Elizabethtown College is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Into the Streets. Into the Streets is a day where faculty, students and staff participate in service projects that benefit the local community. The event is not just held by Etown but takes place at colleges nationwide.
“The day of service began in 1994, when 77 representatives from national nonprofit institutions, service agencies, student community service programs, colleges and universities shared the idea of a call to action,” Sharon Sherick, the program coordinator for the Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE), said.
At Etown, approximately 500 people are involved each year. There is a wide range of service projects. Some past projects include raking, preparing for winter weather and selling tickets for Fall Fest.
There are also larger projects. Some examples of these types of projects include: Harrisburg’s community fair, packing projects and park beautification. Etown works with multiple agencies within the area, such as Masonic Villages, the Boys and Girls Club of Lancaster, the Etown Public Library and the Central PA Food Bank.
Last year, Etown worked with 16 different agencies. The day is meant to encourage students to engage in community service.
“Into the Streets is an event developed to increase and diversify the number of people participating in sustained and thoughtful community service in the Etown area by challenging negative stereotypes about students, including those that students have about themselves,” Sherick said.
Etown emphasizes this through their motto “Educate for Service.” The College provides many opportunities to get involved, such as community-based learning, service trips and club activities. Along with participation, Etown also wants students to understand the value of their service.
“We want more people to become aware of the idealism, ability and commitment of all people participating in the Elizabethtown community, and would like more people to realize and learn from the important relationships between community service activities and other forms of social activism,” Sherick said.
Into the Streets will be held Saturday, Oct. 27. To sign up, students can use the QR code found on Etown’s website, fliers in residence halls or napkin dispensers in the Jay’s Nest.
Students can also stop by the table during t-shirt sales. For more information, students can come by the CCCE office.
The event is not just open to students, but faculty, staff and alumni as well.
“Alumni are encouraged to sign up and participate in their home community,” Sherick said. “We also have mentor groups that do service projects with their mentees, and college scout troops that engage in service with their troops.”
People can sign up individually or as a group. According to Sherick, students can be paired with other individuals, if needed.
The preparation for this year’s event has already begun.
“Since the semester began, we have been hard at work contacting community members and different agencies to work with within our community,” senior coordinator Kaitlyn Freed said.
Freed has been part of Into the Streets every year, except when she studied abroad. However, this is her first year taking a more active role.
“It has been a fun and very rewarding process,” Freed said. Freed says she wanted to join because of the emphasis on community service.
“I know that this annual service day is just one awesome way our student body exemplifies Etown’s motto ‘Educate for Service,’” Freed said. She also works for the CCCE.
“Working here has allowed me to plan different service trips and events which has allowed me to see Educate for Service come to life,” Freed said.
Students can sign up for the event until Oct. 19.
“I am super excited to see how the college students help impact the community around us,” Freed said.
