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Deadline to Sign-up April 6th WelcomeIn recent years a sweeping interest among the University of New Mexico population to participate in Community Service for personal development has increased dramatically. The Community Experience was therefore created to provide an opportunity to students to get involved in service projects benefiting UNM, the city of Albuquerque and additionally create a new way of meeting new people in the process.The Community Experience holds an annual event known as The Spring Storm. Countless students, Staff, and Faculty from UNM participate in a one-day service project. This event offers a fun way of giving back to Albuquerque through a massive volunteer force. The day starts at 9am at University stadium. Breakfest is provided. Then everyone heads out to projects across Albuquerque. After three and half hours of work everyone heads to johnson field for Lunch, prizes, fun, and Student Special Events Fiestas. For more information on Fiestas go to www.unm.edu/~sse.
HistoryDathan Weems created The Spring Storm in the fall of 2001 in an effort to disperse service involvement to students of UNM. The next year ASUNM President Jennifer Onuska, finally made the transition from student organization to executive agency and thus the Community Expereince was born. Since then, Spring Storm has become an annual event hosted by Community Expereince.
GoalsThe University of New Mexico, as the focal point of our community, has a responsibility to "give back" to Albuquerque and show our appreciation for the community's support. Along with projects for which there is a continuous need (i.e. elderly visitation), there is great need to perform projects that are in some manner too costly for the organization of individual. Beyond providing a massive volunteer force, The Community Experience will also provide the materials and the exposure to accomplish these projects.
Campus NeedsThere is a significant interest among the University population to participate in community service for personal fulfillment. However, many students are unsure how to get involved or are concerned about making an ongoing commitment that they cannot keep. A large-scale, one-day event provides a convenient opportunity for the individual to make an immediate impact on the community.Further, there is a trend in higher education towards including service as part of a larger education. The Community Experience intends to lay a foundation at UNM for the integration of service into the university experience. Importantly, a service event such as “The Spring Storm” provides a unique opportunity to bring a very diverse student, faculty, and staff population together for a common interest.
Community NeedsIt is clear that the community will benefit from an all-day service project. We will begin by contacting organizations and leaders in the community to determine the projects they feel will be most helpful, and recruit those students interested in service projects. We are confident that we will find a wide array of projects where our volunteer force can contribute.
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