First-year APSU students give back through Freshman Service Project

Dr. Dwayne Estes, with the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative, works with freshmen volunteers.

CLARKSVILLE, TN – On Aug. 24, members of Austin Peay State University’s 2019 freshmen class began their academic careers on an altruistic note by participating in the Freshman Service Project, an annual event that allows freshman to bond while introducing them to nonprofit organization’s in the community. During this year’s event, 150 students visited five nonprofits in the community to volunteer for two hours. This allowed them to learn about Clarksville’s needs and the ways they can help.

The APSU Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement created the event three years ago to establish a culture on campus that focuses on giving back to the community.

This year, student volunteers helped clip invasive plant species with the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative, worked with the Veterans Ranch and Retreat in Woodlawn, spent time with veterans at the Veterans Treatment Home, worked in the community garden and free thrift store with Radical Mission, and worked with the Cumberland River Compact on a river clean up.

This year, 150 students volunteered at five nonprofits in the community.

Several Austin Peay students are using the Tennessee Promise scholarship – a state initiative that provides financial assistance to students pursuing an associate degree. Participants in the program are required to complete eight hours of community service in their communities each semester. Opportunities like Austin Peay’s Freshman Service Project help students complete a few hours and learn where else they can volunteer

For information about the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement, visit www.apsu.edu/volunteer. For information about the Tennessee Promise scholarship, visit www.tn.gov/tnpromise.html.

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