Incoming Rollins Students Bond During SPARC Day of Service

August 22, 2007

Rollins students help Fern Creek Elementary School students pull weeds and take part in various landscaping projects.

On Wednesday, August 22, new Rollins students spread out across Central Florida to complete 22 community service-learning projects. More than 650 incoming Rollins students, peer educators and faculty took part in a community service-learning project before they even stepped foot in a classroom.

The program, called SPARC (or Service Philanthropy Activism Rollins College), is the only one of its kind in the state of Florida. Community service projects included everything from landscaping to sorting food pantry items to setting up computers to building relationships with seniors.

First-year student Amanda Portoghese helped sort food at the Second Harvest Food Bank during SPARC. “I think it was a meaningful experience because it allows us to see things to do on campus and learn about ways we can really make a difference in the community as well,” said Portoghese. The class of 2011 is made up of approximately 520 students and this year marks the 122nd class at Rollins.

Rollins students help sort food at the Second Harvest Food Bank. They disposed of expired food.

This is the fifth year incoming Rollins students have participated in community service projects as part of orientation before classes even begin. Biology professor Jim Small led one of the classes at the Second Harvest Food Bank during the community outreach project. “This is an important program at Rollins because it introduces students to community while helping them get acquainted with each other at the same time,” said Small. “The process of these students going through college together all starts here and I really enjoy being part of it.”

SPARC ended with a BBQ for participants on the Mills Lawn on the Rollins campus.

The event was sponsored by the Rollins College Office of Community Engagement.

Service Philanthropy Activism Rollins College (SPARC) is the culmination of orientation for new students. SPARC provided 2,600 hours of community service. The program was created to ignite a life of civic engagement and service in the lives of Rollins students and its goal is to teach students that their community consists of more than just a college campus.

Rollins students at the Winter Park Community Center decorated tote bags and T-shirts for students who use the facility after school.	Students, faculty and staff got together at the end of the day for a BBQ on Mills Lawn.