Saints dedicate day to giving back

Community Day is back on Wednesday, Feb. 28! The College of St. Scholastica has sponsored Community Day since 1999, serving the Twin Ports community and beyond. During this day of service, students, faculty and staff spend time giving back in the Twin Ports or wherever they are located. First-year students on campus in Duluth participate in a project with their Dignitas seminar class and are joined by athletic teams, clubs, departments and individuals. Volunteers dedicate time to work, including supporting local non-profits, reading with children, spending time with seniors, participating in QPR Training (suicide prevention training), donating blood, writing letters to residents in nursing homes or VA hospitals, or sending letters and notes of gratitude.

This spring, the programming is expanded to include Benedictine Change Maker sessions, a new twist on the traditional offerings. Workshops focused on topics like addressing homelessness, understanding international humanitarian law, and how and why to get connected in one’s community create learning opportunities to drive future engagement.

“As a College community over the years, we have focused this day on specific projects to meet the community’s immediate needs,” said Jessica Ellingson, director of campus ministry. “This spring, we wanted to experiment by offering a perspective shift, too. The goal for the workshops is to look forward and get us thinking about stewardship and community care in a sustainable way.”

Mary Anderson, director of career services, explained that these workshops are an excellent way to get Saints thinking more broadly about what service and community building can look like. “We have been exploring the Social Change Wheel with the Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact. As we look at civic engagement broadly and expand our vision beyond serving on these two days in an academic year, it shifts the conversation in a positive direction,” she said. “It’s helpful to remember that when we think about engaging in our community, there are many ways — direct volunteering, educating yourself on the issues, being a responsive community member, activism and involvement — to be involved and create and make change.”

Around 800 students, faculty and staff volunteers are signed up to participate in Community Day on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.