- University of Central Florida News | UCF Today - https://www.ucf.edu/news -

Civic Engagement Fair Offers Opportunities to Give Back

Students are invited to learn about different opportunities to give back to the community during the Burnett Honors College’s 7th annual Civic Engagement Fair.

The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27, in the honors college lobby, and it will showcase organizations that are part of the Honors Educational Reach Out, or HERO, program.

The fair is a chance for all UCF students to learn about different volunteer programs focusing on hunger and homelessness, health and wellness, legal issues, animal rights, the environment, and education.

There also will be information about the Alternative Break Program and Achieve a College Education Day, an annual honors college event that brings 500 fifth graders to UCF and shows them the benefits of attending college.

“When you are engaged in the community, you are experiencing real world issues,” said Kelly Astro, director of Research and Civic Engagement for the honors college. “Not only are you gaining a different perspective from being out in the community and working with people that might be a little different from you, but you are realizing how your particular field of study can make an impact, and it makes for a more well-rounded student.”

During the 2013-14 academic year, the honors college had 1,052 volunteers who contributed more than 24,000 civic engagement hours to 28 different schools and community organizations.

For more information about the Civic Engagement Fair and other volunteer opportunities, contact Astro at Kelly.Astro@ucf.edu [1].