Saint Ambrose and Augustana are now part of an elite group on the President's higher education community service honor roll.
When college students around the Quad cities take a break from studying, they're not wasting time, they're donating their time to make our community a better place to live.
"Doing projects like this shows you how you can participate not only in your own life but how you can give back to your community," Moselle Singh said.
Moselle Singh is an Augustana student, one of just a few students across the country honored by the President's council.
She is behind the Redwood Movement, a film produced by students that tells the story of several Quad City natives.
"It was a huge project created by students," Singh said. "About 30 of us."
They showed the film and donated money raised to "A Place 2 B," a Rock Island organization that helps the homeless.
"I think that's really important for kids our age," Singh said. "Learning your capacity and your agency in your own life."
That's what they're doing at St. Ambrose, too.
"Our biggest project would be Urban Plunge in which we have 600 students go out and to 30 different agencies and perform service," St. Ambrose director of Co-curricular Service and Justice Ministries Kelly Bush said.
"I like Ambrose because we're not required to do service," St. Ambrose student Tony Raya said. "It's who we are."
That's the message professors want the students to have, with or without the national recognition.
"We're participating in what higher education is supposed to be, which is educating our young people how to be responsible and engaged citizens in the world," Laura Mahn said. "I'm pleased to be a part of that system."
