Sustainability at JCU: The Community Service Program
John Cabot University’s Community Service Program has grown considerably in the past decade and is a testament to JCU’s commitment to sustainability.
In Fall 2013, the Community Service Program only had 2 active partnerships and 4 students who obtained the Community Service Certificate. In 2023, students participating in the Community Service Program volunteered over 2270 hours of their time to a variety of initiatives with 19 active partnerships, and 40 students obtained the Certificate in Fall 2023. Over 86 kgs of trash were collected in the Fall semester by volunteers in collaboration with the JCU Grassroots Club. This result, together with that of Spring 2023, led to 136 kgs of trash being collected in 2023 alone. 136 kgs of trash translates into roughly 13000 plastic bottles.
Beyond environmental initiatives, volunteers from JCU packaged and delivered over 2,500 meals to Vo.Re.Co. guests in Spring 2023. 111 students engaged in a variety of volunteer programs offered by the JCU Community Service Office. Some volunteers led online English classes with students from Casa Scalabrini 634 and Centro Italiano di Solidarietà, promoting cross-cultural exchange and language proficiency. They also conducted English conversation sessions at Casa Internazionale delle Donne, distributed breakfast with TuttoBlue Arte e Sociale and Vo.Re.Co., volunteered at the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, and contributed to the upkeep of Casa del Papà and Vo.Re.Co. Shelter.
Other meaningful activities included building IKEA furniture at the Ambulatorio di Neuropsichiatria Infantile of the Italian Red Cross, under the leadership of the STAND club, which also donated €400 worth of weekly breakfast to TuttoBlue Arte & Sociale in 2023. Moreover, the JCU Office of Health and Wellbeing donated flu vaccines and HIV Aids self-test kits to marginalized communities as a commitment to community health.
At JCU, sustainability goes beyond environmental stewardship. It encompasses a holistic commitment to social responsibility and community welfare.
If you are interested in learning more about JCU’s sustainability initiatives, visit the Sustainability Page.
(Davide Ebraheem)
