LATI Nationally Honored for Community Service

Washington, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education today honored the nation’s leading colleges and universities, students, and faculty members, and staff for their commitment to bettering their communities through community service and service learning.

Lake Area Technical College has been ranked as a one of the top Finalists for the Presidential Award for its work in service learning projects both locally and nationally. Over 1500 Lake Area Technical College students contributed well over 19,000 hours in community service projects. Some of those projects included working at the Joy Ranch, assisting flood victims, and helping staff H1N1 points of distribution, food drives for the Salvation Army, fund-raising for the Ronald McDonald House, Big and Brothers and Big Sisters, Special Olympics, and Make-A-Wish, and providing Shoes 4 Kids for orphaned children of inner cities in the United States. 

Lake Area Technical College is the only two-year college that made the elite finalist list, with two large national colleges sharing the overall award.  Lake Area Technical College has received the community service recognition award each year since the program started in 2006.  The award program has grown tremendously with approximately 642 colleges, nation-wide submitting hours of community service to be considered for the honor this year.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the award, reports 513 colleges were named to the Honor Roll, 110 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists in the General Community Service category, of which two shared the Presidential Award in that category. Three other colleges also earned awards in Special Services areas.

“Through service, these institutions are creating the next generation of leaders by challenging students to tackle tough issues and create positive impacts in the community,” said Robert Velasco, Acting CEO of CNCS. “We applaud these schools, their faculty and students for their commitment to make service a priority in and out of the classroom. Together, service and learning increase civic engagement while fostering social innovation among students, empowering them to solve challenges within their communities.”

“Lake Area Technical College is always humbled to receive such recognition for our students and staff,” said Mike Cartney, Vice President of Lake Area Technical College.  “We see community service as core to our mission, not only because it instills a sense of community involvement and giving back, but also because it provides exceptional leadership opportunities and creates a sense of pride in our students.”