Our History

Through the generosity of the Feinstein Enriching America Program, the Center for Community Engagement and Service at Salve Regina University has served as a catalyst for over twenty years, connecting university students with the needs of our local community to cultivate hearts and hands oriented to service for our next-door-neighbor and our neighbor around the world. Today our local community and our university students are seeking even more – a deeper commitment to service in a manner that is focused on the common good and rooted in the reality that we belong to each other; our human dignity and the well-being of our communities are mutually constituted.

  • 1996

     

    Office of Community Service, Feinstein Enriching America Program is Established

    Office of Community Service, Feinstein Enriching America Program established at Salve Regina University with a $1M grant from Alan Shawn Feinstein.

  • 1997

    First Service Fair is Held

    Community Outreach Site Coordinator and On Campus Placement Coordinator appointed and first Service Fair hosted on campus. The Service Fair has continued as part of the fall semester launch for 22 years; in Fall 2018, 34 community partners attended to connect students with volunteer needs and opportunities.

     

    1997

  • 1998

    10 hour Community Service requirement added as a Pass/Fail

    To demonstrate the centrality of service in a Salve education, Salve Regina University adds 10 hours of Community Service as a pass/fail requirement on student transcripts.

  • 1999

    Graduation Service Recognition Established

    Salve initiates a graduation service recognition, celebrating all seniors that complete 100 hours of community service at graduation.

     

    1999

  • 2000

    Service-Learning Course Articulation

    Salve faculty are invited to submit proposals for service-learning courses; nine service-learning grants awarded (i.e. Child Development, Special Topics in Spanish, Community Health Nursing, Social Problems classes) and the goal of developing one service-learning component for each major is articulated.

  • 2001

    Rebuilding Together Partnership is Established

    Partnership developed with Rebuilding Together to help provide “safe, warm and dry homes for local residents in need. “To date Salve has contributed to helping rehabilitate or build 15 homes, with 50+ volunteers each year.This year’s current project will help the family of a local 6-year old boy with autism construct a new fence, install a new water heater and build a new swing set.

     

    2001

  • 2002

    18 AmeriCorps Scholarships Awarded

    Office of Community Service initiates AmeriCorps Scholarships for Service program, with 18 students participating through the academic year, each contributing 300 hours of community service and receiving $1,000 in tuition scholarship.

  • 2003

    Thanksgiving Food Drive Program Begins

    Thanksgiving Food Drive program begins and has continued each year to the present; this fall the campus-wide food drive supported local community partners: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, Florence Gray Food Pantry, St. Vincent’s Home, Community Baptist, Salvation Army, and Child & Family Services with 1,618 non-perishable items.

     

    2003

  • 2004

     

    Initiation of CommUniversity Day

    CommUniversity Day initiated in fall and spring with 40 students participating with community partners throughout Newport.

  • 2005

    Launch of Homework Helpers Program and Earth Day Service Programs

    “Homework Helpers” program instituted with Child & Family Services and first Earth Day service program launched with 35 students participating.

    2005

  • 2006

    Initiation of 10 Hour Community Service Graduation Requirement

    Salve Regina University institutes 10 hours of community service as a graduation requirement.

  • 2007

    Recognition on President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

    Salve Regina University first recognized on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

    2007

  • 2008

    First South Dakota Service Trip is Held

    First summer service trip to Native American Reservation in South Dakota occurs; since 2008, Salve has sent 360 students on a variety of service trips, including Rhode Island, Louisiana, South Dakota, Florida, Washington D.C., Nicaragua, and Peru.

  • 2009

    First AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer housed part time at Salve

    First AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer housed part time at Salve Regina University, in partnership with Rogers High School; Salve has hosted 10 AmeriCorps VISTA since 2009, creating over 10 new traditions for Salve students including the Exploratory Day of Service, Service Plunge, Staybreak and the Stepping Out of Darkness program.

     

    2009

  • 2010

    Establishment of Seahawks for Service Scholarships

    Scholarships for Service program adopted by University as Seahawks for Service, later renamed the Service Advocates; since 2010 88 Service Advocates have completed over 20,696 hours of service.

  • 2011

    First Service Plunge is Held

    First Service Plunge held, hosting first year students in a weeklong residential service program before classes begin; to date the Service Plunge has involved 327 students devoting 6,070 service hours with projects included gardening for God’s Community Gardens, organizing food at the Rhode Island Food Bank, and participating in beach clean ups for Clean Ocean Access.

     

    2011

  • 2012

    Mustard Seed Community Partnership is Established in Nicaragua

    Salve partnered with Mustard Seed Communities to develop an international Service trip to Nicaragua; to date 113 students have participated and contributed 4,150 pounds of supplies and $118,292 in financial donations to support the community.

  • 2013

    First Exploratory Day of Service is Held

    First Exploratory Day of Service begins for all freshman and transfer students to launch their college experience with one-day shared immersion into community service; 3,497 faculty, staff and students have participated in the Exploratory Day of Service since 2013 with 10,491 hours across Aquidneck Island.

     

    2013

  • 2014

     

    Service Plunge 2.0 Launches

    Launch of Service Plunge 2.0, to extend an immersive service experience for students in the spring semester; 194 students have participated to date, completing 1584 hours of service.

  • 2015

    Alumni Day of Service and Angel Tree Program Begins

    First alumni Day of Service offered; Angel Tree holiday gift program begins; 5,786 items collected during the annual drives to date.

     

    2015

  • 2016

     

    Gifts to Give Partnership is Established

    Salve develops partnership with Gifts to Give, a repurposed factory that works to assemble gift bags for underprivileged children in MA and RI; 500+ Salve students have participated to date.

  • 2017

    Initiation of Fall "Service Week" and Spring "Share the Love Week"

    Fall ‘Service Week’ and Spring ‘Share the Love’ weeks initiated to deepen student service engagements at the start of each semester.

     

    2017

  • 2018

     

    Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Begins

    Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service begins; Director of Office of Community Service received NAACP Community Service Award.

  • 2019

    Initiation of Thompson Afterschool Program and Rogers High School Partnership

    Thompson Afterschool Program (Sammy’s After School) begins to be hosted on campus in Gerety (formerly Wakehurst).

    Partnership With Rogers HS begins ‘Rogers Closet” in the Alternative Program.

     

    2019

  • 2020

     

    Virtual Service Zooms Begin and Initiation of Community Action Monthly Meals

    Virtual Service Zooms begin; Director and Assistant Direct of Center for Community Engagement and Service are awarded Volunteer of the Year from Norman Bird Sanctuary

    Added Community Action Monthly Meals.

  • 2021

    10 Hour Service Graduation Requirement Eliminated, NAACP Retreat Begins, Edward King House and Newport Boxfit Partnerships are Established, Three new AmeriCorps VISTA Members

    10 Hour Service Graduation Requirement eliminated by university for all incoming students from here on out.

    NAACP retreat begins; Partnership with Edward King House and Newport Boxfit begins with Angel Tree Donations.

    Davis Grant work begins with Faculty Director Jameson Chase.

    Day of Service Student Leadership begins.

    Three new AmeriCorps VISTA members enter into Service for the 2021-2022 Academic Year to coordinate the Thompson After School Program under the Project Citizen model.

     

    2021

  • 2022

    Vision of Mercy Fellowship Begins

    Vision of Mercy Fellowship Begins.

Salve Serves Magazine January 20, 2022 Bike Newport by: Katarzyna Osiecka Kaszuba ’23