award from the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA). The purpose of the CEIA's Best Practice Award is to spotlight new approaches and their application to other programs nationwide. Both these honors continue to highlight UMBC as a leader in applied learning.
Shriver Center Director Michele Wolff adds that “applied learning not only strengthens UMBC’s commitment to produce skilled professionals for the region’s workforce, but also contributes to creating the next generation of civic-minded leaders.”
Being named to the President’s Honor Roll with Distinction demonstrates UMBC’s deep commitment to providing a comprehensive array of community service and service-learning opportunities to students to provide substantive assistance in meeting unmet needs in our local, regional and national community. At UMBC, students can engage in a continuum of activities from one-time community service events (e.g. blood drives, MLK Service Day projects) and Alternative Spring Breaks (both in Baltimore and around the country), to semester-long service-learning experiences with a host of community-based nonprofit organizations and local public schools. These experiences open students’ eyes to the myriad of issues facing our society, building their sense of social consciousness and their levels of civic literacy.
The Shriver Center offers a comprehensive academic Internship, Cooperative Education and Research program along with innovative work-based learning activities, including; a Lunch and Learn Career Series; Shriver on the Road Field Trips to Worksites; and a Student Alumni Job Shadow Program. In the past five years, Shriver Center’s intern, co-op and research hires have increased by 97 percent. To date, during the 2008-09 academic year, staff secured, coordinated and monitored over 900 internship, cooperative education and research placements for undergraduate and graduate students, not counting upcoming summer hires.
Andrew Ishmael, who serves as an intern at Black & Decker, says, “Having an internship is the most valuable asset for a college student. It takes what you learn in the classroom and gives you real-world applications.”
Feedback obtained from participating students, faculty and employers reinforce UMBC’s active engagement in and support of applied learning. The 2009 Best Practice Award from the CEIA and being named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction are national honors that continue to make UMBC proud.