On April 21, 2018, Spartans from around the world will gather to participate in the 2018 Global Day of Service, an initiative that seeks to show the world the extraordinary impact Spartans can make in a single day.

While we highlight the impact Spartans have in their community on this single day, a wide range of student-led service initiatives, registered student organizations, community service  groups, and university departments have come together to create a year-round service program.  Spearheaded by the MSU Alumni Association, the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement (CSLCE), Resident Education and Hospitality Services (REHS), and the MOSAIC Multicultural Center, opportunities to serve are provided to current students on a monthly basis. To date, the partnership has impacted the Michigan communities of Flint, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and East Lansing. As the program continues to flourish, expanding the number of opportunities for current students to serve side-by-side with MSU alums is a priority.

In February 2018, the campus service initiative collaborated with the MSU Alumni Club of Genesee County and MSU Black Alumni Association (MSUBA), to “Celebrate Black History Month through Service.”  Fifty current students, the majority of which hold leadership positions on campus, met members of the alumni clubs to assist with the refurbishment of the Community Enrichment Center in Flint. The campus collaborative provided students with transportation, lunch, and a t-shirt commemorating the day. Carla Clark, president of the alumni club, stated:

The MSU Alumni Club of Genesee County was asked to find a project for Celebrating Black History through Service. I reached out to Communities First, Inc. who does a lot of historic preservation within the Flint area. It was determined that we could partner with Christ Enrichment Center (now named Community Enrichment Center) and would assist with preparing the facility for use as a community center with programs for kids and adults. Volunteers would help with inventory of items, brainstorm ideas for the space, and get it ready for the families that it would soon serve.

Clark also said that her goal as alumni club president was to:

Promote the event with our local alumni in an attempt to get more involved and create of presence with Genesee County. I wanted to attract new volunteers and I want people to know we are here and passionate about making our community and world a better place! We work together in the community in aspects of service learning, we provide a scholarship, and we like to have fun!

The desire to be an agent of change – one who is involved in the community and active in their civic life – has always been a core attribute of being a Spartan. Current students, now more than ever, are advocating for causes they support and integrating them into their everyday life. By bridging the gap between current student programming and alumni club initiatives, MSU is positively affecting the lives of Spartans, and most importantly, the communities in which we reside.

To get involved with your local alumni club, go to alumni.msu.edu/get-together/alumni-clubs/club-locator.cfm.

Contact information for the MSU Alumni Club of Genesee County:
www.facebook.com/geneseecountyspartans/
Carla Clarke (Communication Arts and Sciences ’88), carla.clarke@comcast.net

Contact information for the MSU Black Alumni Association:
www.msuba.org
www.facebook.com/MSUBAInc
twitter.com/msuba
www.linkedin.com/groups/44865
Paris Ross (Communication Arts and Sciences ’91)

Contact information for student service initiatives at the MSU Alumni Association:
Dan DiMaggio, dimaggi2@msu.edu